The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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Dear Readers, A few months ago, I wrote about the 2018 Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) outbreaks related to Romaine lettuce. The contaminated lettuce was eventually traced to farms in California and Arizona. Due to these outbreaks, 272 people became ill, 121 were hospitalized, and 5 people died. Recently, there have been voluntary recalls for possible E. Coli contamination, but this time with cauliflower, red leaf lettuce, and green leaf lettuce. None of the recalled produce...
It took me a long time to fully appreciate the differences between a rural upbringing and an urban upbringing. These differences are not especially manifest, but they exist. Montana has no large cities, so all its urban areas retain a bit of country influence. Some years ago the most common name for a bar in Montana towns was “STOCKMEN'S.” Until the 1970s, law mandated that children attend school in the county where their parents paid property taxes, so all the high sch...
Our mother had four children under six years old in the house (two more came some years later,) a wringer washer, but no clothes dryer or dishwasher. Frozen foods came later, so every meal took a lot of work to prepare. That was the situation of most women sixty years ago, the number and ages of the children were the only variables. The world was divided into women's work and men's work. Our father was aware of the disparity, and would occasionally quote the old adage: “A m...
Despite having grown up surrounded by animals – or perhaps because of it – I am not a card-carrying member of the dog lover’s club. Before you rally a lynch mob, let me explain my position by saying that I was raised surrounded primarily by working dogs. I will admit that the line between working dog and pet was somewhat blurred in our household, but many of you who grew up on farms and ranches and would probably not dream of letting a dog onto your bed will certainly understand the difference. Loyal and intelligent as our c...
Dear Readers, Now that the holidays are over and it's back to our normal routine, some of us may resolve to eat healthier in 2019. Many of us have overindulged in certain foods and have picked up a few pounds during the holiday season. For me, it was fudge and my great-grandmother's oatmeal cookies. When I finally mustered the courage to step on the scale, it unsympathetically revealed a four-pound weight gain. I'm hoping two of those pounds are just water. . . maybe? Not to...
That summer that I was ten - Can it be only one summer that I was ten? May Swenson – The Centaur [1958] We all say that as we age, time seems to pass more quickly. There exists in the human sciences a name for that phenomenon. It's called the just noticeable difference, and it extends to all of our senses. The jnd, as it's called in the jargon, can be quantified and calculated empirically. The crux of the principle is: the larger the original stimulus, the larger the i...
It looks like the ghost of winter past has decided to visit. We knew that we would have to plow, shovel and drive through a bit of snow before winter was out! If we wanted to complain about the heat we would have all migrated south for the winter, right? The beauty of the snow-capped mountains is wonderful. The sunshine on the ice crystals that form on the trees and shrubs is amazing. Hearing the laughter of my granddaughter playing in the snow is a joy. Yes there is a lot of...
Dear Readers, Chances are many of you who are reading this are taking some type of herbal supplement. Be it ginseng for better energy, saw palmetto for prostate health, or echinacea to boost the immune system, many are turning to natural remedies for their health. It is important to realize that just because something is natural, does not mean it is good for you. Many herbal supplements interact with other medications, so it is important to talk to your health care provider...
Anyone who’s grown up in a small town knows that entertainment is what you make of it. A quick perusal of the grass-roots histories of villages such as ours will reveal that most such communities boast an extensive history of shenanigans, pranks and practical jokes – many employing an astounding amount of creative genius and some ending in hilarity, others in fist-fight, triage or jail time - reaching back to the days of the pioneers and prospector. Before you or I were born, when the children rode to school on hor...
Tis not the meat, but 'tis the appetite Makes eating a delight. Of Thee, Kind Boy John Suckling 1609 - 1642 The haying crews were large during the years that the ranches put up loose hay. A normal team was eleven men on most places – some had more, others fewer. Many of the hired men came from Butte to escape the bad air of the mines for a couple months; some lived in towns nearby, and others had no homes that we knew of. I think a good number were hiding from abandoned famili...
Dear Dietitian, I am trying to lose weight, so I often skip breakfast. My husband insists that this is not good for me and actually works against my efforts to lose weight. What do you say? Shirley Dear Shirley, We have always heard, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." However, recent studies have challenged this age-old standard. Some studies have found that people who skip breakfast do not overcompensate for this and overeat later in the day. Other studies sho...
Today many people are out returning gifts or shopping for bargains. The day after Christmas can be great for saving money, but the trade-off is that you must once again and go out and deal with the crowds and traffic. It is a choice that one must make. As 2018 winds down each of us should look back and honestly evaluate how well we did in making decisions this year. Some were simple, should I cut the grass or go for a hike? Others may have been do I take another three rounds o...
It seems to take a while after sunrise now for birds to gather at the bird feeder by the kitchen window. On winter mornings like those recently, when the temperature struggled to rise much above zero, the chickadees, house finches, and English house sparrows didn't show up until half an hour after sunrise. I don't blame them; winter mornings are meant for sleeping in. All animals that spend at least part of their lives in Montana, inside those man-made boundaries we call...
Agricultural techniques, like all other facets of life, have progressed over time. With cattle and other agrarian businesses, the cultures themselves have changed. I'm old enough to remember when a large percentage of the labor on our ranch and others was dedicated to subsistence, rather than productivity and profit as it is now. Almost every ranch kept a bunch of chickens for eggs and meat, and most maintained a herd of sheep – selling the wool for profit and using the a...
I don’t know about you, but my favorite thing about the holidays is the food. It’s something of an understatement to say that I like to eat. In fact, I would say a good portion of my life revolves around food – deciding what to eat, purchasing food, preparing food, planning my next food-centric excursion…you get the picture. Picky eaters are one of my biggest pet peeves – especially adult picky eaters. Granted we all have the odd thing we just can’t stomach (mine is mushrooms), but if you’re a thirty-five-y...
Editor's Note: This is the second part of a column celebrating 'This is Montana,' a University of Montana program delivered to an estimated 80-plus high schools and newspapers. Enjoy! Although Montana's history may be young, it certainly is deep, and much of its evidence is written on the land. Knowing that an old trail – the Mullan Wagon Road – followed the Clark Fork River, explains scars along a bench or hillside and the disappearing pieces of a cribbage that supported a b...
Dear Readers, The holiday season is upon us, times of glad tidings, holiday parties, and family gatherings. When we gather to celebrate, there is often food available that we don’t normally eat. It’s great food, and why not partake, it’s the holidays; we’re supposed to eat more. If you are one of the lucky ones who can eat through the holidays, not gain a pound, and then get back into your healthy routine come January 2nd, my hat is off to you. For some of us, it’s just not...
In the days of loose hay, when the cattle were fed by hand, Christmas meant two days of extra work. - the day before and the day after. In order to lessen the time spent with the cows on Christmas morning, most ranchers spread the next day's hay in an adjacent meadow, then closed the gate. That meant feeding twice, a process that took all day. If things went correctly, all the rancher had to do on Christmas morning was open the gates and let the cattle onto the hay that was...
Editor's Note: In September 2013, University of Montana geography faculty member Rick Graetz and Kayde Kaiser, a geography graduate student, launched the "This Is Montana" program as an outreach effort that is delivered to an estimated 80-plus high schools and newspapers. Articles penned by UM faculty and others cover numerous Montana-oriented subjects, ranging from a series on the Missouri River to a discussion on the six-mill levy. Every few weeks, the stories and...
Dear Dietitian, I have been eating healthier and drinking more water. I've heard that we need 8 glasses of water a day, but I don't enjoy plain water, and I have a hard time getting that much in. Do you have any suggestions? Signed, Laura Dear Laura, Good for you for your health change! The answer to how much water we need each day is not exact because it varies according to age, weight, and activity level. The good news is there is more than one way to meet your fluid needs....
Since we are now officially in the second week of December, I imagine that most of us are frantically and stressfully getting ready for a birthday party. I know that may sound like a strange way to say “getting ready for Christmas”, but that is what it is. Of course December 25th is not the real birthday of Jesus, but it is the day people chose to commemorate the entrance of the Eternal One in to this world we live in. The affluence of our society has turned a very Holy and special celebration in to a reckless debacle of deb...
I was eating lunch at the hotel in Barra do Bugres, where I had been sent by the Peace Corps. The establishment offered rooms plus meals, and was the only place to stay back in the early 1970's. In the middle of the meal a mud-spattered Jeep roared up. In the back of the vehicle was a dying man with his intestines spread everywhere. He had been wounded in a knife fight, and they brought him over 40 miles of muddy, evil road looking for medical help. Someone had put an empty...
Dear Dietitian, I have recently lost about 20 pounds, but the problem is I cannot seem to lose weight around my midsection. What foods can I eat to lose belly fat? Signed, Maria Dear Maria, Oh! That stubborn belly fat! I know it all too well. While researching this topic, I found several sites on the internet with claims that certain foods will burn belly fat. The problem is it is a MYTH that any food will burn fat on a specific area on your body. Food is fuel for your body...
In 1908, pioneer missionary Victor Plymire and his wife were sent by a mission society in Pennsylvania to bring the Gospel to Tibet. A young married couple, Victor and Grace abandoned themselves to God to be used as He willed. God accepted their surrender and implemented this stage of His plan for their lives. After a long arduous journey through China, they ended up in a remote area of Tibet, alone. Leaving Grace in a small village for days and weeks at a time, Victor walked up and down the steep mountains and valleys...
Do you have small children who are destroying your life and your perfect tree this holiday season with their clumsily placed homemade ornaments? Do you, too, spend hours after they go to bed rearranging the ornaments on the tree and wondering how many years you’ll have to look at that construction paper wreath, and the snowflake made of glitter dipped popsicle sticks, hanging beside your handmade Murano glass bulbs from Italy? (Can you scrap them after elementary school, do you think, or will you have to wait until the k...
