The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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As kids, we were always anxious to help our fathers (it was always the fathers those days) in their work. We were participating in the adult life, plus we learned new and fun things. The work was enjoyable until we were old enough to be paid; that's when it became misery. One task that became an annual project for us as children was helping to roll the old barbed wire left by the homesteaders' when they abandoned their claims during the drought years of the late 1920s. Old...
In the early 1980's I attended a lecture by Dr. Timothy Leary, the professor and LSD advocate. He said that the world has gone through a number of "ages:" the Iron Age, to the Industrial, and then to the Atomic Age. Leary said that we were already in the "Information Storage and Transfer Age." And some years ago I was visiting with a friend, when we came to the conclusion that the transistor will make the deepest and most radical changes in world culture than have ever been...
Dear Readers, A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece on nutrition myths. There were some myths specific to cancer, one of which read: Myth: An-all vegetable diet helps cure cancer. There was a patient in the hospital that revealed she had followed an all-veggie diet for cancer and exclaimed, “I lost 30 pounds, and it was all muscle!” A vegetables-only diet will leave you malnourished and dissatisfied, and on no uncertain terms, will not improve a cancer diagnosis. This drew cri...
Throughout my life, the only recurring nightmare I ever had was that of me, huddled in a corner, surrounded by an angry crowd screaming accusations. I still remember it - all too well. It eventually happened, but without the crowd. The accuser owned a convenience store on the highway at Big Sky, and work was slow that month, so one morning we were visiting and he asked me if I wanted to work a few hours a week. I accepted his offer on a whim and went to work the next evening....
This week’s column is going to be a bit different. I must admit it is hard to focus as I have so many frustrating thoughts running through my brain. Over the past decade or so we often hear about a “war on women”. Well I just read something that actually supports that. From 1970 to 2017 the number of missing baby girls in the world from sex-selective abortion is estimated to be 23.1 million. That is a horrifying and mind-numbing number. It is hard for me to comprehend that...
Dear Dietitian, My son is in the fourth grade and is beginning to form unhealthy eating habits. He eats junk food while sitting in front of the computer. He is getting chubby, and I worry that he will get in these patterns for life. Can you help? Signed, Worried Mom Dear Mom, You are wise to start acting now. Behavior patterns are easier to modify when they are "nipped in the bud." According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the obesity rate...
When I entered the Peace Corps they gave me five months of Portuguese lessons in the state of São Paulo before they sent me to Mato Grosso, a state on the borders of Bolivia and Paraguay. I was to work with the Brazilian extension service, giving technical orientation and assistance to ranchers and farmers. Part of the job involved formulating loan proposals, then providing oversight as to how the borrowed money was invested in the property. Another one of my...
One area in my life that I feel God has made some good changes in me concerns anger. I can remember too many times in life when my “temper” got the best of me. It was not this impersonal “temper”, but it was a willful and intentional lack of self-control that tripped me up. I did not get my way, so I vented. It may have been not getting more ice cream; it could be when the team I was on did not win; maybe someone took a toy, told a lie about me, or betrayed a confide...
When the Corps of Discovery returned to St. Louis in September 1806, fur trappers already were on their way to the new country. In North Dakota, after meeting a group of trappers heading upriver, the Corps' John Colter left the expedition and returned to the country he fondly recalled. In 1808, Colter and John Potts were trapping at the three forks when they encountered Blackfeet hunters and warriors. Potts was killed, and Colter was given a chance to escape. The Blackfeet too...
Laura Broussard, the Family Nurse practitioner at Parker Medical Center, submitted her resignation to PureView Health center early last week. Pureview Director Jill Steeley said Broussard will end her tenure with PureView July 12. Her last day of practice at Parker Medical is expected to be around July 1, but Broussard has not been finalized that yet. Broussard is returning to Oklahoma, where she worked previously and where members of her family live. “I have enjoyed immensely...
When I was in Barra do Bugres this last time, I put a lot of effort into finding old friends from my Peace Corps years. Many had passed on, of course, and two, who were extremely wealthy in the 1970s, had died in poverty due to poor life and business choices. During this last visit, almost every morning I passed a gas station a half-block from where I was living. I always saw an older gentleman sitting just outside the little convenience store. One morning he called my name...
Dear Readers, When I told friends and family that I would be writing about the microbiome this week, there were some raised eyebrows. My friend Ken said, "Of course, the microbiome. What is that?" The microbiome, sometimes referred to as microbiota, is the collection of microorganisms (think tiny bugs) living in certain areas of the human body. It is made up of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. While most of the microbiota reside in the intestines, they are also found...
As kids, it was rare for us to travel farther away from home than Deer Lodge. The roads and vehicles of the day weren't much, and we never saw any reason or need to go to a bigger town. But two or three times over the years our parents hauled us to Butte to see the Ice Follies. It was a big deal for us, and the show made the interminable trip worth the suffering. The show was at night, so we had to leave early in the afternoon order to compensate for our father's self-imposed...
Montana's rivers are running high, wide and muddy right now and things typically won't improve much for maybe two months. That all depends on rainfall and snowmelt. A cool, wet spring will prolong runoff into mid-June; a hot, dry period will clear up rivers and streams faster but not bode well for fisheries later in the summer. So, what's an angler to do to catch fish? Better yet, what's a fish to do to find food? We might give up dry flies and switch to worms. Fish will...
A labyrinth of channels, willow bottoms, islands and a general mix of wetlands interact to piece together the headwaters of the Missouri River. The point where the three forks – the Jefferson, Gallatin and Madison rivers – join as one, the great Missouri River begins an odyssey, heading out as having had the starring role in the creation of a state. As a route of western expansion, the Missouri River had few equals. Missouri Headwaters State Park, at the three forks, doc...
Dear Dietitian, I was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease, and I'm having a hard time figuring out what foods I should avoid. Can you help? Signed, Kathleen Dear Kathleen, I know this is a tough condition to deal with, having seen more cases in my last few years of clinical practice than ever before. For readers who are not familiar, Crohn's disease is one of two types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the other being ulcerative colitis. As the term ulcerative implies,...
Over the years I have had many opportunities to develop and exhibit self-control. I would love to say that I have always passed the test and been a model of patience, calmness and control. However, the report would show something quite different. I cannot count the times I have lost my temper, or out of just plain meanness spewed anger all-over people when things did not go the way I wanted them to go. I sure wish I could roll back the clock and redo a few things but alas I...
Dear Dietitian, My girlfriend has been getting IV vitamin therapy and says she feels great. She insists I give it a try, but I want to know more before I join her. What do you think? Signed, Kat Dear Kat, Intravenous (IV) vitamin therapies, also called IV cocktails, are available in high-end spas, places called drip bars, and some clinics. These infusions offer a variety of nutrients from vitamins and minerals to antioxidants to amino acids (the building blocks of protein)....
It was rare to travel much distance from Helmville in the 1950's and 60's. The vehicles weren't that dependable, and the interstate system wasn't built yet, so the highways were only two lane. The roads to Drummond and Avon were gravel and often rough. Once every summer we kids were hauled to Deer Lodge, where we spent a week with our maternal grandmother. Our father had a propensity for preparation, and would begin his efforts at least two days before the trips were...
Recently, someone introduced themselves to me as “[insert name here], fourth generation Montanan, ranching family.” “Wow,” thought I. “This individual is awfully proud of their heritage – a sentiment I can understand – and wants everyone to know it.” Although I have not noted announcing oneself and one’s lineage thusly upon first meeting to be the general custom among most of the ranching families I grew up around, I thought maybe I’m not up to snuff on Montana ranching family etiquette. So, to go with the flow, I followe...
Our paternal grandfather's brother, our great uncle, died in 1959, so there aren't many of us left who knew him. We of the 4th generation only knew him as children, and I, the eldest of the group, was just 12 when Pat died while feeding cows one winter. Pat never married. I've been told that he drank for years, but one day simply quit alcohol. I heard him relate to a friend that one morning he woke up in the weeds behind the local bar. He got up and started inside for another...
Starting on May 4th residents of Lincoln have a great opportunity to attend a free 6-hour course that has been developed and implemented in hundreds of towns and dozens of countries. It is not a get-rich quick scheme, a pyramid marketing program, nor does it come with a high-pressure sales pitch. The course is called “The Christian Life and Witness Course”, or CLWC. Now before you tune me out, invest a few minutes and finish reading this. The CLWC is a teaching outreach of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). The...
I've mentioned a number of times the constancy a person experiences when raised on a rural property. The phenomenon crosses generations and allows people to realize the transience of their own existence. There are places on the ranch, I'm sure, where one can see the projects of four generations within a tiny area, all juxtaposed. Our father used to say that when a person dies, their absence makes no more difference than someone taking his or her finger out of a glass of...
Chester Beatty Papyri and Bodmer Papyri are almost complete New Testament’s and date from 200-250 AD. This helps ensure authenticity. The completeness of the New Testament. We have it all, nothing missing. Most ancient writings have 10-20 percent of original. Nine Key Factors Based on the Accepted Historical Facts Why There Are Positive, Factual Evidences for the Resurrection and thus for Christianity. The Disciples Experiences, as early, eyewitness sources The Disciples transformation into bold witnesses The Empty Tomb T...
Dear Dietitian, My son is in the fourth grade and is beginning to form unhealthy eating habits. He eats junk food while sitting in front of the computer. He is getting chubby, and I worry that he will get in these patterns for life. Can you help? Signed, Worried Mom Dear Mom, You are wise to start acting now. Behavior patterns are easier to modify when they are "nipped in the bud." According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the obesity rate...
