Elephant Flowers photo by Dianna Banner
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Something to Laugh About: Bozeman’s Last Best Geri-Actors
By Bernice Karnop The Bozeman Senior Center’s Valentine’s Day Dinner sold out immediately, but the prime rib dinner was not the main draw. The Last Best GeriActors topped the program with a show called Love is a Many Splintered Thing. Cupid, in the starring role, was no chubby, naked cherub. This savvy, six-foot, 70-something matchmaker dressed for Montana in February wore a red union suit, camo, and hiking boots. The Last Best Geri-Actors is one of a growing group of senior theater groups in the U.S. and the only one in Montana. Reader Theater actors
Members of the Last Best Geri-Actors read Dr. Seuss stories at the Country Bookshelf in Bozeman in celebration of Read Across America on March 2. In the back row are Neil Gregersen and Joe Genovese (l to r). In the front row (l to r) are Joyce Shepart, Nan Gergersen, Gloria Hansard, Joe Mallory, and Lonnie Johnson. (Photo provided by Last Best Geri-Actors) love the magic of being on stage. They love to laugh, and they love to make others laugh. The Readers Theater group started at the Bozeman Senior Center in March 2013. Its first show was on Mother’s Day, and by Christmas it was so popular they did six shows in ten days at different venues. A favorite of the first Christmas show was an outgoing gal in a wheelchair who kept people in stitches in her role as a mechanical toy. The second Christmas show featured Christmas ornaments talking after the lights were turned off. Faye Christensen, a retired English/Drama teacher, moved to Montana from Alabama nine years ago. She volunteered at the Senior Center and noticed they had painting and music groups, but nothing in the performing arts. She thought there might be creative individuals who would like to try acting, so she talked to center director Judy Morrill. With a small grant in hand, Faye announced a meeting for people who would be interested in the theater. Twenty-eight men and women ranging in age from 60 to 91showed up at the first meeting. Two were retired drama teachers, two were professional actors, and others had enjoyed acting in high school, college, or community theater. One 91-year-old had been a professional model for MGM. But Faye was just as delighted with others who had no experience. “Theater is the great equalizer,” Faye says. “Even if someone doesn’t want to act, they can do other techie jobs like help write scripts, make costumes, work on sets, and make posters. (Continued on page 47)
PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Montana Senior News A Barrett-Whitman Publication
P.O. Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 FAX 406-761-8358 montanaseniornews.com email: montsrnews@bresnan.net The Montana Senior News is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October and December at 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Montana. The mail subscription rate is $10.00 per year (6 issues). The Montana Senior News is written to serve the reading interests of mature Montanans of all ages. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. All copy appearing in the Montana Senior News is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.
Jack W. Love, Jr., Publisher/Editor Colleen Paduano Kathleen McGregor Lisa Gebo Jonathan Rimmel Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith
Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Production Assistant Graphic Designer Distribution Admin/Production Assistant
You Might Like To Know... Thinking about how some old West stories are born, I was reminded of something I learned from reading Inventing Wyatt Earp, written a few years ago by sports writer, Allen Barra. After reading the book, I was in a brief email correspondence with Mr. Barra, and from him, I learned that none of the Earp brothers had any children. Interesting, considering that would mean there were no children or grandchildren, of course. Therefore, there were no Earp children in WWI or WWII, for example. What I am getting at here is they were all safely dead and gone by the time Wyatt Earp’s mythology began. It was advanced by Stuart N. Lake’s book, Frontier Marshall, published mere months after the last Earp brother, Wyatt (1848-1929), died. Wyatt Earp never had any opportunity to read/correct any proofs. His widow, Josephine Marcus Earp (1861-1944), apparently an aunt of the Neiman-Marcus storeowner, was another who pushed publicity about Wyatt Earp even more than old Wyatt had himself. Earp had hung around during the making of early Hollywood cowboy movies, and had been a good friend of William S. Hart, the early screen cowboy actor. If nothing else, isn’t it interesting how “being in the right place and at the right time” can advance a story? John Early New York, NY MSN
Contributing Writers Bob Campbell Connie Daugherty Kim Thielman-Ibes Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Michael McGough Jack McNeel Dianna Troyer © 2015
“Forget conventionalisms; forget what the world thinks of you stepping out of your place; think your best thoughts, speak your best words, work your best works, looking to your own conscience for approval.” –Susan B. Anthony
d e t r o f m o C w o d i Montana W y l l u f e c a e P d e s s a P d n a b s u H g n i w Kno
“
I’m grateful Erwin – Ethel Byrnes had this option.
”
On a sunny morning in March 2014, Erwin Byrnes’s long battle with cancer and Parkinson’s Disease had come to an end. He sat down in his favorite chair, took some medication prescribed by his doctor, and passed peacefully at home. He was surrounded by his loving wife and grown children. The Montana Supreme Court’s Baxter ruling ensures Montanans can exercise their freedom through the end of life because it authorizes aid in dying for people who are terminally ill. If you support death with dignity, help in the fight to protect your endof-life options. Please fill out and return the petition below.
Ask Your Doctor To Support Death With Dignity! Yes! I support end-of-life options. Name: Mailing Address: Phone:
Email: Mail completed petitions to PO Box 1348 Helena, MT 59624.
PO Box 1348 Helena, MT 59624 800 247 7421
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3
Recommended Reading Reviewed by Connie Daugherty
Trails’ End by Paul Krebill, 2014; Wings of Fury by R.N. Vick, 2014; Dead Man’s Fancy by Keith McCafferty, 2014.
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Montana is overflowing with good writers, and sometimes I find myself overwhelmed with options for this column. This issue I’m going to cover three Bozeman writers, their novels, and their three different styles: A love story that takes place over decades – Trails’ End by Paul Krebill; An action-packed adventure that takes place over the course of a week – Wings of Fury by first time author R.N. Vick; And a mystery with a message by the familiar Keith McCafferty – Dead Man’s Fancy – the third in his Sean Stranahan series. Each of these authors provides readers with an intriguing story populated with memorable characters, politics, history, and skilled writing. Each story will stay with you long after you put down the book. R. N. Vick is new on the writing scene and this first novel is a good introduction. Wings of Fury is action-packed beginning on the first page and continuing nonstop in James Bond style to the last. The protagonist, Nathan Carter, is a good guy, though not exactly on the good side of the law. “While there were plenty of legal aviation jobs, Carter found himself living as a smuggler.” He is exiled from the United States due to his escapades and longs to return. When Frank Malone offers him an opportunity to redeem himself, he can’t refuse, though, in his gut, he doesn’t trust Malone. Wings of Fury takes place in 1933 mostly above South America in an 800-foot passenger zeppelin, a Beechcraft Staggerwing biplane, or a Dornier Do X. Airplanes came of age during “the war to end all wars” and with them pilots who thrived on the adventure and entrepreneurs who envisioned a lucrative future in aviation. There is a depression in the United States; Hitler is coming to power in Germany; and there is unrest in South America. In the sky, a plot could be the beginning of another world war. “History remembers the two light tanks supporting the Bolivian attack on the northern extremity of the Paraguayan lines… One was destroyed by a direct hit… the other is simply known as returning to the Bolivian camp… perhaps this lack of detail is because of the confusion.” From this lack of detail in the historic fact and his knowledge of aircraft and understanding of history, Vick creates this fast-paced, energetic novel. à
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PAGE 4 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
R.N. Vick is a flight instructor and when not in an airplane can be found working on the family ranch, motorcycle riding, or exploring caves. Paul Krebill’s Trails’ End is the story of a love that spans decades from the 1920s to contemporary times and is as gentle as Vick’s story is intense. It explores locations from Al Capone’s Chicago to Iowa and from Italy to Montana giving readers a sense of time and place along the way. Eleanor Helm, a young farm girl from Iowa, and Landino Ferrini, an Italian immigrant, find themselves in similar places and circumstances and gradually form a bond that could only be considered love. It is also a story of the times in which Eleanor and Landino live that bring them together, pull them apart, and shape the people they eventually become. In 1920 “as the North Coast Limited powerfully
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
propelled its way west Eleanor Helm began to feel the cleansing effect of the rural scenery.” She had no idea what might await her in Montana, but she knew it had to better than the threat she was running from in Chicago. A few weeks later, “Landino Ferrini began to take stock of his situation…. He had shaken off the iron grip of Big Al.” Or had he? As the train sped through the countryside, he made a decision – Landino Ferrini would get off the train in Montana as Harland Ferris. As the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day massacre is taking place in Chicago, in Montana Harland Ferris proposes to Eleanor. Although they are ready to begin a new life together, Chicago – what they know, whom they know, and who knows them, especially Harland – is always there. Time passes and they relax, until someone recognizes Harland Ferris as Landino Ferrini. After Landi flees, Eleanor hears that he has been killed by the mob. “Once again Eleanor had come to a trail’s end... this time she was utterly alone… with the tragic loss of Landino all hopes were dashed.” Life without hope is not much of a life, but it’s all Eleanor has so she starts down another unknown trail. A five-decade Montanan fascinated with history, Paul Krebill has previously published eight novels set in Montana. Montana is also the setting for Keith McCafferty’s most recent novel, Dead Man’s Fancy. McCafferty’s Sean Stranahan mystery series are always a clever and fun mix of mountain solitude and modern technology, of old west traditions and the new west reality. If you are already a fan, you will not be disappointed; if you are a newcomer to McCafferty, you will definitely be hooked. Sean Stranahan lives in a tipi in the Gallatin valley, paints pictures for three figure commissions,
sometimes works as a private detective, and fly fishes whenever the mood strikes him – especially while working on a case. “He tied on two flies… and sent them into a foamy riffle….The fly rod is one of the world’s greatest icebreakers.” And once the ice is broken you never know which way the conversation will flow, “occasionally you made a friend for life,” or discovered who took a life. Dead Man’s Fancy takes Sean to the Libby area and Yellowstone Park and into the debate between the wolf haters and the wolf lovers, especially a radical animal rights group called the Clan of the Three-Clawed Wolf and its self-proclaimed alpha male. “The missing woman – she was twenty-five, named Nanika Martinelli,” was a “dude-ranch naturalist slash fly-fishing guide.” When her horse turned up at the ranch “riderless and sweated through its blanket,” the wrangler called the sheriff. They found a body on the mountain, but it wasn’t the missing woman. After several days, the woman was still missing and the likelihood of finding her either alive or dead was getting slimmer by the moment. The woman’s sister hired Sean. “Ever since he’d heard her voice, he’d known that his life was about to turn…. Life went along – he guided, he mixed paints on his palette, he shot pool with Sam – and then it turned.” Sean searches for the missing Nanika careful to balance his obligation to the sheriff’s department with his private detective search. He also struggles to balance the conflicts of interest in his personal life. Keith McCafferty is an award-winning editor for Field and Stream. He has written articles for Fly Fisherman magazine, Mother Earth News, and the Chicago Tribune. It is the perfect time for end-of-summer reading so take time to curl up with a good book from one of these Bozeman writers. MSN
Wit &Wisdom Of Gwen Petersen
How to be Elderly, A User’s Guide, vol 1 $10 + $2 shipping
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ORDER TODAY! Mail check to: Gwen Petersen, P.O. Box 1255, Big Timber, MT 59011 or call: 406-932-4227 | sagebrsh@ttc-cmc.net
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New Montana Book
“Blacktail Cave” By Tag Rittel
boys discovered a large cave near Wolf Creek, Montana, in 1946 holding evidence of prehistoric human and animal life in Montana. Plus, the dramatic documentation of that early life has been pursued over the past several decades. Many photos and illustrations. 6x9-inch softcover format, color photo section of authentic prehistoric artifacts, remains.
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5
Where do these words come from? If you have ever been curious about some of the colorful expressions we use, here is some insight into the origin of a number of common ones. Barge In – Heavy freight was moved along the Mississippi in large barges pushed by steamboats. These were hard to control and would sometimes swing into piers or other boats – hence they barged in. Barrel of Oil – When the first oil was pumped out of wells, there were no storage containers other than water barrels. To this day, we speak of barrels of oil rather than gallons. Bought the Farm – This is synonymous with dying. During WWI, soldiers were given life insurance policies worth $5,000, about the price of an average farm. If you died you “bought the farm” for your survivors. Cobweb – The old English word for “spider” was “cob.” Curfew – This word comes from the French phrase “couvre-feu,” which means “cover the fire.” It was used to describe the time of blowing out all lamps and candles. It was later adopted into Middle English as “curfeu” that “You’re only young once, buy you can be later became the modern “curfew.” In the early American colonies, fires were built in the center of the room. To make sure a fire did not get out of control immature forever.” during the night, all fires had to be covered with a clay pot called a “curfew.” –John Greier Hogwash – Steamboats carried both people and animals. Since pigs smelled, they would be washed before being put on board. The mud and other filth that was washed off were considered useless hogwash. Hot off the Press – As a newspaper went through the rotary printing press, friction caused Nursing Quality Care Collaborative NursingHome Home Quality Care Collaborative it to become warm or hot, so if you grab the tstastatthtehececnetner paper right off the press, your were getting dseidnen tero r srei e of af r u or lalll immediate information. gu Iron Clad Contract – This came about from the ironclad ships of the Civil War. It meant The Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative something so strong it could not be broken. Over a Barrel – In the days before CPR, a of nursing home residents across the country. drowning victim would be placed face down over a barrel and the barrel would be rolled back and improvement organizations in the nation to work forth in an effort to empty the lungs of water. It was with nursing homes to ensure that their residents receive rarely effective. If you are over a barrel, you are high quality care. in deep trouble. Passing the Buck/the Buck Stops Here – The following nursing homes join the 52 nursing homes already participating Most men in the early west carried a jackknife in the Montana Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative. made by the Buck knife company. When playing poker it was common to place one of these Buck knives in front of the dealer so that everyone knew Welcome: Billings Health & Rehab Community, Billings Central Montana Skilled Nursing, who he was. When it was time for a new dealer, , Billings Eastern MT Veterans Home, Lewistown Crest NH, Butte the deck of cards and the knife were given to the Glendive Fallon Medical Complex, Baker , Jordan Hillside new dealer. If this person did not want to deal, he Health Care Center, Missoula Hot Springs Health & Rehab, Hot Springs Libby Care Center, would “pass the buck” to the next player. If that Libby Livingston Health Care Center, Livingston Mountain View Care Center, Ronan player accepted then “the buck stopped there.” Pondera Medical Center LTC, Conrad Riverside Health Care Center, Missoula Sidney Health Riff Raff – The Mississippi River was the main Center, Sidney Sweet Memorial NH, Chinook Valley View Estates, Hamilton way of traveling from north to south. Riverboats carried passengers and freight but they were And thank you to those facilities already participating in the Montana Nursing Quality Care expensive so most people used rafts. Everything Collaborative had the right of way over rafts, which were considered cheap. The steering oar on the rafts Apple Rehab Cooney, Helena Awe Kualawaachee CC, Crow Agency Beartooth HCC, was called a “riff” and this transposed into riff-raff, Great Falls Big Sandy MC, Big Sandy Big Sky HCC, Helena Columbus meaning low class. Brendan House, Kalispell Bridger Healthcare Community, Bozeman Butte Healthcare Shot Of Whiskey – In the old west, a .45 Center - Genesis, Butte Cedar Wood HC, Red Lodge Community Nursing Home of cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents and so did a Anaconda, Anaconda Copper Ridge Health & Rehab, Butte Dahl Memorial, Ekalaka glass of whiskey. If a cowhand was low on cash, Daniels Memorial NH, Scobey Discovery CC, Hamilton Elkhorn HC & Rehab, Clancy he would often give the bartender a cartridge in Faith Lutheran Home, Wolf Point Friendship Villa HCC, Miles City Gallatin Rest Home, exchange for a drink. This became known as a Bozeman Genesis Healthcare: Butte Center, Butte Good Samaritan Society MVM, Eureka “shot” of whiskey. Glacier CC, Cut Bank Heritage Place HCC, Kalispell Holy Rosary HRH RL, Miles City Showboat – Built on a barge and pushed by Immanuel SCC, Kalispell Kindred Healthcare Parkview, Dillon Kindred Transitional Care a steamboat these floating theaters played small & Rehab, Great Falls Lake View HC, Big Fork Laurel Health & Rehab, Laurel Madison towns along the Mississippi River. Unlike the Valley Manor, Ennis Marias Care Center, Shelby Missoula Health & Rehab, Missoula boat shown in the movie Showboat, these did not Missouri River MCNH, Fort Benton Montana Veterans Home, Columbia Falls Mountain have an engine. They were gaudy and attention View HC Community, Bozeman Parkview HCC, Billings Pioneer Medical Center, Big Timber grabbing, which is how we describe someone who Polson Health & Rehab, Polson Pondera Medical Center, Conrad Rocky Mountain HCC, is showing off. Helena Rosebud HCC Nursing Home, Forsyth Sheridan Memorial Nursing Home, PlentySleep Tight – Early beds were made with wood St. John’s Lutheran Ministries, Billings St. Luke’s Extended Care, Ronan Teton a wooden frame. Ropes were tied across the Medical Center NH, Choteau Teton Nursing Home, Choteau The Living Centre, frame in a crisscross pattern. A straw mattress Stevensville Tobacco Root Mountains Care, Sheridan Valle Vista HCC, Lewistown Valley was then put on top of the ropes. Over time the Health Care, Billings Valley View Estates Health Care Center, Hamilton Valley View Home, ropes stretched, causing the bed to sag. The Glasgow Village Health Care Center, Missoula owner would then tighten the ropes to get a better night’s sleep. Under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Staterooms – Traveling by steamboat was works within the communities it serves to help improve the delivery of health care and the systems that considered the height of comfort. Passenger cabins on the boats were not numbered but were named after states. To this day cabins on ships To join the Montana Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative please call Pamela Longmire 406.457.5885. are called staterooms. Whole Nine Yards – American fighter planes in WWII had machine guns fed by a belt of cartridges. The average plane held belts that were 27 feet (9 yards) long. When the pilot had used up all his ammo, he was said to have given it the Territories of Guam and American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), whole nine yards. MSN doo
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Montana Montana
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Welcome Collaborative Members
PAGE 6 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
The Magic Of Montana Is In The Details
So many facts about Montana are unique that discovering them all is probably an insurmountable task, Janet Spencer, author of Montana Trivia (Riverbend Publishing, $10 + $2 S & H; 866-787-2363) probably knows more than anyone, so we have reprinted a few for your enjoyment. 1. Montana’s busiest stretch of road is in Billings, on Main Street in the heights, with nearly 50,000 vehicles passing by every day. The busiest road in the U.S. is the I-405 from I-5 to Long Beach, California, which serves almost 379,000 vehicles per day. 2. At an elevation of 7,651 feet above sea level, Cooke City, an unincorporated town on the Beartooth Highway near Yellowstone is the highest in the state. West Yellowstone is the highest incorporated Montana town, at 6,670 feet. 3. More tourists come to Montana from California than any other place, followed by Washington and Texas. 4. When it became illegal to take alcohol onto Indian reservations, smugglers hid flasks inside their boots, giving us the term bootleg for illicit goods. 5. Is it easier for a grizzly to run uphill because its back legs are longer than its front legs, making downhill harder. 6. Over twelve hundred earthquakes, including one of magnitude 6.3 and another of 6.0, rattled Helena in the fall and winter of 1935, including two that caused widespread damage and killed four people.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 7
In Arizona, 81% of the days are sunny. In Alaska, 23% are sunny. Montana falls about in the middle with 51% of the days being sunny. It took 32 days for Lewis and Clark to portage the eighteen miles around the five waterfalls on the Missouri River near Great Falls. The shoreline of Fort Peck Reservoir is 1,500-miles long, roughly equal in length to the California coastline. There are approximately 1,900 lakes covering 400,000 acres in Montana. The sign welcoming visitors to Rudyard reads, “Home of 596 nice people and one old sorehead.” When a magnitude 7.5 quake hit the Yellowstone area in 1959, causing an entire mountainside to crash into the Madison River and burying a campground under tons of rock, twenty-eight people were killed, and 19 of those bodies have never been recovered. At Clearwater Junction, you will find Montana’s largest fiberglass and Styrofoam cow, standing fifteen feet high and eighteen feet long. The folks in Saco set a world record in 1999 by cooking a 6,000-pound hamburger. Seventeen cows went into that burger, and leftovers the next day included biscuits and gravy for breakfast and sloppy Joes for dinner. Cowboys earned an average of $10,151 per year in 1999, one of the lowest paid jobs in Montana. When parking meters were installed in Havre, cowboys insisted on putting their money in them and tying their horses to them, causing controversy. If all Montana’s coal reserves could be mined, and if the mines continued production at their current rate, the coal would run out in about three thousand years. In 1957, Robert Knievel, later known as Evel, won the Class A Rocky Mountain Ski Association men’s ski jumping championship.
PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
19. Pierre Chouteau, president of the American Fur Company, brought the first steamboat up the Missouri. The town of Choteau and Chouteau County are named after him. 20. An American Fur Trading Company steamboat exploded catastrophically near Wolf Point in 1861 after a deckhand tried to tap a keg of alcohol by candlelight and there were twenty-five kegs of powder on board. 21. The front teeth of a beaver can grow as much as an inch in a single month. 22. It takes a typical flock of buzzards twenty minutes to pick clean a freshly dead antelope. 23. At Confederate Gulch southeast of Helena twenty miners panned 700 pounds of gold from a two-acre claim in a single day. 24. Dick Randall of Montana’s first dude ranch, the OTO, nearly a century ago declared, “If, after you’ve spent a month on a Montana ranch, riding horseback everyday and living outdoors, and you don’t feel better, you don’t need a doctor, you need an undertaker. 25. The town of Clyde Park was named after the Clydesdale horses that were being raised there. 26. About seventy-three loaves of bread can be made from an average bushel of wheat. 27. About 30% of the nation’s copper, and 15% of the world’s copper was provided by the mines of Butte in the 1880s. 28. There are around 250 miles of streets in Butte and over 2,500 miles of underground mining tunnels. 29. For five years, Old Shep waited at the Fort Benton railroad station for his dead master to return, before he died under the wheels of a train. The account of this faithful dog was sold to railroad passengers to raise funds for the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9
Reaching out and maintaining a friendship can be hard and inconvenient, but can lead us to insight and revelation. This can be particularly true when our friend seems to have a special spirit that has been challenged by the vagaries of life and has emerged as a good and peaceful soul. This issue’s winning Remember When selection is by Patricia Swan-Smith of Great Falls whose story of Leftovers will make you realize that there are things like friendship and love that are far more important than what many of us are chasing in our stressful and often frantic daily lives. Thank you, Patricia. Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Montana Senior News features the contributions deemed best by our staff. The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize. We look forward to receiving your contributions for our October/November 2015 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@ bresnan.net; or call 1-800-672-8477 or 406-761-0305. Visit us online at montanaseniornews.com.
Leftovers
By Patricia Swan-Smith, Great Falls I often call my friend Karen on the way to work as I watch the darkness succumb to orange and pink and eventually melt into to a diamond-blue as the sun rises. I’m on Mountain time so my seven is her nine. She’s usually up, but I can tell she is still in bed. She turned sixty-two this year, and I am only three years behind her – two of the baby-boomers who worked hard but did not reach the American dream of 401K, savings, stocks, and bonds. We got out of our marriages with our children and enough sanity to be at peace with getting older while sporting a mischievous sense of humor. As are so many women and men hitting that wall of aging, she is beautiful and her eyes dance. Her laughter and humor can douse a bad mood within seconds, and she knows the difference between a mood that should be quickly dissolved and one that holds pain and needs to be heard. She’s someone who calls to talk rather than just texting or forwarding emails. Real human contact! I apologized for waking her. “Don’t worry, that’s okay,” she replied. “I already got a call telling me Isabelle’s ashes are ready to pick up.” Two days prior, she lost Isabelle, her bearded collie companion of eight years. Putting her down freed Isabelle from the pain and inability to be the dog she had been – running, playing, and supervising other dogs during their daily walks. Karen said she was okay. Since she had Ryan’s and Sammy’s ashes back at her house in Georgia, she thought she would take Isabelle there to join the others. Ryan was her son, and Sammy was another loved pet. And then she told me about her long-held idea for her own ashes. I thought
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it a grand plan, and we laughed and laughed, celebrating its brilliance. Karen and I know the value of friendship and the limited time we have on earth. When we get lonely, we simply pick up the phone or drop by a friend’s house and fill our souls with the love. I think back on her life, and realize again, how many of us seldom truly know each other well enough to share the scars and be admired for the strength it took for our struggles, as well as the acceptance of our weakness when we crumbled. Karen’s childhood was tainted by wounded parents – alcohol, depression, and volatile outbursts that ended in beatings. A mentally disabled brother often battered his siblings – who played dead to end the poundings. Karen said she was an ugly child, and her siblings good-looking. Her brother had straight black hair and her sisters, red and blond. “Beautiful,” she said. On the other hand, she said, “I had bad eyes, crooked teeth, fuzzy hair, and cat-eyed glasses to try to make me look better. I was so skinny people would point and stare in horror. But at home I was called a big fat slob.” Her marriage to a narcissistic manipulator pushed her close to insanity before she understood it wasn’t she and finally ended it in divorce. Her oldest son Ryan died just after his twenty-sixth birthday following a night partying. She got her collie Isabelle two months before Ryan’s death, just after she had sold her house. Already dealing with big changes, the death of her son pushed her to a dangerous edge. A friend offered Karen a place to recuperate in Alabama, and she started the slow journey that no parent should have to make. Her grief was so heavy, she said each day when she awoke, “It was a real shock that I was alive – a mystery – how could I live?” She finally healed enough to live again. Today she has partitioned the pain, which she sooths with her humor, her harp, and her belief that there is more to life than the greed, rush, and
detached humanity in our world. She loves her friends, and they love her. After I listened to her plan, I felt joyous. I had been touched with another stunning sunrise and the warmth of friendship. In the parking lot at work, I sat in the car and replayed her memorial service before walking in. She had said, “When I die. The bad parts are over. I’m gonna be cremated and have all the ashes mixed together and put into my old garden bucket. I’ll have the bucket and a little garden shovel on a table at my service. Next to it will be paper bags – like the ones at the hardware store. And there will be a sign saying, ‘Help yourself to the leftovers.’ “There will be no limit or restrictions. Take as much or as little as you want and spread them anywhere. Dump me in the blue waters of the Mediterranean, throw me in the garden, or take me to outer space,” Karen added and then paused and said, “I’m not crazy about outer space... but I said no restrictions and I meant it... I could end up in a lot of places!” We laughed until we cried. I told her I’d take her all over Montana, Utah, Washington, and Canada. She loved that since she hadn’t been out West yet. As I got out of my car and headed in to work, I thought whenever it happened, I would make sure to be first in line at her memorial, and I would fill my bag to the brim. Then I would wait until everyone had gone through and return to the bucket to make sure none of the leftovers were wasted – even if it took another paper bag! MSN
“You can learn little from victory. You can learn everything from defeat”
–Christy Mathewson
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 11
“
THANKFULLY, PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE REMAINS A HOMICIDE IN MONTANA
”
Our 2015 Montana Legislature rejected Senate Bill (SB) 202 that would have legalized non-voluntary euthanasia, trampling individual’s rights.
Montana Disability Rights advocates describe SB 202 as a blunt instrument. Once people learn how poorly the bills are written to allow abuse, then they are not in favor of such a dangerous public policy. This is the third legislative session in a row that so-called “aid in dying” or assisted suicide and euthanasia legislation has been thankfully rejected in Montana in the face of record out-of-state lobbying by a corporation. It is a corporation attempting to buy a license to sift through our seniors for a wind-fall profit. Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst with Disabilities Rights Education & Defense Fund, said “if these [aid in dying] bills pass, some people’s lives will be ended without their consent, through mistakes and abuse. No safeguards have ever been enacted or proposed that can prevent this outcome, which can never be undone.” Thankfully our legislators read the bills. Thank them for their careful and responsible legislative action that keeps us safe. Learn how these bills are written and book a speaker for your small group. Contact Bradley@MTAAS.org.
SAY NO TO ASSISTED SUICIDE IN MONTANA! Send in this form to recieve more information or to volunteer and help fight against assisted suicide. Name: Address: Phone: Email: Montanans Against Assisted Suicide 610 North 1st St., Suite 5-285 Hamilton, MT 59840 406-531-0937
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PAGE 12 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Treasure State Riders are Motorcycle Gals with Grey Hair By Bernice Karnop People aren’t quite used to the concept of woman in the class, and the only one without any She had the satisfaction of saying, “Thank you, women riding motorcycles. Janice Allestad, experience riding. The class was held in July on but I did pass. I’m going to look for a bike. You can organizer of the Treasure State Riders, a motorcycle blistering days of more than 100 degrees. She come along if you want to!” club for women in Great Falls, says they get Misty’s husband, Butch Sturre, started some strange looks. Co-founder, Misty Sturre riding motorcycles when he was a kid. After explains that it isn’t just that they are women. retiring from the Air Force in 1990, he wanted “People really are surprised when we her to go with him so he bought a big touring take off our helmets and they see all this grey bike and they traveled all over. When she hair business.” started having trouble getting on behind him When staff at a Polson motel answered he told her she’d have more fun if she got her questions about the motorcycles in front, they own bike. They bought her a Honda Silver pointed to a group of “grannie ladies” in the Wing in 2002. She was 59 years old and she lounge and said, “There’s your biker group!” had never been in the driver’s seat before. On the other hand, the group gets many Butch, who taught the safe driving class thumbs up, compliments on their bikes, and at Malmstrom for 25 years, was a patient fun conversations from strangers who think teacher, but still it was no walk in the park. it’s cool to see a bunch of older ladies riding A low point occurred in her driveway motorcycles. when she failed to engage the kickstand For Janice motorcycling was like a properly, and the bike fell over barely missing challenge or dare. After retiring from the Air her leg. She cried and said, “I just can’t do it!” Force, her husband bought a nice touring bike. Her husband helped her pick up the She rode on back. One day, after a few beers, Janice Allestad from Great Falls loves riding her motor- scratched bike and assured her that such he said, “Get your own bike. I’m tired of hauling cycle on the scenic roads of Montana. things happen to everyone. She kept you around.” [Photo by Bernice Karnop] practicing, and since then they have taken “He threw down the gauntlet and he didn’t long trips to the west coast and across think I could do it,” she says smugly. She studied thought she might have a heat stroke. When she Canada, and have traveled as far away as and passed the written test and then went to Havre got through the two-day ordeal, it showed. Her Nebraska. Her goal is to puts 5,000 miles on the to take the safe driving class through the Montana husband took one look and said, “You look awful. bike every year. So far she has logged more than University system. She was 56 years old, the only Sorry you didn’t pass.” 65,000 miles.
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She loves the freedom, the wide-open spaces, favorite ride is to White Sulphur Springs over the Misty and Janice tell women they don’t have and the fresh air. She’s upgraded to her third bike, Kings Hill Scenic Byway. to let age, gender, or background hold them back. a CanAm Spyder 1000, with two wheels in front Janice says all of her senses are engaged Their riding group has included women of many and one in back – easy to ride, plenty of storage when she’s riding, and she experiences more backgrounds including teachers, nurses, stay-atfor all the stuff she takes on a long trip, and it won’t outside the confines of a car – the smell of roses home moms, and even an actress. Friendships fall over! and lilacs in people’s yards, the rain, and the new deepen with people they would otherwise Janice is also on her third bike. The first one, mown hay. And, she has “danced with the antelope never meet. she says, was “the worst learning bike” with Riding has made Janice more aware of a high center of gravity so it fell over easily. the people riding with her and of everything She dropped it three times in the first two going on around her. This makes her a weeks. The last wreck was in Bozeman, and sharper car driver as well. she went to the emergency room to treat the What scare her are other drivers. They cuts and bruises. don’t see bikers and they don’t pay attention. “I’m not going to be able to do this,” she One driver nearly ran over Janice while thought. But she had to ride it back home. enjoying his Big Mac with his radio so loud With added experience and practice, she’s it blocked the sound of her horn. She’s fivehappy to say, “I haven’t dropped one since!” feet tall, but feisty, so when she caught his The next summer Butch surprised her attention, he knew he’d done wrong. with a very nice bike with the correct center The Treasure State Riders started as a of gravity, and she regained her confidence. chapter of a national group but soon realized “I realized I can do this!” she says. that they could do better on their own. For one In 2011, she bought a motorcycle with thing, the group restricted the rides to women. a bigger engine that she really enjoys, “We like our husbands,” says Janice, and but the next one will be a three-wheeler while they sometimes ride as only women, similar to Misty’s. Janice set a goal to ride other times husbands ride with them. The 50,000 miles, but thinks she actually has Pam Windmueller is another member of the Treasure Sate group collects no dues, and meets all year, ridden 20,000 more. Riders and enjoys the camaraderie of riding in the wind sometimes to plan, and sometimes to just Growing up in Virginia and Minnesota with other women in the Great Falls club. have a good time. respectively, Janice and Misty enjoy seeing For more information, contact Janice [Photo by Bernice Karnop] Montana from the seat of a bike. Great Falls Allestad at 406-965-3651. MSN to Polson via Seeley Lake is a favorite ride with a and deer.” For Janice, a motorcycle ride packs an dinner cruise on Flathead Lake. After spending the adrenalin rush like nothing else. And riding keeps night, they return through Glacier Park. Another her young – that and her 14 grandchildren.
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15
Sally Vering Opens Bear Aware In Yellowstone National Park Equipping hikers, bird watchers, and anglers with the knowledge and tools to safely enjoy the majesty of Yellowstone By Kim Ibes Where are the bears in Yellowstone National Park (YNP)? That is the number one question Sally Vering and her Bear Aware staff are asked when people approach her bear spray rental kiosk at Canyon Village. “Well, we’re not the bear gurus,” says Sally with a hearty laugh, primarily because as a native from Chicago, she never in her wildest dreams thought she’d end up opening a business renting bear spray in the Rocky Mountain West.
As a city girl, and paralegal, Sally had little knowledge of bears or the need for bear spray. The seed of the idea for her business took root soon after her first bear encounter during a maiden visit to Yellowstone during the summer of 2009. Fortunately for Sally and her American dingo “Huckleberry,” their grizzly encounter on a remote road in the Absaroka Mountains took place in a speedy sports coupe with bear spray in hand – ending with a quick yet harrowing get-away! The experience made an impression on Sally, who was so taken with Montana that she picked up her belongings and moved to Bozeman in the fall of 2010. “I’d heard of the two separate bear killings in the Park a few months before I moved to Montana,” Sally recalls. “In both cases the hikers did not follow the rules they should have to stay safe, and neither one carried bear spray. One of the hikers was killed right down here from Canyon Village, just a mile in on the popular Wapiti trailhead.”
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As it turns out, bear spray is a proven and highly successful deterrent to bear mishaps and attacks. It is a non-lethal spray that contains capsaicin, an ingredient also used in pepper spray at a much higher concentration. When released the spray causes intense burning pain, excessive tearing, swelling, temporary blindness and difficulty breathing. “Bear spray is the last line of defense,” Sally explains. “It’s really a parachute and if you use it properly you can save yourself.” But just going out with bear spray is not enough. “You have to know what to look for, prepare yourself, and let the bears know you’re there.” For Sally, it is as much about saving the bears as the Park enthusiast. Sally has a passion for helping backcountry hikers, bird watchers, anglers, and tourists stay safe and informed. “After the attacks I got this idea to open Bear Aware, and with it came the adventure of my life.” Two years later, she launched her very first Bear Aware business in Yellowstone National Park. The one question Sally hears from park visitors is surprisingly, “Is it necessary?” “One thing I’ve learned, is no matter how much Yellowstone National Park puts out the message about bear awareness and safety, people, in their excitement to see a bear, put themselves in very dangerous positions.” So far, the reception for Sally’s unique bear spray rental business, the first such concession in a national park, has received high marks from visitors and staff. “Everyone’s been very positive,” says Sam Azizi, Operations Manager for Bear Aware, and long time friend and associate of Sally’s from Chicago. “Especially people who are only going to be in the park a few days or who flew here from out of state or out of the country.” Many people are reluctant to pay $50-60 for a continued → can of bear spray. à
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
“You can’t fly home with it, so they risk not carrying bear spray or limiting their hiking in the park,” Sam adds. Bear Aware rents UDAP Pepper Spray by the day for $9.25 and caps it at $28 for the week (a 3–7day period). While bear spray currently is rented solely from their Canyon Village kiosk – in the heart of Yellowstone National park and with a high concentration of bears – it can be returned at the visitor centers at Mammoth, Old Faithful, or back at Canyon Village. “It’s a great feeling when you have someone come up and thank us for being here,” Sally declares. “I’ve had one woman tell me it gave her great peace of mind when they were out on the trail.” While Sally and her crew point visitors to rangers and biologists for expert advice, their Bear Aware kiosk provides visitors with a wealth of knowledge on bear safety in the Park. “We’re becoming more knowledgeable everyday,” she adds. Before walking off with a rental can of bear spray, Bear Aware staff provide renters with a tutorial, assist them in using their practice bear spray cans, have them watch a short and informative safety video, and have them take the Bear Aware Pledge – developed with help from the former supervisor of the Northern Continental Divide Grizzly Bear project. www.customcaststonemt.com “What I’ve really learned every day is that our work is never done,” says Vering. For more information on Bear Aware or renting bear spray visit bearaware.com or call 406-224-5367. MSN Inc.
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Master Falconer, Jocelyn Barker Saving Montana’s Birds of Prey with the Montana Raptor Conservation Center By Kim Ibes As sixty-two-year-old Jocelyn Barker, master falconer and Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC) volunteer, opens a pen door, the cacophony that erupts from its ceiling height-cage soon produces greater pandemonium from its similarly confined, and equally unsettled, neighboring raptors. The clamorous hullabaloo is what I would imagine from a symphony of blowtorches. Once the door is ajar, six fluffy-white baby barn owls push farther into the back corner. Sharp beaks with tiny pink mouths stretch wide as they dance back and forth bumping up against one another. With a hearty grin, Jocelyn reaches in and picks one, withdrawing quickly from their shelter with her chosen bird. Jordan Spyke, MRCC operations manager, is at the ready in his owl mask with clutching forceps holding a tasty morsel to feed the baby owlet. “We want to make them mad,” says Jordan, raising his voice above the discord. A skittish bald eagle caged next door – victim of a gunshot – quickly shuffles to the back of his enclosure unnerved by the clamoring barn owls. “The last thing we want to do,” adds Jocelyn, “is to make them like us.” Getting too close to the raptors in their care further endangers them when they are well enough to be released. It’s called imprinting, and it likely ensures the birds’ demise in their natural, wild environment. These six baby barn owls bring the MRCC’s injured raptor population to 75 this year. These owlets were the unwitting end to a truck driver’s joke – in their nest and snatched from their birthplace in Idaho and casually dropped into another trucker’s load as a joke. These raptors do not belong in Montana and will soon be transported back to their native territory. “Jocelyn is my go to when I check raptors in by myself,” says Jordan after all the little owls are fed. “She comes to the MRCC with enormous knowledge, a tremendous background in wildlife rehabilitation, and she can handle the sadness of the job pretty well. Neither one of us likes it when we have to humanely euthanize an untreatable raptor that’s been brought in; it’s good to have someone like Jocelyn.” Jocelyn smiles and adds, “No tears are good.” What makes it worthwhile for Jocelyn, Jordan, and the many volunteers and staff at MRCC is their success in bringing an injured raptor back to its former glory and releasing it back to its natural habitat – be it a bald eagle, hawk, owl, or falcon (just some of the 31 species of raptors most often observed in Montana). Jocelyn’s interest in raptors began well over 50 years ago, at the tender age of eight. Her father
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rehabilitated birds for a number of years, tending to baby marsh hawks disturbed by their farming operation. She and her brother found their imaginations soared upon reading one of their father’s books, Hawks in the Hand, Adventures in Photography and Falconry, first published in 1939. Unlike today, in the early 1960s there were few rules and regulations on the rehabilitation of injured raptors. “The first birds we had were red-tailed hawks, then a great horned owl,” remembers Jocelyn. “Fish and game became aware of what we did and when they came across injured birds they would bring them to us,” she adds. “They brought us several eagles with difficulties and a peregrine that had been shot, among others.” Jocelyn became a master falconer during her student years at the University of Montana. As
she and her husband moved from Montana, to Wyoming, Texas, Colorado, and Alaska, Jocelyn obtained her master falconer’s permit per the laws of each state. In 2011, Jocelyn and her husband retired and returned to Montana, settling in Bozeman. As master falconers, both volunteer for the MRCC (a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization), and as subpermittees under the MRCC federal permit, they rehabilitate raptors at their home. “We have a golden eagle here now,” says Jocelyn, “He was imprinted and doesn’t quite know he’s an eagle yet.” MRCC sends many rehabilitating raptors to Jocelyn and her husband for observation and exercise. “If you’re a golden eagle sitting on a perch getting well for 3 months, your muscles are not
In The Kitchen With Warren “Bibber” Bibbins Of Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro By Kim Ibes
Fittingly, Chefs Warren and Jenny Bibbins opened Olive B’s in Big Sky’s Meadow Village Center on February 14, 2012 – Valentine’s Day. As restaurants go, this one is a true love story, and as most love stories go, there’s always a twist… actually, this time an olive, Olive Bibbins to be exact. Chef Warren Bibbins, well known as Bibber and a respected chef in Big Sky for over twenty-five years, was a celebrated head chef at the Yellowstone Club prior to opening Olive B’s with his wife, Chef Jenny Bibbins. Bibber’s mother insists that he’s following in his Armenian grandmother’s footsteps. “She would make her own cheese and filo dough. I was 10 years old when she passed away,” notes Bibber. “I had no appreciation for it, but in high school I needed a job and started washing dishes at my cousin’s restaurant.” At the age of 16, Bibber decided that the culinary institute was his future. “Before Christmas in 1977, I went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and then after culinary school, I went to business school at the University of New Hampshire,” he relates. “It was pre-computer age; we didn’t even have an etch-a-sketch.” Within six years of graduating from school, Bibber landed his first chef job. At the age of 30, he found himself in Big Sky. “I really grew up a lot when I started working at The Corral in Big Sky.” Bibber eventually captured the attention of the prestigious Yellowstone Club and ended up in the private ski resort as head chef for many years. Eventually the pull of entrepreneurship drew him away. “I wanted to own my own restaurant,” he says. With his co-executive chef and wife Jenny by his side, his dreams became reality. “Our customers give us tons of valuable feedback, and we’ve learned all kinds of things, like how much people love good food and Bibber, and how excited they are that he finally opened his own restaurant,” adds Jenny. Jenny moved to Big Sky from New York in 2009 and worked at the Yellowstone Club. She came for a winter but after meeting Bibber, well, the
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17
in shape to hunt for a rabbit, so we bring them home and get them ready to compete in the wild,” says Jocelyn. For Jocelyn, coming back to Montana and working with the birds of prey she fell in love with as a child brings her life full circle. “We really enjoy it and it’s nice to have a positive impact on something we care about,” she says. “I think that’s a lot of what volunteering is all about. Most of us do not have enough money to be Bill Gates, and buy polio vaccinations for the world, but volunteering on a small scale you can see you can make a difference. That’s what keeps us going.” For more information on the Montana Raptor Conservation Center or to help an injured raptor, call 406-585-1211 or visit montanaraptor.org. MSN
PAGE 18 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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rest was history. They married at Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky in 2010 and in 2011, baby Olive arrived. One year later, they opened Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro to a consistently seated full house and rave reviews for their quality service and fresh bistro fare. “We couldn’t be happier with all three decisions, sometimes things come in threes, it just takes a little while,” Bibber declares. Their lives and their restaurant are centered on a love for fresh, flavor-packed food, and a menu lovingly executed with their staff, all supported by the chefs’ love for each other and their love for baby daughter Olive and her little sister. Bibber and Jenny worked with Locati Architects of Bozeman to completely redesign their space marrying wood, brick and metal into a timeless, classic look, featuring an open kitchen, full bar, and jaw dropping views of Lone Peak from every seat in the house. “Food is the part of our lives that brought us together,” Bibber replies when asked what led them to branch out on their own and open Olive B’s. “People were looking for lighter fare in Big Sky and we wanted a place where they could walk in and feel comfortable, a place where they’d say WOW, a place with great atmosphere, great food, and great service.”
But lighter fare doesn’t at all mean people walk away hungry. “People say there’s a lot of love in our food. They love our quality and the fresh ingredients that
we use. I love classic in the sense you can make any kind of food you want and it can have flavor,” Bibber explains. “Over the years, so many people from the community told me I should open my own business. Now we have a restaurant where we can try many things.” Chef Warren takes care of the savory main menu, while Chef Jenny, a baker at heart, specializes in Olive B’s sumptuous desserts. So, next time you’re in Big Sky, stop in and say, “Hello” to them at Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro. Call 406-995-3355 for reservations. MSN
Montana Gardeners Start Rocky Mountain Gardening By Kim Ibes A few short miles north of Bozeman, delightfully splayed along the sunny western slope of the Bridger Mountains, Andra and Dan Spurr’s carefree, wayward gardens grow uninhibited, and currently, untended. Gophers live large, happily, and prolifically, burrowing in Dan’s carefully constructed and currently uncultivated raised-vegetable beds. Bright orange poppies grow informally and unrestrained in one of the many garden isles that Andra had so carefully nurtured and strenuously toiled over a few seasons past. “I have to apologize for the gardens,” says Andra, surveying the rambling overgrowth with more than a bit of longing in her voice. “At one point, before we started Rocky Mountain Gardening, we had gardens everywhere. You know, I never noticed how much time I spent on the gardens until I stopped doing it.” As we sit under the welcome shade of a burgundy patio umbrella, Boulder and Tiba, their two sweet-tempered border collies, amble about, unhurried, untroubled, and content. Like the Spurrs, the pair has enthusiastically adopted Montana as their home. They had met in 1980 at a sailing magazine they both worked for in Newport, Rhode Island. After spending several years vacationing in Bozeman with their son, the Spurrs moved to Montana as full time residents in 2001. “Andra actually worked for publications all her life,” says Dan. “I used to be a hospital administrator,” he says, adding, “It was a long time ago. I like writing and I liked sailing, and I wanted to follow my own passions. I’ve never looked back.” At first, moving to Montana seemed a bit of a stretch for Dan, an avid sailor whose vocation had a singular requirement – water, and the boats and people that sailed them.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Though he kept part of his day job, editing Practical Sailor magazine, it wasn’t quite enough. “We moved out here on a whim, kind of a lark,” says Dan. Andra’s magazine background fell solidly in the camp of advertising, but like Dan, she left much of the world of magazines behind when they moved out west. “I just pieced so many things together because our son was still in school.” Eventually Andra found herself missing the world of magazine publications and worked with Outside Bozeman to get her foot back in the door. All the while, the pair unrelentingly toiled over their personal flower and vegetable gardens. Their gardening efforts in Montana continued to fail miserably in matching what they’d been able to achieve just a few short years prior in Rhode Island. “Ah, the challenges of growing in the Rocky Mountains,” starts Dan. “Short season,” adds Andra. Dan laughs, shakes his head, and joins in, “Deer, hail, and lousy soil.” “Right, and drought,” concludes Andra, adding, “It’s very easy to become discouraged here, which happened to me that first year. I couldn’t even get a shovel in the ground.” Andra kept saying that somebody ought to start a magazine for gardeners in zone 4. That somebody never came around. So, in 2008, the Spurrs pulled their collective experience, desire, and chutzpa together, rolled up their sleeves, and started work on a magazine specifically for gardeners in the tough, Rocky Mountain growing region. For a little over 6 years they called their magazine Zone 4 thinking it was representative of high elevation gardening,” says Dan. As the quarterly magazine grew in distribution and success, they found the title became too literal, since the articles, advice, and content catered to the whole Rocky Mountain gardening region, which includes a variety of growing zones beyond zone 4. In 2015 after taking a reader’s poll, the Spurrs changed the magazine’s name to Rocky Mountain Gardening. “We’re magazine people,” says Dan. “Andra’s mother was a great gardener as is Andra, and I’m an amateur vegetable gardener. When we talked about starting this magazine I didn’t feel qualified to edit a gardening magazine, so we needed someone in our corner.” That someone was the late, Dr. Bob Gough,
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MSU Professor of Horticulture and founder of Montana’s Master Gardener course, and his wife Cheryl Gough, horticultural consultant with a Master’s degree in plant sciences. Dr. Bob’s enthusiasm for the Spurr’s effort knew no limits. “He wrote for our magazine, edited articles, and Cheryl became our technical editor,” says Dan. Over the years, the Spurr’s have added other rock stars of the gardening industry to their staff of writers, consultants, and enthusiastic supporters. Among them are the Denver Botanical Garden and its research center, as well as Lauren Springer Ogden, author of The Undaunted Garden. “For me,” says Andra, “Our mission is to
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19
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educate, connect, and entertain people interested in gardening through a colorful print medium.” “I have to trust myself as a guide,” adds Dan. “I use myself as an example. If I have these high elevation gardening questions, I have to guess other people do too. For example, how do I get rid of these gophers?” It turns out the next issue of Rocky Mountain Gardening might just answer that question for you too! For more information, visit rockymountaingardening.com. MSN
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
The Man Behind “The Message” By Gail Jokerst; gailjokerst.com
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Erudite yet earthy. Multi-talented yet modest. Impulsive yet intentional. These adjectives might appear mismatched but they all accurately portray Eugene Peterson, author of The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. For those not among the 11 million people who own a copy of Eugene’s bestseller or who are unfamiliar with it, The Message is a paraphrase, as well as an idiomatic translation, of the Bible. It also happens to be written by a man from Montana. Although now published in seven languages, The Message initially was so controversial; no one could have predicted its becoming a theological megahit. The contention arose because of Eugene’s informal writing style. His interpretive approach features a sometimes-surprising vocabulary influenced by feelings as well as meanings. That explains, for instance, why upon occasion he replaces a traditional Amen with a very untraditional “Yes, yes, yes.” “There was a lot of criticism. I was told it was too modern, too New Age, not reverent enough,” recalls Eugene, an ardent conservationist who grew up in Kalispell with a love of the outdoors and a passion for music and poetry. The son of a butcher, he eventually devoted 20 years to translating the Bible’s original Greek and Hebrew scriptural texts into language he considered practical for today’s readers. “I was looking for something authentic to the language – a way to make the biblical text relevant to the conditions of the people. I wanted to use metaphors and words I heard my kids speak,” explains Eugene. “The book came out of a life not just out of a head.” That clarifies why you encounter in the pages of The Message the slang and cliches of everyday life. So instead of reading about someone who “dwelt among us,” you find that person has “moved into the neighborhood.” And instead of the familiar “leadeth me in the paths of righteousness” you see “send me in the right direction.” Eugene credits the Korean War with nudging him onto the road to writing The Message and 34 other religion-themed books he eventually penned. All together, he says, “they cover the whole pastoral waterfront in terms of how pastors do what they do and the kind of life needed to shepherd, preach, and counsel.” Upon graduating from Seattle Pacific University, Eugene describes his younger self as, “an English and philosophy major without a strong sense of vocation. When I left college,” he recalls, “I didn’t know what to do. It was during the war and I knew I’d be drafted if I didn’t get back into school. I panicked and called one of my professors. Since I liked languages, I asked if he’d recommend me for entrance into New York Theological Seminary, and he did.” With his acceptance in hand, Eugene drove across the country in three days. When he felt tired, he pulled off the road, tucked his sleeping bag under his car, then crawled in and dozed off. “Back then I wanted to study languages and teach them. I always said I’m not going to be a pastor,” remembers Eugene. “The word Accessible Space, Inc. seminary was the same as cemetery to me.” Premier Affordable Senior Housing Though he felt no compulsion to complete Quality, Rent Subsidized Housing for Seniors the fieldwork required Ages 62 and Better - Four Montana Locations for ordination, he nevertheless did finish Summer Wood Apartments - Bozeman it and was ordained as The Portage - Great Falls a Presbyterian pastor. Aspen Village - Helena Soon after, Eugene attended Johns Hopkins Van Ee Apartments - Kalispell University to study (Openings immediately in Kalispell, Helena, & Bozeman) Semitic languages and CALL TODAY! proceed on his path to academia. Features and Ammenities When he received an offer to serve as an - All one-bedroom Apartments associate pastor for a
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
“Nourishing Life: Mind, Body, Spirit” Is Theme For National Assisted Living Week, September 13-19, 2015 By Bernice Karnop “Nourishing Life: Mind, Body, Spirit” is the focus for National Assisted Living Week and celebrates the countless ways assisted living caregivers nurture the whole resident. Communities across the country work each and every day to ensure that the lives of their residents are fully nourished in each and every way. Conversely, residents nourish the lives of team members and volunteers, with the support of loved ones, by sharing their inspiring lives. The American Health Care Association (AHCA), a non-profit federation of health care organizations, established National Assisted Living Week in 1995. Over a million Americans need assistance with daily living needs, including the elderly, disabled veterans, and others. The AHCA provides education, information, and tools to encourage quality care and quality of life for this vulnerable population. During National Assisted Living Week families, individuals, businesses, and the public are encouraged to recognize and appreciate not only the folks in assisted living, but also the health care professionals who provide daily care for them. So put some nourishing thoughts and action toward assisted living residents in your life and the staff who serve them. Bring cookies, flowers, or other tokens of appreciation during National Assisted Living Week – or any time of year. A simple visit adds a joyful note, not only to the resident but also to the workers who care for them. MSN
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 21
PAGE 22 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Ageism and Its End By Brendan Hare
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Until I turned sixty-six, retired, and officially joined the ranks of “the olds,” I lived for decades as an unreflecting and unapologetic ageist. I’m not a mean-spirited person. I pride myself on being open-minded and progressive. I’ve always tried to guard against bias in my thoughts and actions, and to fight bigotry wherever it cast its sulphurous gloom. Somehow, my prejudices about old people seemed to be natural, to reflect the facts of life, to share in the universal consensus. Being old was simply bad, wasn’t it? This felt like a solid fact, an incontrovertible position and, in the U.S. also an uncontroversial one. In America – youthworshipping, plastic-surgery-tweaked America – ageism stands as one of the last widely acceptable social prejudices. Everyone, it seems, indulges in it, even the most conscientious among us. It’s reflected in our workplaces, courts, laws, and public policies. In movies, on television shows, on the nightly news, and in pharmaceutical commercial after commercial, we chuckle and grin to see seniors portrayed as cute, helpless, and feeble, stumbling through what’s left of their lives in a fog of befuddlement. We’ve developed a whole vocabulary to express such prejudices: Uh oh, are you having a senior moment? Can you hear me? Where are your keys? Do they still allow you to drive? Maybe just in the slow lane, with one turn signal flashing for no reason? Well, be careful. Are you sure you can handle all this by yourself? Wow, you’re so capable and independent. So youthful! How inspiring. I mean, for someone your age. But you know what they say, “eighty is the new forty.” What are your plans for the time you have left? A little bingo? A few laps around the old mall? Or maybe you’ll stay in, catch up on your programs? Wait! Did you remember to take your meds? Are you sure? Good for you.
The term “ageism” is an abstraction. It strains to capture a varied and complex phenomenon. As used here, ageism comprises systematic neglect, segregation, isolation, and bigotry. Like other prejudices, it works by constructing artificial barriers. On one side of the wall, older people languish, mistreated and misunderstood, viewed less as persons than as ready-made types. On the other side, younger people lose access to a vast store of wisdom and experience, and are tempted to adopt a false vision of life – to live as if old age were something that only happens to other people. In this way, ageism acts like an environmental toxin. As it spreads, it imperils us all, old and young alike. It is probably impossible to measure how much society loses by tolerating prejudice against the old. But for seniors, the consequences of ageism are troublingly apparent. First, it sets up a dangerous loop: Age discrimination tells seniors, “Time has made you infirm, obsolete, and worthless.” In response – as is natural – seniors feel pressure to accept and internalize this view of themselves, with disastrous consequences for their mental and physical health. Studies have correlated experiences of ageism with memory loss, cardiovascular sickness, and low self-esteem. One study suggested that experiencing age discrimination diminished older peoples’ will to live. Another reported that seniors who harbored negative views about old age faced life expectancies that were, on average, 7.5 years shorter than those of their peers. All of this is staggering when we consider how ubiquitous ageism is: In one study, seventy percent of seniors surveyed reported that they had been insulted or mistreated based on their age. Ageism, again like other forms of prejudice, is rooted in ignorance, lack of experience, and countless failures to exercise curiosity, imagination, and empathy. A couple of years ago, I began
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conducting research for a project about aging in America. One of the people I interviewed, a resident in an assisted-living facility, asked to arrange to put me up in a spare room for a night. He thought that spending a full twenty-four hours there would help my research. I declined as politely and as firmly as I could. To be honest, the prospect made me deeply uncomfortable, as if old age were contagious – as if I might lose twenty years in one night. I got over this eventually. But it made me realize that, for much of my life, I’d had relatively little exposure to the old. In this regard, I’m not alone. Our society has tacitly segregated ourselves based on age. We are educated alongside people who share our birth year. We spend our working lives with people who are, in most cases, about our own age, or within a decade or two of it. When it comes time to retire – and there’s a socially acceptable age for that too – many of us flee to sunny places, to be close to other retirees, lest we get caught lingering in the noisy world of the whippersnappers. Consider if you are young, do you have a friend or acquaintance outside your family who is over seventy? If you are old, whom do you know under thirty? Life teaches us that nothing stays the same for long. I’m happy to predict that ageism, too, must change. I think it will be washed away, or at least significantly eroded, by the fast approaching “silver tsunami.” America will soon experience a demographic upheaval of a scale not witnessed since the Baby Boom. During the next two decades, as these Boomers age, the number of Americans over sixty-five will double. There will be approximately eighty million of us, and we’ll constitute about a fifth of the national population. Thanks to remarkable advances in medicine and technology, we can look forward to better health and longer average life expectancies. On average, we will also be wealthier than many of our younger cohorts. In short, we are primed to live long and live well, and to serve as the standardbearers of an idea whose time has come: ageism,
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in all its forms, is unacceptable. More than this, we’ll be able to demonstrate that it is possible, even natural, to lead a vibrant, engaged life well into old age. Indeed, it is our responsibility to do so, and not only for ourselves. We owe it to the youngsters to show them how it’s done. After all, with any luck, one day they’ll get to be old too. Brendan Hare is a retired attorney and the author of From Working to Wisdom: The Adventures and Dreams of Older Americans, available at Amazon. For more information, visit fromworkingtowisdom.com. MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 23
PAGE 24 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Research Explains Action Of Drug That May Slow Aging And Related Disease By David Stauth Corvallis, Ore – A proven approach to slow the aging process is dietary restriction, but new research in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University helps explain the action of a drug that appears to mimic that process – rapamycin. Rapamycin, an antibiotic and immunosuppressant approved for use about 15 years ago, has drawn interest for its apparent ability – in laboratory animal tests – to emulate dietary restriction in helping animals to live both longer and healthier. However, this medication has some drawbacks, including an increase in insulin resistance that could set the stage for diabetes. This may be avoidable with a combination of rapamycin and another drug to offset that increase in insulin resistance, providing the benefits of this medication without the unwanted side effect. “This could be an important advance if it helps us find a way to gain the apparent benefits of rapamycin without increasing insulin resistance,” said Viviana Perez, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at OSU. “It could provide a way not only to increase lifespan but to address some age-related diseases and improve general health,” Perez said. “We might find a way for people not only to live longer, but to live better and with a higher quality of life.” Age-related diseases include many of the degenerative diseases that affect billions of people around the world and are among the leading causes of death: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. Laboratory mice that have received rapamycin have reduced the agedependent decline in spontaneous activity, demonstrated more fitness, improved cogni-
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tion and cardiovascular health, had less cancer, and lived substantially longer than mice fed a normal diet. Rapamycin, first discovered from the soils of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in the South Pacific Ocean, is primarily used as an immunosuppressant to prevent rejection of organs and tissues. In recent years it was also observed that it can function as a metabolic “signaler” that inhibits a biological pathway found in almost all higher life forms – the ability to sense when food has been eaten, energy is available, and it’s okay for cell proliferation, protein synthesis, and growth to proceed. Called mTOR in mammals (mammalian target of rapamycin), this pathway has a critical evolutionary value – it helps an organism avoid too much cellular expansion and growth when energy supplies are insufficient. That helps explain why some form of the pathway has been found in a multitude of species, from yeast to fish to humans. “Dietary restriction is one of the few interventions that inhibit this mTOR pathway,” Perez said. “And a restricted diet in laboratory animals has been shown to increase their lifespan about 25-30 percent. Human groups who eat fewer calories, such as some Asian cultures, also live longer.” Aside from a food intake in laboratory mice that’s about 40 percent fewer calories than normal, however, it’s been found that another way to activate this pathway is with rapamycin, which appears to have a significant impact even when used late in life. Some human clinical trials are already underway exploring this potential. A big drawback to long-term use of rapamycin, however, is the increase in insulin resistance, observed in both humans and laboratory animals. The new research identified why that is happening. It found that both dietary restriction and rapamycin inhibited lipid synthesis, but only dietary restriction increased the oxidation of those lipids in order to produce energy. Rapamycin, by contrast, allowed a buildup of fatty acids and eventually an increase in insulin resistance, which in humans can lead to diabetes. However, the drug metformin can address that concern, and is already given to some diabetic patients to increase lipid oxidation. In lab tests, the combined use of rapamycin and metformin prevented the unwanted side effect. “If proven true, then combined use of metformin and rapamycin for treating aging and ageassociated diseases in humans may be possible,” the researchers wrote in their conclusion. “There’s still substantial work to do, and it may not be realistic to expect with humans what we have been able to accomplish with laboratory animals,” Perez said. “People don’t live in a cage and eat only the exact diet they are given. Nonetheless, the potential of this work is exciting.” MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 25
People With Chronic Conditions More Susceptible To Hot Weather Provided by Comfort Keepers Summer’s hot weather can be a welcome relief from the cold winter months, but it can also pose a threat to older people. As people age, their ability to regulate heat becomes compromised, making them more prone to injury and illness from hot weather. A number of factors can increase susceptibility to hyperthermia, an abnormally high body temperature that can lead to heat stroke. Among these are decreased perspiration, dehydration, alcohol use, medications, poor blood circulation in the skin, and obesity (or anorexia). What people may not know is that chronic conditions can also substantially increase older adults’ risk to heat sensitivity. People who are managing heart disease with salt-restricted diets or medications that reduce sodium levels in the body, for example, are at a much higher risk for heat stress. It is important, though, that older adults with heart disease continue their medications or start taking salt supplements. Rather, they should speak with their doctors to come up with a plan for avoiding heat stress during the summer months. Diabetics face additional problems with heat as well. High temperatures can cause dangerous imbalances in blood sugar levels that may cause either low (hypoglycemia) or high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar. Diabetics should speak with their doctors about regulating their blood sugar during the summer months. Keeping insulin that requires refrigeration on hand and sufficiently cool can be a challenge too, but cooling packs can help. Dehydration is also a greater risk for diabetics, so drinking plenty of fluids is important. Medical issues, such as lung disease, kidney disease, or any other illness that causes general illness or fever, and taking multiple medications should prompt extra vigilance in the summer months as all of these factors can inhibit the body’s ability to regulate heat. Dressing in cool, lightweight clothing; taking frequent breaks in cool, air-conditioned locations; drinking plenty of fluids while avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and sugary drinks; wearing well-ventilated shoes; and scheduling outdoor activities during the cooler hours of the day are steps that can help prevent heat injuries. Families and friends can help keep an eye on older adults during the summer months and assist
if they notice the person is displaying symptoms of heat exhaustion, which can include headaches, heavy sweating, rapid breathing, dizziness or fainting, weak or rapid pulse, cold and moist skin, chills, muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting, and confusion. Medical professionals should be contacted immediately if these symptoms appear, and the person should be moved to a cool location, misted with cool water, and given fluids to drink until help arrives. Families concerned about people living alone can hire professional caregivers to help. Caregivers can not only assist with daily tasks, meal preparation, and transportation but also be the eyes and ears for the family, noticing if something is not right and if the person may need medical help. For more information on how professional caregivers can help people with chronic conditions or those who need assistance around the house, contact your health care provider. MSN
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
A Stitch and a Story: Quilts Tell the Stories of Families and Generations By Sylvia Forbes Today, the stigma of quilting as “women’s work” is gone, and many men enjoy quilting as much as women do. Quilts tell many stories – of happy times, holidays, hobbies, friendship, gardens and flowers, clothes and kids, marriage, new babies, and being snug in warm beds, enveloped by love. Each quilt tells a different story, fashioned by the memories and experiences of the person who made it. “Quilting has been a part of my life since I could walk,” said Trish Hilgedick, an avid quilter in Missouri. “As a small child, I watched my grandmother, Goldie, cut out fabric pieces.” Her grandmother drew original designs on cardboard, then cut them out to use as pattern pieces for cutting fabric into the right-sized blocks. A Grandmother’s Influence – Trish’s grandmother hand-pieced dozens of quilts over her lifetime. One that Trish inherited and is especially fond of is a Snowball and Bowtie quilt composed of blocks of white snowballs edged with scrappy bow ties. The fabric was cut from the family’s old, outgrown clothes, most of which Trish can remember. The fabrics remind her of the fun she had as a child while wearing them.
When Trish married in 1973, her grandmother gifted her a lovely, pink, embroidered quilt. Goldie embroidered the blocks to make a one-of-a-kind wedding gift, while her mother, Nellie, bordered them with pink sashing. Goldie eventually made embroidered quilts for all of Trish’s siblings, creating a family heirloom for each one. People who have a quilter in the family are lucky – they often receive handmade quilts as gifts
on special occasions, and these quilts become family heirlooms that are passed down over generations. Acquiring a Quilting Habit – About 20 years ago, Trish made a baby quilt in a tumbling block pattern for her new niece. “That was my first quilt, but it turned out fine,” said Trish. She enjoyed it so much that she started quilting regularly. Since then, she’s completed several more baby quilts for relatives, as well as several dozen quilts of all sizes and numerous wall hangings. Trish writes in her Quilter’s Registry book to keep track of the many quilt projects she’s completed. The book includes pictures of each quilt and notes about any special details of the quilt. For example, in 2008, she “rescued” a quilt for her father-in-law. His mother had started a quilt in the Trip Around the World pattern, and had never finished the top. The tiny blocks were made entirely from scrap pieces from old shirts and aprons, and the entire quilt was bound in black. Trish completed setting the top together and then machine-quilted it. For a Christmas quilt that she calls My Favorite Things, Trish made a quilt with rows of pines, Santas, stockings, and angels. She then added a border of wreaths and stars, which she designed herself, edged in green. Quilting with Friends – Trish and several others started the Peacemakers quilting group right after 9/11. As well as getting together regularly for quilting, they’ve put on four quilt shows.
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
“Our first show featured Underground Railroad quilts,” noted Trish. “These are quilts that were thought to have a message to slaves as they escaped along the underground railroad to freedom. Certain patterns were thought to tell the slaves that a place was a sanctuary where they could stop, or not to stop due to danger.” The group’s most recent show featured quilts of all types, from familiar traditionals such as log cabin quilts, to bright Amish quilts, stained glass-type quilts, scrap quilts, friendship quilts, cross-stitched quilts, and even some three-dimensional quilts. In addition, the show included a grouping of patriotic quilts made by a group that honors those “touched by war” by presenting them with handmade quilts. Quilting Trends – Quilting continues to evolve, with new trends and techniques. One technique,
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 27
paper piecing, uses water-soluble paper and is helpful for keeping quilt pieces squared up. Another recent development is that quilt shops now make pre-cut, color-coordinated rolls of fabric strips available for quilting, called “jelly rolls” for small 1.5”-wide strips, and “cake rolls” in several larger sizes. This saves lots of time in having to decide on colors and in cutting. Today, the stigma of quilting as “women’s work” is gone, and many men enjoy quilting as much as women do. The Next Generation – Quilting has come full circle in Trish’s family. Trish inherited her grandmother’s cardboard quilting patterns and some of her quilts, along with the stories, which she’s happy to tell. Now it’s her turn to gather the pieces, sew the designs, and create new stories. MSN
Row by Row Experience, Mini Quilt Madness, and Quilt Shows By Cindy Martin
The national quilting craze this summer is the Row by Row Experience. Quilt shops from all across the 50 states and Canada are participating. Row by Row started in 2011 with 11 different shops across New York State and over the years it has grown to include all 50 states and Canada. It is like a shop hop but there are no fees or passports to stamp, and you have all summer to participate. Visit one of the participating shops and receive a FREE pattern for its row. Collect them on your travels and locally. Discover new quilt shops and make new friends. Several people have mentioned they are calling their friends and family in other states, to see if they will go to the quilt shops in their area to pick up a pattern and a personalized quilting themed license plate for them. They are also planning their travel itineraries to include stopping by participating quilt shops along the way. This year’s theme is Water! Each participating shop created its own unique row with its interpretation of water. Win a prize! Make eight different rows and arrange them in a quilt. Bring your finished quilt to a participating shop and if you are the first one, you win a fat quarter bundle! Completed quilts can be brought in through October 31 for a chance to win. There are also special extras offered like personalized quilting themed license plates, pins, kits, and much more. You can collect your FREE pattern through September 8. Mini quilts are everywhere these days! Designers are taking their larger quilt patterns and creating a smaller version to go with it. Kim Diehl, fabric designer for Henry Glass Fabrics, has created a miniature quilt series called Simple Whatnots using her lines of fabric. Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts has created a smaller version of her Hex N’ More ruler to make miniature versions of her Tiny Dancer and Disco quilts to name a few. These miniature quilts are a great small project to do and make an easy wall or tabletop decoration. Smaller pieces are used and precision piecing is important to create the desired pattern. Unique miniature quilts are showing up on social media, too. On Instagram there are mini quilt swaps and challenges. Quilts are being created based on a theme, designer, or color palette. MSN
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Plant Now for a Beautiful Garden Now and in the Future By Melinda Myers Don’t pack away that shovel and trowel. Fall is a great time to plant a few new additions in the landscape. Here are just a few ideas for adding immediate and long-term beauty to your garden. Add cool season annuals like pansies, snapdragons, ornamental kale, and stocks to brighten the fall garden. Those in milder regions will enjoy them throughout the winter. Consider adding cold hardy pansies. They provide color in the fall garden, survive most winters, and are back blooming in the spring just as the snow melts. Fall is also a good time to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs. The soil is warm and the air cooler, so the plants are less stressed and establish more quickly. Select plants suited to the growing conditions and be sure to give them plenty of room to reach their mature size. Plant trees so the root flare, the place where the roots curve away from the trunk, is even with the soil surface. Dig a hole, the same depth as the rootball, and two to five times wider. Roughen the sides of the hole and backfill with the existing soil. Water thoroughly and spread a two to three inch layer of mulch over the soil surface, keeping the mulch away from the tree trunk. Follow a similar planting procedure for shrubs. Plant these so the crown, the place where the stems meet the roots, is even with the soil surface. And be sure to keep the mulch away from the stems. Plant daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and other bulbs in fall for extra color next spring. Set the bulbs at a depth of two to three times their height deep. Then cover them with soil and sprinkle on a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer to promote rooting without stimulating fall growth subject to winter kill.
Start planting spring flowering bulbs after the nighttime temperatures hover between 40 and 50 degrees. Be patient – waiting until the soil cools reduces the risk of early sprouting that often occurs during a warm fall. Those tired of battling the animals may want to plant resistant bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths, Fritillaria, alliums, Camassia, glory-of-the snow, snow drops, squills, and grape hyacinths. You may find it is easier to avoid the problem than battle the animals with repellents and scare tactics. Plant a few short season vegetables in your garden for fresh-from-the garden flavor this fall. Simply count the days from planting to the average first fall frost to determine how many growing days are left in your area. Select vegetables that will mature and can be harvested in that amount of time. Leaf lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, radishes, and carrots are fast growing, cool weather tolerant vegetables that make great additions to the fall garden and your dinner plate. Get these vegetables off to a good start with a side dressing of low nitrogen fertilizer. Incorporate it into the soil prior to planting or sprinkle a narrow band along the row of plants. This organic nitrogen will provide needed nutrients without damaging the tender seedlings. Extend the harvest season with the help of floating row covers. These fabrics allow air, light and water through while trapping the heat around the plants. No construction is needed; just loosely cover the plants with the fabric, secure the edges with pipes, boards, or landscape staples and let the plants provide the support. So be sure to get a jump on next spring’s garden season with a bit of fall planting now. MSN
Baskets, Glass and Kittens – Valuable Little Treasures By Judith Remington Q: I received this sewing stand from my mother, who received it from her mother. They both passed away in their 90s.The only marks I can find on the stand is a mark on the bottom of the lower shelf that says “Wakefield” and the number 3808. Can you tell me about my basket and if it has any value? A: Yes, I can tell you a bit about your basket. The Wakefield Rattan company made it about 1860. Cyrus Wakefield was a Boston grocer who realized that discarded rattan was a suitable material for furniture. He became known as one of the best wicker manufacturers in America. Cyrus died in 1873, just after incorporating his business known as the Wakefield Rattan Company. In 1897, the Heywood Brothers merged their company with the Wakefield Company. The company is now known as Heywood and Wakefield Company. Your basket was made before the combining of the two companies; which dates the basket about 1860. From the picture, it looks to be in excellent
Say you
saw it in the Montana Senior News!
condition and its value is in the $750 to $1,200 range. Q: My sister picked up this bowl at a yard sale for two dollars. She knows I love oldfashioned pottery and cookware. The bottom of the bowl is marked R. Ransbottom, USA, Roseville O. Is this bowl made by the Roseville Pottery Company? What do you think the age and value of this bowl are? A: You have a wonderful sister. Stir up a batch of cookies in your new bowl and have her over for coffee and cookies. Your bowl is a vintage Robinson Ransbottom bowl. In the late 1890s Frank Ransbottom was one of the area’s best-known and most successful jobbers of the stoneware and earthenware products made in Roseville, Crooksville, and Saltillo, Ohio. Many people get the mark mixed up with the Roseville Pottery Company. Your bowl is a special keepsake. Two reasons, nice bowl, nice sister. So treasure them both. The value of your bowl is in the $18-$25 dollar range. Use and enjoy it. MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
When Kids Move Home… or Fail to Move Out… Should Your Child Be Buying A House? By Teresa Ambord
It could be that your kids have left home and later suffered a significant loss, like a spouse, a job, or had a house foreclosed. There’s no shame in needing to regroup… for a time. But there’s also no reason why a healthy adult shouldn’t be contributing financially to make the household run, or even better, making a home purchase of their own. When kids are born, we parents think we’ll be supporting them for 18 years, maybe more if they go to college. But in 2014, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 15% or more of adult children ages 25-34 are still living at home, or have returned. Depending on which study you read, that could be because of delayed marriage or a failed marriage, a weak economy, student loan debt – the reasons vary. The question is, if your adult kids live in your house, should you charge them rent? The “My Money” column in U.S. New & World Report (USNWR), along with many others, says a resounding yes! How much should you charge? The “My Money” column suggests a nominal amount of $100 or $150 per month, rather than demanding the fair market value of an apartment (unless of course you really need more). To provide them with real world choices, such as whether they should buy their own home, perhaps fair market value would serve them (and you) better. But make sure the kids know it’s not optional or you’ll never get it. Of course, the point isn’t that you need the money – though you may. The point is to keep them accountable, make them budget their money, be aware of the expenses of a household, and not enable them to avoid making a wise home purchase decision. Can’t Bring Yourself to Charge Rent? Some parents don’t feel right about charging rent. For them, “My Money” suggests making the kids responsible to pay for groceries, or for the electric bill or some other regular expense. If you’re determined not to charge rent of any kind, consider setting up some regular chores and expect the kids to take care of them. Allowing them to live without requiring them to contribute to the running of the household, financially or at the very least, with significant chores is not doing them a favor. It’s enabling poor habits and draining your retirement. Living at home for free bears no resemblance to the real world and may undermine your child’s ability ever to stand up to adult responsibilities and build a future with home ownership. For their sakes and for your sanity and financial well-being, reconsider the free rent. When Adult Kids Live in Your House Whose living are you paying for? Roughly 62% of people age 50 and up are providing financial support to family members, according to a study by Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Some are helping with the needs of their elderly relatives, but for many,
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their adult children have moved back home – or never left. Whether the support is a one-time need or ongoing over many years, the baby boomers who are shelling out money do so without realizing they’re putting their own retirement security at risk. After all, even people who earn plenty have been operating on a thinner margin for the last several years. This is a problem that has grown to the point that self-help books are popping up, to advise people how to deal with it, like this one: The Bank of Mom and Dad: Money, Parents and Grown Children, by Derrick Penner. Penner believes parents let kids live at home because they feel guilty and can’t say no, but, he says, it’s time to get a little “hard-nosed.” After all, parents have far fewer Finding yourself suddenly responsible earning years left until they need to rely for family’s PERSONAL and REAL Property? mostly on what they’ve Let us help. saved. The kids, on the other hand, have Call Marilyn Burns today for a free consultation. decades to earn and sock away money. D & M ASSOCIATES, LLC “I wrote the book to Online and Live Auctions | Personal Property Appraisals | Estate Inventory give those considering Marilyn Burns CAI, MPPA, Auctioneer, Personal Property Appraiser PO Box 3605, Lewistown • 406-570-3922 • 406-535-4995 • www.dmauctionsonline.com lending or giving
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money to their children some things to think about,” said Penner. He recommends that before you “open the bank,” do a careful assessment of your financial situation. Then sit down with your kids in a calm and honest discussion and require them to bare their financial souls to you. Are they running up credit cards for non-necessities? How do they define necessities? What are they doing to build their financial security? One disabled senior lives on a fixed income. Yet two of his adult children regularly tap the “bank of Dad,” without regard for his own financial situation. Then again, he’s never told them they’re hurting his pocketbook. His 37-year-old daughter asks for money nearly every month, to “scrape up the rent,” she tells him. But her Facebookpage shows her making the rounds of restaur-ants, movies, and bars on the weekends. He’s a nice man, but don’t feel sorry for him, because he needs to have the discussion that Penner recommends. Penner also tells parents not to succumb to guilt or those sad faces asking for another loan or gift of money. “Know your assets, do a proper balance sheet. If the numbers don’t allow it, don’t do it.” He also says, if your kids ask for a loan, treat it seriously. Not a “loan... wink, wink,” as in “you’ll never see that money again.” Put the loan in writing. Set up a payment amount and due date. That, he says, creates a firmer sense of obligation. Then expect them to make the payments. If you look the other way when they don’t pay, you may as well call it a gift. Nobody said it would be easy. MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
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Man Behind “The Message” Continued from page 20 New York congregation, where he could also teach the Bible, Greek, and Hebrew, Eugene accepted. Surprisingly, his ivory tower became claustrophobic as he found himself drawn to pastoring. “Being a pastor turned out to be much more energizing and interesting because of the divorces, drugs, and kids running away from home,” states Eugene. “I was attracted to help. I’ve always sought out underdogs and felt at home with them.” One of the more humorous moments during this period occurred when Eugene enrolled in a local synagogue’s conversational Hebrew class. As the rabbi called off the attendee roster, he paused when he reached Eugene’s surname. “He looked up,” recollects Eugene, “and said, ‘Peterson? Who’s Peterson?’” Three years’ later, an opportunity arose to start his own church in Bel Air, Maryland. By then he and his wife, Jan, were raising their first child. Despite the fact that Eugene’s already-meager pay would be drastically cut, he scheduled an interview. When the salary negotiation stage was reached, he was told, “Eugene, if you have to make a sacrifice for the Lord, this is a great place to do it.” “I said yes and was hired on the spot. It was hard work. I went door to door inviting people to attend services. We met in the basement of our house until we could start building a church,” says Eugene. In three years, Christ Our King Presbyterian Church had a solid physical, financial, and spiritual foundation; Jan had two more little ones to care for; and Eugene’s salary had improved. The Petersons remained for 27 more years nurturing their family along with their fledgling congregation. “Writing was part of my life then but I never thought of myself as a writer. I found the church publications available to help me had nothing to do with the way you live. I got mad inside,” remembers Eugene. “I was learning on the job and wanting to know how do I do this? I wanted people to take God seriously. Families were becoming increasingly
dysfunctional. There was a need to help people in trouble.” The Message grew from his love of the Book of Psalms, which Eugene turned to when parishioners asked him to teach them how to pray. “I would translate a psalm into American vernacular for just that individual. I was never thinking of something bigger,” he says. “Today when I read those translations, I still see the person I wrote each one for.” In 1991, Eugene resigned and took a sabbatical as a writer-in-residence at Pittsburgh Seminary. His New Testament translations went into print and out into the world during that year. And as theological debates swirled around the book, Eugene accepted a professorship to teach Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, BC. “No one knew what it meant, including me, so I could do whatever I wanted,” recalls Eugene, who taught the course for five years. He would likely have remained longer but as he says, “The New Testament translation was selling quite well by then and pressure to do the Old Testament started to build. I could only work on it in bits and pieces when teaching and knew I would have to retire to finish.” So he and Jan returned to their Flathead Lake home, which Eugene’s father had built. For the next seven years, he focused on completing the Old Testament translations and then wrote even more books. The Message, along with his other published writings, brought Eugene success and fame. But it is the closeness of the friendships and worship from days past in Bel Air that he counts as his true riches. “I miss the whole world of gatheredness, of being involved in people’s lives on a very intimate level. Pastors get their fingers dirty in the soil of people’s lives. I’m still a pastor,” he says gently. “That’s who I am.” MSN
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Ten Tips for “September is Healthy Aging® Month” Reprinted with permission from Healthy Aging®. For further information about Healthy Aging® or “September is Healthy Aging® Month,” visit healthyaging.net Do you think it’s too late to “reinvent” yourself? Think again. According to Carolyn Worthington, editor-in-chief of Healthy Aging® Magazine and executive director of Healthy Aging®, it’s never too late to find a new career, a new sport, passion, or hobby. Worthington is the creator of September is Healthy Aging ® Month, an annual health observance designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of growing older. Now in its second decade, Worthington says September is Healthy Aging® Month provides
inspiration and practical ideas for adults ages 50+ to improve their physical, mental, social, and financial well being. “Use September as the motivation to take stock of where you’ve been, what you really would like to do if money was no object,” says Worthington. “And try it! Who says you have to do something related to what you studied in school? Who says, you can’t start your own home business later in life, test your physical prowess, or do something wildly different from anything you’ve done before? Only that person you see in the mirror!” To get you started on reinventing yourself, here are some ideas from the editors of Healthy Aging® Magazine (www.healthyaging.net). Maybe they will help you think outside the box: Ten Tips for Reinventing Yourself during September Is Healthy Aging Month 1. Do not act your age or at least what you think your current age should act like. What was your best year so far? 28? 40? Now? Picture yourself at that age and be it. Some people may say this is denial, but we say it’s positive thinking and goes a long way toward feeling better about yourself. (Tip: Don’t keep looking in the mirror, just FEEL IT!) 2. Be positive in your conversations and your actions every day. When you catch yourself complaining, check yourself right there and change the conversation to something positive. (Tip: Stop watching crime shows and the police reports on the local news.) 3. Do you have negative friends who complain all of the time and constantly talk about how awful
everything is? Drop them. As cruel as that may sound, distance yourself from people who do not have a positive outlook on life. They will only depress you and stop you from moving forward. Surround yourself with energetic, happy, positive people of all ages and you will be happier too. (Tip: Smile often. It’s contagious and wards off naysayers.) 4. Walk like a vibrant, healthy person. Come on. You can probably do it. Analyze your gait. Do you walk slowly because you have just become lazy or, perhaps, have a fear of falling? (Tip: Make a conscious effort to take big strides, walk with your heel first, and wear comfortable shoes.) 5. Stand up straight! You can knock off the appearance of a few extra years with this trick your mother kept trying to tell you. Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you holding your stomach in, have your shoulders back, chin up? Check out how much better your neck looks! Fix your stance and practice it every day, all day until it is natural. You will look great and feel better. (Tip: Your waistline will look trimmer if you follow this advice.) 6. How’s your smile? Research shows people who smile more often are happier. Your teeth are just as important to your good health as the rest of your body. Not only is it the first thing people notice, but good oral health is a gateway to your overall well-being. (Tip: Go to the dentist regularly and look into teeth whitening. Nothing says old more than yellowing teeth!) 7. Lonely? Stop brooding and complaining
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
about having no friends or family. Do some-thing about it now. Right this minute. Pick up the phone, landline, or cell and make a call to do one or more of the following: volunteer your time, take a class, and invite someone to meet for lunch, brunch, dinner, or coffee. (Tip: Volunteer at the local public school to stay in touch with younger people and to keep current on trends, take a computer class or a tutorial session at your cell phone store to keep up with technology, choose a new person every week for your dining out.) 8. Start walking not only for your health but to see the neighbors. Have a dog? You’ll be amazed how the dog can be a conversation starter. (Tip: If you don’t have time for a dog, go to your local animal shelter and volunteer. You will be thrilled by the puppy love!)
9. Make this month the time to set up your annual physical and other health screenings. Go to the appointments and then, hopefully, you can stop worrying about ailments for a while. (Tip: For a list of recommended annual health screenings, a great resource is the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) 10. Find your inner artist. Who says taking music lessons is for young schoolchildren? You may have an artist lurking inside you just waiting to be tapped. Have you always wanted to play the piano, violin, or tuba? Have you ever wondered if you could paint a portrait or scenic in oil? What about working in wood? (Tip: Sign up for fall art or music classes and discover your inner artist!) MSN
Approximately 14 Million Americans Involved in Road Incidents Caused by an Elderly Driver in the Last Year Approximately 14 million Americans, ages 18-64 years old, were involved in an accident or nearaccident caused by an older driver (ages 65 and older) in the past 12 months, according to a new Caring.com survey. Millennials (Americans ages 18-29) were the most likely to have been involved in an incident with an older driver. While older drivers may have a bad reputation on the road, they are not widely perceived as more dangerous than drunk drivers, teen drivers, and distracted drivers are. Surprisingly, however, Americans ages 65 and older are one of the groups most likely to think that older drivers are more dangerous than drunk drivers are. Driving can be a sore topic for many older Americans. “Driving is often associated with independence and freedom, which is why many seniors are reluctant to give up their car keys,” said Andy Cohen, CEO of Caring.com. While seniors may dread losing their driving privileges, their family members typically dread having the conversation about driving just as much. In fact, according to a past Caring.com and National Safety Council survey, 40% of Americans said they are not comfortable speaking to their parents about driving and would rather discuss funeral arrangements or selling their home. In terms of who should determine whether an older driver is no longer fit to drive, Americans are split between a doctor/caretaker (29%), family (25%), and the DMV or government (23%). Just 16% percent of Americans think the driver should make the decision for himself or herself. Nearly one-third of Americans 65 years old and older (30%) actually prefer their family to determine whether they should still have a driver’s license. Twenty-six percent of those 65 and older prefer to make
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the decision themselves, while 21% would like their doctor or caretaker to make the decision. Only 10% of seniors think the DMV or government should be able to make that decision. “No one wants to be the one to take away Mom’s or Dad’s keys, but sometimes it can be crucial for their safety,” said Cohen. “Plus, many seniors would actually prefer to hear
it from a family member than from a police officer on the road. There are numerous online resources that people can use to make the conversation go as smoothly as possible.” The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) and can be seen in more detail at caring.com/ research/senior-driving-data-2015. MSN
Leg Pain and Varicose Veins may be Signs of More Serious Issues By David Bellamah, MD, FACS Bellamah Vein Center, Missoula Summer tends to be a busy time of year for most people – school is out and vacations are in full swing. With more time spent outside and on the go, busy individuals often “brush off” nagging leg aches & pains as nothing more than a long day on their feet. But consider this – according to the Millennium Research Group (2011), more than 30 million Americans have varicose veins. This condition happens when the valves in leg veins no longer function properly, resulting in pooling blood in the legs. People often assume these blue, red, or flesh-colored veins are just a cosmetic nuisance or may confuse them with spider veins. Many individuals mistakenly write them off as an unavoidable reality of aging. Varicose veins are very often related to a more serious medical condition called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). In addition to causing leg pain and swelling, CVI can result in leg restlessness, skin damage, and even ulcers. And, surprisingly, less than 10 percent of people with CVI seek treatment. Varicose veins and CVI are very treatable. On an outpatient basis at vein centers, physicians are able to treat men and women suffering from leg pain and noticeable leg veins of varying sizes - issues that may have long been ignored and could very well be symptoms of lower extremity venous/vein disease. This is a great example of preventative medicine helping avoid future problems. Varicose veins tips: • Exercise regularly to increase blood flow to the legs and maintain a healthy weight by combining a healthy diet with physical activity. • People who spend a lot of time on their feet (e.g., health care workers, teachers, flight attendants) are at increased risk of developing varicose veins and should rest legs daily by elevating the feet above the heart. • There are now minimally invasive treatment options, which are usually covered by insurance, that avoid painful vein stripping and allow for a quick return to everyday activities. There are many misconceptions about varicose veins and venous disease. Our community can benefit greatly if individuals pay greater attention to leg pain and noticeable spider and varicose veins and take action. For additional information consult your healthcare provider. MSN
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Study Finds High Rate of Patients Recommend Cataract Surgery 99.7 Percent of Patients Who Undergo Cataract Surgery at Ambulatory Facilities Would Recommend It to Friends or Relatives Living with Cataracts Individuals weighing cataract surgery take heart – a new study found almost all patients who undergo the procedure are satisfied with their improved vision and increased quality of life. The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Institute for Quality Improvement (AAAHC Institute) collected more than 1,200 surveys of patients who had recently undergone cataract surgery from 59 ambulatory health care organizations. The surveys show that almost all patients – 99.7 percent – said they would recommend the procedure to friends or relatives suffering from cataracts. “The patient survey data clearly show that patients find value in cataract surgery and are generally very pleased with the outcomes of the procedure,” said Naomi Kuznets, Ph.D., vice president and senior director for the AAAHC Institute. Cataracts occur when protein builds up on the lens of an eye, making the person’s vision cloudy. They are usually a normal part of aging. During cataract surgery, a surgeon makes a small incision to remove the cloudy lens, and then replaces it with a clear, manmade lens. By 2030, 38 million Americans will suffer from cataracts, a number that will increase to 50 million by 2050, according to the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health. While cataract surgery is most commonly associated with seniors, a 2013 Mayo Clinic study found the procedure is becoming increasingly
performed on individuals younger than 65.[1] Patient satisfaction rates with cataract surgery were very high in several areas reviewed in the study: • 99.7 percent said they would recommend the procedure to friends or relatives with cataracts • 96 percent reported that their vision was better post-surgery; two percent said it was the same • 98 percent said they were comfortable during the procedure; 98 percent said they were comfortable post-discharge • 96 percent returned to normal activities of daily living within one week of the procedure • Only four percent reported post-surgical contact with their health care providers for reasons other than routine, scheduled follow-up, to address issues such as blurred vision, eye/eyelid irritation, pain, prescription clarification, and vision problems. “The satisfaction numbers in this study show how worthwhile cataract surgery is for so many individuals,” said Kris Kilgore, R.N., AAAHC Institute board member and administrative director of Grand Rapids Ophthalmology Surgery Center, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “Every day we hear from patients who have improved quality of life thanks to this procedure. This study bears out empirically the wonderful anecdotes we hear from patients every day.” _____________________________ Increasing incidence of cataract surgery: Population-based study, Gollogly, Heidrun E. et al. MSN
[1]
Hiking in the Mountains? Look out for Altitude Sickness! By Susan Frances Bonner, RN, BSN With another month and a half of summer left, it is easy to think about travel and outdoor activities before the chill of fall sets in. As Montanans, most of us know the basics of what to bring, clothes to wear, and what supplies to bring. But we may overlook an important consideration depending on our plans – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was first identified by, Denis Jourdanet (1815-1892) a French physician who spent many years in Mexico studying the effects of high altitude. He noted that some of his patients at high altitude had symptoms typical of anemia at sea level including rapid pulse, dizziness, and occasional fainting spells. He correctly attributed these symptoms to low oxygen level in the blood and he coined the terms “anoxyhémie” and “anemie barometrique” to draw a parallel between the effects of high continued on page 38 altitude on the one hand and anemia at lower elevations on the other.
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Early Treatment Can Save Hearing Provided by Comfort Keepers Hearing loss is the third most common chronic condition affecting older adults today. Approximately one third of people aged 65-74 and onehalf of people 75 and over experience a decline in hearing. Despite these numbers, it is still one of the conditions for which very few older adults seek medical help, and it is a condition that is greatly under diagnosed and undertreated by medical professionals. While it is normal for many people to experience a decline in hearing as they age, there are some underlying causes of hearing loss that can be treated or prevented. The advantages of early treatment are extensive and can have a significant impact on health, quality of life, and independence. Age-related hearing loss can stem from physical changes in the inner ear, medical conditions, and medications. Aside from age, many other factors can contribute to a decline in hearing. Included in these are genetics, exposure to high noise levels, and chronic conditions, such as kidney disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Sudden deafness, which is a rapid, unexplained loss of hearing, can be caused by medications, illness, trauma, or injury. Early medical intervention for certain types of hearing loss has been shown to produce good outcomes for the patient. For example, in the case of sudden deafness, treatment by an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat doctor) results in recovery of all or most of the hearing for 85% of those treated. Sometimes it is as simple as changing or stopping a medication that is known to cause deafness (ototoxic medications), and there are hundreds that are prescribed or bought over the counter every day. Medical intervention for all types of hearing loss is beneficial as well. Hearing loss
can be an indicator of other health problems, so seeking medical attention for hearing problems can help doctors identify and treat other health issues. Medical professionals can also help with hearing difficulties by prescribing certain treatments or hearing aids. People often delay seeking help for hearing problems because of the negative stigma associated with losing their hearing. They may consider it a marker that they are growing old, even though they feel perfectly young. However, left untreated, hearing loss causes a heavy toll emotionally and socially since it can impede the person’s ability to communicate and function. A number of studies have shown that untreated hearing loss results in significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, other psychosocial problems, and social isolation. It can also affect seniors’ ability to live independently as they may not hear doorbells, ringing telephones, or fire and smoke alarms, and hearing loss can be associated with cognitive decline. Older adults can take measures against hearing loss by first avoiding risk factors to protecting the hearing they currently have. One of the easiest protective measures for people of all ages is to protect themselves against exposure to loud noise (at or above 85 decibels, which is the sound of heavy traffic), one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Even if individuals have already experienced some hearing loss induced by noise, they can protect themselves from further decline by wearing protective devices. They can also be screened for auditory problems regularly to identify a problem early on so they can take action before it becomes a problem that interferes with daily living. For more information, contact your healthcare provider or audiologist. MSN
Float Alone Submitted by Vance Derricott Morty and Saul were out one afternoon on a lake when their boat started sinking. Saul the banker said to Morty, “So listen, Morty, you know I don’t swim so well.” Morty remembered how to carry another swimmer from his lifeguard class when he was just a kid. So Morty began tugging Saul toward the shore. After twenty minutes, he began to tire. Finally, about fifty feet from shore, Morty asked Saul, “So Saul, do you suppose you could float alone?” Saul replied, “Morty, this is a hell of a time to be asking for money!” MSN
Heart Advice Submitted by Vance Derricott The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. On the other hand, the French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like, it’s speaking English that kills you. MSN
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 37
PAGE 38 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Hiking in the Mountains
continued from page 35
He also studied the relationship between barometric pressure and altitude and the characteristics of the native populations in Mexico at different altitudes. In basic terms, as we ascend in altitude, barometric pressure falls, so the amount of oxygen that can be dissolved in our blood decreases. Whether we are walking, hiking, skiing, driving, cycling, participating in extreme activities, etc. at higher altitudes, we are all prone to altitude sickness at some elevation. For a normal person, at altitudes below 8,000 ft., there are usually no symptoms other than perhaps a little shortness of breath. Above 8,000 ft., people can be more prone to altitude sickness including those who may have come from near sea level and traveled to a higher altitude or those who have had the illness before. People who are dehydrated and those with low aerobic capacity are more prone to altitude sickness. Symptoms of altitude sickness vary from mild to acute, which may require hospitalization and can be fatal, although Montana’s geography is not likely to induce life-threatening altitude sickness. The initial symptoms can include:
• Headache, which is usually throbbing and does not go away • Loss of appetite • Nausea or vomiting • Lack of energy to do normal activities • Dizziness • Feeling like you have a hangover even though you have not drunk alcohol The best treatment for mild to moderate altitude sickness is to recognize the symptoms and then descend (1,500 - 2,000 ft) to a lower elevation without excessive exertion. Drink two or three times more water than usual. Limit alcohol consumption for two or three days and minimize caffeine intake. Limit salty foods and increase carbohydrate consumption. Above all, listen to your body. Do not push the limits of your physical capabilities. If your symptoms do not improve, seek medical attention. Minor altitude illness symptoms can occasionally become life threatening. The signs of altitude sickness usually occur gradually so it is easy to prevent, treat, and alleviate the symptoms. With an understanding of altitude sickness, you will have the tools to ensure a pleasant experience in the great outdoors. MSN
Surgery For Weight Loss Can Reduce Incontinence Provided by National Institutes of Health
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Roughly 30 million adults in the United States experience urinary incontinence (UI), and the condition can reduce quality of life. UI is loss of bladder control. Symptoms can range from mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting. It can happen to anyone, but it becomes more common with age. Women experience UI twice as often as men do. Most bladder control problems happen when muscles are too weak or too active. If the muscles that keep your bladder closed are weak, you may have accidents when you sneeze, laugh, or lift a heavy object. This is stress incontinence. If bladder muscles become too active, you may feel a strong urge to go to the bathroom when you have little urine in your bladder. This is urge incontinence or overactive bladder. There are other causes of incontinence, such as prostate problems, nerve damage, and obesity, which is a key risk factor. Treatment depends on the type of problem you have and what best fits your lifestyle. It may include simple exercises, medicines, special devices, procedures prescribed by your doctor, or surgery. According to a recent study report from the University of California San Francisco, weight-loss surgery may also help ease urinary incontinence if there is long-term weight loss, in this case three years after weight-loss surgery. The surgery helps obese people shed unwanted pounds, and the weight loss seems to help prevent a loss of bladder control. “Our findings showing another important long-term benefit to bariatric surgery might help to motivate people who are severely overweight,” study first author Dr. Leslee Subak said in a university news release. She is a professor in obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences, as well as urology and epidemiology. “Research has previously shown that weight loss by several methods – low-calorie diet, behavioral weight reduction, and bariatric surgery – were all associated with improved incontinence in overweight people through the first year,” Subak said. But there was no evidence of the longerterm effects. For the study, 2,000 people ages 18-78 who had undergone weight-loss surgery between 2005 and 2009 were recruited. Their
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
procedures were done at 10 different hospitals around the United States. Seventy-nine percent of the participants were women. About half the women and more than one-fifth of the men had had an episode of incontinence at least once a week before they had surgery. Weight loss in the 25-30 percent range led to dramatic improvements in bladder control for most of the participants three years after weight-loss
surgery. The study that the greater the weight loss, the greater their chances of improvement. Older participants and those with serious walking problems had less progress. And the pounds needed to stay off; with every 10-pound weight gain, the risk of relapse increased. The study results were published online in JAMA Internal Medicine. For additional information, visit nlm.nih.gov. MSN
Bug Bites and Stings: When to See a Doctor Although most bug bites and stings are harmless, some can be dangerous. This is especially true if you are allergic to the bug’s venom or if the bug is carrying a disease. In the United States, it’s common to experience a bite or sting from mosquitoes, fleas, spiders, bees, wasps, hornets, biting flies, mites, ticks, fire ants, and bedbugs. “Most bug bites and stings can be treated safely at home with topical medication, such as hydrocortisone cream or ointment, or an oral antihistamine to reduce the itch,” said board-certified dermatologist Margaret E. Parsons, MD, FAAD, associate clinical professor of dermatology, University of California, Davis. “Sometimes, however, a bug bite or sting could turn into something serious, particularly if you have been bitten or stung by many insects at the same time.” Dr. Parsons advises going to the emergency room immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms after a bug bite or sting: • Difficulty breathing • The sensation that your throat is closing • Swollen lips, tongue, or face • Chest pain • A racing heartbeat that lasts more than a few minutes • Dizziness • Vomiting • A headache • A red, donut-shaped or target-shaped rash that develops after a tick bite, which could be a sign of Lyme disease and should be treated with antibiotics. • A fever with a red or black, spotty rash that spreads, which could indicate Rocky Mountain spotted fever carried by ticks should be treated immediately. “Although most bug bites and stings do not turn into a severe or even fatal illness like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, it’s important to pay attention to your symptoms,” said Dr. Parsons. “If you feel tired all the time, you have a headache, fever or body aches, or you develop a rash after a bug bite, see a board-certified dermatologist immediately.” These tips are demonstrated in Bug Bites and Stings: When to See a Dermatologist, a video posted to the American Academy of Dermatology website and YouTube channel. This video is part of the Dermatology A to Z: Video Series, which offers videos demonstrating tips people can use to care properly for their skin, hair and nails. A new video in the series posts to the Academy’s website and YouTube channel each month. For more information, contact the Academy at 1-888-462-3376 or www.aad.org. MSN
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39
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Lee Enterprises Sacrifices News Sources By Bob Campbell Daily newspapers have been under financial pressure, and this includes Lee Enterprises, an Iowa corporation that owns newspapers in Billings, Butte, Hamilton, Helena, and Missoula. A few years ago, Lee filed for bankruptcy protection from massive losses and now they are again losing money and cutting journalists rather than their over-the-top salaries. This time their bad judgment led to the closing of their state office in Helena in order to save money by ending the exceptional team of reporters, Chuck Johnson and Mike Dennison. I first met Chuck Johnson in 1972 at the Montana Constitutional Convention in Helena. He was just out of journalism school, and this was his first and as he remembers it, the best assignment he ever had. I was an elected delegate from Missoula serving on the Bill of Rights Committee, and I was seated in the front of the chamber near the area reserved for reporters. Each day Chuck would arrive early and always well prepared because he interviewed everybody and asked the right questions. He maintained that high standard during forty-three years of reporting from Helena. For the last ten years, he and Mike Dennison provided Lee Enterprises the best political coverage of every legislative session. Without their reporting, we would not have had the analysis of the outof-state corporate money that influenced the election of the Republican majority and the fact that during the session, bills were introduced following a national pattern to convince voters to give tax cuts for corporations while cutting services for the rest of us. In May, Lee Enterprises told Chuck and Mike that they could take a 40% pay cut or a buyout. Thus, Lee Enterprises by changing its political reporting and closing its Helena bureau would effectively remove the best political reporting in the state. This decision will be remembered as Lee’s last big mistake. The exorbitant salaries and bonuses paid to their corporate executives and owners have cost us Montanans the insight we need into our political process to be informed citizens. If more fluff and mindless drivel with less solid reporting are what Lee thinks is best for its bottom line, they are compounding their bad judgment and we must look elsewhere for good information on the host of important issues affecting all of us. MSN
Could It Be That Proofreading Is A Dying Art? Submitted by John Early, New York City
Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter. Not possible! Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says. Really? Ya think? Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers. Now that’s taking things a bit far! Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over. What a guy! MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 41
Elders Aren’t In Jeopardy By Bill Hall Working people ask me, “Where have all the geezers gone?” At certain times of the day, it may seem that my fellow seniors and I seem to disappear, though there are millions of us. We fade from sight part of the day because we are like cats. We nap a lot. You will find us by listening for all our snoring. Seniors have periods of the day when they disappear from sight for other reasons. They have their senior food hideouts. They sneak away from the rest of the population and head for the 3 p.m., all-you-can-eat, chicken-gravy buffet that offers an elder discount. Food isn’t the only command performance in our lives. Far from it. Not long after dinner, you will find millions of us sitting in front of a television set watching Jeopardy, even though it is a highly discriminatory quiz show unfair to the elderly. Ironically, seniors are the segment of society most likely to be thrilled with the show but least likely to become contestants. Granted, that’s something like the unfairness I experience in rooting for the Seattle Seahawks. Nobody cheers more for that team than we senior Seahawks do. But do seniors ever get a chance to put on a Seahawks uniform and go in for a play or two? No. In major league football, it is the young alone who get to play the game. And it is the bald
and gray like me who have the honor of helping to pay the astronomical cost of the seats. Jeopardy is like that. The blatant truth is that hardly anyone my age (78) ever gets a chance to stand up there and compete at answering questions with younger people. There is a reason for that, of course. The reason is that the game is loaded against the elders, just as football is. Maybe people my age are too old to play football. But the same is not true of Jeopardy contestants. In fact, old people on the whole are more broadly knowledgeable in a general quiz show than young people are. The trick in denying elders their chance at winning a Jeopardy game is how many seconds a contestant has to shout out the answer. The natural advantage for the elderly, if Jeopardy were fair, is that we the old ones have accumulated more knowledge over long years of life than younger people have. If you give us enough time, we will dig deeply into our old brains and find the answer. Many an elder skull is chock full of all the knowledge of a lifetime. True, young people and the middle aged are quicker at finding answers in their less crowded brains. They haven’t yet learned as much as a senior, even if the stuff they have learned is brought to the surface more quickly. But if you
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PAGE 42 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
don’t know the answer, it doesn’t matter how quickly you can make an inaccurate stab at what you don’t yet know. This all raises some questions for the star and leader of Jeopardy – Alex Trebek. He will turn 75 on July 22. If that isn’t old, it is at least really ripe (though Trebek is better than ever as the ringmaster of Jeopardy). On the other hand, isn’t it about time that Trebek accepts his age and stops cooperating with those producer scoundrels who have found a way to tilt the game in favor of the young? For starters, all contestants should have at least three minutes to come up with each answer. There should be no more immature snap judgments. There should be a fair amount of time for all who have lost some of the quickness of their minds.
True, that would tend to increase the current running time from half an hour to double that. At the very least, let Jeopardy give elders a competition of their own. Jeopardy does that for elementary school children, for high school contestants, for college competitors and for celebrities. In fact, I’m not certain that Jeopardy doesn’t have a tournament for dogs who can bark a little English. At my age (only three years older than Trebek), I ask how about a grandpa and grandma tournament? Granted, one serious problem comes to mind if grandparents get their own tournament: Who will wake them if they fall asleep halfway through their three-minute answer time? Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone.net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN
Preserving A Legacy Of Artwork: The Clarke Gallery By Gail Jokerst; www.gailjokerst.com Blackfeet artist John Clarke may have lost the ability to speak and hear at a young age, yet that never kept him from clearly communicating. Through sign language, both American and Indian, as well as the written word, John effectively shared his thoughts. But it was through the silent medium of art that he excelled at expressing his love for the Plains Indian culture, Glacier National Park, and the wildlife that roamed its forests, meadows, and mountains. A skilled woodcarver, sculptor, and painter, John produced a body of work that has become synonymous with Glacier Park’s early days. Just looking at his mountain goats or whimsical bears brings to mind dudes on horseback and Glacier’s old-time backcountry chalets. To commemorate the influence and talent of this dynamic artist, John’s daughter, Joyce Turvey, established the John L. Clarke Western Art Gallery
LIVING IN THE PAST Experience 1890s Montana Homesteading at MOR’s Living History Farm. Free* to all, all season long! Now thru September 21st! Visit the Living History Farm at Museum of the Rockies and you’ll be stepping back in time to a historically accurate, working Montana homestead. Costumed interpreters will guide you through the Tinsley House, the blacksmith’s shop, heirloom gardens and more. This season, we’ve planned special events all summer long and scheduled exciting activities every day for young and old. So come discover a time long past that still lives on today. For details about special events, visit museumoftherockies.org.
*Regular admission fees to main Museum still apply. Don’t miss the Art of Warner Brothers Cartoons exhibit, opening Saturday September 19th.
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
in East Glacier in 1977. Its door has remained open every summer since then welcoming visitors from around the globe. Nowadays, John’s granddaughter Dana runs the gallery. Like her mother, Dana celebrates her grandfather’s creativity along with that of other regional artists. “My grandfather was a delightful soul with a sense of humor. He came from a simpler time in a calmer world reminiscent of the 1930s to 1950s,” explains Dana. “His way to interpret his life was through these beautiful carvings and paintings.”
Some of Dana’s most vivid childhood recollections of Grandpa John were etched in memory during their sallies together around town. Even as a little girl, she knew he was different – in the best kind of way. “He was so observant. If he looked at something, so would I. And he was always looking around him,” remembers Dana. “Perhaps the artist seeking ideas, pieces of wood, or noticing a bird in a tree.” As students of Montana’s frontier days know, the Clarke family history is woven into the fabric of East Glacier’s past. John’s father was the town’s first settler while his aunt Helen advocated for women’s and Native American rights. His contribution to the art world was equally significant. “John Clarke was one of the state’s most prolific lesser-known artists. His artwork is accurate and evocative of a trip to Glacier; it’s iconic of the era and this amazing time,” sums up Dana. “I feel I’m the last harbinger of making people aware of him.” For more information, visit theclarkegallery. com or call 406-226-9238. MSN
has become Montana’s largest and most diversified museum. Children brought kicking and screaming because they didn’t want to come have been converted into kicking and screaming kids that didn’t want to leave, and teenage girls with glazed eyes and a “whatever” attitude have added “awesome!” to their vocabulary. Displays using symbolism and interactive exhibits can make history fun and interesting. Outside displays in the 40+ building village allow adults and
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American History On Display At MOAM Inter-generational bonding is easy at the Miracle of America Museum (MOAM) just south of Polson on appropriately named Memory Lane, a frontage road off U.S. Hwy 93. Parents and grandparents sometimes find it difficult to find a meaningful activity to do with their posterity especially when the children have their own handheld texting, gaming, and Internet device. Well, there is hope. Founders, Gil Mangels and his late wife Joanne, have seen miracles happen at what
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43
children to participate together. Anything from sitting in a real Huey helicopter, to playing tetherball, ringing numerous bells, to playing the golf ball musical cactus, make the MOAM a true memory builder. The museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and to insure it’s future for upcoming generations, donations to the museum’s endowment fund are needed and appreciated. For more information, visit miracleofamericamuseum.org or call 406-883-6804 or 406-270-7895. MSN
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
In Every Corner of Montana There is Something Fun to See and Do
September 4–5
LABOR DAY WEEKEND • ENNIS, MONTANA
13TH ANNUAL
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FLY FISHING FESTIVAL 2015 FUN ACTIVITIES CELEBRITY SPEAKERS & SEMINARS CASTING CLINICS & COMPETITIONS FLY TYING CLINICS’ KIDS PROGRAMS BBQ & LIVE MUSIC
RAFFLES FEATURING TOP-OF-THE-LINE RODS, REALS & TACKLE, ANGLING ARTWORKS, & GUIDED TRIPS WIN THIS BOAT!!
For a complete Festival schedule & info,
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Yes, there are too many fairs, rodeos, festivals, art shows, car shows, benefits, concerts, star gazings, parades, music events, wine tastings, and sporting events going on for the next several months to be able to list them all here. But we have provided a sampling of fun things that may pique your interests, and with a little searching on the web, you can fill in the gaps. To start, we would suggest readers contact visitmt.com; visitbillings.com; discoverkalispell. com; glaciermt.com; visitbigskymt.com; centralmontana.com; virginiacity.com; southeastmontana. com; southwestmt.com; and visityellowstonecountry.com. These are just a few of the regional and community resources that you can consult in order to make this a most memorable Summer and Fall 2015! Additional information regarding some events can be found in advertise-ments in this issue of the Montana Senior News. Many of the events listed run on multiple days, but we have listed just the first day of the event. Please call the listed phone number or visit the website for more details. Start Date Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 1 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 6 Aug 6 Aug 7 Aug 7
Event
Phone
Web Address
Bozeman – *Free Living History Farm Chester – Sounds on the Square Deer Lodge – Haying with Horses Fort Peck – Summer Theatre: Tarzan Great Falls – *Russell Museum Harmless Hunter Livingston – *Music Ranch Summer Concerts Missoula – *Farmers’ Market Missoula – Missoula City Band Philipsburg – Vaudeville Variety Show Pryor – Chief Plenty Coups’ House Tour Various – Shakespeare In the Parks Virginia City – Brewery Follies W Yellowstone – Wild West Yellowstone Rodeo Whitefish – Glacier Symphony – Amadeus Conrad – *Conrad Area Chamber: Night Out Polson – Flathead Lake Biological Station Open Bozeman – The Ellen Theatre: Boeing Boeing Helena – *Grandstreet Theatre: Pippin Sandpoint, ID – *The Festival at Sandpoint Big Sky – *Big Sky Classical Music Festival Billings – *Montana Fair
406-994-2251 406-265-4383 406-846-2070 800-653-1319 406-727-8787 406-222-2255 406-241-9870 406-728-2400 406-859-0013 406-252-1289 406-994-3901 800-829-2969 406-560-6913 406-407-7000 406-271-7791 406-982-3301 406-585-5885 406-447-1574 208-265-4554 406-995-2742 800-366-8538
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Aug 7 Aug 7 Aug 7 Aug 7 Aug 7 Aug 7 Aug 8 Aug 8 Aug 11 Aug 12 Aug 13 Aug 13 Aug 13 Aug 13 Aug 13
Bozeman – Sweet Pea Festival Libby – Riverfront Blues Festival Superior – Cabin Fever Quilt Show Three Forks – Rockin’ the Rivers Wallace, ID – *Accordion Festival Whitefish – Huckleberry Days Arts Festival Bozeman – Slam Festival Lincoln – Lincolnstock IV Missoula – *Western Montana Fair Twin Bridges – Madison County Fair Big Sky – Vine & Dine Festival Circle – McCone County Fair & PRCA Rodeo Glendive – Dawson County Fair & Rodeo Helena – USA West Square Dance Convention Lewistown – *Mt. Cowboy Poetry Gathering
406-586-4003 406-293-5900 406-826-1843 866-285-0097 208-753-7151 406-862-3501 406-219-7773 406-362-7000 406-721-3247 406-684-5824 406-995-5895 406-485-2605 406-377-6781 406-799-1715 406-538-4575
sweetpeafestival.org jgstamm@blackfoot.net rockintherivers.com wallaceidahochamber.com whitefishchamber.org
missoulafairgrounds.com bigskyresort.com circle-montana.com dawsonfair.com
montanacowboypoetry gathering.com Aug 14 Butte – An Ri Ra Montana Irish Festival 406-498-3983 mtgaelic.org Aug 14 Crow Agency – Crow Fair & Rodeo 406-638-3808 Aug 14 Great Falls – Rootsfest VI 406-868-0997 Aug 14 Lewistown – Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner 406-535-5436 montanadinnertrain.com Aug 14 Polson – Flathead Lake Blues Festival 406-471-2144 Aug 14 Trout Creek – *Huckleberry Festival 406-827-4091 huckleberryfestival.com Aug 15 Bozeman – *Bearcreek Judy & the Divine Bovines 406-587-7002 montanacare.net Aug 15 Hamilton – *Bitterroot Celtic Games & Gathering 406-274-8886 bcgg.org Aug 15 Hamilton – Bitterroot Scottish-Irish Festival 406-274-8886 dalymansion.org Aug 15 Helena – Helena Summer Brewers Festival 406-249-4977 Aug 15 Livingston – Bark in the Park 406-222-1313 Aug 15 Manhattan – Manhattan Potato Festival 406-284-4162 manhattanareachamber.com Aug 16 Deer Lodge – Powell County Demolition Derby 406-846-2094 Aug 18 Bozeman – Ivan Doig Tribute Event 406-587-0166 Aug 19 Kalispell – Northwest Montana Fair & Rodeo 406-758-5810 nwmtfair.com Aug 21 Fort Peck – Summer Theatre: Steel Magnolias 800-653-1319 missouririver.visitmt.com Aug 21 Fort Peck – Summer Theatre: Steel Magnolias 406-526-9943 fortpecktheatre.org Aug 22 Ennis – *Madison Valley Home Tour 406-682-5073 mvmedcenter.org Aug 26 Kalispell – Big Sky Reining Classic 406-755-5366 majesticvalleyarena.com Aug 27 Bigfork – Hits from the 50s, 60s, & 70s 406-837-4886 bigforksummerplayhouse.com Aug 27 Boulder – Jefferson County Fair & Rodeo 406-225-3234 jeffco.mt.gov Aug 28 Lincoln – Drum Brothers Rhythm Gathering 406-282-3022 Aug 28 Missoula – River City Roots Festival 406-543-4238 Aug 28 Virginia City – Bozeman Trail Cook-off 406-829-2969 Aug 29 Lewistown – Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner 406-535-5436 montanadinnertrain.com Sep 1 Helena – Historical Society Presence of the Past 800-243-9900 montanahistoricalsociety.org Sep 2 Dillon – Beaverhead County Fair 406-683-2800 beaverheadcounty.org Sep 2 Hamilton – Ravalli County Fair & Rodeo 406-363-3411 Sep 2 Kalispell – *Quilt Gallery Workshop 406-257-5799 quiltgallery.net Sep 4 Ashland – Ashland Labor Day Pow Wow 406-784-2883 Sep 4 Billings – *Big Sky Polkafest 406-855-9806 bigskypolkaclub.com Sep 4 Ennis – *Annual Flyfishing Festival 406-682-3148 madisonriverfoundation.org Sep 5 Dillon – Labor Day Rodeo & Concert 406-683-5771 dillonjaycees.com Sep 6 Polson – NW Montana Accordion Festival 406-752-8275 Sep 6 White Sulphur Springs – Labor Day Rodeo Sep 10 Billings – *Evening w/ Terry Bradshaw – MSUB 406-657-1626 msubillings.edu Sep 11 Billings – *Studio Theatre Don’t Dress for Dinner 406-248-1141 Sep 11 Billings – It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues 406-591-9535 novabillings.org Sep 11 Butte – *North Am Indian Alliance Aids Run 406-482-0461
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 45
PAGE 46 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Sep 11 Sep 11 Sep 12 Sep 12 Sep 12 Sep 12 Sep 12 Sep 13 Sep 13 Sep 13 Sep 17 Sep 18 Sep 18 Sep 18
Butte – *North Am Indian Alliance Aids Run Butte – *North Am Indian Alliance Pow Wow Big Fork – Montana Dragon Boat Festival Eureka – *Fairgrounds Walk to End Alzheimer’s Great Falls – *Gibson Walk to End Alzheimer’s Lewistown – Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner Lewistown – *Chokecherry Festival Hobson – Montana Bale Trail What the Hay Missoula – *McCormick Walk to End Alzheimer’s Missoula – Germanfest Billings – Indian Relay National Championships Havre – Festival Days Marion – Blues Fest Miles City – Bluegrass Festival
406-482-0461 406-482-0461 406-758-2809 406-252-3053 406-252-3053 406-535-5436 406-535-5436 406-423-5453 406-252-3053 406-543-4238 406-256-2400 406-265-4383 406-471-9926 406-234-2480
May 2–Oct 31 July 9–Sept 22 2nd Sat, May–Oct
Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 19 Sep 20 Sep 20 Sep 22 Sep 24
Billings – *Billings Symphony – Heroic Tales Bozeman – *Museum of the Rockies Warner Bros. Deer Lodge – *Mont’s Big Sky Draft Horse Expo Helena – *Centennial Walk to End Alzheimer’s Kalispell – *Woodland Walk to End Alzheimer’s Kalispell – Accordion Polka Party Lewistown – Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner Bozeman – *Bogert Park Walk to End Alzheimer’s Culbertson – *Threshing Bee Billings – Suicide Girls Blackheart Burlesque Bozeman – *Montana History Conference
406-252-3610 406-994-2251 406-490-1305 406-252-3053 406-252-3053 406-752-8275 406-535-5436 406-252-3053 800-653-1319 406-894-2020 406-444-2694
Double Up Food Bucks for SNAP Card Holders Music Performed 9:00am–Noon
Sep 24 Sep 25
North End of Higgins by the XXX’s Contact Market Manager, Evita Blouin at 406-241-9870 www.missoulafarmersmarket.com & Facebook
Sep 25 Sep 25 Sep 26 Sep 27 Oct 1 Oct 1 Oct 2 Oct 3 Oct 3 Oct 3 Oct 3 Oct 3 Oct 3 Oct 7
Local, Nutritious, Delicious Come enjoy a hot breakfast and the relaxed charm of an Old World Market
Open 8:00am–Noon Saturdays Tuesdays Kid’s Day
flatheadlakelodge.com alz.org/montana alz.org/montana montanadinnertrain.com lewistownchamber.org montanabaletrail.com alz.org/montana missoulacultural.org metrapark.com havrechamber.com easternmontanafair grounds.org billingssymphony.org museumoftherockies.org drafthorseexpo.com alz.org/montana alz.org/montana montanadinnertrain.com alz.org/montana missouririver.visitmt.com
mhs.mt.gov/education/ conferencesworkshops Whitefish – *Great Northwest Oktoberfest 406-862-3501 whitefishoktoberfest.com Chico Hot Springs – *Harvest Celebration 406-222-0730 westernsustainability exchange.org Great Falls – Treasure State Flywheelers Festival 406-799-8650 Great Falls – Star Party Extravaganza 406-727-8733 Thermopolis, WY – *Oktobrewfest 307-921-8605 thermopolis.com Billings – *Zoo Mont Walk to End Alzheimer’s 406-252-3053 alz.org/montana Whitefish – *Pints with Purpose 406-858-0897 flatheadindustries.org Whitefish – *Great Northwest Oktoberfest 406-862-3501 whitefishoktoberfest.com Helena – *Midsummer Night’s Dream 406-442-4270 grandstreettheatre.com Anaconda – *Oktoberfest – Copper Village 406-563-2422 coppervillageartcenter.com Great Falls – *Sleeping Beauty w/Eugene Ballet 406-453-4102 gfsymphony.org Hamilton – McIntosh Apple Day 406-363-3338 brvhsmuseum.org Helena – *Real Food Customer Appreciation Day 406-443-5150 realfoodstore.com Lewistown – Charlie Russell Chew Choo Dinner 406-535-5436 montanadinnertrain.com Red Lodge – *Hoedown – Petticoats & Pistols 406-446-3667 carboncountyhistory.com Kalispell – *Quilt Gallery Workshop 406-257-5799 quiltgallery.net
2015–2016 Concert Season October 10 • 7:30 pm December 12 • 7:30 pm February 20 • 7:30 pm April 30 • 7:30 pm
Russian Spectacular A Holiday Concert A Night of Movies and Memories A Night in Vienna
All concerts performed at the Mother Lode Theatre
SEASON TICKETS
Main Floor: $95 • Mezzanine & Loge: $85 • Balcony: $75 P.O. Box 725 • Butte, Montana 59703-0725
(406) 723-5590 • info@buttesymphony.us • www.buttesymphony.org
Sleeping Beauty with the Eugene Ballet SATURDAY
October 3 2015
Ignite The Season! We’re kicking off the Great Falls Symphony 2015-16 Season with this beloved storybook ballet filled with fantasy, magic and poetry. This is the first time it has been presented in Great Falls by the Eugene Ballet with the Symphony performing the gorgeous melodies and dramatic, sweeping Tchaikovsky score LIVE in the orchestra pit.
single tickets
SEASON TICKETS are your BEST BUY!
453.4102
Mansfield Theater BOX OFFICE 455.8514 ticketing.greatfallsmt.net
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Oct 8 Oct 9 Oct 10 Oct 10 Oct 24 Oct 29 Nov 14 Dec 4 Dec 19
Butte – Northern Rodeo Finals 406-252-1122 Helena – *Grandstreet Theatre: Into the Woods 406-442-4270 Billings – Nile Stock Show & Rodeo 406-256-2495 Butte – *Butte Symphony – Russian Spectacular 406-723-5590 Billings – *Billings Symphony – Behind the Scenes 406-252-3610 Thermopolis, WY – *Moonlight Madness 307-921-8605 Thermopolis, WY – *Keys to the City Promotion 307-921-8605 Helena – *Grandstreet Theatre: A Christmas Carol 406-442-4270 Billings – *Billings Symphony – Celtic Christmas 406-252-3610
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47
butteciviccenter.com grandstreettheatre.com metrapark.com buttesymphony.org billingssymphony.org thermopolis.com thermopolis.com grandstreettheatre.com billingssymphony.org MSN
Bozeman Geri-Actors Continued from cover In two years, they’ve developed an amazing camaraderie and new people quickly are made part of the group. Volunteers don’t feel intimidated over forgetting their lines because in a reader’s theater they hold a script. As they have grown, so have their productions. At the Rockin’ Memories dinner theater in March 2014, roller skating carhops delivered the burgers and fries. Gals in poodle skirts and guys with hair slicked back with “a little dab” of Brylcream entertained. The 87-year-old algebra teacher got a standing ovation as soon as she stepped onto the stage because she looked like the person everybody remembered as his or her teacher. By the end of the production, there were no spectators. Everyone in the house was on the floor dancing as if it were the 1950s. The Classic Radio Theater show took viewers back to the days when they sat transfixed by a thrilling drama played out on the radio. The sound effects of squeaky doors or restless horses came from the audience, a different sound for each table. The Last Best Geri-Actors have performed nearly 20 times in the past two years. They do dinner theater at the Bozeman Senior Center, perform at the Park County Senior Center, and are regular features at assisted living facilities in the area. They have done two shows at the Country Bookshelf – the first a humorous twist on some of the familiar classics, and on Dr. Seuss’s birthday, they featured children’s books. Two of the men in the Geri-actors are on call to do the hilarious Abbott & Costello routine Who’s on First? at the drop of a hat. Faye calls their performance hysterical and as funny as the original actors are. Last Best Geri-Actors have already booked two shows for conventions in 2017. They’ll do a patriotic production for the Daughters of the American Revolution and a historical piece for the Montana Ghost Town Preservation Society. One 93-year-old participant looked at the dates and asked Faye if she thought she should sign
up. Absolutely, Faye told her. “That gives you a reason to be here two years from now.” Faye, who taught for 46 years, says students are students, no matter what their age. Directing this group is like turning on a light bulb. It reminds people that they still matter and that they still have gifts to share. She also helps the Bozeman Community Theater with props and costumes, and she does props for the Bozeman Opera. The actors love hearing the audience laugh. The individuals in senior residences relate to the humor because these performers are their contemporaries. “If we bring a smile to someone’s day, what better gift can we give?” asks Faye. She wants to insure that older people don’t forget there are things to laugh about. “Growing older has its challenges but it is also funny,” she adds. “We’re always the first to laugh at ourselves.” The Last Best Geri-Actors write and adapt their own scripts, advertise, and set up. Theater demands a lot of hard work, so Faye determined they would keep it fun. She’s had no trouble getting people to help. They’re quick to make poodle skirts and design ornament heads. When she’s not available, they can take the show on the road without her. Her biggest challenge is just keeping up with them – and perhaps with her own ideas as well. They agreed to take this summer off, but are ready to go again in September. Contact the Bozeman Senior Center at 406-586-2421 for more information. The idea of senior theater created interest at the recent Governor’s Conference on Aging. Faye is willing to help groups around the state get started. She’ll share some tricks of the trade, including how to find good scripts and web sites that will help. Individuals are welcome to call her at 406-595-0510. Information and inspiration are available at Senior Theatre Resource Center by visiting seniortheatre.com. “We are having the best time,” Faye says. “I really think nothing can stop us now!” MSN
“The person who gets the farthest is usually the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.”
– Dale Carnegie
Presents Flathead Industries
Thursday October 1st 4pm-11pm $1 from Every Beer, Stein, & Wine will go to Support Individuals with Disabilities 4pm-11pm • 2 Central Ave • Whitefish Music, Silent Auction, Prizes & More!
Details Online at flatheadIndustries.org Facebook/FlatheadIndustries Questions? Call Sarah 858-0897
PAGE 48 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Great Falls Heritage Festival By Bernice Karnop Joe Garrity grew up on the farm south of Great Falls that his grandfather homesteaded. Early in his life he developed a fascination for all the old equipment, the rich rural culture, and Montana’s fascinating history. Today he collects John Deere tractors and old stationary engines and is president of the Treasure State Flywheelers, a group that shares his passion for such things. This
group hosts the second annual Heritage Festival celebrating our rural heritage fairgrounds in Great Falls, September 25-26, 2015. Many of the last year’s features will be back to this free event. Vintage tractors, steam engines, trucks, and automobiles are tied to our personal histories and spark hilarious memories.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
“Some people never got to tell that story before, or they didn’t have anyone who wanted to hear it,” Garrity says. It was fun for these folks to tell their stories to their families and to people who share the excitement of the old days. The blacksmith shop, which was a centerpiece of a community for centuries, is back again this year, with blacksmiths on hand to demonstrate how they heat wrought iron or steel and hammer, bend, and cut it into different objects. Visitors may watch spinners turn fleece into yarn, see a woodworker power his tools with his own energy instead of electricity, and learn from cooking demonstrations. Attendees may visit the one-room school and remember how it anchored the community. The old time fiddlers’ music takes listeners back to those old school house dances. New this year is a mule harnessing demonstration, harking back to a time when animals did much of the farm work.
Contests include a tractor “slow race” to see which of the big machines can gear down to the slowest crawl. The barrel race has the old tractors pushing a barrel to the finish line. Be sure to bring the grandchildren. Not only will they get a glimpse of what life was like before iPhones, x-boxes, and Nintendos, they can play some of the games their grandparents played such as possible events like gunnysack races, the corncob toss, and carrying an egg on a spoon. Vendors will be on hand with food and drink to purchase. The ham and beans were popular last year, and pulled pork, sloppy joes, and homemade pies and ice cream. The Heritage Festival is not your gardenvariety farm show. It’s more hands-on and more personal, according to Garrity, who also owns the Cattlemen’s Cut Supper Club. “I feel strongly that we ought to try to keep our
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 49
past alive a little bit,” he says. The Treasure State Flywheelers published a small book to help people define some of the things that were common in the past. It tells how the blacksmith and the thrashing outfits worked, and the importance of the farm wife who fed the crews. It explains grain elevators, early day fun, the importance of the railroads and more. It even defines flywheelers, the stationery engines with two flywheels and a wide, flat belt. They were a great laborsaving device at one time, powering such things as threshing machines, wood saws, cream separators, grinding mills, pumps, and more. “People don’t necessarily know what a flywheeler is, so I usually add old tractor club when I say the name,” says Joe Garrity. “Some people think maybe we’re fishermen.” MSN
Diving into Leaves & Learning – for Kids of All Ages! Last fall, covered in leaves after diving dozens of times into a colorful, crisp pile of leaves, my son asked why leaves turn so many colors. “And why do leaves fall?” Before I could ask what he thought, he was off – and I wondered, how much should I explain? How much could I explain? Even those of us who have worked and played outdoors our entire lives forget details. We can lose touch with our ability to awaken the awe of discovery, and now and again, the chance to learn with experienced educators and naturalists re-inspires our natural curiosity and passion. To which critter did that tooth belong? Who trills that amazing song? What story do these tracks tell? Why does this flower only grow here? How exactly do frogs breathe?
The infectious fun of learning with others is a gift. Kids of all ages deserve chances to learn – and what better learning than to dive into this extraordinary natural world, this amazing place we in Montana call home. Kate Burnaby Wright, Interim Executive Director of the Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS), shares her staff’s passion for inspiring students – kids of all ages! – to get outside, exploring and learning. For more information, visit outdoorscience.org or call MOSS at 406.582.0526. MSN
Why Men Shouldn’t Write Advice Columns Dear John, I hope you can help me. The other day, I set off for work, leaving my husband in the house watching TV. My car stalled, and then it broke down about a mile down the road. So, I had to walk back to get my husband’s help. When I got home, I could not believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with the neighbor’s daughter! I am 32, my husband is 34, and the neighbor’s daughter is 21. We have been married for 10 years. When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted they had been having an affair for the past six months. He won’t go to counseling, and I am afraid I am a wreck and need advice urgently. Can you please help? Sincerely, Sheila Dear Sheila, A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold, and then check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the injectors. I hope this helps, John MSN
If Only He’d Had Wings Submitted by John Early, New York City One night, an 87-year-old woman came home from bingo to find her 92-year-old husband in bed with another woman. She became violent and ended up pushing him off the balcony of their 20th-floor apartment, killing him instantly. Brought before the court on a murder charge, she was asked if she had anything to say in her own defense. “Your Honor,” she began coolly, “I figured that at 92, if he could screw; he could fly!” MSN
September 19, 2015 | Heroic Tales
Daugherty: Trail of Tears | Beethoven: Symphony #3 October 24, 2015 | Behind the Scenes
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
February 6, 2016 | Around the World and To the Stars
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade March 12, 2016 | Cirque de la Symphonie
Stravinsky: Firebird Suite
December 19, 2015 | Celtic Christmas
April 16, 2016 | Resurrection
Jeremy Kittel, Tyler Duncan and friends
Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Alberta Bair Theater | 7:30 p.m. Concert Cues begin at 6:45 p.m.
Tickets and Information:
252-3610 | www.billingssymphony.org
The Oakland Companies proudly sponsor the Billings Symphony’s 2015-2016 season
406-222-0730
PAGE 50 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Plan Ahead And Check Your Numbers For Medicare Open Enrollment It’s that time of year again when folks on Medicare need to address their coverage for 2016. What is Fall Open Enrollment? Fall Open Enrollment occurs each year from October 15 to December 7. During Fall Open Enrollment, people with Medicare can make changes to their Medicare coverage with their new coverage taking effect January 1 of the following year. Outside of this time, people with Medicare generally cannot make changes to their Medicare coverage unless certain circumstances qualify them for a Special Enrollment Period. During Fall Open Enrollment, people with Medicare can do the following: • Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan • Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare • Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan • Switch from one Medicare prescription drug plan to another Medicare prescription drug plan • Join a Medicare prescription drug plan for the first time Before making any changes during Fall Open Enrollment, it may be helpful for you to look at your current Medicare coverage to see whether your benefits and costs will change in 2016. If there aren’t any changes to your Medicare coverage and you’re satisfied with your coverage, you don’t need to make any changes during this time. However, if there are changes to your Medicare health and drug coverage or you are unsatisfied with your Medicare coverage, you have the right to make changes during this time. You can make any number of changes to your Medicare coverage during Fall Open Enrollment, but keep in mind that your last coverage decision made during this time will take effect January 1, 2016. To avoid enrollment problems, it’s best to call 800-MEDICARE when making any changes to your Medicare health and/or drug coverage. I plan to switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare during Fall Open Enrollment. Can I also sign up for a Medigap plan during Fall Open Enrollment? Whether you are allowed to buy a Medigap plan during Fall Open Enrollment (October 15-December 7 of each year), depends on your circumstances and your state’s specific rules on Medigap enrollment. A Medigap plan is supplemental coverage designed to pay for out-ofpocket Original Medicare costs, such as deductibles and coinsurances. Medigap plans do not work with Medicare Advantage plans. You can only have a Medigap plan if you have Original Medicare. Under federal law, you have the right to buy a Medigap plan at certain How Can You Be Sure Your Wealth times. Federal law allows people 65 years or older to buy Medigap; Will Be Left To Those You Choose? however, some states may extend that right to people who are under 65 years old and become eligible for Medicare ESTATE PLANNING: Accumulating, Preserving, and Passing Wealth due to disability, endAccumulating wealth is only half the job of full financial planning. Planning for the stage renal disease, or management, preservation, and ultimate distribution of that wealth is also important. Lou-Gehrig’s disease Estate planning can help ensure your estate will pass to your heirs the way you want, when you want, in the most effective manner. (ALS). For exact rules and protections in your For more information or a copy of our free brochure, state about Medigap please call or send in the bottom portion of this ad. enrollment periods, (406) 755-9400 | (877) 635-9528 contact your State 1830 3rd Avenue East, Suite 101 | Kalispell, Montana 59901
Name: Address: City: Phone:
State: E-mail:
Zip:
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com Stifel does not provide legal or tax advice. Your should consult with an estate planning attorney and tax professional to discuss your particular situation.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or State Department of Insurance. I received a grey notice in the mail that said I would no longer automatically qualify for Extra Help. What does this notice mean? Sometime in the fall, certain people with Medicare may receive grey Extra Help notices from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This grey notice informs people that they will no longer automatically qualify for Extra Help, beginning the first of the following year. Extra Help is the federal assistance program that helps pay the cost of prescription drugs for those with limited finances. Generally, people who receive this grey Extra Help notice automatically qualified for the program in the past by having Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program, or by receiving
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 51
Supplementary Security Income. The grey notice is sent to individuals who will no longer qualify for Extra Help in the upcoming year, because they no longer qualify for Medicaid, have a Medicare Savings Program, or no longer receive Supplementary Security Income. People with limited income and resources may still qualify for Extra Help. However, they must apply directly to Social Security to continue receiving the benefit. They can do so by filling out the application attached to the grey notice or by visiting https://secure.ssa.gov/i1020/start. Marci’s Medicare Answers is a service of the Medicare Rights Center (www. medicarerights.org), the nation’s largest independent source of information and assistance for people with Medicare. MSN
Stuff You Need to Know About Your Social Security By Teresa Ambord While we wait for the wheels of government to make a sensible change like removing the SSNs from our Medicare cards, you should know, you do not have to carry your card with you. And if you do feel you need to carry it, here’s an alternative that will protect your SSN.
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t h r o u g h
i t
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As your life unfolds, change is waiting around every corner. That’s why it’s comforting to know, for nearly 75 years, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana has been with you every step of the way. So when life calls, and you need us most, we’re here for you…through it all.
A division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Learn More or Enroll Today at bcbsmt.com I 855-765-1222
PAGE 52 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Discover The Advantages Of The New Reverse Mortgage! Debbi Royer Reverse Mortgage Specialist NMLS #583044 (406) 223-8941 droyer@oppbank.com
Reverse Mortgage Specialist, Debbi Royer, is available to meet with you to discuss your options.
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Protecting Social Security Numbers May be on the Way You may know that theft of Social Security numbers (SSN) often happens because thieves go after Medicare cards. Experts say, never carry your Social Security card with you, to prevent theft of your SSN. But your SSN is printed on your Medicare card, which we are told we should carry. Thieves know this. For ages, Americans have been asking our government to remove that critical number from the Medicare card, but to no avail. It looks like someone might finally be listening. With the rise of cyber-attacks involving medical records, federal investigators are beseeching the government to remove the numbers from Medicare cards. It’s not official yet, but it is backed by both sides in Congress and President Obama has requested funding to get it done. Like everything else in life, it will cost money, but 4,500 people sign up for Medicare every day, and by 2025, Medicare enrollment could reach 74 million. The recent loss of data in the Anthem data breach exposed up to 80 million SSNs. By removing these critical numbers from Medicare cards, maybe we can stem the flow of information to thieves. It’s about time for a change. In the meantime, while we wait for the wheels of government to make a sensible change like removing the SSNs from our Medicare cards, you should know, you do not have to carry your card with you. And if you do feel you need to carry it, here’s an alternative that will protect your SSN. Make a copy and put the original in a safe place at home. On the copy, black out or better yet, cut out the SSN. You could leave the last four digits visible if it makes you more comfortable to do that. Your regular doctors likely have your numbers on file already, and in an emergency, a hospital can locate your Medicare information. MSN
“We spend our time searching for security and hate it when we get it.” –John Steinbeck
How Can You Be Sure Your Wealth Will Be Left to Those You Choose? ESTATE PLANNING:
Accumulating, Preserving, and Passing Wealth Accumulating wealth is only half the job of full financial planning. Planning for the management, preservation, and ultimate distribution of that wealth is also important. Estate planning can help ensure your estate will pass to your heirs the way you want, when you want, in the most effective manner. For more information or a copy of our free brochure, please call:
(406) 761-3500 | (800) 333-6017 300 Park Drive South, Suite 101 Great Falls, Montana 59405
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com Stifel does not provide legal or tax advice. You should consult with an estate planning attorney and tax professional to discuss your particular situation.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 53
PAGE 54 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
Book Your Winter Vacation In The Sun Now: Rockport-Fulton, Texas By Holly Endersby
Maybe it’s the great fishing, or the chance to see endangered Whooping Cranes or the ability to move silently through shallow waters in my rented kayak that keeps bringing me back to the RockportFulton coastal area of south Texas. But whatever it is, a week – or a month – there is never enough time to do all the things I want to when the cold, snowing days of a Montana have begun. If you have any interest in fishing, then Rockport-Fulton (Aransas County) is a great spot to wet a line this winter. The two bays, Copano and Aransas, provide excellent fishing opportunities. A variety of fish – spotted sea trout, sheepshead,
red drum, black drum, and the occasional whiting are always searching for. If you like paddling for – can be caught from a kayak, a powerboat, with the quiet it provides as you enjoy nature then this a guide or from the quirky public fishing bridges in is the right place for you as well. Rockport on Copano Bay. Kayaking to bird watch is a great way to comThese old bridges have been turned into bine two fabulous activities. Goose Island State fishing piers reaching almost two miles in length Park just north of Rockport in Lamar provides baythat can be fished at minimal cost for a 24-hour side camping spots with covered picnic benches period. It’s not unand plenty of restroom fausual to see families cilities. If you have rented standing under vapor an RV, this park is a great lights at midnight on place from which to fish a weekend, tossing and kayak. Goose Island in lines loaded with State Park is on the southlive shrimp as the bait ern tip of the peninsula of choice. The atmothat contains the Aransas sphere is cheerful and National Wildlife Refuge, anglers congratulate the wintering grounds for one another when a Whooping Cranes. big one is pulled in. In 1941, these huge Winter fishing birds numbered only 15. weather can run the Today, their numbers are gamut of warm enough over 150 but their survival for shorts and t-shirts is anything but certain. It to temperature drops [Diane Nunley, USFWS Volunteer, is awe inspiring to see the that require jeans and Aransas National Wildlife Refuge] majestic, six-foot tall birds, a jacket. Just be sure often surprisingly close, to pack both sun block and a good hat to protect especially if they are engaged in their elaborate you from the sun even in cool weather. I’ve also courtship display. booked with local guides and they can usually While you can easily take a sightseeing guarantee a great day of active fishing. To find the boat from Rockport Harbor to watch the birds “secret” spots, it’s often a good idea to go with a from the water, simply driving back roads guide then return on your own once you know more near Goose Island State Park or kayaking about the water. The Rockport Visitor Center can along the shore has allowed me to watch provide a list of local fishing guides. For advice on and photograph these birds for free. gear, head to TackleTown, the area’s best-stocked Birding has to be one of the favorite activities store for anything you might need for fishing. for winter visitors to the area. In addition to the Much of Aransas and Copano Bays are shallow whoopers, shore birds in the millions make the with little wave action making this area perfect for area home. If forced to name my favorite bird, it exploring by kayak. Aransas County has a new would have to be the Roseate Spoonbill, a large Aransas Pathways program identifying key kayak pink foraging bird with a flat, spatulate bill tip used launch sites. Maps are available at the Rockport to sweep the water for small fish and invertebrates. Visitor Center. An array of heron species also inhabits the Currently, seventeen sites are listed as part of water and mudflats around Rockport-Fulton. Blackthe Pathways program and signs identify most of crowned Night Herons are rather secretive birds the spots. If you enjoy kayak fishing as my family that creep quietly along the water’s edge looking and I do, this is a great way to explore different for food. The beautiful adult Yellow-crowned Night areas of the bay to find those honey holes anglers Heron has a bold facial pattern of black and white
The world awaits. (You don’t.) Next time you travel, hop on one of our fast, daily flights to Billings Logan International for easy connections to wherever you’re going. And enjoy the ride.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 55
with long crown feathers adding to its slender silhouette. Ibis, egrets, and Great Blue, Tricolored, and Little Blue Herons join the wading bird extravaganza here. In case of inclement weather, the Texas Maritime Museum in Rockport is an excellent way to while away a dreary afternoon. The museum provides an historical background of Spanish and French exploration as well as the development of offshore oil and gas drilling and the importance of sport fishing to the local economy. Young and old visitors alike will also enjoy spending time at the Aquarium at Rockport Harbor. This free educational opportunity highlights bay and gulf marine life, shell collections, and special displays. And finally the Bay Education Center features exhibits about estuaries with special interactive computer and video displays to explain this dynamic and critical habitat. Throughout late fall, winter and early spring, Rockport-Fulton offers a variety of special events ranging from a gospel music festival to pottery displays and, of course, Oysterfest in early March. For a full calendar of events go to rockport-fulton.org. MSN
[Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce]
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PAGE 56 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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The Bandana: More Than Just A Hiker’s Handkerchief By Gail Jokerst; www.gailjokerst.com When I began hiking in the Rockies some 30 a bandana around my neck to prevent sunburn. years ago, I didn’t own collapsible hiking poles, Or, if my path happens to cross a hand-numbing waterproof rain pants, or a backpack with a water mountain stream, I troll a bandana through the icy bladder – all standard trail equipment for me these waters then lay it across my neck for an instant days. Instead, I donned a fanny pack, holstered cool-off. As I walk, the water trickles onto my two water bottles in the side pockets, and toted shoulders and arms prompting momentary goose a plastic poncho. I also deemed wooden walking bumps. Although dry hot air will eventually suck sticks unnecessary. Not averse to staying warmer, dryer, and upright on the trail, I gradually took advantage of what technology had to offer as the years progressed. Microfleece and Gore-Tex became my new trail partners along with anti-shock trekking poles. But all the inventiveness on the planet has never improved one old-fashioned piece of hiking gear that I have always considered indispensable – my bandana. As a city-girl with negligible trail experience, I possessed not one bandana when I moved to rural Montana back in 1987. Nor had I given much thought to their usefulness. In my Hiker using bandana along Glacier National Park’s mind, they simply conjured up images of John Highline Trail. [Photo by Gail Jokerst] Wayne’s neckerchiefs and incognito outlaws on horseback. that moisture out of the indigo-and-white material, Not so for my husband. With a substantial I enjoy the reprieve for as long as it lasts. number of trail adventures under his boot soles, At times I have found myself in the backcounhe had come to appreciate the potential of these try during huckleberry season without an empty colorful cotton squares. His impressive collection of container – admittedly on rare occasion – to cradle folded bandanas stacked neatly in the top drawer those yummy sweet-tart berries. When only a mere of his bureau proved that. Upon discovering he arm’s reach from the trail, they beckon irresistibly never hiked without a bandana and learning why for grazing or gathering. So I knot together my first-hand from our time together on the trail, I bandana’s corners to form a makeshift pouch. If promptly laid claim to joint ownership of his stash. the bandana is large enough, the pouch can hang Versatile and lightweight, bandanas are a wise from the straps of my pack, which makes it easy investment for any hiker of any age. Considering, to harvest as I amble along. Understandably, the however, that a dozen typically cost less than ten fastidious amongst us may prefer a clean back-up dollars it may be stretching our Spandex shorts bandana for this purpose. Your call. too far to label them an investment. From a first-aid perspective, a bandana can As unglamorous as it may sound, one of the pinch-hit as an emergency bandage or tourniquet main reasons I hike with a bandana is my need for until something more suitable can be found. If a comfortable hanky. Softened through countless amply sized, it can even be fashioned into a temwashings, it can tuck under the waist strap of my porary arm sling or shaped into an ankle brace. backpack and be reached quickly on chilly morn- For those hikers whose foreheads perspire in hot ings if my nose wants to do more than smell the weather, three guesses what can be twisted into scent of balsam firs and creekside willows. It can a sweatband. also be transformed into a neck warmer should Should I encounter a swarm of gnats, flies, or wind or rain start misbehaving. Since I am not mosquitoes, my bandana won’t fail me then either. squeamish about dual-purposing in this instance, Grasping one edge, I swish the material in front of carrying one bandana works nicely. my face like a metronome then flick it either side During summertime, those nippy mornings of my head to ward off pesky trail denizens and can often evolve into scorcher afternoons with discourage them from buzzing in my ears. I have temperatures hovering somewhere in the 90s. As also been known to tie a bandana mask-style over rock faces bake in the sunshine, I am especially my nose and mouth to avoid inhaling the little dargrateful for my paisley patterned bandana with its lin’s. Likewise, when the wind kicks up tossing dust Celtic knots and diamond borders. When I wear everywhere, my bandana goes to work shielding a shirt that doesn’t have a collar to turn up, I tie my nose and mouth. Not only can I cease worry-
SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE MONTANA SENIOR NEWS!
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
ing about ingesting unwanted protein or grit, I can also breathe deeply and gulp as much air as I would like. We can thank India for introducing the everpractical bandana to the world. And we can congratulate the British for recognizing a great idea, importing it, and inexpensively copying it. This
adaptable invention sailed across the Atlantic with America’s early-day settlers and has been on the move ever since. An iconic symbol of the Old West, bandanas may not be cutting-edge but no matter. They serve so many useful purposes on the trail they could qualify as a hiker’s best friend. That’s good enough for me! MSN
Segway Around the State Capital By Bernice Karnop
Readers who hanker for a little excitement – but not too much risk – should consider a Segway tour of Helena this summer. Lee and Avone Holmes, who have run the Last Chance Tour Train in Helena for 43 years, started offering Segway tours two summers ago. Lee, who is 70 years old, calls their newest adventure an absolute scream. For example, one 93-year old woman came with her family and tried the two-wheeled personal transportation device. Lee hovered alongside her as they did their orientation ride and offered to stay back with her when the others left for the two-hour tour. “No,” she informed him. “I want to go!” “When we got out on the road she took off and was out in front of everyone else,” he says with a laugh. He also chuckles at those who think they can ride the Segway without paying attention to instructions. Typically, they’re motorcycle or bicycle riders who expect the Segway to be similar. However, it doesn’t look, feel, or move like any other form of transportation. The Segway’s unique system of mobility consists of five gyroscopes in the base, controlled by a small computer. The Segway moves forward when the rider leans forward. When the rider leans back, the motor reverses and cranks to a stop. The movements become intuitive once a person catches on to the technique and the Segway adapts to the rider. Riding a Segway is more like skiing or snowboarding than riding bikes or motorcycles. Lee and Avone rode their first Segways when they booked a tour in San Diego. They wanted to try something they’d never done before, something exciting but not too scary. After 20 minutes of orientation, they had a ball on the two-hour tour. In fact, they had so much fun that Avone suggested they get a couple so they could glide around Helena. Lee countered with the idea of buying six and adding a Segway tour to their Last Chance Tours business. Although Segway tours are common in large cities, including Washington, D.C., no one had tried them in Montana.
The greatest challenge is convincing folks that they can ride the machine. It takes a bit to adjust but after they take the 30-minute orientation ride, the adrenalin kicks in and they don’t want to get off. Most people do just fine, including a person who only had one arm. A family from England told the Holmes that the Segway tour of Helena was the highlight of their trip to the U.S. Unique to the Last Chance tours is hearing the history in story form. “Anyone can read the facts, but when you hear the story unfold, that’s when you get the feeling of being part of the community,” Lee explains. The Segways offer many advantages as a mobility device. In the eyes of the law, they are the same as an electric wheelchair. That means they can go anywhere, on the streets, sidewalks, and inside buildings. Individuals who can’t walk far can keep up when they’re on a Segway. They’re ideal for the tour because riders can see better, move quicker, and cover more territory. Avone Holmes guides the gliders between the historic Helena sites. There are frequent stops where people get off the Segway so it isn’t just a long ride. The Holmes are also authorized to sell Segways. Customers ask about buying a Segway after the tour. The main drawback, says Lee, is the price – around $7,000 each. Last Chance Tours offers three rides: a 30-minute Introductory Ride for $20; a one-hour Casual Ride for $40; and a 2.25-hour Historic Tour for $65. For reservations and information on Segway Tours and the Last Chance Gulch Tour Train, visit lctours.com or phone 406-439-0756. The Holmes love it that Montana drivers move over for the Segways and merchants step out of their shops to wave at their tour groups. Tour participants appreciate the friendliness of the community and it goes a long way to drawing them back to the shops before they leave town. “In California the drivers honked at us,” says Lee. MSN
“lIBERTY MEANS RESPONSIBlIlITY. THAT IS WHY MOST MEN DREAD IT.”
–George Bernard Shaw
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Ford Model T More Than 100 Years Old By Bill Siuru, PhD, PE Your father, or maybe your grandfather, probably owned one. When Ford produced its 10 millionth Model T in 1924, nine out of ten cars in the entire world were Fords. Over 15 million Model Ts were manufactured, a record that stood for a half-century until surpassed by the VW Beetle. The Ford Model T not only put America on “wheels,” but the entire world. The Model T was so well known Ford didn’t need to buy any ads for it between 1917 and 1923. In 1999, 132 automotive journalists choose it as the Car of the Century. Interestingly, Time magazine included it amongst The 50 Worst Cars of All Time. The main reason – “More than a century later, the consequences of putting every soul on gas-powered wheels are piling up, from the air over our cities to the sands under our soldiers’ boots.” Hungarian-born Jozsef Galamb and Eugene Farkas, as well as Childe Harold Wills, were tasked with putting Henry Ford’s ideas into a production car. The first production Model T was built on September 27, 1908, at the Piquette Plant in Detroit. In 1910, after assembling nearly 12,000 Model Ts there, production moved to a new Highland Park plant. The Model T was the first automobile mass-produced on assembly lines with completely interchangeable parts. Initially, the lowest priced model, the two-door roadster, sold for $825, a bargain for the day. By the 1920s, it dropped to $300 because of volume production and manufacturing efficiencies including the moving assembly line introduced in 1913. The latter is credited to William C. Klann, who was inspired by the way animals were disassembled in Chicago’s Union Stock Yards. By 1914, when Ford produced more cars than all other automakers combined, it took only 93 minutes to assemble a Tin Lizzie. Henry Ford was “green” long before environmentalism came into fashion. The Model T was a flex-fuel vehicle that could run on gasoline and grain alcohol, or ethanol. In these early days, gasoline was not widely available, so the idea was that farmers could distill their fuel from corn they grew. However, gasoline became cheaper and much more available.
Prohibition also helped curtail the idea. Also, Ford had suppliers ship parts in wood crates, that when disassembled, could be used in car bodies. Waste wood was used to make charcoal sold under the Kingsford brand, a brand still in existence. Model Ts were not only sold on every continent, save Antarctica, but manufactured on every one as well. By 1921, it accounted for almost 57 percent of the world’s automobile production. The first foreign Model T production was in Walkerville, Ontario. Because of preferential tariffs, cars for all British Commonwealth nations, except the British Isles, were made in Canada. From 1909 to 1927, over three-quarters of a million Tin Lizzies were built by Ford of Canada with over 225,000 exported to Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Java, and others. By 1911, Model Ts were being produced in Manchester, England, which became the world’s third largest producer of Model Ts behind the U.S. and Canada. The Model T was the best selling car in the United Kingdom between 1913-1923. Model Ts were also built in France, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Japan. During World War I, thousands of Model T cars and ambulances were used on the European battlefields by Allied forces. Some 5,745 Model T military ambulances were built with most sent over to Europe. Both Ernest Hemingway and Walt Disney were Model T ambulance drivers. Like the Jeep in World War II, the Model T could be produced cheaply, was repairable in the field and being lightweight, could be lifted by a few soldiers if it got stuck in mud. Eccentric Henry Ford believed that the Model T would be all the car a person would ever need, thus, there were few improvements through the years. The four-cylinder engine produced only 20 horsepower and top speed was only 40-45 mph. Competitors offered ever better performance, comfort, styling and convenience, and Ford lost market share. Production finally ended in March 1927. Its replacement, the Model A went into production in October 1927 as a 1928 model. MSN
Driving School for RV Owners By Bill Siuru, PhD, PE A more practical solution is the RV School LLC that provides RV driver training at many locations around the country.
MISSOULA | (406) 721-3333
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You just retired and purchased an RV of your dreams. Maybe it=s a 40-foot Class A motor coach or a toy hauler pulled by a diesel pickup. Perhaps, it=s a fifth wheel towed by a Freightliner SportChassis or International MXT. You have entered the world of truck and bus drivers. Unfortunately, unlike professional drivers with years of road experience and a CDL (commercial drivers license), most new RV owners haven't driven anything bigger than a 1970s Cadillac or Ford F-150 pickup. They will probably realize this the first time they try to back into a tight spot. Incidentally, no state currently requires a CDL to drive most motorhomes or tow most trailers of any type, as long as it is used for personal travel. Some states do require a Non-Commercial Drivers License (NCDL). Check your state's department of motor vehicles to see for any laws applying to you and your rig. So maybe you should take some lessons before you head our on your tour of the U.S. But where? You could go a professional truck driver school, but that would be an overkill. A more practical solution is the RV School LLC that provides RV driver training at many locations around the country. Dick Reed, with extensive background in truck, bus, and heavy equipment driving instruction plus being very active in the RV lifestyle, started the RV School in 1961. From a modest beginning, the RV School now has thousands of satisfied graduates in 48 states. Because of the RV School's rapid success, it soon became necessary to add more instructors. Now owned by George W. Mayleben and his wife Valerie, they have been extremely careful with their choice of instructors. They had to have the ability to teach driving techniques in all the various types of recreational vehicles. Patience was very important. The instructors have extensive backgrounds in commercial truck and bus driving instruction in the classroom, as well as behind the wheel. They are highly qualified in the field of driver training
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
and share George and Valerie's love of the RV lifestyle, being long time RVers themselves. All the instructors are certified to teach RVers safely to drive their own recreational vehicles with confidence. The heart of the school is the two-day private training course, four hours per day. On the first day, topics like using mirrors when driving and backing; turning and cornering; proper use of engine, gears, and brakes; and starting, stopping, and backing. Other subjects include defensive driving, judging height and width, and hooking up and disconnecting tow vehicles. Also, items like freeway on and off ramps, narrow single-lane roads and lane control, coping
Rules of Golf – Some for Seniors... Some for Real? By Tait Trussell Seniors have a large advantage over the pros in one respect. They have a chance to shoot their age – considered one of the most difficult feats in the game. Obviously, no 25–year–old or even 45–year– old professional has a chance of shooting that figure in the regulation 18 holes. Considering that golf is often called the most frustrating game on earth and is played according to a 264-page rule book, why are more than 37 million men and women – many over 65 – spending scores of millions of dollars a year on the game? Could it be the thrill of seeing a drive take flight from the tee box and land in the center of the fairway, or sinking a 25-foot putt? Neither is always true, because the average golfer shoots over 100. Golf has been played since its origin in Scotland in the 11th century. And, according to a National Golf Foundation study, there has been a 5 percent rise in the number of rounds played each year. Seniors have a large advantage over the pros in one respect. They have a chance to shoot their age – considered one of the most difficult feats in the game. Obviously, no 25-year-old or even 45-year-old professional has a chance of shooting that figure in the regulation 18 holes. But a good golfer who is 75 or 80 has a fair chance of shooting his or her age on occasion, if he is a good golfer. “It’s an exciting day when and if it happens,” related Arnold Palmer, one of the gods of the game. “I remember the day I first did it in a tournament – on my 66th birthday in the Champions Tour event in Seattle in 1995, and it was touch and go right up to the last putt. It’s been easier every year since then,” the aging Palmer added with a chuckle. Compared with most sports today, golf is a genteel game, where players are expected – if they break a rule – to call it on themselves. Meaning they usually have to take an extra stroke or sometimes two strokes depending on the severity of the violation. Among the 34 main rules of the game, for example, Rule 32-2 on Disqualification Penalties says, “A competitor is disqualified from the
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 59
with hills and campground maneuvering. The two-day course involves lessons with your RV and another driver can participate. A completion certificate is given. Some insurance companies offer discounts to those that complete the course. In addition to private instruction, RV Driving School has developed a unique training program through seminars and classes for those who wish to refine and expand their driving skills. This includes single-day mini-lessons These programs help the experienced RVer become a safer and a more knowledgeable driver. For more information visit rvschool.com. MSN
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competition for a breach of a host of regulations, including undue delay or slow play under rule 6-7,” which says, “The player must play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines that the committee (local golf committee) may establish. Between completion of a hole and playing from the next teeing ground, the player must not unduly delay play.” Then a variety of penalties is listed for a breach of rule 6-7, including references to other rules. Or, “Every player is entitled and obliged to play the ball from the position where it has come to rest after a stroke, unless a rule allows or demands otherwise (Rule 13-10). Some rules are so onerous and complex, that many golfers are unfamiliar with, or overlook, them. A few golfers carry a copy of the rules book with them and dispute a violation by their
competitor – usually in a friendly manner. But many rules are broken by the scratch player. For example, many golfers take a mulligan, or second drive, on the first hole, if their first drive goes array. A former college fraternity brother and fellow golfer has taken this to the limit. He jokingly suggested that “fantasy golf” be allowed. According to his theory of such a game, “When you don’t like your shot, plop down another ball and hit it. If you do not like that, plop down another ball. Eventually a ball will go where you want it to go. Do not score any of the lousy balls. They must have been faulty in their manufacture.” Other latitudes are as extreme. Golf rules for seniors should be modified, according to one humorist, as follows: “Rule 1.a.5: A ball sliced or hooked into the rough shall be lifted and placed in the fairway at a
Open The Gates
A golfer teed up his ball on the first tee, took a mighty swing, and hit his ball into a clump of trees. He found his ball and saw an opening between two trees he thought he could hit through. Taking out his 3-wood, he took a mighty swing. The ball hit a tree, bounced back, hit him in the forehead, and killed him. As he approached the gates of Heaven, St. Peter asked, “Are you a good golfer?” The man replied, “Got here in two, didn’t I?”
point equal to the distance it carried or rolled into the rough with no penalty. The senior should not be penalized for tall grass that greens keepers failed to mow. “Rule 2.D.6 (b): A ball hitting a tree shall be deemed not to have hit the tree. This is simply bad luck and luck has no place in a scientific game. The senior must estimate the distance the ball would have traveled if it had not hit the tree and play the ball from there. “Rule 6.a.9 (k): There is no penalty for socalled “out of bounds.” If penny-pinching golf course owners bought sufficient land, this would not occur. The senior golfer deserves an apology not a penalty.” Yes, it is easy to see how changing the rules could change the game. MSN
I Do
The bride was escorted down the aisle and when she reached the altar, the groom was standing there with his golf bag and clubs at his side. She said, “What are your golf clubs doing here?” He looked her right in the eye and said, “This isn’t going to take all day, is it?” MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 61
Snakes, A Curiosity But... By Ella Mae Howard When I am out of doors, I keep a vigil for wildlife. I have good feelings when I see birds flitter or a big ol’ porcupine meandering through the brush looking for a tree to climb. And, no matter that I have seen hundreds of mule deer; I always stop to watch. There is something about those big ears, the delicate head, the large dark eyes, and the flick of their tail. I look for piles of seed laden poop left by the area black bear, hoping maybe I will get a glimpse of him. And, I love to see hen turkeys or sharp tail grouse with a hatch of little guys doing their best to keep up with mom. Then, there are the three-week-old antelope babies who love to practice running. With Mom standing still, the young antelope will race about, making sure the legs work as nature intended. But, I do not have any desire to see a snake! I am not a snake person. I do not want anything to do with them. I do not wish any harm to them, but I do wish them to be absent from my path in the woods or fields. I know where this aversion comes from - my mother. As kids growing up on the ranch, she told us over and over again, all snakes are bad characters, like those rascals in a Clint Eastwood western. Recalling how my mother dispatched any snake that showed up in our neighborhood, I cannot blame her for her actions. She feared that one of us would be bitten by a rattler and die. She told of several stories about people she knew who were bitten by rattlesnakes, some lived, but some died. From this comes my life and death desire for an absence of snakes when I am outdoors. Have I created a bad karma? On recent outings, it seems I have encountered a snake at ev-
ery turn in the trail. First, there was the big rattler crossing the road to our south pasture. I did not get close to him because I never got out of the pickup. I gave him a little time and he slowly moved off into the grass. A few days later, my big golden retriever and I went for a walk down the road. We had gone maybe a mile and a half when I saw what I thought was a long stick laying across the road. But the stick moved and I could see it was a very large bull snake that stretched nearly across the road - six feet or more in length and it was not inclined to move. I tossed a couple of small rocks at its tail, thinking this would provide motivation for it to move. Not so! The big snake curled like a rattler, and hissed very loudly. It beat its tail on the ground and kept up the hissing like an old mother cow bawling for a lost calf. I sure did not think I had done anything to upset the big guy so much, but boy, oh boy was it ever on the fight. I was hoping it would move off the road, so it would not be run over, but my good intentions were unpersuasive with the yellow-colored reptile. The dog and I struck out cross-country and headed toward home. I kept thinking about the bull snake. I have never had one act like this. What had set this one off? I went to the Internet and the next time I was in town, I checked out three books on snakes from the library. I did find mention of bull snakes having an “attitude.” Another reference noted that bull snakes, also called gopher snakes, have a very loud hiss that can be heard for a hundred yards, and that when threatened, the bull snake will beat its tail on leaves and dry grass to make a rattling sound patterned after the rattlesnake. à
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PAGE 62 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Then, within two weeks of putting the bull snake in a bad mood, I met my first puffing adder. I was walking the fence line in a pasture where the yearling steers will spend the summer. It was a cool day and I thought too cool for snakes to be out. Sometime after noon, I came to a post that had been broken off by a large tree limb. I decided to move it out of the way, so when I returned the next day, everything would be ready for setting the new post.
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I reached down and just as I got a hold of the post, I saw a snake about four or five inches from my hand. I whooped out a good holler and quickly moved down the hill from what looked to me to be a rattlesnake. After a bit, I got up my nerve, and went back to get a better look. It was in the same position as when I first saw it. I got close enough to see that it did not have any rattles, so I thought it must be a bull snake. We stared at each other for a few minutes, then, I got a stick and poked at it. It still did not move. I decided it was too cold to move, so I picked it up with the stick and carried it to a sunny area, hoping that by the next day, it would be gone. I noticed that it had black markings on its belly that meant it was not a bull snake. That evening when I spoke with my ninetyeight-year-old mother about this snake, she knew right off it was a puffing adder. She said that in all her years on the ranch that she had only seen one or two. She told me its bite was poisonous and that I should have killed it. I went through the snake books for information on puffing adders, but I hit a wall since adders do
not occur in North America. So, what kind of snake had I seen? My mother insisted it was a puffing adder and that if I had “played” with it, it would have puffed out its head. I spoke with a Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist, and he suggested it was the western hognose. After considerable reading on the western hognose, I believe that is what I saw. At first glance, this snake has coloring similar to that of a rattlesnake, but unlike the rattler, its belly has large defined areas of black. Also, it is docile and rarely will attempt to bite when threatened. Its defense is to roll over and play dead, believing that most predators do not eat carrion. It has a snout that it uses to dig in the soil. It prefers toads, frogs, and lizards, but will eat small snakes and rodents. Interestingly, the fangs of the western hognose are placed in the rear of its mouth, designed for “popping” toads. I thought about trying to explain to my mother that true puffing adders are not found in this country even though people have nicknamed the western hognose blowing or puffing adder. In her mind, it will remain a poisonous puffing adder. MSN
Do You Remember Burma Shave Signs? Submitted by Jim Meade
For those who never saw or have forgotten those ubiquitous Burma Shave signs, here is a quick history lesson from the 1930s to 1960s. Before there were interstate highways, everyone drove the old two-lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in
farmers’ fields. They were usually four four-line couplets followed by the fifth sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular shaving cream. Read on and smile. Don’t stick your elbow out so far; it may go home in another car. Burma Shave She kissed the hairbrush by mistake; she thought it was her husband Jake. Burma Shave Drove too long, driver snoozing; what happened next is not amusing. Burma Shave Brother speeder, let’s rehearse; all together, “Good morning, nurse.” Burma Shave Cautious rider to her reckless dear; let’s have less bull and a little more steer. Burma Shave Speed was high, weather was not; tires were thin, x marks the spot. Burma Shave The midnight ride of Paul for beer; led to a warmer hemisphere. Burma Shave Around the curve, lickety-split; beautiful car, wasn’t it? Burma Shave No matter the price, no matter how new; the best safety device in the car is you. Burma Shave A guy who drives a car wide open is not thinkin’; he’s just hopin’. Burma Shave At intersections, look each way; a harp sounds nice, but it’s hard to play. Burma Shave Both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road; that’s the skillful driver’s code. Burma Shave Car in ditch, driver in tree; the moon was full and so was he. Burma Shave Passing school zone, take it slow; let our little, shavers grow. Burma Shave The one who drives when he’s been drinking; depends on you to do his thinking. Burma Shave Don’t lose your head to gain a minute; you need your head; your brains are in it. Burma Shave He saw the train and tried to duck it; he kicked the gas and then the bucket! Burma Shave Trains don’t wander all over the map; ‘cause nobody sits in the engineer’s lap. Burma Shave A man, a miss, a car, a curve; he kissed the miss and missed the curve. Burma Shave MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 63
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Summer is winding down, but now is no time to frown. Here’s your chance – for new romance. Send in a letter, send in an ad; find yourself a nice lady or lad! To respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message and address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address to the person placing the ad. When you respond to an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That is up to the person
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who placed the ad. Please submit your correct address plainly printed, so you can promptly receive replies. Respond to the ads in this issue, and also sit down now and prepare your own ad to run in our next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may lead you down the path of true love! Responses to personal ads appearing in this column may be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the October/November 2015 issue, the deadline is September 7, 2015. SWWF. Hi, I am 75 years young, 5’4” 138 lbs, living in Utah. Still have most of my own teeth, not plastic parts, no arthritis, no pain pills, color my hair, have wrinkles. Love the outdoors, gardening, target practice, and hunting. I am a knowledgeable horsewoman. I am paid for riding a dumb horse. I have my own tack and would like to ride with you. Reply MSN, Dept. 31601, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 Eighty-year-old widower who collects old unwanted vehicle titles and registration papers, mostly found in drawers, seeks live-in companion, female who desires a place for her garden and animals. You cook some, thus no rent due. Reply MSN, Dept. 31602, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 Built heavy and strong, just a little on the short side. I have had a small raised garden, but got tired of all the critters. I love dogs, I have one about 60 lbs. Most of my life has been hunting, fishing, and hiking. I wanted to be a fisherman, so I built my own boat. I fished in Alaska for 25 years. Reply MSN, Dept. 31603, c/o
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Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 SWM seeks lonely or handicap lady for longterm relationship. Looks and age unimportant. Send photo and phone number. I will answer all replies. Reply MSN, Dept. 31604, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 WWF. Is there a young-at-heart gentleman in good health? Late 70s-80s who is financially secure? No sex offenders or smokers, drugs, alcohol, or a know-it-all person. Honesty is a must. Enjoy family life and animals. Your chance to meet an active 81-years-young woman who is romantic and likes togetherness and travel. Average weight, blonde, tall, classy dresser with a fashion sense. No email please. Send photo and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 31605, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 I am seeking a beautiful lady that loves cooking and baking, country music, gardening, TV, and movies. Have own home in Belgrade area. Lost my wife to cancer nine months ago. She asked me to promise her one thing – to find a beautiful girl age 60–74. I said okay. Seeking person to move in as soon as possible. Own my own home, a doublewide with three bedrooms, one I used as a computer room. Have two girls, two grandkids, and four great grandkids. No drinking, smoking, or drug use. I am a Christian. I will answer all replies. Reply MSN, Dept. 31606, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 WWF 69, down to earth woman. Country all the way. Loves animals, camping, fishing (catch and release), and exploring out-of-the-way places. Not as much fun doing it all by myself. I don’t drink, no drugs, do smoke. Good sense of humor, honest, sincere. Looking for companion with same likes. I live east of Billings about forty miles. Looks and age not important. Reply MSN, Dept. 31607, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 SWF. Would enjoy meeting a responsible, single gentleman, age 74+ for companionship and possible long-term relationship. I prefer someone still interested in life and living, upbeat and positive in attitude. Whiners need not apply. A widow, I enjoy a variety of interests and activities and am open to new experiences. I am a non-smoker, no drugs, and excellent health. I do enjoy an occasional glass of wine. Home is in NW Montana, but am willing to relocate for the right person. If interested, please send me a note, perhaps we could meet for coffee or lunch. Reply MSN, Dept. 31608, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 WWF In my 70s & loving life. I’m small, slim, energetic, very healthy, and love everything about the mountains and country life. I like animals, camping, fishing, hunting, gardening, dancing, travel, and my family. And all of this is even more fun when you have someone to share it. I will answer all responses. I am in the Bitterroot Valley, western Montana. Reply MSN, Dept. 31610, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403 MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
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Nobody Wins in an Argument By Saralee Perel My husband, Bob, was the first non-Jewish person to marry into my strict Orthodox Jewish family. My parents never called him Bob. They called him Farmer. To them, every man who wasn’t Jewish was a cowhand. I remember one Sunday brunch, when we visited them in their condo in Baltimore. While I was helping Mom serve lox, bagels, and tongue, Dad said to Bob, “So, Farmer, you know why they can’t keep Jewish people in jail?” Bob, always polite (another word for intimidated to death) said, “I’m afraid I don’t know.” My father, who laughed so loud at his own jokes, we could barely hear the punchlines, said, “Because they eat lox.” Bob didn’t understand. Dad, in hysterics, spelled out the word, “Locks.” We laughed, not at the joke, but at my father’s wonderful nature. When Bob looked warily at the tongue, I whispered, “You don’t have to eat it.” Mother, who could hear a whisper from a coal miner at work, said, “Tongue is to our people the way bacon is to your people. You either love it or you’re wrong.” She brought out cream cheese. In her screwball teaching mode, she said to Bob, “The kosher laws don’t allow meat and dairy at the same meal. But while Moses was schlepping those bulky Ten Commandments around, God declared, ‘Who can eat bagels without a schmear of cream cheese? And lox? You have to ask? Fish goes with everything – except olive loaf. Nothing goes with that.’” “Ma,” I teased, “What exactly did God say about tongue?” “He told Moses, ‘Tongue is a must-have!’” Then she added, “Shellfish isn’t kosher but God decided that Maryland steamed crabs are exempt from any kosher laws.” “Mo-ther! You’re making this stuff up.” “Where were you when the disciples were having a nosh?” And so, although my parents are both gone, my memories of them are filled with love and pain. There were many problems. Mom said Dad never “allowed” her to do what she wanted. If only I had put my arms around her and told her she had the strength and courage to make her own decisions – but I didn’t. My parents and I argued a lot. Once we didn’t speak for six months. I shamelessly refused to be big enough to take the first step. I will never get those months back. One day, I broke through my self-centeredness. It was on a Father’s Day. Dad was so touched to hear my voice that he just cried. I said, “I love you, Tateleh (the Yiddish term of endearment for a father). I’m so very, very sorry that I took this long to call.” And then I said, “Will Mom come to the phone?” I expected my mother to be distant. But she wasn’t. She said, “I’ve missed you, Saura Leah (my Hebrew name).” We didn’t discuss what happened. We never did. Maybe that was just as well. “I’ve missed you too, Mamala. I’ve been feeling terrible since this whole thing.”
Riding and Reasearching
Continued from page 69
“I thought the only way we’re going to learn anything is in a long-term study,” he explains, though the funding was for just six months. “I set it up with the idea that it might become a long-term study,” Rick notes, “but worked as though we only had six months.” His team collected data, more data, and even more data and sent it to the CDC each month for about three months. Finally, he got a phone call. “They said they were going to send us money. We were under full contract from CDC for ten years,” he explains. Rick became a regionally, nationally, and internationally known expert on hanta virus. Other agencies continue funding the Montana Tech research to the present day. During that time Rick published dozens of papers, taught classes, advised graduate students, and served as chair of the biology department at Montana Tech. It was an exciting time! With retirement in 2012, Rick became a professor emeritus and has continued to teach part-time until this May. But retirement doesn’t mean retiring for Rick Douglass. He still works with students and researchers all over the world, especially South America. He volunteers with local events like the Montana Folk Festival and Forest Service events like working with trail crews in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. He bikes about 14 miles a day – using studded tires in the winter – and swims about a mile every day. He admits to having had his share of spills, but he keeps on going. “I don’t stand still much,” he says. And he probably never will! MSN
“So have I.” “I love you, Mamala.” “Me too.” That was the finest memory of all. That day when the three of us rose above the need to win. That day when nobody needed to be right. That day when we professed our eternal love. And that day when we hugged each other tightly over a telephone line. MSN
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PAGE 66 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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Harrison’s Engine Nerd By Connie Daugherty “I built it one piece at a time…” is a line from a Johnny Cash song. It could also be Gene Ypma’s motto. “I just love engines,” says Gene Ypma of Harrison. He loves two-stroke engines, six cylinder engines, eight cylinder engines, engines with lots of horse power and lawn mower engines – car engines, and airplane engines. He loves mixing and matching, building, and re-building engines. “I build lots of them,” he says with a laugh. For Gene it isn’t so much about what an engine can do as it is about what he can do with an engine. An innate curiosity and a sense of “what-if” drive his inventiveness and tinkering. He starts with a conventional frame of a snow machine or an airplane and then… well, then his imagination takes over and a natural understanding of how engines work. Although he has an idea – maybe even a drawn prototype – even Gene doesn’t know exactly what the final product will be. It was challenge and curiosity that got him interested in designing a unique tri-motor airplane. “I wanted something different,” he says. By the time he began building the plane in the 1990s, he was familiar with planes and what they could do. He was first introduced to flying as a fifth-grader when his completion of an assignment to draw an airplane and a helicopter earned him the right to a plane ride with his teacher. His next experience with small plane flying was in high school when he went up with a friend to scout out some hunting spots. By the time he finally got his feet back on the ground, he was almost too sick to stand. “This airplane stuff ain’t for me,” he remembers thinking. That changed a few years later when
another friend talked him into joining the Three Forks Flying Club. “I just wanted something to do,” he says. He started taking lessons and then he was hooked. He learned to take off and land on a grass strip. He bought his first plane, a Super Cub, before he even completed his private pilot’s training. Next thing he had a commercial license and he was flying as a crop duster for some of the area farmers first with the Super Cub and later with a CallAir.
“I had to do something to make money to pay for it,” he says. He also saw a need in the valley of farmers. Flying can be an expensive hobby, and owning a plane makes it an even more expensive endeavor. For fourteen years, he flew the spray plane in the spring. He would save up his vacation time while working at the talc mill in Three Forks – sometimes he would get off graveyard shift, get in his plane, and spray a neighbor’s field before even going home. “It worked out good,” he says. “It was fun – I got to fly, got paid for it, and could build some hours.” He was a bit of a daredevil and had his fair share of near misses and not-exactly-planned
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015
landings over the years. He would push his plane and himself to the limit. “Sometimes I just had to learn the hard way,” he says. And learn he did. Gene always took something away from each mishap – a lesson about piloting skills, an understanding of how a plane will react under adverse conditions, a sense of becoming one with the engine-driven machine. After several years of flying, of collecting planes and plane parts, of examining how different types of planes flew and why, he thought about building his own plane. Not just an ordinary kit plane, but something that would be unique – something nobody else had. “I got interested in that Ford engine,” he says, realizing, “I gotta put this in something.” That’s how it all began. He tinkered with it, tested it, and he had plenty of sprayplane parts around his shop; then the idea came to him, “I want a tri-motor.” Gene went into design engineer mode and worked it all out – a plane with a main engine as well as one on each wing, He had to figure out the weight and balance, how much for each wing, where to put the batteries, how to connect everything to run correctly. “Once I got it all figured out I went ahead and started the project,” he recalls. “But If I’d known how much work it was going to be I’d never have done it,” he claims. Still, his eyes light up when he points out details that he designed, tested, and redesigned. “I had a ton of nay-sayers,” he recalls. “People insisting that
I would never finish it, and if I did get it all together, it would never fly.” For about ten years, he worked on it. It looks like a WWII era plane – not sleek, fast, or very maneuverable – but dependable. Not beautiful, but more pulled together like a country quilt. It is exactly what Gene set out to build – something different. As confident as he was in the design, and the airworthiness of his plane, he was still a bit hesitant to fly it that first time. “I’d get her revved up and I’d just be on the verge of taking her off and I’d pull her back… then one night – it was about an hour before dark – I was kind of thinking about it when I was taxiing out there.” He knew he had to do it sometime. “I slammed that sucker full throttle and I wasn’t 500 feet and that sucker was airborne.” He flew a few passes over the house then landed. He had met the challenge. “It’s just solid in the air,” he says. Since that first flight he has put about 40 hours on the plane that others said would never fly. It was truly a labor of love and worth every minute of it. Over the past few years, Gene became interested in the smaller engines of snow machines. He likes riding the machines in the backcountry during the winter, but the way they come from the factory, of course, doesn’t quite meet Gene’s needs. So he made a few changes here and a few changes there and soon he had a customized snowmobile. “The only thing stock is the Elan frame.” “I put a little lawnmower engine on a snowmobile,” he says. “It works sweet, that thing will go anywhere.”
Building a Connection in Sri Lanka By Connie Daugherty It was May 2014, and Butte mystery writer Marian Jensen had just sent the second draft of her second book to her editor. It was a time of waiting, wondering, and letting go of another creation – at least for a while. Marian needed something to occupy her mind and her hands. She needed a change of scene. “Travel is a terrific sensory experience,” she says. “It’s a kind of refueling.” Travel stimulates all your senses as you absorb the uniqueness of a different culture. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter of a British mother and American father, Marian grew up traveling with her mother about every five years to England. “We went on the Queen Mary, the Mauritania, and the Queen Elizabeth because jet travel was not accessible to working class people then,” she explains. She would spend several months in London with her mother’s family; she even went to school in England as a child. She knew how to let herself appreciate the diversity of different places. So when a friend approached Marian with a suggestion for an adventure of a lifetime – Sri Lanka with a unique group of people from around the United States – she was ready. “Sri Lanka was definitely on my bucket list,” says Marian, a long-time Buddhist. But this was more than an opportunity to vacation in Sri Lanka, more → than an opportunity to visit the beaches and the ancient temples. continued à
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 67
He wanted something he could take out when the snow isn’t ideal or deep. He wanted something light, maneuverable, and quiet and that is what he has. “It’s light enough for an old man,” he jokes, though he means it. He added an “Elan-tamer” – a customized control stick that he can use from either side of the sled when driving along the side of a mountain. It’s also perfect for young beginners. “I’m going to start my grandkids on this one,” he says. Gene Ypma still flies his planes, though not as often as he used to. He rides his personally designed snowmobile with his dog; he explores the nearby mountains and meadows in all seasons. And he is always thinking about newer, better, and different ways to build engines. Maybe an electric one, maybe… well you just never know. MSN
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“I see Buddhism as more a philosophy and a psychology than a religion,” Marian says – a philosophy that directs a way of living life. “I wanted to go and live and work with some people in a village in a jungle and that’s what I got to do” The friend was on the board for the Butte Habitat for Humanity and the trip she suggested was 10 days of hard work in a remote village. Marian was all in immediately; this really was one of those opportunities she could not turn down. “It’s a great trip to go on if you want to be with likeminded people,” she says. “If you’re looking to do something a little bit edgy but you don’t want to go by yourself this is a great situation to be in.” You are assigned to a team; nine people in this case with a trained team leader who has some experience and can coordinate activities. “In this instance the work was the binding factor, and the place, we were just in a fascinating place,” Marian says. Sri Lanka is a small island with a 2,500-year-old Buddhist culture, off the southeast coast of India and was devastated by a tsunami in 2004 from which they are still trying to recover. In August of 2014, Marian found herself in a remote Buddhist village with no electricity, no running water but with people “who had very little but seemed to be quite content.” Their food comes from the trees overhead and from the communal rice paddy. Still they needed housing and although Marian’s team was not the first to help in that particular village, there was still much to be done. “The two room brick house we finished replaced a jungle shack with a tin roof,” she recalls. It was the home for a family of five. Habitat brings volunteers into places like Sri Lanka because they know, “people want to see the Americans. To see westerners in the center of the country, and to see them working in the heat – and in my case to be as old as I was,” Marian jokes “is just amazing to these people. They usually see westerners as privileged tourists on the beaches or in the temples.” Instead, for ten days these nine Americans worked side-by-side with the local people the oldfashioned way – with no power tools. “We did everything from shovel sand to mix concrete and haul brick,” she says. “For a day and a half we sifted sand,” using a screen stretched between four pieces of wood that needed two people to shake. Everyone just pitched in where they were needed at the moment. They worked in hot, humid temperatures all day. “All that is really needed is a strong back and a willingness to work,” she explains. And a lasting connection was made. “You get dropped in a different culture and you’re helping them reach these lifelong goals. You’ve changed lives.” Although most of the adults in the village did not speak English, the teenagers are required to take English in school and all the children go to school. “Education is very important there,” Marian notes. The village teens often served as interpreters for the Americans. Marian has stayed in touch with one teenage girl and regularly sends her books so she can practice her English and share them with others in the village. It wasn’t all work and no exploring for the volunteers. They climbed 3,000 steps to a world heritage site, saw some traditional Ceylonese dancing, and visited a botanical garden with plants used in traditional Indian herbal medicine. They also got an opportunity to visit some local Buddhist temples including the very sacred “Temple of the Tooth Relic” which is believed to house a tooth from the Buddha. The area in which they were staying in Sri Lanka is “really the heart of the Buddhist culture,” where the monks lived in caves hiding and protecting the teachings of the Buddha. Marian first became interested in transcendental meditation, which eventually led her to Buddhism, when she was in college in the 1960s. “Having this ability to create a sense of calm and peace by getting in touch with how your mind works,” she recalls, was what drew her. Over the years she would drift away from the meditation as the busy life of being a mother, a teacher, a college administrator, “and a thousand other things,” happened but it was always there in the back of her mind. Eventually she had the time and the money to take a class. She also began reading the works of the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. “I see Buddhism as a way to understand how the mind and body are connected, how you can relieve stress and become content internally. The basic principles are wisdom and compassion and how you find them.” All three Buddhist traditions—Theravadan, Mahayana, and Zen—are represented in Montana. Back in Butte, Marian went back to work; she finished and published her second book, Grave Madness, and began work on the next one. She spends time with family and friends, still loyally follows the Kentucky Derby and travels to visit her daughter and grandson. She continues to give presentations on the War Brides as well as on her trip to Sri Lanka. She maintains a balanced life, she remembers, and she is grateful. MSN
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Riding and Researching in Butte and Beyond By Connie Daugherty “I just like to solve problems,” says retired Montana Tech biology professor, Rick Douglass. It is this innate ability to note a dilemma and then evaluate and determine a solution that got Rick into everything from small mammal research in the Arctic, to hanta virus studies with the CDC, to clock repair, to designing a mountain bike skills training trail on the Montana Tech campus. Mountain biking hasn’t always been a passion for Rick. Actually, for most of his life he had no interest at all in bike riding. He recalls riding bikes as all kids do, but there was nothing special about it. “I had run six miles a day for thirty years, and then I crashed – running in the winter west of Tech,” explains Rick. He tore cartilage in his knee. “That was the end of my running, but I had to exercise,” he says. “I dislike swimming, now I do that, but... it’s not my favorite activity.” He decided to try bike riding as the only acceptable option at the time. A friend gave him a bike just to try it. “Then you get sucked into this bike thing,” he says. Rick bought a little bit better mountain bike, then he bought another better bike, and another. Then he started biking more and more and… He participated in the Senior Olympics in June and won the long bike race for his age group. Later this summer he and his wife, Kriss, will participate in the YMCA triathlon and then go on to Bend, Oregon to participate in an “Aqua-bike” race there. Winning the Senior Olympics race, in fact even participating in the race this year and last year is just short of a miracle; actually, his being alive at all is amazing. In October 2013, Rick was on his bike headed across a parking lot at Montana Tech when a truck pulled out and ran into him. “I thought I was okay,” he recalls. He got back on his bike and that’s when he noticed loud cracking sounds in his neck. Still, he rode his bike the quarter mile home before he called his wife to take him to the hospital. Diagnosis – the second cervical vertebra was seriously cracked. “If that had come apart you would have quit breathing right then,” said Rick’s doctor son when he heard the news. Rick was in an extremely stiff neck brace for six weeks, and his activities were very limited. Rick started physical therapy and four months later, he was back swimming at the YMCA. Five months later, he was
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back on his mountain bike. And in June 2014 he competed in the Senior Olympics then went on to take part in the YMCA triathlon. Meanwhile he wrote and received a Federal Transportation grant administered by Fish Wildlife and Parks to build a mountain bike skills park on Tech’s property. Rick was hired in January 1983 to teach one semester in the biology department. Basically a research biologist, that was fine with him. He was between research positions and had never considered teaching. “That was a long semester,” Rick jokes. He retired from Tech as a full professor and department chair nearly 30 years later. During that time, he won multiple teaching awards despite his reputation as a hard grader, and he managed to continue his first love, research. And Rick took his students with him as he related personal experiences and research findings and encouraged their interests. “That’s just how I teach,” he adds. That’s how he came to be one of the nation’s leading experts in hanta virus research. It was 1993 and the first person in Montana had contracted and died of hanta virus. A Montana Tech student was concerned and wanted to do some research. “He wanted to trap mice,” Rick says of the student who was referred to him by a colleague. Rick was also interested and so was the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that was putting a lot of money into it. When a research team was picked by the university system and the state epidemiologist, Rick was chosen to lead the field studies. They had funding for about six months – beginning in the summer of 1994. Rick knew mice, how they lived, reproduced, and how the populations varied from yearto-year. continued on page 65
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The Dice Are Flying, The Wheels Are Spinning, And The Balls Are In The Rabbit Ears In Deadwood Has Las Vegas come to Deadwood? It looks like it since recent changes to South Dakota’s gaming laws have added roulette, Keno, and craps to the gaming choices available to visitors to casinos in this historic area. Since Wild Bill Hickok drew a dead man’s hand (two pair – black eights and black aces) Deadwood has had a history of games of chance. Promoters believe Deadwood is now a full-fledged gaming destination. Several casinos have added state-of-the-art roulette wheels, and with help from the Colorado Dealer’s School, there are now dozens of trained craps and roulette dealers staffing the tables. With all the new action, Deadwood promises more entertainment and opportunities to win. As the expanded gaming opportunities evolve throughout the town visitors will have many opportunities to try their luck.
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Just Another Truth-is-better-than-fiction Call By Mark Pilarski Dear Mark: I was at the craps table at Caesar’s in Canada. My established point to make was nine. I threw the dice and they hit the backboard with the six landing on the table and the three landing on top of the six. It was not leaning on one side or the other. Nobody working at the table or playing ever had seen this before. However, they said it was in the rulebook as a no call. I could have thrown the dice a thousand times and not duplicated that again. Is this in the rulebook for all casinos? Have you ever seen this happen? Ray A. Recently, while pulling down Christmas decorations from the attic, I came upon a table game rules handbook from one of the smaller joints that I worked at. As to your scenario, one die on top of another, the closest directive from the manual was this stand-alone, one liner; “Any dice not showing all of its spots is a No Call.”
Nonetheless, without being there and observing exactly the way the dice were stacked, I am going to punt and trust the judgment of the boxman who made the call. That is not to say that I, nor any other sitting box, would have made the same decision. A die on a 45-degree angle lying against chips induces different calls all the time. Craps is a chaotic game, and a boxman needs to make split-second decisions that are not always favorable to the player. Although the call was not advantageous to you, it most likely was the correct decision based on his interpretation of the rules. Then there was this time when I was boxing a $1 crap game, the point was four, and a die flew off the table and down a young lady’s blouse, and somehow stuck in her undergarment. Without hesitation, she unbuttoned her blouse, then her bra, and out pops, among other things, a two tumbling to the table, matching side-by-side the two already on the felt. Knowing the casino had less than $30 at risk, I couldn’t resist, overrode the stickman’s legitimate no call, and yelled, “Two spots and two dots. Pay the Pass line.” Dear Mark: Has legal sports betting been around as long as casino gambling, or vice versa? Elliot R. Even though the Greeks were betting on footraces long before Bavarian immigrant Charles Fey invented the slot machine, legalized casino gambling in the U.S. came first. In 1931, gambling was legalized throughout the state of Nevada, whereas it was not until 1949 that Nevada allowed bookmakers to accept bets on professional sports and horseracing. At first, these bookie parlors were called Turf Clubs, and were independent and separate from the casinos – until 1975 that is. That is when Frank Rosenthal, who ran the Stardust, convinced state legislators to allow sport books into the casinos, causing the demise of Turf Clubs, which were no longer able to compete. MSN
“The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts, and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible.” – Michel de Montaigne
Five Bizarre North Dakota Attractions By Chrissy Barton
North Dakota is home to the weirdly wonderful Enchanted Highway and the ancient Turtle Mountains – an introduction to some truly bizarre places to visit. So be prepared to encounter some “big things” as you take the journey into one of the most deserted state’s there is! Tommy Turtle: Bottineau, North Dakota – The small town of Bottineau may be situated on a flatness that extends for as far as the eye can see, but there is one thing about it that never fails to stand out (or up): Tommy Turtle. This monolithic, though oddly unrealistic, turtle is the tallest in the world, standing (yes folks you read it right, standing) at a whopping 30 feet tall. Straddling the world’s largest snowmobile, Tommy guards the entrance to the local tennis courts, doing a fine job with his protective gear and friendly smile. The W’eel Turtle: Dunseith, North Dakota – North Dakota sure does like its turtle monuments, with the town of Dunseith even going to the somewhat extreme lengths of constructing a man-made turtle, “turtley” out of wheel rims. Two-thousand steel wheels have gone into making this “novelty” attraction. That’s either an incredibly innovative way to recycle, or the locals simply enjoy the whole “slow and steady wins the race” process.
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The World’s Largest Grasshopper: the Enchanted Highway, Regent, North Dakota – Gary Greff’s original idea for the Enchanted Highway has soared and the grasshopper has a lot to do with this. For all those acridophobians out there, don’t let its size fool you though – unlike real grasshoppers, this one is completely harmless. Tin Family – The Enchanted Highway: Regent, North Dakota – The local tin family offers a popular stop-off point along the Enchanted Highway, visually depicting a larger than life impression of farming life. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the tin sculptures is the mother’s hair, which if you look closely enough will notice is made of barbed wire. Original, to say the least.
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Paul Broste Rock Museum: Parshall, North Dakota – Rocks seem to be a popular feature of many of North Dakota’s more mainstream attractions, but none incorporate their clever use more so than the Paul Broste Rock Museum (and we’re talking the natural resource, not the style of music). Every element of this establishment is comprised of rocks, which may at first glance appear boring and unattractive, but will eventually leave you a-stone-ished. Chrissy Barton is a blogger and content writer for Jurnii Car Rentals, America’s new travel focused online rental car company. She writes frequently for the Jurnii Car Rentals Blog, and enjoys travel in the U.S and abroad. EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chrissy_Barton. MSN
America’s National Grasslands By Bernice Karnop “Anyone can love the mountains but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” That unattributed quote on the sign in front of the National Grassland Visitor Center in Wall, South Dakota, gives travelers through the plains of Middle America pause. Why should we value these seemingly vast and empty places? Located near the north entrance to the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, the National Grasslands Visitor Center answers that question. Montanans are familiar with America’s national forests. We treasure the opportunities they provide for a vast array of recreation. America’s national grasslands are less familiar but they serve a similar purpose. Travelers may be aware of North Dakota’s Little Missouri National Grassland, which is bisected by I-94. In South Dakota, I-90 passes Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. America has 20 national grasslands in all, and most of them lie in the U.S.’s midsection from North Texas to North Dakota. The easternmost grassland is in Illinois. Midewin (pronounced mi-DAYwin), south of Chicago, is the first National Tallgrass Prairie in the country. Restoring the 20,000-acre former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant will take decades but is an exciting success story. West of the Continental Divide, there are three national grasslands, one each in Oregon, Idaho, and California. The National Grassland Visitor Center in Wall is the Forest Service’s only learning center for grasslands. Both grandparents and youngsters may enjoy all it has to offer: theater, an interactive exhibit room, a Junior Ranger program, a bookstore, and many wildlife and bird mounts. Great Plains history, geography, and archaeology are some of the themes covered. To those early European immigrants, the windswept seas of grass seemed like a vast and indestructible ecosystem. After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and the Homestead Act, settlers were encouraged to plow up the grassland and plant crops. That worked in the wet years, but the inevitable drought devastated the crops and left the earth exposed. This led to the Dust Bowl of 1935, affecting areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado. The dirt blew and drifted like snow, burying fences and closing roads. People breathed air filled with the powdered dirt, which rose in clouds to heights of 20,000 feet and flowed to the east coast. In 1933 and 1935, Congress’s Great Depression emergency measures allowed the federal government to buy and restore the devastated land. The USDA Soil Conservation Service, now the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, managed it first followed in 1960 by the Forest Service to be managed “for the benefit of the land and the greatest good of the American people.” Although it’s a long process, it’s a conservation triumph. Results include clean water and restored habitats for wildlife. Although the bison won’t
return in their vast numbers, deer, antelope, owls, foxes, prairie chickens, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie dogs are a few of the beneficiaries. Scientists note that the habitat of more than 120 wildlife species is enhanced by the presence of prairie dog colonies. Examples include burrowing owls that live in abandoned burrows and black-footed ferrets that prey on the prairie dogs and move into their holes. à
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National grasslands are multiple use areas. While preserving the grassland ecosystem, citizens enjoy them for a variety of other reasons. The biggest national grasslands are the 1+ million-acre Little Missouri National Grasslands in North Dakota. Cyclists, equestrians, and hikers enjoy the 100-mile Maah Daah Hey shared use trail. In South Dakota, the Grand River National Grassland draws hunters for deer, antelope, grouse, and waterfowl. Buffalo Gap in South Dakota is rich with fossilized remains of both marine and land animals. The Comanche National Grasslands in Colorado boasts 275 different bird species, a number of reptiles, and amphibians, mammals, and dinosaur tracks. The largest coal producing mine in the world is on the Thunder Basin National Grassland in Wyoming.
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The Oglala National Grassland in the Nebraska panhandle includes badlands and toadstool formations. There’s more one could say about each of the designated grassland areas. The Crooked River National Grassland near Madras, Oregon, characterized by bunchgrass, sagebrush, and juniper, is where one will find the National Champion Big Sagebrush. Public lands give Individuals and families access to opportunities to enjoy the amazing treasure that is America’s public lands. Whether you hike, take pictures, watch wildlife and birds, or hunt or fish, plan some fun in our national forests and national grasslands this summer... and be a soul who loves not just the mountains but also the prairies. MSN
Not Your Typical Nature Centre! If the words Nature Centre conjure up thoughts of some small, dark building filled with a random mix of old displays and found nature objects, the Helen Schuler Nature Centre is going to change your mind! The newly expanded, energy efficient building features bright, open spaces with incredible views of the surrounding cottonwood forest, coulees, and world famous CP Rail High Level Bridge. Reflecting sustainable building practices, it is targeting a gold rating in the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Thoughts about water and land conservation and eco-friendly building design are revealed in over 30 unique and stunning displays that are integrated into the building. The main gallery features new exhibits that are interactive, fun, and play-based for grandkids. A community art gallery rounds out the indoor experience; showing off what the local art community has to offer. Every trip to the Nature Centre offers something new and different. You never know what you will discover, but their tag line promises that you will “Discover It Here!” No trip to the Helen Schuler Nature Centre is complete until you find yourself sitting at eye level with the porcupines and songbirds in the canopy of the cottonwoods. The Prairie Roof, southern
Alberta’s first and only fully accessible living roof, sponsored by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, is an experience like no other. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, the central feature of the building. So sit back, relax, and drink in the views. Make sure you plan an extra day or two into your trip. The Nature Centre is only one of several incredible Lethbridge attractions nestled in the Oldman River Valley. Just a short walk to the south you will find yourself in historic Indian Battle Park. What’s more, you are only minutes from Fort Whoop Up, The Galt Museum & Archives, and the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. You could easily spend two days wandering through these attractions, all of which are on the edge of downtown and the Oldman River Valley park system. Lethbridge boasts one of the largest natural park areas in a Canadian city, with well over 2,000 acres of natural river valley parks just waiting for you to discover. There are hundreds of kilometres of trails, from easy and fully accessible, to advanced fitness levels. Four separate nature preservation parks offer wildlife photography and relaxation opportunities for the nature purists. Adventure seekers will enjoy mountain bike parks and the technical hiking trails that the coulees provide. What’s a coulee? Head back to the Helen Schuler
Nature Centre to learn more about these incredible landforms! The helpful staff and volunteers at the Centre can recommend areas for you to explore and will provide maps to get you there, whether it’s “must see” sights or that unusual bird, flowering plant, or animal you just saw or want to see. Pick up your copy of the Coulees to Cottonwoods Field Guide that will give you a comprehensive look at the river valley, its unique geological history, and some interesting notes about its flora and fauna. You might be surprised to know that Lethbridge is home to some very unexpected and rare desert species, like the western prairie rattlesnake, black widow spiders, and of course cactus! You will also discover what those coulees are, how they were formed, and why they have such an unusual name. Filled with natural and cultural treasures, the Lethbridge area is traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy. It sits between several World Heritage Sites and straddles both the Badlands and the Rocky Mountains. It is easy to lose yourself here. So plan a visit and don’t be surprised that you will want to stay awhile. For more information, call 403-320-4985 or visit lethbridge.ca or visitlethbridge.com. MSN
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Batten Down the Hatches... the Pirates are Here! By Laura Cooley Listen up, you salty sea dogs! Real Pirates is currently commandeering the Museum of Idaho through November 28, 2015. Organized by National Geographic and sponsored by Westmark Credit Union, Real Pirates tells the story of the Whydah, the first fully-authenticated pirate shipwreck ever discovered and the only one found in U.S. waters. This exhibit showcases over 200 actual artifacts, which provide visitors with an unprecedented glimpse into 18th century piracy. In addition to artifacts such as treasure chests of gold and silver, the oldest collection of Akan jewelry in the world, cannons, pistols, and the ship’s massive anchor, Real Pirates personally relates to visitors by sharing compelling true stories of the diverse people whose lives converged on the Whydah before its demise. From 9-year-old John King, who was the youngest known pirate on the ship, to the ship’s captain, Sam Bellamy, who was known as the “Prince of Pirates” and commonly
referred to as Black Sam, visitors will get a rare opportunity to become part of this mysterious world. Patrons will immediately be immersed as soon as they catch sight of the 33-foot pirate ship that washed up on the Museum of Idaho’s shores just outside the building. The Whydah was a state-of-the-art vessel that set sail on her maiden voyage in 1716, traveling from London to Africa. It departed Africa transporting human captives to the Caribbean. In February 1717, after the slaves disembarked, the Whydah, laden with gold and silver from the sale of nearly 500 slaves, was captured off the coast of the Bahamas by Bellamy who was one of the boldest and most successful pirates of his day. Bellamy and his motley crew hoisted the Jolly Roger, and from that moment on, the slave ship was now a pirate ship. Bellamy turned out to be the richest pirate in recorded history.
However, the Whydah’s days of flying the Jolly Roger were numbered. Just 2 months later, on April 26, 1717, a fierce storm plummeted the Whydah, most of her crew, and the bounty from more than 50 captured ships, into the depths of Davey Jones’ Locker, where it remained for over 300 years. While you may not agree with the pirate profession, you are sure to appreciate the sheer terror and romance of that time. And while you are at the Museum of Idaho, you will be able to touch the same gold they touched, which is basically like shaking hands with a real pirate! So gather up your comrades and the grandkids, chart your course, and drop your anchor at the Museum of Idaho for some swashbuckling fun exploring Real Pirates. MSN
Bear Lake, The Caribbean of the Rockies, Invites You Come see for yourself why Bear Lake, shared by Idaho and Utah, is everyone’s favorite family tradition. Bear Lake is known for its turquoise blue waters, raspberry shakes, and summertime fun – but have you ever visited during the fall? You might be surprised to find hundreds of miles of trails, three golf courses, and fishing galore. The Bear Lake Valley and surrounding canyon trails are ideal – complete with the most vibrant yellow, orange, and red foliage you’ve ever seen. We have trails for every outdoor fanatic – from hiking to mountain biking to ATVing. Hike to the beautiful Bloomington Lake or explore the Paris Ice Caves. That’s not all there is to do in the fall. Fishing and golf are also too good to pass up. Bear Lake is home to four endemic species of fish. This means Bear Lake is the only place you’ll find the Bonneville cisco, the Bear Lake whitefish, the Bonneville whitefish, and the Bear Lake sculpin. The serene views combined with crisp autumn air are a treat everyone deserves to enjoy. Lodging rates are often at the lowest prices of the year, making it the perfect fall getaway destination. For more information, visit bearlake.org or call 435-946-2197. MSN
August in Sandpoint Means It’s Time for the Festival By Cate Huisman It’s dusk in mid-August, and the sun is setting, lighting up Gold Hill across the river from Memorial Field, where Sandpoint’s summer music festival is well under way. As the opening acts wind down, lines of twinkling lights come on along the edge of the “big tent” – a four-peaked marvel of canvas engineering that covers the stage. In the break after the opening acts finish and before the headliners come on stage, festivalgoers put on their sweaters and pour themselves another glass of wine. Born in the 1980s with a focus on classical music, the festival now includes an eclectic mix of performances. This summer’s lineup includes household names like Arlo Guthrie, Ziggy Marley, and Vince Gill, as well as new takes on bluegrass from Trampled by Turtles and The Devil Makes Three, the jazz/soul band Lake Street Dive, and the group that Rolling Stone calls “the pinnacle of experimental folk and art rock,” Wilco. The mix of acts has something for everyone, but a concert at the festival includes much more than just hearing your favorite band. By the time, the gates open each afternoon, some festival goers have been waiting since dawn to be the first to enter. They hurry in with blankets, chairs, and their elaborate picnics and bottles of wine to stake out places on the lawn in front of the stage, setting up what stage manager Rug Ruskey calls “little
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environments.” Tablecloths and candles top their coolers as they enjoy their gourmet repast from home or from any one of the purveyors in town. For those who haven’t planned, food is available at “Festival Street,” a row of vendors’ tents at the side of the field. The high school band raises money by selling pizza, and the Independence Ski Racing team does the same with hot dogs and burgers. Visitors with more discerning palates can enjoy fare from local restaurants’ tents, such as the Caesar salads from Ivano’s or the buffalo meatloaf with huckleberry sauce from Dish at Dover Bay. Two bars and a hydration station for nonalcoholic drinks provide liquid refreshment. In addition to providing fabulous food, these vendors use disposable plates, cups, and “plastic” cutlery (it’s actually made of corn) that are all recyclable. Members of the Festival’s volunteer “Green Team” help visitors figure out into which bin to throw their garbage – many are amazed to learn that their forks can be composted. Sundays are for classical music. On the first Sunday, a children’s concert is preceded by a variety of kid-friendly activities, including an “instrument petting zoo” where youngsters can try playing different musical instruments. This summer, the Festival Community Orchestra will play selections from Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The festival ends on the final Sunday with a complimentary wine tasting followed by music from the Spokane Symphony; this year their performance will have an Italian theme. Several short pieces during the first half will be followed by Mendelssohn’s Symphony Number 4 (the Italian) after the intermission. The festival always ends with fireworks over the river, and Maestro Gary Sheldon usually conducts the orchestra in some piece appropriate to accompany them, often the 1812 Overture. Then people pack up their little environments and drift away under the twinkling lights, wondering already who will be playing at Sandpoint next summer. This summer’s festival will run August 6-16. For more information, visit festivalatsandpoint.com. MSN
[Photo courtesy of Cory Murooch]
Head North of the Border to Nelson, British Columbia By Bernice Karnop The West Kootenays, just north of the Idaho border in British Columbia, provide an enticing playground for visitors. The mountains, lakes, and rivers provide a backdrop to outdoor recreation that draws skiers, hikers, paddlers, and mountain bikers. It also draws those who simply want to enjoy a beautiful drive through stunning mountain scenery, coniferous forests, fields of wildflowers, and a number of Provincial Parks. The area is dotted with several pleasant towns worth a stop. Nelson, for example, sits in the midst of the scenery, overlooking the west arm of Kootenay Lake (spelled Kootenai in the states). This small city is known for its large and fun arts and culture scene. Nelson was incorporated in 1897, but it already had a pretty good start by that time. In 1887 the
Silver King Mine on Toad Mountain brought rapid growth. The railway arrived in 1892. Nelson had a copper and lead smelter from 1896-1907, and following that boom; the economy thrived on the lumber industry. Today it’s a service center for the Kootenay region. For visitors, this offbeat Victorian town comes to life through its historic buildings and art culture. In an organized effort, the town deliberately restored its old buildings instead of demolishing them. More than 350 structures in Nelson are heritage sites and a treasure to all who know handcrafted buildings like these will not be built again. Many of the old structures are stores and open for individuals to explore. Others are restored private homes. The Chamber of Commerce provides walking/driving tour brochures that tell their stories. Baker Street is the heart of downtown Nelson. As one can imagine in such an area that encourages an active life-style, there is a mixture of outlets selling gear for mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, and backcountry touring. These mix with arts and crafts stores and cool clothing venues. Visitors can mingle with locals over lunch at a sunny sidewalk cafe or a delicious beverage at an upscale coffee shop. Nearly all of the restaurants double as art galleries. Festivals,
street musicians, sidewalk artists, and other special events add to the fun. In the winter, people come to ski at Whitewater Ski Resort, half an hour from downtown. Whitewater includes cross country ski trails and heliskiing tours. Outdoor recreation is around every corner in the summer. Favorite summer spots include nearby Kokanee Creek, Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, and West Arm Provincial Park, where one can enjoy sandy beaches, hiking trails, water sports, wildlife, and bird watching. In town, there’s Lakeside Park and Gyro Park, from which one can walk to an expansive scenic lookout. Travelers may want to drive north to Kaslo on Highway 31 to see the restored S.S. Moyie, a luxury craft that the Canadian Pacific Railway brought here in 1898 to ferry people across Kootenay Lake. Over the next decades it was used and abused for various purposes and retired in 1957. The city of Kaslo lovingly restored it and today the S.S. Moyie is a National British Columbia Historic Landmark, open daily from May to October. The site includes a visitor center built to look like a Canadian Pacific Railway station and a beach along Kootenay Lake. Nearby are good restaurants and other shops. Nelson is on the International Selkirk Loop, a 280-mile scenic byway through southeastern British Columbia and adjoining parts of Washington and Idaho. Drive north from Nelson on 3-A to Balfour. Here motorists find a working ferry that’s part of Highway 3-A. It takes vehicles and walkon passengers on a 35-minute ride across one of British Columbia’s largest natural lakes. The ride is free but the mountain and lake scenery is priceless. The ferry takes traffic from Balfour to Kootenay Bay on the east. From here highway 3-A continues south along Kootenay lakeshore and right on into Idaho. MSN
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A Fascinating Part of Yesteryear By Lois Stephens I love looking at the old barns and outhouses that I see scattered around the country. On the surface, these nostalgic structures have nothing in common. But on reflection, these icons represent a time before we had to own a three-bedroom, three-bath home and when people could entertain themselves without computers and smartphones. This was when everyone could write longhand and youngsters could turn any object at hand into a toy and amuse themselves without a cell phone and constant texting. Barns may go the way of the brontosaurus as farmers no longer use loose hay or need stalls to stable their work animals, the family milk cow, or the pig they intend to butcher. Barns as our grandparents knew them have become obsolete, replaced by pole barns and other outbuildings that house farm machinery. On the other hand, outhouses will remain – evolving in size, shape, and usually into inhouses, but always essential for the service they provide. No other room (inside or outside) can claim as many names. Whether we call it a loo, latrine, privy, commode, potty closet, water closet, can, crapper, Mrs. Murphy, reading room, toilet, biffy, house of relief, house out back, John, Johnnie, powder room, chamber pot, throne, or thunder room, everyone knows precisely which room that is. Outhouses also have many designs – A-frame, peaked roof, slanted roof, two story (just run up the stairs to find relief), and elevated several feet above ground so one only need walk out a door on the second floor and cross a short walkway to find relief. There are the economy one-holer, the standard two-holer, and the deluxe three-holer models. George Washington’s exquisitely designed three-holer outhouses are preserved at Mount Vernon. He built them with bricks and made them spacious enough that visiting tourists could mistake them from the outside for tool sheds or seed houses. Many outhouses sport a signature door with a carved crescent
moon meaning “ladies only” in earlier times, a tribute to Greek goddess Diana who wore a crescent moon ornament in her hair. Men’s outhouses used a sun, circle, or star emblem on the door but these have largely disappeared with the crescent moon the predominant decoration. Consistent with environmental consciousness, outhouses do not require electricity, water, pipes, or wiring; they never need plunging, don’t freeze up, don’t pollute, are naturally air conditioned, and a person gets exercise traipsing to and fro when nature calls. No consumptive decorative accessories are required to match the décor, nor is repainting a worry. And from experience, I know if an outhouse needs a new roof, it only takes a few hours. Today’s youngsters have missed all the fun – the pleasure of answering nature’s call by sitting on an air conditioned seat at midnight listening to the owls hoot and the coyotes wail and the mischief of pulling terrific pranks on Halloween. The outhouse has not been forgotten; witness the memorabilia I have accumulated over the years – such a nice collection of assorted
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outhouse trinkets that my friends and family think of me whenever they see an outhouse! They have gifted me with outhouse gadgets that include desk ornaments, birdhouses, towels, calendars, tree ornaments, wall hangings, and a mechanical outhouse bank with working parts... and I love each and every one of them. As a resident of Virginia City, I discover I have moved to outhouse heaven! Within a few blocks from my house sits a dilapidated two-story model, a rundown one-holer, and a couple of decrepit two-holers. So, the next time you see an outhouse sitting abandoned, remember the role it played, the people who built it, the hopes and dreams they had when they moved west, and how significantly times have changed. And I conclude with a Scottish proverb regarding outhouses and chamber pots, “Scrub me bright and keep me clean, and I’ll not tell what a hae seen.” MSN
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There is no escaping the thundering herd of presidential candidates as they stampede toward next years’ election – with the herd likely to grow before the nominations and general election of 2016. It seems as if we just finished the last Presidential election, which raises the question of whether or not we need to spend quite so much time… and money on this process. Whatever we have decided the process to be, any President – and they all suffer plenty of criticism – is our President and the leader of the United States, the greatest country in the world!
This month’s quiz will test your trivia knowledge of many of our Presidents and the details of their time in office. Thank you and congratulations to Peggy Parks for submitting this quiz. She is the winner of the $25 prize. Thank you to all who participated in our Movies and Move Stars quiz in the June/July 2015 issue. The winner of the $25 prize is Chloe Young of Butte. Congratulations, Chloe! Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Montana Senior News. One prize goes to the person who
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submits the winning answers to the featured quiz from the previous issue. The second prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for this issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles! Please mail your entries to the Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to montsrnews@bresnan.net by September 10, 2015 for our October/November 2015 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website montanaseniornews.com.
How Well Do You Know Our Presidents? Submitted by Peggy Parks Below are 20 numbered questions of little known or easily forgotten facts about many of our Presidents. On a numbered sheet of paper, write the letter from the list of Presidents that is correctly associated with the numbered statement. Just mail your answers to us, and of course E-mail is fine too (be sure to include your USPS mailing address). Have fun! 1. Who said, “I’m the president of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli”? 2. As assassination attempt was made on which president as he walked to California Governor Jerry Brown’s office? 3. Which President also served in the Confederate Congress? 4. Who was the first president to apHELENA AREA TRANSIT SERVICE pear on a U.S. M–F Except Holidays coin? Office Hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. 5. What future U.S. Curb to Curb Service 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m. p resident re EAST VALLEY HELENA CHECK POINT ROUTE ceived his last 7 a.m.–11 a.m. rites from a Cath7 a.m.–6 p.m. 1 p.m.–5 p.m. olic priest following spinal surgery 1415 NORTH MONTANA AVE | 406.447.1580 in 1954? WHEEL CHAIR ACCESSIBLE 6. What former U.S. president showed up on dollar coins in 1971? 7. What U.S. president was born William Jefferson Blythe IV? 8. Who was the first president to receive a Nobel Prize?
9. Who was the first president to utter, “We shall overcome” before a joint session of Congress? 10. What portly U.S. president was the first to be a golf nut? 11. Who became the first U.S. president to command a military unit during his term in office? 12. What future president was the only U.S. senator from a Confederate state to remain in Congress after secession? 13. Who was the only bachelor president? 14. Who was the oldest elected president? 15. Which president was related by blood or by marriage to 11 other U.S. presidents? 16. Which president served the shortest term in office? 17. Which president was elected to two non-consecutive terms? 18. Which president served in the House of Representatives after his presidency? 19. Which president had the shortest inaugural address? 20. Who was the first president born west of the Mississippi River?
A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Lyndon B. Johnson Andrew Johnson George H. W. Bush George Washington Franklin D. Roosevelt Herbert Hoover Gerald Ford Theodore Roosevelt John F. Kennedy
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K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. R. S. T.
James Madison Grover Cleveland James Buchanan John Tyler William Howard Taft Ronald Reagan John Quincy Adams Bill Clinton Abraham Lincoln William Henry Harrison MSN
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Love Songs
Provided by State Point Media
© State Point Media
ACROSS 1. 6. 9. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 21. 23. 24. 25. 28. 30. 35. 37. 39.
Answers to Movies and Movie Stars Submitted by Patty Friedrich, Missoula
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
I. Claudette Colbert Q. Vivien Leigh W. Gary Cooper G. Clint Eastwood L. Elizabeth Taylor B. W.C. Fields S. Humphrey Bogart F. Katherine Hepburn A. Burt Lancaster Y. Tyrone Power K. Joan Crawford E. Bette Davis R. Audrey Hepburn
14. N. Marlon Brando 15. D. Clark Gable 16. V. Charlton Heston 17. O. Henry Fonda 18. P. Richard Burton 19. T. Kirk Douglas 20. X. Spencer Tracy 21. H. Paul Newman 22. U. Cary Grant 23. C. Gregory Peck 24. J. Marilyn Monroe 25. M. John Wayne MSN
40. 41. 43. 44 46. 47. 48. 50. 52. 53. 55. 57. 60. 63. 64. 66. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73.
Northern Scandinavians To use a Singer *Al Green: “____ Stay Together” Like unlucky straw Paleontologist’s estimate Confusion Emotion at a funeral *Beach Boys: “____ Only Knows” Like worthless promise *Billy Joel: “... just the way ____ ____” *Sonny & Cher: “I ____ ____ Babe” Type of evidence “The Blair Witch Project” emotion School of thought suffix Obsolete phone feature The 1 1/2 calorie breath mint Throat-clearing sound Lovers’ quarrel blow *Deniece Williams: “I just wanna ____, let’s hear it for the boy” *Depeche ____: “Just Can’t Get Enough” Impede or bar Guesstimate phrase Scoops water out of a boat Symphony member Nile dweller Condition Someone ____ Tarzan’s adoptive mom Found on a rosary *“____ for Two” *Bette Midler: “Some say love is like a ____” *Simple Minds: “Don’t you ____ about me” Bear Down Under Pitcher’s stat Tiny amounts In an unfriendly manner And not Related on mother’s side In 1492, it sailed the ocean blue “Much ____ About Nothing” Button on many mechanical units
15. System used in most of world, except U.S. 20. Employer’s good news 22. Quaker Man’s cereal 24. Roofless, sideless truck 25. Metrical units in poetry 26. Sheep + goat 27. The press 29. Additionally 31. Colloquial British abbreviation for particular sweet 32. “Earth” to Virgil 33. Famous fabulist 34. *If he “could save time in a bottle” 36. *Modern English song about doing this with you 38. It can be indoors or outdoors 42. Basil-based sauce 45. Rapid transit 49. *“I’m Beginning to ___ the Light” 51. Scarier 54. Rome’s Colosseum 56. In the past 57. Many focuses 58. Been in bed 59. Paella pot 60. Wild West card game 61. Estimated arrivals 62. London art museum 63. Kith partner 65. *____ Stewart: “Have I told you lately” 67. Part of tennis match MSN
DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Lysergic acid diethylamide Call to a mate Ralph Lauren’s inspiration Like honors student’s parent ____ of hair Like Solomon Bigheadedness Type of salad Containing limestone Former Montreal player “Swan Lake” outfit “I ____” guessing game
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