Articles Found in This Issue
Photo by Dianna Troyer
Out of the Wood Pile: An Old Feline Friend Returns - By DIANNA TROYER — A telepathic pet communicator mentioned my old feline friend out of the blue: “Oh, by the way, Spock wants me to tell you he’s coming back.”
Photo by Nann Parrett
Sue Sweeney Impacting Lives Through Love of Work - By NANN PARRETT — The Nationally Acclaimed Principal of Helena's Broadwater Elementary School, Sue Sweeney, retires after 32 years in education.
Photo courtesy Hells Canyon Sport Fishing
Time to Catch Bucket-List Fish! - By HOLLY ENDERSBY — Ready for your bucket-list fish? If latching onto a 10-foot, 400-pound sturgeon is your idea of fun, head to Hells Canyon on the Snake River.
Photo by Pryowild
Mustang Mystique: Pryor Mountain Horses - By BERNICE KARNOP People who want to escape the noise and stress of the present day may benefit from visiting the Pryor Mountain Mustangs. These horses hang out in the coolies and draws of the Pryor Mountains in Southeastern Montana, as their forbears have for centuries. They aren’t your garden-variety horses. Their mystique comes in… Read More »Mustang Mystique: Pryor Mountain Horses
Roundup For Safety Grant - A $5,000 grant from Roundup for Safety will help senior citizens living in mobile homes make repairs they couldn’t otherwise do themselves. 
© Zenomat, Bigstock.com
Movie Review: Apollo 11 - Apollo 11 will rekindle your faith in American ingenuity and the possibilities of our country working together again.
© Erin Donalson, Bigstock.com
April Fools Bull - I have a reputation for being a very honest person, but one day a year I have fun playing April Fools jokes. 
© Studio4a, Bigstock.com
Free Tax Help Available Across Montana - Through April 15, AARP Foundation is providing free, in-person tax assistance and preparation through its Tax-Aide program.
© Tumsubin, Bigstock.com
Teeberschnitzel: The Last Little Man Standing - I never thought I would miss the sound of my little mini-pinscher’s toenails tik-tik-tikkying across the hardwood floor.
© Yacobchuk, Bigstock.com
More Than A Flu Shot: Recommended Adult Immunizations - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends as many as 11 adult immunizations, depending on age and health condition.
Walking on the Emerald Isle - Ireland is not cheap, but for seniors, the Emerald Isle has magnificent potential for days of pleasant walking at an off-season cost.
Photo courtesy Idaho Trails Association
Misery Whips Still Here, Thank Goodness - It was in America that the crosscut got its second name, “the misery whip,” as day-long sawing was truly a misery. 
Photo courtesy Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum
The Magical Garden of Glass: Chihuly Glass Exhibit - Don’t plan to rush through the Chihuly Glass Museum. Set aside at least a couple hours, and enjoy a truly breathtaking art exhibit.
Photo by James Perdue.
A Wild Montana Jewel: Red Rock Lakes NWR - This remote country with excellent water habitat helped keep the trumpeter swan from teetering into oblivion.
Bonsai Beauties - The simplicity and elegance of bonsai arrangements convey serenity, artistic appreciation, and a long view of time.
Photo by Bernice Karnop
Building the Wall Montana Style - By BERNICE KARNOP For those who are weary of hearing about building a wall, I have good news. Montana’s wall was finished in 1893, 126 years ago. Many of us still haven’t gotten used to it. When one exits Interstate 90 at Deer Lodge, instead of finding a garden variety Montana Main Street, travelers are… Read More »Building the Wall Montana Style
Book Review: The Swan Keeper - Milania Marsenich has a rich way of describing the beautiful Mission Mountains, trumpeter swans, and other wild creatures of that land. 
Woodcut of Roger Dunsmore by artist James Todd
Secret to Long Life: Roger Dunsmore on Poetry - Forget eating healthy, exercise, and whatever else doctors say about how to maintain youth. The real secret to vitality is Poetry.
Fire Up the Grill: Spring Wines - You can't go wrong with the intense flavors of spring wines fron King Estates, Newman's Own, Rodney Strong, or Columbia Crest. 
© Jonathan Weiss, Bigstock.com
Improving Life on a Fixed Income - Life on a fixed income may seem difficult, but it is doable if you’re willing to make some lifestyle changes. 
Photo by Nann Parrett
Poetry and Stone: The Arts of Brynn Holt - Brynn Holt of Helena, Mont., is both a writer and a construction worker who specializes in moving and arranging architectural stone.
© Misima, Bigstock.com.Tulip Time By Suzanne Waring Several years ago, I visited the Netherlands in the spring mainly because I wanted to see the Keukenhof Garden where daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips bloom in many different flower garden configurations. On 70 acres, more than seven million bulbs burst forth in bloom each year. Seeing this garden made me a forever lover of tulips because they announce spring with such brilliance. I wanted to know more about tulips before I started making a garden of them for myself. Around 1000 A.D. the Turks started domesticating tulips that grew wild in their fields. Big, showy blossoms weren’t available until the people of the Netherlands started cultivating and selling them. Over the years tulip varieties were improved. Cut flowers and bulbs became a big business. Today, the Dutch send flowers, especially tulips, all over the world. Tulips come in every color except black. There is a tulip that looks black, but it is really a dark purple. During the Victorian era, sending a bouquet of a certain color of tulips sent a message. Red tulips sent a “declaration of love” while lavender tulips meant “loyalty.” Yellow tulips signaled “hopeless love,” and a variegated tulip sent the message of a “beautiful smile.” A pink tulip was a symbol of “caring” and “good wishes.” It was an appropriate color for family members. In that day, you would send white tulips when you wanted to apologize because they meant, “I’m sorry.” In the years that the Dutch were becoming known for cultivating and selling tulips, rare tulips cost more than people had paid for their homes. The frenzy was almost like the “gold rush” in America. Everyone wanted a piece of the action. They sold their assets, so they could reap the benfits of this rare opportunity. Then a glut caused the “The Tulip Crash” of 1637. After that, the government placed restrictions on the tulip market. Besides the brilliant and variegated colors, tulips are bred for different sizes, fringes, and ruffles. After two tulips are cross-bred, it might take as many as five years to determine whether the botanist has the a hybrid that is desired. As many as 3500 different hybridized tulips are grown in the Netherlands today. Conversely, a living tulip museum has been developed so that the tulip gene pool has been preserved. Some of the flowers grown there date back to 1595. The town of Aalsmeer has a daily flower auction. This auction is the opposite of those in our country. A clock starts at a high price and goes down. The first person to “buzz” and to stop the clock buys the flowers being sold. In addition to bulbs and cut flowers, tulips are purchased to put in candles and soaps. They are also sold in pots, so they can be “forced” to grow and bloom in a warm space any time. As many as 50,000 flower deals are made at the auction daily. When you see rows of blooming tulips in the field, you will almost always see workers walking up and down the rows. I was told that if a tulip plant looks unhealthy or wilted, the disease that it has will spread through the field quickly. The whole plant, including the bulb, is immediately pulled and destroyed to protect the rest of the field. On my trip, I saw tulips blooming in fields that would be over a half-mile long. A section would be one color, and in another section, a different kind or color of tulip would be growing. The whole area would be a rainbow of color. The tulips in the fields were almost as enjoyable to view as those planted in the manicured gardens. In the Keukenhof Garden, tulip bulbs are planted in three layers, so the tulips will bloom at different times. The season lasts longer that way and brings additional visitors from mid-March until mid-May, instead of a few short weeks. Tulips are among the easiest flowers to grow. Simply plant the bulbs in the fall, so the roots become established before the ground freezes. Plant them at the depth indicated in the instructions that come with the bulbs. Plant them in a well-drained place and in bunches of the same color to create a brilliant, intense appearance. Then wait for the gift of color in the spring. I was so excited after seeing how the beautiful tulips were arranged in the Keukenhof Garden that I ordered over a hundred dollars’ worth of bulbs while I was there. They were shipped to me in the fall when they should be planted. When the bulbs arrived, I painstakingly planted them out in front yard, so my neighbors could join me in enjoying the rich color of these unusual tulips. In other words, I wanted to show off my Dutch tulips. But that was not to be. As soon as the plants erupted, the deer that we have in our area spied them, and the plants were eaten level to the ground. I quickly learned that deer consume tulip plants like children feast on candy. I now enjoy others’ tulips. Or could this void in my gardening life be an excuse to take another trip to the Netherlands? MSN
Tulip Time - So excited after seeing how the beautiful tulips were arranged in the Keukenhof Garden, I ordered over a $100 worth of bulbs. 
Hope and Healing After Loved One’s Suicide - “Although grief never ever ends, over time you begin to find hope again, acceptance, and peace in the loss of your loved one.”
Photo by Holly Endersby
Glenn Elison: Working for Wildlife and Access - Glenn Elison works for Montana outdoor recreationists and wildlife to provide access to all public land and water in Montana.
© Flippo, Bigstock.com
Could You Pass the Citizenship Test? - A survey by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation finds Americans don’t possess history knowledge needed to be informed and engaged citizens.
Photo courtesy Lou Parrett
Montana Fishing Memories - In my seventh decade, I do lots more thinking about fishing than I do actually fishing. Fishing memories are a lot easier than real fishing.
Photo by Greg Lindstrom, The Flathead Beacon
Dave Renfrow and the Amazing Bicycle Machines of Guatemala - Most Montanans take for granted the ability to turn on a faucet and see water pour from a spigot or to illumine a room with a flip of a switch. Yet, in places such as the mountain villages of Guatemala, these commonplace amenities remain largely unattainable.
