Finally! February 25, and there’s enough snow to cross-country ski.
At least down here in the 'hood. Just up the hill, in the Bridgers?
It’s been decent enough up at Bridger Bowl a few times, although I also know people who used to hold off until there was at least a 60” base, which we’ve still hovering around with spring coming on!
Maybe it’ll finally snow then.
I hope so, because I have a new (to me) set of Alpine Touring skis and bindings, and would really like to climb up into a bowl here on the west side. It’d be a real interesting run down, especially considering I packed a significant number of deer out of there back in the day, and a fella might not even get avalanched.
That’s no small consideration. This has been an ugly winter for avalanche danger, and there’s just now finally enough snow to consider skiing, at least in the places I want to go. There, the problem has been getting enough snow to even bother strapping on the boards, let alone breaking in a second dog to the concept of skijoring. So today I just took a self-propelled tour around the farm. My main sled dog has been languishing about, and had enough trouble propelling his own fat self through about eight inches of kinda heavy, not-fluff. I had a much easier time of it on skis, and for the most part took pity on the hounds and didn't make them pull.
But then I’m a soft touch for animals, as my horses should agree. A buddy pointed out it seems to pay off when I use them, but these are inexact sciences. Simple in comparison to wildlife management, perhaps, but a couple of recent trips to the upper Madison valley shows wildlife flourishing to astonishing levels. Whether this is due to, or in spite of management efforts is unclear. On recent outings we’ve seen thousands of elk, deer, antelope, raptors, waterfowl, and recent predator sign including wolf and lion tracks. Great big ones. At least the bears are asleep!
Getting back into farming, especially organically, has reinforced my opinion that nature does what it will, and you adapt as best (and quickly!) as you can. I’m increasingly over the monoculture model, though. Look around, is that how Ma does it? It’s a matrix, an ever-changing one. To think otherwise is folly, although looking through recent ag publications, it’s kind of hard to tell which century we’re in. Until you check machinery prices!
It’s bizarre, although maybe no one gives a rip except folks who grew up in the industrialized ag model, or what passed for it out below the rims, in country that’s meant to raise buffalo, not wheat. But now, against all odds, they find themselves back in farming, in country where it at least used to rain, and find there’s still two vastly disparate markets for big iron. Full retail, and the, umm… secondary market. Or maybe we’re down to quaternary by that point, it’s hard to tell. All I know is there’s bargains to be had, and I hope I come across a few this spring.
Actually, what I’m mainly looking for is my old tractor, or one like it. A 250 horse (or thereabouts) 4WD pulling machine. Preferably owned by a maintenance-obsessive no-till farmer! Doesn’t seem like too much to ask!
Fortunately I know of three or four that at least nick parts of my criteria, & so we’ll see…
I also know where my old air seeder sits and can probably get it back as it’s in surplus status for the guy I sold it to. Not to mention more or less working order…
And, I bought a "new" truck! The main item of interest is the functional V-8, which should get the currently immobilized Old Red on the road again.
All this is of course a tad incongruous, as our neighborhood is turning into a fairly upscale locale and I don’t see anyone else stocking up on farm machinery.
But then I may have found out why.
There’s no one in those houses!
A longtime taxidermist who arrived in this neighborhood about the same time as us (early 80’s) stopped by the other day. He hadn’t been up this way for a bit, and asked “who lives in those houses?” I had to admit I didn’t know.
As I mentioned, we just finally got enough snow to warrant plowing driveways, and so curiosity got the better and I took a very revealing little tour around the neighborhood. There’s some big, fancy houses recently gone up in the neighboring Saddle Peak Ranch development, and there’s nobody living in a notable percentage of them (the ones we can see, at least)! Even a couple with plowed driveways showed no sign of life. Of those obviously being lived in, several had “For Sale” signs in the driveway. Hmmm… I think we're seeing the early signs of an adjustment.
That’s just one of several significant new developments north of Bozeman, not to mention the other 364 degrees. At the moment older farm machinery looks like a better investment to me! Who’d have thought…?
All this brings to mind a recent comparison of Montana towns by Billings Gazette writer Ed Kemmick, whose “City Lights” blog is on my short list. Ed waxes near-poetic on his appreciation for Billings, is enthralled with Missoula and Butte, and fond of Miles City and Helena. Bozeman, though, “if it has a soul I haven’t found it yet.” Oh, Ed…
I fell in love with Bozeman immediately, back in the late 70’s, and still am. Bozeman gets bashed lately due to an influx of what some view as “pretentious” newcomers. I dunno, just like any arbitrary grouping of people; some are, some aren’t. I give people the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise.
I have noticed one thing right here in our neighborhood, though. We used to know and be friends with the folks living in several houses down the way. They’ve all changed hands in the last couple of years, though, and it ain't the same. Repeatedly, I’ll be out getting the mail or newspaper when the new “neighbors” drive by, and they don’t even look up!
My wife says I’m over-reacting, but that strikes me as extremely weird. Although I know, it’s normal behavior for many, perhaps most. It’s never struck me as normal in the least, though. It’s not like I’m jumping up and down waving or something, but I think it ties into being attuned to your surroundings, the way animals are. In fact, it’s said humans are the only species that are often oblivious to their surroundings, and especially the other animals (or even people) that occupy them. With animals, there’s an instantaneous evaluation of (for lack of a better term) body language. They know immediately if you’re friend, foe, or indifferent. I know I do this with people, too, and always find it odd when it’s not reciprocal. Whatever, though, you can’t be too careful.
Still, if I’m just grabbing the newspaper it’s not like the time a couple in a black Escalade drove by right after Cody had just blown away an entire family of skunks! And sure, I can understand, if there’s a long-haired kid holding a shotgun standing alongside a scene of carnage beside the road; maybe it’s best to just stare at the pavement, don’t look up…
Urbanites just assume everyone’s a threat, I think. That ties into the other significant behavioral difference I see. Myself, and I think most westerners give people the benefit of the doubt, until they prove otherwise. Urbanites seem to assume the worst, until proven wrong.
Thankfully, I don’t pick up on that very often in Bozeman. By and large, when you walk down the street you’re looking at people who are happy to be where they are. They’re giving off a friendly, open vibe that’s unmistakable, at least to a student of these matters.
Whether that gives a town "soul", I don't know, but I like it.