The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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From the center of the state at Lewistown, it is 262 miles to Sidney and just a few miles further to the Dakota line. At night you can drive 50 miles or more and never see another vehicle. Fly over it at after dark and you rarely notice a light. This far-flung portion of Hwy 200 traverses Montana's loneliest stretch of geography. But that is this huge swath of landscapes greatest asset. For what it lacks in civilization, it makes up for in the grandeur of the prairie and the...
Welcome to Instant Spring, Montana style. Although the sunny days are far from warming the soil, the snow is gradually sinking into the ground and it’s certainly warming my heart and energizing me for some planting. As I peer daily at the seed trays, waiting for that first peek of a green seedling, I am reminded at the wonder of a seed. I’m amazed at what a seed is, and what it does. Seeds are packages of dormant genetic material with spectacular capabilities - a miraculous design waiting to come alive. Henry David Tho...
People have often said that there are always two sides to a story. In actuality, there really are at least three sides to every story, especially in stories containing two people and some sort of disagreement. In my opinion, there is the side from one person’s perspective, the side from the other person’s perspective, and somewhere in the middle lies the closest version to the actual truth. Sometimes it helps to have this perspective, especially when you’re the one with a side...
At any given time, there could be anywhere from three to twenty books that I’m reading. While most people keep their books neatly stacked on their nightstand, mine are, more often than not, scattered on my bed. Most of mine are usually in the realm of self-help or self-improvement. (Let’s face it, we all could use a little self-help and improvement, whether we know and recognize it, or not). I like to have at least one fictional book or novel to help me leave reality for a whi...
As a country, we've just come through easily the worst election of my lifetime and one where obvious weaknesses in our system were exposed. Most Montanans I talk to are eager to put those passions behind them and get back to normal. Turning down the temperature is going to take work from us all, but one thing that is definitely needed is an election process everyone agrees is fair and transparent. We rely on elections to settle disputes over our most closely-held values. We...
I'm not going to lie, last week was a rough one. Two friends came to the end of their lives, another received some discouraging news regarding an ongoing medical issue and yet another was hospitalized. It reminded me how finite life really is. As I've heard other people say, "This is no dress rehearsal. You've only got one life to live, so live it." It struck me like a slap across the face, but there have been little signs of this for the last few months. In December, as I...
This is not something I normally write about, but it is something I believe in. I have recently been reading a book written by Christian writer Joel Olsteen "You Can, You Will". It got me thinking about my brother. I won't say his name, but he is actually now my last remaining brother out of nine kids in my family. We are down to four; two boys, two girls. My dad died when I was fourteen, so my older brothers are who I looked up to for guidance. And this one brother, well, I...
Last week the Montana Senate voted on a crucial measure to address the current fiscal crisis ongoing in Washington, D.C. Informed citizens know U.S. debt is now approaching $28 trillion. This does not count over $220 trillion of unfunded liabilities or the $4 trillion of planned deficit spending over the next 12 months by the current administration. The U.S. government currently borrows, or “prints” 48 cents of every dollar it spends. As a Republican state senator, it is unconscionable that massive deficit spending is now...
When it comes to life, I’m one of those live it to the limit kind of folks. I have things I want to do, places I want to go, dreams and aspirations to attain, and the type of person I want to be and become. I can’t get there by sitting on the sidelines – and I can’t get there by running myself ragged either. Making the most of life and living it to what you consider the fullest is so different for everyone. While I say I like to live it to the limit, I’m not talking about dra...
This past week, as if we need to be reminded, brought about three feet of snow and sub-zero temperatures we haven’t seen in a really long time (probably last year, but it still feels like a really long time). What it also brought were lots of really cool random acts of kindness throughout our little town, and a reminder for me that Lincoln really is the “Last Best Place.” Lincoln truly is a very special place, both in my heart and my daily life. The town and the people in it...
Welcome to the second week in February. Yes, most of you know what that means… Valentine’s Day is approaching. The day of love. Some people believe it’s just another “Hallmark Holiday” brought about to sell cards, flowers, chocolates, dinners for two and on and on, while others truly get into the spirit and show those in their lives how much they are loved and important they are. Personally, I don’t need a holiday to show anyone I love them. I like to think that I, and we a...
This week I thought I would write about control, and if you know me, this is kind of a funny topic. For those who don't know me, the reason this is especially humorous is that it's being written by a known, in-denial, reforming, control freak. It just so happens that over the last week, there have been a lot of discussions by various people in my life about the area of control (control of events, people, things, etc.) and it prompted something within me to take on the topic....
Well, here is a little follow up story on Jim and Trooper’s crusade of good cheer that started here in Lincoln on Dec. 6. It was my very first show and it was great being able to see everyone and kick off the holiday season. The following Sunday I headed up to Phillipsburg to play at the nursing home. Trooper and I got set up outside in the garden area while the residents sat inside and listened. I was not sure if they could hear me, but I did see one of the gals inside f...
This week, I’ll be turning 51. At one point in my life, age was something for me that was difficult to talk about. Now, it’s more of a number that doesn’t have a ton of value in the way I think about it. Twenty years ago, this was not the case. I remember the number, age 30, causing me an incredible amount of anxiety and, believe it or not, a terrible amount of grief. I cried almost the entire year before my 30th birthday. Turns out I was following in my mother’s footste...
I’ve been spending time the last couple of weeks helping my step-mom pack up her house in preparation for her move to North Carolina. She and my dad had their house in Lincoln built about 13 years ago. There are a lot of memories in that house alone: Christmases and other holidays, family gatherings, spending time with my dad during his chemo treatments, and while we lived with them when we moved back to Lincoln in 2018. I’m sad that it sold, for sentimental reasons, but hap...
Welcome to the second official week of January, where it feels like the world has gone completely mad. We've seen and heard horrible things in this past week, which to me feels like more of a science-fiction novel than reality. If you're anything like me, the events and actions of what's going on in the world right now have you feeling things on an entirely different level than you may have before. My feelings range from sadness, to fear, despair, anger and everything in...
Welcome to 2021! It’s a brand new year. One filled with promise of new things, new endeavors, and new and different beliefs. Rather than address a couple of recent letters that were published in the BVD separately, I thought I would take this opportunity to address them both simultaneously within this week’s column and hopefully give myself and others a chance to grow and see things from other points of view. Just before Christmas, there was a let-ter from Pastor Don Nie...
Remember last January, when I really began writing this column on a regular basis? Yes, January, at this point feels like yesterday, and five years ago, all at the same time. When I began writing it, my idea was to give people ideas of other perspectives besides their own and inspire people to think a little differently. Turns out, it’s also helped me to see other perspectives than my own too, which I consider a deeply valued and treasured gift. In January, we thought this c...
There has been a lot of talk in my world of Facebook, blogs, and books I’ve been gravitating to lately about “self-care.” It seems like such an easy thing, like something we should all just automatically know how to do, right? Well, I’m not exactly sure it’s as easy as it sounds. We get so buried down with the weight of work, responsibilities to our families, friends, sometimes even strangers, there’s little time, or even energy, to practice any type of self-care. By definiti...
Lewis and Clark County 911 Center received twelve calls for service during the week of Dec. 6 to Dec. 12 in the Lincoln area. Deputies performed two traffic stops. One of those calls generated a case report last week: Deputies responded to the 500 block of Main Street Sunday, Dec. 6. Deputies observed a male who appeared under age drinking a beer. The male was identified as under age and given two notice to appears for Minor in possession and possession of a fake ID. Other...
It’s been a year, hasn’t it? It’s been good. It’s been bad. It’s been difficult. It most definitely has NOT been easy. It’s brought sickness, loneliness, anger and depression, in ways we’ve not ever experienced before. But, it’s brought hope, too, in its own way. Hope for things to be different. It’s brought awareness. Awareness in a way that we can’t deny, about the way we’ve lived, as people, as a community, as families and as individuals. There are those who have made it th...
In the 1860s, as large deposits of gold, silver, copper, and other valuable minerals were discovered in Granite County, many mining settlements sprung up along creek beds and mountainsides. As a reminder of that frenzied search for prosperity, today, 24 ghost towns are left scattered throughout the county. The town of Philipsburg, founded in 1867 and named for Peter Deiesheimer, is the lone survivor and remains intact and lively. The key to this longevity is an inherently beau...
The term, "blessings in disguise" is use to describe good things that happen in our lives that, at first, may not seem like a blessing at all. Losing, or even leaving a job may seem like the worst thing ever. I know; I've been there. But losing "that" job may have opened a door that normally would have remained closed, or offered you a different path leading you to something better or more fulfilling. That's what happened to me. I had a job I liked very much at the University...
Welcome to December! While I always view November as a month devoted to gratitude and Thanksgiving, December is the month I remember all of the blessings in my life as I prepare again for a new coming year. A lot of people think gratitude and blessings are one in the same. It can feel this way, and that's not a bad thing – it's good to have both in our lives, but by definition this is how they differ: according to the Meriam Webster dictionary, gratitude is the quality or feel...
In December, I'll be moving into the theme of blessings, but for my last column in November, I want to continue my thoughts on gratitude. Something that seemed so random ran into me like a freight train this weekend. I've heard the words "be present" and "live in the moment" before, but never, in all of my life, have those words smacked me right across the face as they did on Saturday. I'm sure you've seen or heard those words, hundreds of times, right? So have I, and until...
