The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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On June 16, 1805, Captain Clark of the Corps of Discovery – with an extremely ill Sacajawea accompanying him – halted below the confluence of Belt Creek and the Missouri River ("portage creek," to the Corps), setting up what would become the base camp for their month-long assault around the "great falls." As part of Meriwether Lewis's effort to cure the young mother, he used the water of a sulphur spring that is located across the Missouri from the mouth of Belt Creek and cal...
Every American school kid knows the story of the first Thanksgiving holiday, or at least the version of it referenced on cutesy holiday décor and in our first-grade lesson plans. The reality of the feast that took place in the Plymouth settlement in 1621 and has widely become accepted as the “first Thanksgiving” was probably significantly different than the scenario portrayed in our grade-school Thanksgiving plays. The pilgrims, essentially a group of religious separatists looking to escape England’s volatile politi...
Dear Dietitian, What makes "blue zone diets" like the Mediterranean diet so healthy? Sincerely, Chris Dear Chris, Blue zones are areas of the world where people live much longer than average. The term was trademarked by Dan Buettner who identified these five regions of the world: Sardinia, Italy; the community of Seventh-Day Adventists in Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; and Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula. The Mediterranean diet (MeDiet) is a type of...
One afternoon, back in the 1990's, an old friend and I were philosophizing. The question came up as to what technological development of the 20th century had, or will have, the deepest effect on human society. Of course: cars, airplanes, consumer electricity, and the atomic bomb were mentioned as possibilities, but we were both in easy agreement that the transistor is the thing that has caused (and will cause much more) change in our civilization, as we call it. The...
By now, just about everyone in town is aware I am a vintage enthusiast. Most specifically, I have a passion for vintage clothing, but my love for the remnants of days gone by is not limited to fashion - I am also a fan of vintage dishes and kitchen implements, old furniture and home décor, vintage books and classic movies. What I am not a fan of, is vintage attitudes. Let me elaborate. It’s true that I love and often lament the “old fashioned’ manners of bygone eras when people sent thank-you cards, RSVP’d, and didn’t t...
With the elections behind us it is time to celebrate! Yes, no more attack ads, the road-side placards are removed and the political phone calls have ceased! The people have spoken, and it seems once again we voted for “change”. It was a little over 10 years ago that the people voted for “change”, and we got a President who for the first time was a black man. With his election President Obama made more promises than a Chicago politician could ever live up (or down) to. For man...
Robert Frost wrote that one time he came upon the owner of the land next to his. The man was building a fence in the woods, where there was no actual need for one. When Frost asked him why, the fellow responded simply, "Good fences make good neighbors." The neighbor had it backwards, I think. By rural Montana custom, it is "Good neighbors make good fences." Ranches and farms often share miles of fence, along with water, ditches, pasture, creeks, and a myriad of other things. T...
Well a new week is here and with that we have new opportunities in store for each of us. For some it may be the chance to harvest your first deer or elk! Now that would be an awesome thing for sure! For others (like me) it may be a chance to harvest a deer or elk for the freezer this year. If you are looking for a job, maybe this week things will work out (no pun intended!) and the job of your dreams may happen. Or maybe it will be something to help pay the bills and keep you...
Dear Readers, We've all heard of trans fats by now, but what are they and what effect do they have on the body? "Trans" is a chemistry term that refers to the arrangement of molecules. In a trans formation, molecules are arranged on opposite sides of the carbon: carbon double bond. Trans fats, which are unsaturated, are found in small amounts in animal products. The big offender has been artificial trans fats, like shortening, which contained partially hydrogenated oils. The...
Winter lies too long in country towns; bangs on until it is stale and shabby, old and sullen. Willa Silbert Cather 1873 – 1947 The consistently warm weather in Brazil spoiled me. It took about a week before I expected nothing else. Even the rain was warm, and wind was a rarity. During some parts of the year the nights can be uncomfortably warm. I had an air conditioner, but only used it once, preferring the heat to the noise. A fan was necessary to keep the mosquitoes away, b...
When the Missouri River puts Cascade behind, it looks out toward the sunset and the distant Rocky Mountain Front, the range of mountains that gave Montana its label "Land of the Shining Mountains." On July 18, Lewis wrote, "We passed the entrance a beautifull river 80 yards wide which falls in a Lard (left side). Which in honour of Mr. Roberts Smith secretary of the navy we called Smiths River. This stream meanders through a most lovely valey to the S.E. for about 25 miles...
Every fall, about 2,000 years ago, the Celts celebrated a festival they called Shahmain (show-in). As the centuries passed, some Roman and Catholic Church activities were blended in with the Celts' culture to give us our current Halloween. In the US, a quarter of the candy sold yearly is on Halloween, which is considered one of the biggest sales day of the year, (about $6 billion,) ranking second to only Christmas. So, we capitalists have added our financial (certainly not...
Dear Readers, What images come to mind when you think of a natural food? An apple freshly picked from a tree? A loaf of bread fresh out of the oven? Fresh green beans right out of the garden? Some food manufacturers are finding themselves in hot water for labeling their foods as "natural" when maybe they're not so natural after all. Food companies are cashing in on the "natural" perception, as consumers often believe these products are better for them and are willing to pay...
Dear Dietitian, My husband has just been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. We are both overwhelmed and need advice about what to do. Signed, Beth Dear Beth, A new diagnosis can often be frightening and overwhelming. Once we have a better understanding of the condition, things seem more manageable, and we begin to have direction. This may take a little time. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of health conditions that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease an...
Today I euthanized a chicken. Nothing starts the day like a little mercy killing before breakfast, right? In case you weren’t aware, chickens are by and large conscienceless, carnivorous little jerks who will devour any flesh available to them and have been known, like junior high girls, to turn on their own in the blink of an eye. The lone Banty in our coop was always a bit of an underdog, perhaps due to her smaller size. They don’t call it a “pecking order” for nothing, and in our little brood, she was at the bottom...
One of the greatest joys a minister of the Gospel has is to have those who sit under his teaching take the Word of God and apply it in their lives. It is satisfying when people actually read the Bible and learn what Jesus really was about. It is also something to read about how those who were opposed to him both as a teacher, and as Lord reacted to his message. Jesus was and is most concerned about the sin that separates us from his Father. This was the message Joseph heard...
Almost immediately upon departing the Three Forks area, the newly formed Missouri is neatly tucked into a mini-gorge. Then, only 16 miles from its inception, the Toston Reservoir and Dam decelerate its flow. After traversing the "Little Gates of the Mountains," so noted on Clark's map of July 25, 1805, as "2d range of mts - little gate," near the small village of Toston, the river will soon ply the last of the big southwest valleys. Officially established when the post office...
Dear Dietitian, I recently read an article that said we should eat whole-fat dairy products like whole milk and yogurt. We've always heard that we should choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products. What gives? Signed, Laura Dear Laura, You're right; for years dietitians and physicians have warned against consuming full-fat dairy products. Skim milk and low-fat yogurt, right? Well, maybe not. In a recent study of 3,000 people age 65 or older, Otto et al. found no link between...
We’ve reached the second week in October, and summer is over. Summer, that tantalizingly brief season of Vitamin D and seemingly endless evenings, officially ended at midnight on September 21 in North America. We made it through relatively unscathed by fire or the shaking of the earth this year and have reached that time when grasses are gilded and oftentimes rimed in frost, the leaves drift gently earthward in a palette of warm shades, wood smoke flavors the trailing edges of suddenly sharp gusts and the propane bill spikes....
I have the propensity to make decisions with little forethought, then when things fall apart, cast around for help to get out of the situation I created. My siblings have always come through, although I have never been deserving of their help. Some years ago I was making a decent wage, and decided that the only way I´d ever be able to reciprocate for their patience and generosity would be a healthy life insurance policy on myself with them as beneficiaries. So, like always,...
On Aug. 12, 1805, Meriwether Lewis penned in his journals, "the road was still plain, I therefore did not dispare of shortly finding a passage over the mountains and of tasting the waters of the great Columbia this evening. At the distance of four miles further the road took us to the most distant fountain of the waters of the mighty Missouri in search of which we have spent so many toilsome days in wristless nights." Lewis was describing today's Distant Fountain Spring, part...
Dear Dietitian, A close friend of mine has recently lost thirty pounds on an intermittent fasting diet. It reminds me of crash diets that were once popular. Is intermittent fasting a good way to lose weight? Sincerely, Judy Dear Judy, Intermittent fasting (IF) is the one of the latest fads in weight loss. This is a type of weight-loss plan where one eats during certain times, then fasts for so many hours. There are always diets that claim to have the magical formula for weight...
Lisa and I have been on the road for over two weeks. It has been an awesome and wonderful trip. We have made new friends, renewed old friendships, and am getting to know and love our new daughter-in-law’s family. There has been a great spirit in all of our interactions with people. We have had nothing but friendship, politeness, and respect from people as we travel. People are genuinely excited about our Nation. It seems everywhere we have gone people are hopeful. There is a...
Here in western Montana most ranches are what's called "cow/calf" operations. The owners maintain a herd of cows and sell the offspring at about six months of age, the calf crops go to feedlots, most of which are in areas that produce a lot of grains, especially corn. They'll stay in the lots until they weigh 1,100 to 1,200 pounds, at about a year of age, when they are sold to the packing plants. It varies from property to property and region to region, but in this area most...
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...
