mornings in montana
Thursday, April 6, 2023
I am sitting at a large picture window overlooking the snow-covered mountain directly in front of me. On the other side of the living-dining area are 180-degree windows looking over the deck, across the small patch of yard to the rushing stream behind the house. Its soothing sound never ends, and it lulls one to sleep at night. Beyond the stream lies a tangle of trees and logs left from the devastating fire that made waste of the area years ago. The mountain rises steeply, and I am enjoying a fresh, white blanket gleaming in the sun. It is April in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.
The Bitterroot Valley runs from Missoula to the north to Lost Trail Pass in Idaho, becoming narrow on the south end. That’s about ninety-five miles. My sister’s home is near the south end of the valley in a short offshoot towards the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Their property borders this designated wilderness of about 1.3 million acres. Neighbors are not a problem here unless they are the four-legged kind. No problem, the bears are friendly.
My nephew’s big, silver F150 sits in the gravel drive in front of the house, which is blue/gray and has a cozy porch across the front. A brightly colored Magpie flew by on his way for breakfast, I assume. Magpies are everywhere in this area. They are beautiful, large birds with long black tails and white breasts. Though they are gorgeous birds, folks around here tell me they are ornery.
Magpies are found in numerous places in the world, especially in the American West. The Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Bureau call the long-tailed creatures “The bird everyone loves to hate.” They are among the most intelligent animals in the world. They tend to flock and, when nesting, have been known to attack humans and other creatures ruthlessly. Their beaks are long and sharp and can open a trash bag post-haste. They also love fruit and devour an apple tree in short order. They don’t play well with the other birds, so they often run their fellow feathered friends away from bird feeders. They’re kinda like the Panda of the bird world. Everyone confirms their beauty but would just as soon watch it from afar. (By the way, Panda Bears are part of the Grizzly Bear family, which says it all).
Since I am an outsider, I can simply enjoy the little rascals without worrying about one spreading my garbage all over the yard. There are a few advantages to being on the outside looking in, aren’t there? When viewing a new world from the picture window, it is easier to notice only the pleasing aspects of the scene. I love snow if I don’t have to shovel it or dig out of the white wonder. It is astoundingly pretty looking out this window.
Montana simultaneously combines the nostalgia and intrigue of the old west alongside the grandeur of God’s creation. This is both cowboy and mountain man country. Just over a million people occupy the “Treasure State,” one of the fastest-growing states in the union. Housing prices have skyrocketed in recent years. They film Yellowstone just down the road from here, and you can often find actors and actresses sitting at a bar in Darby. About two and a half hours from here, Butte is also a movie-making mecca. Signs of Yellowstone filming appear all over the area, and if you find it necessary, you can get a Yellowstone t-shirt in just about any store.
I visit this area about once a year, and from my vantage point, there is not much to dislike; that is, unless you don’t like cold weather, snow, forest fires, and inflated home prices. I actually enjoy driving these sparsely traveled highways where everywhere you look, there is spectacular beauty. It is so strange not to sit in traffic and get cut off by idiot lane-changers. (Do you want me to tell you how I really feel?) I would be hesitant to pull that stunt here since a significant portion of the population is packing at any given time.
Back to being an outsider.
Standing outside a situation provides advantages and disadvantages, and a wise person learns which is which.
When a writer completes a book, inviting “outsiders” to read and evaluate the work is helpful. When your marriage is not going so well, a counselor can often see the root causes of why you’re not living in harmony, which you’ve overlooked. They have no stake in the game. When your boss seems unreasonable, a fellow employee in another department can provide insight just beyond your view.
Sunday morning, April 9, 2023
Outsiders see things through a different lens, one not clouded by emotional attachment. When you stand in the face of momentous decisions, finding counsel outside your usual network is often helpful.
At the same time, insiders often know things an outsider cannot. People do seemingly crazy stuff when you are viewing the situation from afar. But what an outsider might not know is that this lady lost her husband a year ago, who left her in mountains of debt. She just lost her job, and one of her children refuses to talk to her. In her mind, she is doing what she must to survive. People don’t do things in a vacuum, so it is helpful to withhold judgment unless you know the whole picture.
There are many attractive aspects to this area of the country. My nephew and his wife live just down the road in Hamilton, Montana. Bet you didn’t know I own a town in Big Sky Country, did you? Hamilton is a quintessential Western community. Today is Sunday, and most businesses are closed. How refreshing. During the week, everything shuts down at about eight in the evening, so you better go to the grocery early.
The city was founded by the copper king baron, Marcus Daly, whose mansion you can still visit. He once owned 22,000 thousand acres around here. It’s about a mile from my nephews’ home in the metropolis of Corvallis. It was named after J.W. Hamilton, who granted right-of-way to the railroad. Hamilton was the location of one of the last K-Mart stores in the country, which closed in March of 2022. A sad day indeed! You’ll find two microbiological research and production facilities in this old western town, lest you think small-town cowboys are girls are not too bright. Ha! Your just an outsider! You’ve got to live here to be a “Bitterooter.”
Ah, another Magpie just flew by – dang pests! I think I’m getting a trace of Bitterroot in me. Go figure.
I met a man this week, a Bitterrooter, who lived in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, for many years. We had much in common and were familiar with many locations in Cumberland County, PA. Wherever I travel, I meet people who have something in common with me. Everyone has a story, and they are all interesting if you are genuinely interested and willing to listen. Everyone wants to be heard.
Jesus came to this world many years ago and was considered by many an outsider. Many found that they were mistaken when they learned that the Galilean was the ultimate insider. He knew more about them than they knew about themselves. He’s been appearing to people in that manner ever since. He knows more about you than you do and wants to get to know you even more. You just must form a genuine interest in Him and His story – then listen.
Over the past few years, I’ve become friends with a few Bitterrooters, though I still consider myself an outsider. The more I learn about them, the more I like them. I hope they feel the same way about this East Coaster. You will have some commonality with every person you ever meet, and it is wise and helpful to appreciate that reality. If we all approached one another that way, the world would be a little more harmonious.
Well, that’s a Sunday morning in the Bitterroot Valley of the great state of Montana.
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
