Jeff—Saturday
Tomorrow concludes my M-line tour along a
Mykonos-Manhattan-Minneapolis-Montana-Minneapolis-Manhattan-Mykonos itinerary. Actually, it ends the day after tomorrow,
because my flight takes off on Sunday but I won’t land in Greece until
Monday. Another M. How fitting.
It’s been a two-week jaunt spanning places possessing about
as different local natural beauty as respective political crises. But I shall
not talk about the latter. At least not
this week.
Today is all about making nice and sharing some of the
glories I found in the wilds of Montana, a state approximately as large as
Germany with a total population of a million hearty souls. It’s bordered by Canada to the north (Alberta
and Saskatchewan to be precise), Idaho to the west, Wyoming to the south, and
North Dakota and a smidgen of South Dakota to the east. It’s a place where
romanticized concepts of an outdoor life turn very real very quickly—complete
with all its dangers…with skiing that no doubt will soon turn parts of it into
the new Aspen or Jackson Hole.
All I can say is, “Think green, beneath a big sky, amid
mountains that rival Switzerland.” As
you may know, Big Sky is Montana’s best known nickname, though it has a newer
one: “The Last Best Place.” From what I saw, I wouldn’t argue with either
moniker. After all, as John Steinbeck
said…
But enough with Chamber of Commerce talk, permit me to share
some photos taken by Barbara Zilly. They
cover Whitefish (the town), Big Mountain, Flathead Lake, Glacier National Park
(including Lake McDonald and the Great Divide), and of course, the site of my
nephew’s wedding at a ranch in Corum.
After all, the wedding’s what brought us there in the first place.
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| The photographer at work |
So thank you, Rick, for having the good sense to marry
Montana lady Kinsey, as your decision introduced me to what is truly God’s
country.
But don’t take my word for it; look at these photos…as I
pack for my return to the country of the gods.
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| Our Chariot |
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| The wedding venue |
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| Add caption |
—Jeff
Posts
Beautiful country, no doubt! I think I recognize that one stretch of rocky river. (By the way, the Dakotas are EAST of Montana. Good thing you had pilots to fly you out of there or you might have ended up in Portland...)
ReplyDeleteIs there a prize for adding the best caption?
ReplyDeleteA good night's sleep. :) A caption contest is not a bad idea, Michael, as just about anyone will beat, "More of the wedding venue." Then again, do I want to dare risk EvKa's entry?
DeleteJeff, I have a picture of me standing exactly where Barbara is standing. As it happens, it was also a wedding that brought me to Montana. And your itinerary was very much like ours. But also included White River. Images of Glacier National Park are burned into my heart. The splendor of it!! And those adorable red buses! And the grizzly we finally saw, luckily when we had left the hiking trail and were safely in the car! Thank you so much for bringing me back. What a lift to my spirit.
ReplyDeleteOnce again we're trailing in your footsteps, AMA! Though thankfully not far enough behind to have encountered the grizzly. But as we're headed out to the farm today, there's still a chance at a black bear...or two. :)
DeleteBeautiful, just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJust like you, Lil. :)
DeleteFab pictures!!
ReplyDeleteReminded us of Scotland.
ReplyDeletewith better weather!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't bet on it...the temperature has been known to drop 100 degrees fahrenheit in 24 hours! (From 40F to -60F).
Delete