Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1276 - 1300 of 1558
I really enjoy cooking and the weekends are my favorite time to put some time and effort into creating a great meal. It's never as much fun on weekdays because after a long day I really don't want to spend much time in the kitchen. A few weeks ago, I decided to make ham and beans and I started out early in the morning by putting some ham hocks in some stock, spices, beans, and vegetables and after a few hours, the house was really starting to smell good. I had purchased some pre-cooked ham and...
While I certainly don't mind being outside for a hike or spending a few days camping without any technology or a care in the world, I also very much like to be sitting on the self-created divot on my couch and binge-watching a television show or a football or basketball game. Over the years, I have also really grown to love mixed martial arts and have gone to six UFC events in the past decade. Watching a fight card live is a magical experience and the energy in the arena, especially for a...
Every few months I will have a dream of a small little diner in my hometown of Rock Springs, Wyoming. After the dream, I will always wake up hungry and craving a double shamrock and fries with from Grub's Drive-In. While it may make some people giddy to dream about food, I will always wake up angry because the food in question is a bit more than a quick trip downtown or a short trip to Bozeman or Butte. I still remember the first time I ever stepped foot into the little diner that has counter...
Southwest Montana is a really wonderful place to both work and live and I'm truly blessed to call the Treasure State home. I've lived and worked all over the western United States and Montana truly is a special place. I wish I could say that about everywhere I've worked, but I can't. When I was a little bit younger, I was more than a little bit impulsive and I would get "ants in my pants" and never want to stay at the same newspaper job for too long. I wanted a new adventure and I would go on...
When I was a senior in college, I was taking classes through the University of Wyoming Extension office in my hometown and waiting tables at a local restaurant. I had a steady girlfriend, a great group of friends, was making pretty decent money and probably learning a little bit at the same time. Despite my happiness with my lot in life, I would always apply when my hometown newspaper had an opening for a reporter. I really wanted the sports opening but would also apply when anything else...
It was just about nine years ago when I first spotted "Peaches" walking near my home in Washington. I had never been a cat person in my life, but I instantly felt for him as the little kitten followed his mother. I knew in a heartbeat that the life of a stray cat would not be a good one and I wanted to give him a better home and for nearly nine years I did just that. Peaches instantly became an important part of my life as I learned the intricacies of cats. We soon were inseparable, and he would...
With the kids both in activities this fall there have not been many family trips to the grocery store. This is probably a good thing. For some strange reason they don't seem to like all the embarrassing things I will do to draw attention to us at the store. They are both at the age they want no part with this innocent fun at the store. As far as they are concerned in the next aisle could be a "cute boy" and it would an outrage if they heard me talking in the voice of one of my cats or doing a...
I was watching a football game the other day and witnessed a mascot going absolutely bananas on the sideline and it reminded me of my senior year of high school. For the two and a half years of school, I had often watched the "Tiger" at my high school at games and it was usually a very dull performance. Finally, after watching the mascot spend most of the time sitting on the ground at a basketball game, I decided I had enough, and figured out what I needed to do to be the mascot. I was told by...
I don't really get home to Wyoming to visit family and friends as much as I would like. It's not necessarily the seven-hour drive that is a burden, it is instead falling way too behind at work which is never fun. Earlier this month I had a good friend getting married and I decided to make a quick trip to attend his wedding. I had not been home in nearly two years and would have liked to stay for a few days but instead would arrive in my driveway 33 hours after I had left. Considering 14 hours...
Fall has arrived in Southwest Montana and I must say it is easily my favorite season the year. I love to leave the house for work on a crisp morning and see the temperature slowly rise to a comfortable high later in the day. To me there is just something special about the colors of fall and it also means the start of football season which also gets me fairly excited unless I have to try and take pictures again in a driving rain storm which was a nightmare. I still don't think my camera is dry. H...
As long as I can remember, Labor Day has always been the symbolic end of the summer and an opportunity for people to get as much enjoyment as possible out of a three-day weekend. There is also a great deal of history behind the holiday and it also serves as a great reminder of the labor movements that helped shape the history of this country as well as those who continue to fight for the rights of workers today. While many people were camping, out at the lake, or having a barbecue with family...
I'll be the first to admit I spend too much time on my phone and really need to put it down a lot more. It's very addictive and I can certainly see why kids who have been raised with phones spend so much time with them. It's all they know. I'm old enough to remember using a rotary phone so I should know better than to spend hours with my eyes focused on a tiny screen, especially after looking at a computer screen most of the day. I really wish the younger generation could have experienced the...
A few years back when video stores were still a mainstay, I used to rent five or six movies a week. Sometimes when the weather was bad, or I was in a lazy mood I would spend my entire weekend watching a variety of films in a variety of genres. These days I still watch a movie here and there but I'm no longer a movie buff who could tell you the director of each film I'm watching as well as other movies they've directed. These days I've found the joy of binge watching a television show and it is...
With the start of the school year approaching I started to rack my brain about some first day memories but there was not really anything that stood out. I think perhaps the biggest moment I remember is how my love for the first day changed as I aged. When I was a younger kid, I could not wait to get out the door. Counting down the days till I could see my friends and catch up at recess was an exciting time. This would change abruptly once I reached junior high. Instead of counting down the days...
Late July in Whitehall has become synonymous with the annual Frontier Days celebration. It is not only a chance for local residents to come together but also serves as an opportunity to bring former residents and those from surrounding areas into the town. With the completion of another event, organizers are seeking input from those who attended. The survey is not only a way to see what events were popular but as a way to receive feedback constructive criticism on what people would like to see c...
With the heavy moisture early in the summer I really haven't had to worry too much about watering my grass. While it certainly hasn't needed much additional water, it sure has not had any problems growing. In fact, my lawn has probably grown a half inch since I left the house thing morning. I certainly have no issue with mowing the lawn, it's some nice exercise outside, but my mower broke so I have somebody come out every two weeks to take care of the grass. I should probably buy a new one, but...
A few years ago, I was covering a Class B State Track meet in Butte and it was a typical Montana spring day that featured just about all four seasons. When I left the house in the morning it was frigid and appeared it might snow at any minute. This really isn't unusual so despite the fact it was near the end of May I put on a heavy sweatshirt and beanie and made the trip over Homestake Pass. Shortly after arriving the weather slowly started to improve and by noon it felt like this was a...
A few of my summer breaks during college I was lucky enough to get a really good construction job that really helped me with my expenses. I also had a few summers where it was very difficult to find a job that didn't involve fast food. While I wouldn't really say I loved being outside 12 hours a day with a jackhammer or shovel, the money in construction was great and I had one heck of a tan. When I turned 15 my first job was at a Wendy's and I'm still baffled how easy it was to get the job. I...
Ten years ago, I probably would have had plenty of crazy adventures to talk about in my weekly column. A night out with a pack of friends to a bar or a trip to Vegas would usually result in some sort of shenanigans. The older I get; I'm finding more and more of my stories are taking place at the grocery store. What was once only a necessity can often be a highlight of the day, especially when it is a small-town store. The last time I went to Wal-Mart was on a Friday afternoon in June to grab a...
It's a little over a week away from Frontier Days, the biggest celebration of the year in the Whitehall area. Since the 2018 event, chamber and other volunteers have been working extremely hard in anticipation of 2019 and this year once again has a little something for everyone. A huge event like Frontier Days is not a success without the numerous people working hard behind the scenes. From the Jefferson Valley Fire Arts Show to the parade, the many events at Frontier Days cannot happen without...
I'm really glad I didn't have a cell phone as a kid. I could certainly say that I would have not used it as much as kids do today, but that's probably not the case. Adults these days say they would have never been glued to a phone, but look around anywhere today, many of these same people are glued to a screen. Why would it be any different at a younger age? Perhaps the biggest advantage my generation and many others had was that we didn't have the choice. In fact, I'm very happy we didn't have...
The 4th of July is always a great time for friends and family to come together to celebrate one amazing Country. It also means the Interstate and Highways are jam packed with people. The increase in traffic means that gas stations and truck stops always seemed to be jam packed throughout the day. I’m not sure where people are going but they always seem to be trying to get gas the same time I want to. As has been the case the past several weeks, when I went to the gas station on July 5 there w...
When I was a little kid, I was a borderline obsessive fan of professional wrestling. It wasn't today's era where I could catch a program or one of the many easily accessible pay per view events, instead I had to wait to watch my favorites like Sting on the weekend on the NWA show on TBS or sneak out of bed to watch the WWF's "Saturday Night's Main Event" that seemed to air after midnight and would always include several really big matches. I would spend multiple hours wrestling and practicing mo...
I'm not sure if I had to choose, I could pick a favorite sport between football and basketball but would easily admit that the NCAA basketball tournament is my favorite sporting event of the year. I also really enjoy covering high school basketball during the postseason and even though it seems to last about five months I also spend a lot of time following the NBA playoffs. I spent a lot of time watching the playoffs this year and the NBA Finals were a very interesting affair with the Toronto...
While I much rather watch a basketball or football game, whenever the United States soccer team is playing in a World Cup, I pay attention. I don't know much about soccer, don't like it enough to call it football, but do love cheering on my country and anything where the best in the world are doing it is usually pretty exciting. I guess I probably wouldn't watch cricket, but I at least know that in soccer you want put it in a goal. I seriously have no idea what is going on with cricket. While I...
