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!!

More Summer - Ski Lifts and Feast

Big Sky is primarily known as a ski resort. But, as we say here, "Winter gets you here, but summer keeps you here." Winter is entirely about snow and snowsports - for me, downhill skiing, and for Jim, snowshoeing. And, for both of us, watching the snow covered mountains, reading, cooking and eating.

But, now, summer - that's an entirely different matter. Finding enough time in the day to do it all is the challenge. We do have 16-hour days here in the summer, so I suppose it's possible to get it all in if you pack those 16 hours full. I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the activities and events we have available here.

One of the things we enjoy most is sharing Montana with friends and family who come to visit here. No matter what we have done, it seems that our guests always have one more thing on their list that we haven't done - at least not in the recent past.

For instance - riding to the top of the mountain on the ski lift. At the top of Andesite Mountain is the Pinnacle Restaurant. The spectacular view from the top is the best spot for lunch. Unparalleled views of Lone Peak and the fresh, clear air just make my food digest better!

Every Thursday night this summer, the Arts Council has sponsored free concerts in the Meadow Village . Last Thursday, we heard the celtic group Feast. These classically trained musicians are really pushing the outer limits of Irish music. To me, they are to instrumental music what Stomp is to dance. Each of the four musicians are strong solo caliber performers who understand each other and play off each other to create a thrilling and delightful experience. Click on this link to hear and see some of their music.

There is just nothing more representative of the total Big Sky experience than sitting out under the big blue sky with friends, listening to live music, sipping a glass of wine, munching on cheese, fruit, crackers and watching the moon rise over these spectacular Rocky Mountains - absolutely nowhere else I would rather be in the summer.

Somehow, in the midst of all these activities, we have also managed to work in some golf games at the local golf course, hike a few trails and fish the Gallatin River.

We have 2 more weeks here in Montana, one of which will be shared with Marci and Ryan. I hear Ryan has been busy getting his flies tied and that their friend, Bill, will also be here, fishing rod in hand.

We're also looking forward on Wednesday to the last concert this season featuring Bonnie Raitt. This event kicks off "Owners' Weekend" when property owners come in for the long Labor Day Weekend. Events include the Big Sky Chili Cookoff, the Firehall Pancake Breakfast and a Saturday afternoon festival in the Mountain Village base area with one of our favorite bands, Montana Rose as the featured entertainment.

Lewis & Clark Revisited

Yes, this is Lewis and Clark country. In 1804, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and the Corps of Discovery set out from St. Louis to explore the Missouri River and find a water connection to the Pacific Ocean. Little did they know that the drainages from the massive Rocky Mountains formed the headwaters of the Missouri in Montana, some 1,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

On our way back to Bozeman from Anaconda, we stopped at the Missouri Headwaters State Park in Three Forks, some 20 miles west of Bozeman. It was here that Lewis & Clark found the confluence of 3 rivers that formed the headwaters of the Missouri River. They named the rivers the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin for Thomas Jefferson who commissioned their journey, James Madison who was Secretary of State and Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury.

Big Sky, where we spend our summers, is on the Gallatin River. So, I guess that means I could put a bottle in the River here and someone in New Orleans might find it a few years from now!

We enjoyed our picnic lunch with Bobby and Elaine on the banks of the Missouri. As we were looking up at one of the cliffs over the river, we caught sight of a golden eagle on one of the points. An osprey decided that the eagle had encroached on his territory and started diving and swooping on the eagle. The eagle finally decided to give up the point, and the osprey continued to pursue him for as far as we could see. An amazing sight!