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My oldest loves basketball. He loves playing, watching, reading about, and every other element of the game. I’m trying to be interested and engage with the sport because he is important to me. One facet of the sport that actually fascinates me is the argument about which player is the greatest of all time. I don’t know enough to engage it meaningfully, but I’d argue that Michael Jordan has had the greatest cultural impact. From the game itself to pop culture to how the business of baske...
Forecasting and reflecting I just checked the weather forecast. At this next time week, the day’s high temperature is supposed to be 45 degrees cooler than today. That’s not a bad thing. It’s late November, and it’s time to actually have some winter weather. It’s an opportunity to be grateful for the upcoming change and reflect upon our recent journeys. Here in Montana, during this time of year, we’re given the gift of incredible sunsets. An especially magnificent one provided an exquisite backdrop for last night’s run. I snapped a few picture...
It’s pretty safe to say that we Americans are obsessed with dogs. Our comic strips and cartoons are full of them—Snoopy, Scooby Doo, and the Paw Patrol, to mention a few. Favorite television shows and movies feature dogs as the stars—Rin Tin Tin, 101 Dalmatians, Lassie, and many more. Retailers are well aware of our love for our four-legged friends. For example, every coffee drive-through offers some version of the Pup Cup, and our furry friends know that, too! We dog owners take pride in giving them a good life. Our best efforts to treat...
My little brother is very focused and driven. A few times since we moved to Montana, I have gotten together with my brother and his family for vacations. His family has a vacation nickname for him: “The fun dictator.” I didn’t appreciate the moniker until we began to take vacation with them. As someone who is driven and focused, even when he travels, he strives to fill every minute of every day. It was fun, but it was exhausting. During our joint family camping trip at Yellowstone Park, I hung...
Branding O’ Branding Free Verse by Ty Terry, a senior at B.S.H.S. Roll out of bed, the moon still high in the sky so high in the sky you stop to ponder who gave the world such beauty Then you continue your search for the horses on that starry night Wanderin’ around trying to spot them It’s almost like searching for a needle in a haystack All of a sudden you hear the thunder of hooves The stampeding remuda headed to the corral for their morning feed As they feast you go hook up to the trailer For you have a branding to attend It’ll definit...
The printing press was invented in the late 1430s. It is difficult to overstate the world changing impact of the arrival of the movable type press. Before the arrival of the press, books were copied by hand, were quite rare, and cost several years of wages to purchase. The majority of texts were concentrated in monasteries or elite libraries. Within a few short years, the price of books dropped dramatically. By 1500, more than 20 million volumes had been printed across Europe, more than every sc...
alue each day before the killing frost We lose minutes of daylight every evening. We gardeners hastily pick our remaining produce, watch the weather reports, and wonder how many more days we can eek out until the killing frost. Some people are geared up for fall, ready to enjoy the cooler weather, hunting, and breaking out the crock pot for soups and stews, while others loathe it. Some rejoice in the winter months, as it’s a chance to bake favorite holiday treats, or be outside ice fishing, snowmobiling, or skiing. Others despise winter and s...
When I got out of college, I spent a few months in Houston working as an exterminator. I learned all about insects and rodents, as well as how to kill them. One that caught my attention was the pharaoh ant, which is quite common worldwide. These are the really tiny ants that are nearly blind, but have a strong sense of smell. They follow chemical trails and look for simple sugars for food. If you spray them with regular poison, they recognize the danger and split their colony into smaller...
The Necessity of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread A favorite childhood photo is one of my dad and I washing carrots. I was about four years old. My mom had me dressed like an Artic air front was likely to come blasting through at any moment—red overboots, hooded jacket zipped all the way up to my neck, hat, and mittens. Our row of freshly washed produce lined the cement divider between the lawn and garden. From an early age, I knew that when it came to chores, my dad had definite ideas of how things should be done. It was time to work; play and r...
Last week, I had an opportunity to treat myself to something fun. I began looking around at things I use daily. I have a record player next to my desk that I picked up used from Facebook Marketplace. I often listen to records while working at my desk. I enjoy it, and it makes a positive impact on my work day. I began thinking about upgrading my turntable. I rapidly discovered that the player I enjoy now is kinda cheap, but with exceptional sound. It never sounded inadequate, but the more I read...
Managing horticultural landscapes and houseplants in the fall is important for healthy production during the growing season. Below are a few recommendations for Chouteau County gardeners. • Apply protective mulches to perennial beds. • Use a humidifier to maintain humidity for houseplants. • Prune out dead limbs of woody ornamentals. • Do not fertilize or transplant anything after Indigenous Peoples’ Day. • Continue to water landscape plantings (trees, shrubs, and perennials) until the soil freezes. • Apply winter mulch to strawberry beds as so...
MSU Extension Urban Alert system for Chouteau County gardeners Chouteau County gardeners can sign up for “MSU Urban Alert,” a system developed to rapidly share information about plant disease, insect and weed issues in urban settings. Urban Alerts can be set up to go to E-mail or text. The MSU Urban Alert focuses on issues in homes, gardens, parks or other outdoor urban settings. MSU Urban Alert might warn people to avoid mistaking the fruit of the poisonous vine white bryony with grapes, for example. It could provide the latest inf...
Chopping Ice As winter is drawing to a close (at least it appears to be) I think back on some of my farm life wintertime memories. As a young girl, I remember the sound of the furnace blower kicking in, and if it was the weekend, the sweet realization that there was no need to get up for school. Instead, it was a chance to snuggle down deeper under the blankets and drift back to sleep. I also remember my dad coming into the house with fogged up glasses after milking the cow. I paid attention to when he came in because my job was to get the...
During my time as chaplain at the Children’s Home, I had a season where I was in conflict with another administrator who worked with me. We were at odds on all manner of issues, with many of our conflicts becoming quite heated. Over time, our arguments became the source of a great deal of stress and tension in my world. Many days, I would find myself grinding my teeth and getting increasingly angry on my drive home every day. Eventually, I realized that I had to do something to deal with the pro...
Sitting in the grain truck waiting for my brother to offload the next combine tank of winter wheat, I looked up at the cotton ball cumulus clouds that dotted the Lonesome Prairie sky. I think of them as “summer clouds”, reminiscing back to being a little girl and enjoying the quietness of a simple summer day, kept company by my dolls and stuffed animals under the Russian olive trees planted by my grandparents. In the warm, no-breeze truck, I realized if I took a cat nap and woke to see them, I could groggily believe I was elsewhere…like on th...
The article below is a portion of an article written by Peter Kolb (MSU Extension Forester). The article is available in full at the Chouteau County Extension office. The article explains the natural phenomenon of fall needle drop, insect management, and proper watering techniques for pine and spruce trees. Every fall a lot of concern arises when conifers such as pines, spruces and firs start to drop their older needle cohorts in preparation for winter. This is essentially an energy conservation mechanism for surviving the winter as all living...
One of the most famous accounts in the life of Peter took place when Jesus sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee ahead of him one night. In the middle of night, Jesus walked out across the water toward them. There was a storm raging at the time, and the disciples were struggling to make any progress. They saw Jesus walking on the water in the darkness and were understandably freaked out. Jesus called out to them identifying himself, to which Peter replied: “If it is really you, tell me t...
MISSOULA, Mont. - Hunting season is underway and it's still fire season. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) urges hunters and recreationists to take extra precaution to prevent human-caused wildfires. Even a small warming fire can quickly ignite the next wildfire if left unattended or not fully extinguished. Each year, firefighters respond to wildfires sparked by seemingly small campfires or warming fires that were thought to be out but were left smoldering. Dry...
Private applicators within PAT District 3 require six private applicator credits prior to the license expiration date of December 31, 2025 to renew their licenses. Applicators can review their credit information on the MSU PEP website by selecting “License and Credit Search” and entering their license number. Applicators can also contact their MSU County Extension office for license information. Presenters for the tour include: • Ricardo Pinto, PhD, MSU Precision Ag. Research & Extension Specialist will discuss novel technologies for targe...
Like many children, when I was young I was afraid of the dark. Late night walks across the neighborhood kicked my heart rate up 40 or 50 bpm. Every shadow felt sinister and unidentified noises lit a fire in my imagination fueled by my love for scary movies. I think most kids don’t like the dark and most little boys would never admit it to their peers. As I got older, I began thinking that I was getting too old for that sort of thing, but just thinking it didn’t turn off my physiological rea...
As summer edges closer to an end, the fall season will soon take its place! Although Fall doesn't officially begin until September 20, the start of Big Sandy's school year seems to kick off Fall for many families. Kindergartners leave the house to start a whole new schedule they will likely follow for the next 13 years! Elementary, Junior High, and High School students are excited to be back with their friends, hopefully ready to expand their knowledge. The volleyball and football teams will...
MSU Agricultural Research Centers have one test plot for winter wheat in Chouteau County which is managed by MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) north of Loma. A special thanks to Peggy Lamb (NARC agronomist) for establishing and maintaining the Chouteau County test plot. The Extension office would also like to thank the McKeever family for donating the use of their land for MSU research. NARC (Loma area) top three yielding winter wheat varieties (10-year average yield) from 2015-2024 include Bobcat at 55.9 bushels per acre,...
I have a good friend who runs a small business. His home is within walking distance of his shop with an alley separating the two. In recent years, the summer months have presented an increasing problem with vagrants hanging around in the alley, the sidewalk out front, and occasionally coming into his shop. Often, they engage in unsavory behavior, litter, use illicit substances, or represent a danger in other ways. He and I have spent a lot of time discussing his frustrations, the fact that he is...
A few years ago, a friend encouraged me to read, “The Sun Also Rises” by Earnest Hemingway. The story follows a group of friends who belong to the “Lost Generation” of Americans, who were terribly damaged by World War I. Their disillusionment with the world leads them to wander from vague interest to vague interest. They live for nothing and struggle to find any real, lasting happiness. Reading it, I found that none of the characters were particularly admirable or accomplished anything worth d...
After the death of his mother and wife within the space of a few short hours, Teddy Roosevelt left his home on the East Coast for life as a rancher in the Dakota Badlands. The cowboys who encountered the future president with his glasses, fancy, fringed, custom buckskin outfit, high-pitched nasally voice, and the manners of a Harvard elite were skeptical. They laughed at him behind his back, calling him a dude (a derogatory slang word for an Eastern tenderfoot or city slicker). Some cowboy...