Week of November 1st - Montana

Running late again but I can’t figure out why. Anyway, Montana didn’t get its nickname, Big Sky Country, because its landscapes are full of skyscrapers and telephone poles. In other words, Montana is another one of those states that you really should see it to properly celebrate it. We really had wanted to take a trip to Glacier National Park this past summer but that didn’t work out. My husband thinks it’s one of the most beautiful areas in the world and often visits the Glacier National Park’s webcams to experience it “first-hand”. I took a peek at the webcams today and it looks a bit cloudy with a fresh blanket of snow. As I wrote this post the clouds lifted from the Lake McDonald view to reveal the splendor of this vista. I don’t have the patience to sit and watch these webcams but I’m told, if you do, you can see wildlife all year round.

What’s the next best thing to being there (or sitting in front of a webcam for hours)? A wonderful coffee table book with photographs of the region. So off to the bookstore I go. If there’s one fringe benefit to this year round exploration of the states it’s been the expansion of our library. We are now in the procession of a fabulous photographic essay of the US National Parks and a pocket handbook to the Glacier National Park (for when we actually make the trip). We left the book opened (about a 3-foot span) to the Glacier National Park section and all week we had a view of this wonderful landscape right in our Great Room.

To add to the celebration I placed an order from BuyMT.com which specializes in all products “Made in Montana”. We tried some huckleberry cordials and huckleberry apple butter, some official Montana beef jerky and summer sausage and to top it all off we got a cheddar cheese shaped like the state of Montana. BuyMt.com was out of 1 of the items I ordered so I received a charming call from a Customer Service Rep and had a lovely conversation about Montana. She also included a magazine about Montana with our order to help with the education process.

Since a pictorial essay and a nosh didn’t seem like a fitting enough celebration I selected an adorable Appaloosa Horse necklace made by a crafter from western Montana. As if the artist sensed that we were celebrating Montana, the enchanting necklace came with photos and background about the artist’s beloved state.

Montana hosts the largest grizzly bear population in the lower 48, so I offered to make a recipe for Bear Stroganoff I found but my husband opted for the Venison roast instead. (Of course, beef would be substituted in either case.) And since Montana ranks third in the nation in the number of craft breweries per capita we washed down the roast and toasted the great state of Montana with a beer from the Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, MT.

Color in Big Sky Country with a magnificent view from Glacier National Park and head south to the Lone Star State – Texas. 50 down, 2 to go.