On the Campaign to Charlotte

The Obama campaign is working very hard to win the state of North Carolina. Supporters from surrounding states are being called in to help knock on doors, make phone calls and recruit other volunteers. Last Friday, I was part of a group of UTC students who went to Charlotte to help in the campaign there. Even CNN took notice of our group. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/23/king.north.carolina/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

There were about 50 of us who made the 5-hour trip. My hat's off to the drivers of the vans who carried the students. I decided early on that driving a van full of college students was something I might have done 25 years ago, but not now. I took my SUV and followed with their luggage - which is much more peaceful than the live bodies!!

Again, as with my other experiences with this campaign, the group in NC was enthusiastic, well organized and we were all united toward the common goal of getting Barack Obama elected as our next President.

Along with my canvassing partner, Daidee, we knocked on about 200 doors encouraging eligible voters to vote early. Early voting started in NC on October 16 and continues through November 1. One-stop early voting is a great option in NC- an eligible voter can go to any early voting location (public libraries in Charlotte) and register to vote and then cast their ballot immediately. I wish TN had that option!

The campaign headquarters was absolutely full of volunteers and field organizers, who are mostly young college graduates, like our organizer Kevin, who have signed on to work in the campaign as interns. They work about 18 hours per day and told us that they will be on 24-hour shifts as the campaign comes to a close. The office is definitely not fancy - note the cardboard and duct tape cubicles for volunteer phone canvassers. Rented tables and chairs are the only equipment - didn't see one executive desk or padded chair! I don't think any of us care about luxurious work space nor did I hear one request for brie or latte - no intellectual elites here!!

Daidee and I plan to go back for the last weekend of the campaign and work through Nov 4. The Charlotte office tells us that there is no celebration party planned - they think it will be a race to the finish and there is no letting up. Yes we can!!

Weekend with Will

We are totally exhausted, but we have had a great weekend with Will! We picked him up yesterday after school and he wanted to go to the Riverpark. The favorite artwork of the day was the fish constructed from bricks on which he climbed and sat and rested. A large plume from the nearby beargrass became alternately a fan or a sword, depending on the direction of his imagination.

We drove to Knoxville on Friday night, and got up Saturday morning for an early breakfast with Dad who had to work at the Knoxville Brewers' Jam. Our plan for the day was to go to the Knoxville Zoo and do whatever Will wanted to do. The zoo was all decked out for Halloween Boo at the Zoo, from jack-o-lanterns to witches and scarecrows, you could hardly take a step without seeing spooks and ghosts.

The first place Will wanted to go was the reptile exhibit. Believe it or not, this time last year he would not go near a snake. But, this year his mission was to find the coral snake (of course, there wasn't a coral snake to be found!), but we found plenty of rattlesnakes, constrictors and gila monsters. We also spent a good deal of time in the dark rooms with a skunk, bats and perhaps the fattest raccoon I have ever seen. The dark rooms were not a place he wanted to go a year ago either. It's so much fun to see him grow and change.

No zoo visit is complete without a visit to the Kid's Cove. There are always so many kids to play with and Will always finds several friends who are ready to run, chase, climb, splash and slide. It's very hard to leave this fabulous playground to see the animals. However, eventually the reality sinks in that we haven't seen the elephants, giraffes or tigers, and off we go to the African savannah.

I was pretty impressed that Will had a list of animals he wanted to check out this year including the lion, the tiger and the snow leopard. What a memory! I guess it's more impressive to me at my age when short term memory seems to be a fleeting luxury. Will is also getting quite adept at spotting the animals camaflouged in their surroundings - he spotted a cougar that I would never have found on my own. This is probably a sad commentary on my sharpness of vision (or lack thereof!).

We managed to make it back to the hotel in time to watch the TN vs GA game. The final score was 26-14 in favor of Georgia - not the result we wanted, but not an unexpected result. Will and I spent most of the time playing hide and seek, working puzzles and reading books. It's fascinating how many places you can find to hide in a hotel room.

Dad picked Will up at the end of the day and the two exhausted grandparents drug ourselves to dinner at Chesapeakes and celebrated surviving a fun-filled day with Will. There is really nothing to compare to being a grandparent. The relationship is nothing but pure joy and love and we are most fortunate to have this little boy in our lives.

Presidential Debate

What a great trip to Nashville! The Nashville for Obama group sent out a request for volunteers to help with visibility before and after the debate. I had no other instructions other than that we were to sign up for 4-hour shifts and report in at Belmont University. My assignment when I got there was to join others at the MSNBC set and wave signs and cheer during their live broadcasts during the day, doing all we could to keep the McCain/Palin supporters at bay.

On my way to the MSNBC set, I spotted these dead ringers for George Bush, Sarah Palin and Bill Clinton. Absolutely hysterical! And while I'm at it, Belmont did a terrific job of hosting this event. Student volunteers were everywhere and very helpful in getting us to the right spots and answering any questions we had.

When I got to the set, Andrea Mitchell was interviewing former Congressman Harold Ford, then Senator Lamar Alexander. Chris Matthews of Hardball arrived early in the afternoon and spoke to several of us before he started his live broadcast. It's always interesting to compare what these "talking heads" look like from the neck down. Andrea Mitchell is really tiny; Chris Matthews is really tall and Chuck Todd is pretty much as I expected.

In the middle of the afternoon, the skies opened up and it rained hard for 2 hours. Thankfully I had looked at the weather forecast before I left home and had my rain gear and others had really big umbrellas. There's a real bonding that occurs when you are wet and miserable - we survived and kept our front row perimeter.

Actually, there were only a few McCain/Palin supporters there, so it wasn't too hard to do our job. At 4 pm, about 500 Obama supporters started from Legislative Plaza and marched to Belmont to join the 300 or so of us who were already there and the whole quadrangle became one big Obama rally.

As you probably know, I have been involved in this campaign since last spring and my impression remains that this is really a different campaign. This movement has surprised and shocked a lot of people - including, but not limited to, Clinton and McCain. It's not hard to understand when you are in the midst of these people who have believed from the beginning that Barack Obama is the right person at the right time and have put their feet to the pavement to be sure that he is elected as our President.

Yesterday, I got an email from the North Carolina group asking for volunteers there - and I will probably go. Only 26 days to go and North Carolina is a dead heat!! YES WE CAN!!

Last Week in Montana

When we got here in mid-June, the Spanish Peaks which we see from our front window, were covered with snow. Here at the end of summer, we had snow all day on Monday, September 1, and once again, these mountains are frosted with the first snowfall of the season. So, that means that our summer here in Montana is coming to an end. It's been a really beautiful summer with moderate temperatures, ample rainfall, and the most beautiful wildflowers in years.

We have been thrilled to have Marci and Ryan with us this week. Ryan has fished everyday with his college friend, Bill. They arrived on Thursday night, Bill arrived on Saturday night, and we are having a great time.

Labor Day weekend is what is called "Owners' Weekend" here in Big Sky. It's sort of like a big homecoming for the whole community when part-time residents like us all make an effort to be here. Many events are packed into this long weekend providing opportunities for getting together with folks that are here sometimes only at this time each year.

The weekend kicked off with the Bonnie Raitt concert in the Meadow Village pavillion. Bonnie Raitt is better than ever, and she did not disappoint with a strong program of some of her traditional favorites (Nick of Time, I Can't Make You Love Me, Thing Called Love) as well as some newer cuts. We had a great time with our friends, Cy and Karen and Rob and Lily - lots of dancing and a good amount of beer. We took our chairs, but the crowd stood for the entire concert and so did we.

Much of the Owners' Weekend events revolve around food. We took Marci and Ryan to dinner at Lone Mountain Ranch on Thursday evening. Primarily a cross country ski resort, they have a cozy and wonderful dining room and the menu is spectacular.

The Big Sky Chili Cookoff was on Friday night at the Half Moon Saloon. Local restaurants and local residents compete for the People's Choice Award for which we vote after stuffing ourselves with the variety of chili offerings. Actually, some of my favorite offerings were the cornbreads that were prepared to accompany the chili. Half Moon Saloon is on the banks of the Gallatin River and is a lovely outdoor setting for this event.

Saturday is the day for the various Owners Association meetings. After the morning meetings, the plaza in the base area turns into a large block party. The entertainment was provided by Montana Rose, the band which was also at the Chico Block Party. The whole community turns out for this - families, kids, dogs - a good time is had by all.

The annual Firemans' Pancake Breakfast is on Sunday morning - blueberry or plain pancakes, sausage, eggs, etc. Yummmm! This meal is free, but there are many opportunities to support the firemen. I did my part by purchasing some beautiful jewelry, the profits of which were donated to the firemen, as well as a t-shirt and fireman's badge for Will.

Marci & I spent Monday in Bozeman visiting the Museum of The Rockies, shopping for shoes (of course) and jeans, and enjoyed a good lunch at Ted's Montana Grill which opened this year in the historic Baxter Hotel on Main Street. Strangely enough, in spite of the fact that Ted Turner is the largest land owner in Montana and that the bison burgers at the restaurant come from his ranch, this is the first and only Ted's in the state of Montana.

So, we ease into this last week in Montana. And, we look forward to getting back to TN and seeing our friends and family there.

Will's Football Team

I just got these pictures of my grandson, Will, at football practice. These pictures speak for themselves - so, for once, I will add very few comments. Enjoy!!

Pre game stretch!

Fancy footwork!

Hike!

Hydrate!

Beehive Basin

One of our favorite hikes here is Beehive Basin. It's 6.5 miles round trip and a 1400 foot gain in altitude to 9,200 feet at the top. I hiked this trail on July 10, and there was still quite a bit of snow above 8,600 feet. We stopped at 8800 feet because we were knee deep in snow!

Snow at this altitude in July is definitely unusual, even for Montana. As a result, Beehive Basin has had a very late "spring" and the wildflowers were still very plentiful. But, the best part was that the cutthroat trout in the lake were very hungry.

These fish are the native Westslope cutthroat trout which are also the Montana state fish. Their name derives from the bright orange markings underneath its jaw. It is an endangered species, so we practice catch and release, and I actually find myself thanking the fish for letting me catch them.

Halfway up the trail is what we call the "rock pile". We always stop there for the views of Lone Peak. Monday was a particularly clear day, so we lingered a little longer than usual to enjoy this sight.

At the top, the trail opens out into a beautiful alpine meadow surrounded by the Spanish Peaks. The air was so clear that we could see 100 miles all the way to the Tetons. This is truly a Rocky Mountain high.

On our way back down, we spotted a moose in the meadow just below the "rock pile". She was quite anxious for us to move on, and watched us all the way through the meadow. Perfect ending to a spectacular hike.

Chico Block Party

If I had to pick just one Montana event that is my favorite, this would be it! Every August, Chico Hot Springs resort located in Pray, MT, hosts a block party and brings in Montana Rose. This part of Montana is known as Paradise Valley - you only have to drive through this beautiful valley through which flows the Yellowstone River, to know how it got its name.

This is an annual event for us, and for whoever may be here with us. The party is held in the parking lot of the resort, which is transformed into a dance floor surrounded by picnic tables, hay bales and some of the best food for miles around. This is one of those events where just the smell of hamburgers and roasted corn on the grill remind me immediately of Chico.

There are always plenty of characters there, who show up year after year. Beards, pony tails, cowboy hats and boots are practically de rigueur for the men, particularly the locals. And, my, how they can dance - not just with one partner either. I almost have a vision of women with dance cards each waiting their turn to dance with each one.

We arrived at the Hot Springs early in the afternoon in order to take advantage of the mineral hot springs pool. The hot springs are created in the same way as the Yellowstone geysers - molten rock heats the water below the earth's crust and it is pushed up through the rock layers bringing minerals along with it. The water is channeled into the hot pool first which maintains a temperature of about 103 degrees - which is just about as hot as I can stand - and, no, they can't turn the thermostat down!! It then flows to the larger swimming pool which is cooler, because it is larger, but just barely at 96 degrees.

Rumored to cure everything from kidney ailments to skin rashes, the water just feels really good, and I could probably be convinced that it works. This supply of mineral hot springs water is apparently endless. The pool is completely emptied every night, so there is no need for chlorine or any other type of water treatment. Imagine the water bill without this endless supply!

The resort also has a fine dining room and many of the ingredients are grown on site in Chico's garden. Their desserts, especially, are to die for. I struggled with the decision but finally decided on the flaming dessert, a whole orange which has been scooped out and lined with hard, dark chocolate, then filled with something similar to a Grand Marnier orange sherbert and topped with meringue.

The highlight of our evening was meeting Alex Gemignani and his fiancee, Erin Ortman. They were sitting at the table next to ours and quite obviously very taken with each other. As they prepared to leave, we spoke, and they told us they were getting married at Chico in two days. Most of their wedding party, family and friends were there in the dining room. They told us that he was an actor in New York and that she was an acting coach. Alex has a new show opening in October on Broadway - none other than the new Stephen Sondheim musical, Road Show. He has also appeared in 3 other Sondheim productions: Assassins (for which he won a Theatre World Award for his portrayal of John Hinckley), Passion, and Sweeny Todd. He also played Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.

Erin grew up in Helena, MT and has lived and worked in New York since finishing college. I'm sure their wedding at Chico was beautiful, and I will definitely follow their careers.

We spent the night at the resort, and got up the next morning and drove the short distance over to Emmigrant for breakfast at the Old Saloon. They have fabulous omelets, biscuits & gravy, and the "monster" cinnamon roll. Honestly, it's big enough to feed four. It took me several days to come down off my sugar high, but the memories are sure worth the overdose!!