All Aboard!

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and BetterMO

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AN

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Book collectors lifelong pursuit

Prairie County turns 100

June 2015

June 2015 2

Savvy Senior ............................................Page 3

Opinion ....................................................Page 4

Book .........................................................Page 5

Big Sky Birding .......................................Page 16

Volunteering .............................................Page 19

Calendar ...................................................Page 20

On the Menu ............................................Page 21

Strange but True .......................................Page 22

INSIDE

News Lite

Illinois couple welcomes their 100th grandchild

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) A western Illinois couple recently cele-brated the birth of their 100th grandchild.

Leo and Ruth Zanger of Quincy have 53 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

The birth of great-grandson Jaxton Leo on April 8 made the number 100.

Leo Zanger tells The Quincy Herald-Whig that the good Lord has just kept sending them. He says his family could start our own town. Ruth Zanger says theres always room for one more.

The Zangers have been married 59 years and have 12 children. The youngest, 31-year-old Joe, was already an uncle 10 times when he was born.

Most of the family lives in the Quincy area. When they get

together they rent a church hall and it takes 50 pounds of ham or ten turkeys to feed everyone.

Mom, I need a ride home: Bus driver arrested at school prom

BERKLEY, Mich. (AP) Dozens of students from a Detroit-area school rode a party bus to the prom. But when the night end-ed, they were left at the curb.

Police discovered that the bus driver was wanted for violating probation in an assault case.

Officers learned about the arrest warrant while checking his drivers license. It was one of a few strange twists at the Berkley High School prom. An ambulance was called to a banquet hall in Warren after two students became very ill.

Berkley school district spokeswoman Jessica Stilger says stu-dents who lost their ride found other ways to get home.

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Dear Savvy Senior,Can you offer me any tips on choosing a home blood pressure

monitor? I just found out I have high blood pressure, and my doc-tor told me I need a monitor for the house so I can keep an eye on it.

Shopping Around

Dear Shopping,Almost everyone with high blood pressure or prehypertension

should have a home blood pressure monitor. Home monitoring can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure in a comfortable setting. Plus, if youre taking medication it will make certain its working, and alert you to a health problem if it arises. Here are some tips to help you choose a good monitor.

Types of monitors The two most popular types of home blood pressure monitors

on the market today are (electric and/or battery powered) automat-ic arm monitors, and automatic wrist monitors.

With an automatic arm monitor, you simply wrap the cuff

around your bicep and with the push of one button the cuff inflates and deflates automatically giving you your blood pressure reading on the display window in a matter of seconds.

Wrist monitors work similarly, except they attach to the wrist.

Wrist monitors are also smaller in size and a bit more comfortable to use than the arm monitors, but they tend to be a little less accu-rate.

To help you choose the best monitor for you, here are several

things you need to check into: Fit: Using a cuff thats the wrong size can result in a bad read-

ing. Most arm models have two sizes or an adjustable cuff that fits most people. Make sure your choice fits the circumference of your upper arm.

Accuracy: Check the packaging to make sure the monitor has been independently tested and validated for accuracy and reliabili-ty. You can see a list of validated monitors at dableducational.org.

Ease of use: Be sure the display on the monitor is easy to read and understand, and that the buttons are big enough. The direc-tions for applying the cuff and operating the monitor should be clear.

Extra features: Many monitors come with additional features such as irregular heartbeat detection that checks for arrhythmias and other abnormalities; a risk category indicator that tells you whether your blood pressure is in the high range; a data-averaging function that allows you to take multiple readings and get an over-all average; multiple user memory that allows two or more users to save previous readings; and computer connections so you can

download the data to your computer. Portability: If you plan to take your monitor with you while

traveling, look for one with a carrying case. Where to shopYou can find blood pressure monitors at pharmacies, medical

supply stores or online, and you dont need a prescription to buy one.

The price will typically range anywhere from $30 to $120 or

more. Unfortunately, original Medicare does not pay for home blood pressure monitors unless youre receiving dialysis at home. But if you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a private health insurance policy its worth checking into, because some plans may provide coverage.

Some of the best arm monitors as recently recommended by

Consumer Reports include the Rite Aid Deluxe Automatic BP3AR1-4DRITE; iHealth Dock BP3 (requires an Apple iOS device); Omron 10 Series BP786; A&D Medical UA767F; and the ReliOn BP200. And the top recommended wrist monitor is the Omron 7 Series BP652.

After you buy a monitor, its a good idea to take it to your doc-

tors office so they can check its accuracy and teach you the prop-er techniques of how and when to use it.

For more information on how to measure your blood pressure

accurately at home, see the American Heart Association Blood Pressure Monitoring tutorial page at homeBPmonitoring.org.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org.

Jim Miller, creator of the syndicated Savvy Senior information column, is a longtime advocate of senior issues. He has been featured in Time magazine; is author of The Savvy Senior: The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family and Finances for Senior Citizens; and is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show.

June 2015 3

Choosing a Home Blood Pressure Monitor

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This months issue of Montana Best Times carries a story by Terry Tribune Edi-tor Christa VanDyke about Prairie County celebrating 100 years of history. Its inhabit-ants plan to mark the event this summer.

Prairie County, located in central eastern Montana, is 1,743 square miles in size roughly the area of Delaware yet it has only 1,179 people. That means each person gets almost 1.5 square miles to themselves.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Prairie County. My family and I used to live there when I had VanDykes job at the Tribune back in the early 1990s.

One of the reasons for my feeling about

the county is that vast openness that comes with its population-to-square mile ratio. Any part of Montana is a place where you can breathe free, but you can really breathe free in Prairie County.

In addition, the county is home to the Terry badlands, easily the most spectacular badlands in the state. My then-young son and I took many a hike through its deep gorges and towering ramparts, looking for famous Terry agates and enjoying the vast, savage beauty and empty silence of the place.

The county was also home to Evelyn Cameron, a well-to-do English woman

who came to Montana with her husband and settled in Prairie County in the late 1800s, becoming an accomplished frontier photographer whose pictures stun modern viewers.

But by far the best part about Prairie County is its people ranchers, beet farmers, small business people. You proba-bly wont find a more generous and friend-ly bunch in the state.

So when I learned of the countys 100-year mark, I had to pause and say: Heres to you, Prairie County.

Dwight HarrimanMontana Best Times Editor

June 2015 4

Opinion

Heres to you, Prairie County

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and BetterMONTANA

Dwight Harriman, Editor Tom Parisella, Designer

P.O. Box 2000, 401 S. Main St., Livingston MT 59047Tel. (406) 222-2000 or toll-free (800) 345-8412 Fax: (406) 222-8580 E-mail: montanabesttimes@livent.net Subscription rate: $25/yr. Published monthly by Yellowstone Newspapers, Livingston, Montana

Letters Policy MontanaBestTimeswelcomesletterstotheeditorexpressingopinionsonanyissueofapublicinteresttoourreadership.Butinordertobepublished,thelettersmust: Includethewritersfirstandlastname,homeaddressanddaytimephonenum-ber. Addressesandphonenumbersmaybeusedforverification,butonlythenameandhometownwillbepublished. Bekeptshortand,ifpossibledealwithonetopic.MontanaBestTimesreservestherighttoeditforlength,tasteandlibelconsiderations. Theaddressforemailedlettersismontanabesttimes@livent.net.

By Montana Best Times Staff

Last month Montana Best Times published a review of Motoring West, Volume 1: Automobile Pioneers, 1990-1909. This month, Bookshelf focuses in on Montana Transportation with the new book by Montana Department of Transportation historian Jon Axline called Taming Big Sky Country: The History of Montana Transportation from Trails to Interstates.

Cruising down Montanas scenic and breathtaking highways, its easy to forget that traveling from here to there once was a genuine adventure, a news release from publisher The History Press says. The states major routes evolved from ancient Native American trails into four-lane expressways in a little over a century.

That story is one of difficult, groundbreaking and sometimes poor engineering decisions, as well as a desire to make a jour-ney faster, safer and more comfortable. It all started in 1860, when John Mullan hacked a wagon road over the formidable

Rocky Mountains to Fort Benton. It continued until the last section of interstate highway opened to traffic in 1988, the release said.

Axline charts a road trip through the colorful and inspiring history of trails, roads and superhighways in Big Sky Country. He has been the historian at the MDOT since 1990. When not sweating over the states historic roads and bridges, he con-ducts cultural resource surveys and writes the MDTs roadside historical and geological interpretive markers.

Axline is a regular contributor to Montana: The Magazine of Western History and Montana Magazine. He is also author of Conveniences Sorely Needed: Montanas Historic Highway Bridges and editor of Montanas Highway Markers. He lives in Helena with his wife and three and a half Welsh Pem-broke corgis.

Bookshelf

June 2015 5

Taming Big Sky Country: The History of Montana Transportation from Trails to Interstates By Jon Axline The History Press 2015 Softcover $19.99 144 pages 6 x 9 ISBN: 978-1-62619-852-4

Learn all about the Treasure States timeless trails

By Britt Even Montana Best Times

HARDIN As he steps out of his back door and over a set of train tracks, a passing coal train blasts its horn in the distance. He continues around the southwest corner of his house and steps into the storage yard of the Montana Eastern Railroad.

The entire line, installed in 2004, runs exclusively in the backyard of Hardin resi-dent and self-proclaimed railroad enthusiast Dick Chapple.

Childhood fascinationChapple, 74, hails from Hibbing, Minne-

sota, where his fascination with trains began in early childhood at his grandfather How-ard Chapples house.

My granddad was a wealthy person (in Hibbing) he was really influential, said

Chapple. The main street in that town was named after him.

He was just a lot of fun. He, to me, is what a real grandpa was.

His grandfathers house was nestled right up against a railroad track and the young Chapple would practice his numbers by counting train cars as they rushed by.

There were usually about 120 cars, he said.

Chapples grandfather on his mothers side, William Geary, worked as an engineer on the SP&S Railroad, doing the Wish-ram, Washington, to Vancouver, Washing-ton, turn.

I got to ride with him once. Oh, that was cool, said Chapple.

I think thats probably how my interest in trains came to be almost since I was born. When you get hit with something that early, its gonna stick.

Chapple remembers at the age of 4 watch-ing his cousins Lionel train run around in circles.

I especially liked watching the red caboose disappear under the bed and come back out again, he said. I really like cabooses. Ive got a collection of cabooses that wont quit. Ive got cabooses every-where.

Impressive collectionChapple has amassed an impressive col-

lection of whats called large-scale model trains, limited only by the amount of his available storage space.

I did have trains of every size, and I started trimming down and getting rid of some because, good grief, I needed to focus and get some room back, he said. I just wish I had more room.

June 2015 6

On the cover: Conductor Chapple navigates a series of curves along his Montana Eastern Railroad. The train is powered by two Plum Cove Generic Electric Boxcabs, remarkably powerful, each with two 24-volt engines hung on the axles.

All Aboard!Tracking one mans contagious passion for model railroading

MT Best Times photos by Britt EbenDick Chapple lowers a bridge over the canyon along the Rural Montana Branch lines, while his wife, Alice, waits behind him. Chapple made the bridges on this line hinged so he and his visitors wouldnt have to duck underneath them.

Chapple tells a story about when he got such a good deal on a set of trains that he drove out to Florida to get them.

I told everyone, Thats the farthest Ive ever gone to a garage sale, he laughed.

He and his sister raced out to Florida to pick up the items. We drove straight out there and it took all day to load up

trains, he said. He filled his motor home and a large rented Uhaul trailer. And then I had to find a place to put it, he said. The mandate

is, the cars gotta fit in the garage. Thats right, piped up Chapples wife, Alice. My car has got

to have a place.But I also spent 20 years in the grocery business, and know

how to pack things, Dick Chapple said. I packed every inch I could find. Theres hundreds and hundreds of trains out there.

A basement transformedChapple transformed his basement into the Rural Montana

Branch Lines. A sign above the stairs greets visitors with the words, Caution: Lower Elevation Ahead, and a picture of a train going off a bridge.

Chapple waits at the bottom of the steps with ticket in hand and an authentic 1920s railroad punch.

Im not as fast as that guy on the Polar Express, he said.He punches the ticket and hands it over. The boot shape of the

punch matches the cowboy boot water mark. Directly ahead, Chapples imagi-nation comes to life.

Tracks surround the room on a shelf about 4 feet off the ground, filled with trains of varying lengths. The walls are painted sky blue, complete with hand-painted clouds and bright-ly colored build-ings. Blue cloth hangs from the bottom of the shelf, behind which stacks of boxed train cars reside.

I like to devel-op stories behind the railroads that makes it more

interesting. Its more fun when theres a story behind it, said Chap-ple.

I called it the Rural Montana Branch lines, under the idea that it was a cooperation of ranchers and farmers that had seen all the rail-roads abandon lines and they decided to get together and acquire those abandoned lines and start their own service and then tie in with the main lines, he said.

Chapple relates the stories behind each of the towns. There is Ubet, a name he made up only to discover it was a real town once located in Judith Basin County. Next are Teapot Junction and Junksville, both named after friends.

Ive got a town down here named Far Enough, cause they got that far and it was far enough, said Chapple. Believe it or not, there is a town in Montana named Far Enough, he added, because they got that far and it was far enough.

White shelves above the tracks display individual cars lined up like soldiers on parade, next to boxes of neatly stacked maga-zines. Farther along the line, the buildings become 3D and moun-tains appear. Tiny people are stationed strategically throughout the display alongside toy tigers, dinosaurs, gorillas, airplanes and numerous other eclectic residents, including Wall-E, and even a couple of Minions.

The kids really like it, he said. McDonalds is a great place to get toys, Alice added. I throw a lot of caricature into it, said Chapple of his train world.While some go for absolute realism, which he appreciates, Chap-

ple likes to preserve the childlike enjoyment of his hobby.I think its important to be childlike. Be an adult, but be child-

like. Its just fun, he said.

Man of many talentsWhen youre doing model railroading, youve got to think of all

kinds of tricks because you are way too compact, said Chapple. As a model railroader, Chapple has to be a man of many talents. He built the entire layout himself, with help from friends. He uses card-board, plastic foam and mostly recycled items.

June 2015 7

See All Aboard, Page 13

Teapot Junction sits along a curve of the Rural Montana Branch Lines, a town named after a friend of the Chapples, who collected teapots. The two teapots sitting out in front were a gift from their friend.

Dick Chapple punches tickets for a visitor waiting to ride the Rural Montana Branch Lines, located in his basement. Chapple has tickets for both his indoor model line and his outdoor riding scale railroad.

I throw a lot of caricature into it. DickChapple

By Deb Hill Montana Best Times

LEWISTOWN You know, the term collector is just a euphemism for hoarder, Jim Dullenty announced. I think thats true because one member of my family actually is a hoarder.

Dullenty was explaining the urge to collect, something he has done avidly since high school. Now 74, Dullenty has not only been collecting everything from books to marbles to antiques near-ly all his life, but one of his collections developed into a career sell-ing rare books.

These days, however, Dullenty finds himself in the difficult posi-tion of trying to dispose of objects hes spent a lifetime acquiring and cherishing.

The birth of a collectorAs a kid, I collected some things, Dullenty recalled. I had a

great marble collection, but I wasnt very good at shooting marbles. I couldnt play marbles for all the tea in China. But I was a pretty good trader, so I would trade the cheap drugstore marbles my dad gave me for better ones. I ended up with a beautiful collection.

Dullenty said he doesnt know what happened to his original mar-ble collection, lost over the years, but recently he began collecting them again and now has a good start, including 53 of the very oldest clay marbles.

I also had a good book collection when I was young, because I liked to read, Dullenty said. We could buy books through the school. But my true love of collecting books began when I was 17. That year my dad died and my mother moved us from the Bitterroot Valley to Havre. My best friend there had 40 or 50 Western history books. He gave me a copy of Dan Cushmans Stay Away Joe. I thought it was so wonderful that I wanted to read more Western his-tory, and that got me started on a lifetime of collecting books.

Collecting as a businessDullenty eventually turned his passion for rare books into a book-

store in Hamilton, and eventually became an online bookseller as well. This was hard on the avid collector, since some of the very books he coveted he ended up selling as part of his business.

My journalism professor at the University of Montana was Dorothy M. Johnson, Dullenty said. Many people recognize her as the author of Western history books. More of her books have been turned into Western movies than anyone else. She was a big factor in getting me started writing Western history. And one day, over coffee in the student union, she gave me a signed copy of her

book, The Hanging Tree.Sadly, Dullenty said, that was one of the first books he had to sell

when he opened his bookstore.It sold right away. I was just sick about it, he said, but I had no

choice. If you have something that will sell for quite a lot, and you are running a business, you have to sell. I think I got about $100 for it.

Another rare find, Dullenty recalls, was inside the back cover of a coffee table book on farming.

The book was worthless, but inside I found a Vicksburg newspa-per printed on oil cloth, dating from the Civil War and detailing the siege of Vicksburg, Dullenty said. I thought it was probably worth $100, so I put it up for sale and two hours later, it was gone. Then I bragged to a friend about my business acumen, and she said, You crazy fool, that was probably worth $1,000.

With those few exceptions, though, buying and selling rare books was a great way, Dullenty said, to turn collecting into a means to support himself. Purchasing new stock for the store took him to used bookstores across the West, and back East, as well.

I dont think anything was more wonderful for me. I got to go to New York a couple of times a year, Dullenty said. The booksellers back there didnt have much interest in Western books, and I could usually get some great ones for not very much. As a collector, part of the fun and what keeps you going is when you find something at a very low price you know is quite valuable. I would find them, read them and then sell them. But sometimes Id wish I had them back after they sold.

June 2015 8

A passion forobjects creates lifelong pursuitfor collector

MT Best Times photos Deb HillLewistown collector Jim Dullenty stands amid a small selection of the Western history books still in his collection books he has collected throughout his lifetime and which he is now selling.

He added, You never know when you are going to find some-thing good. All collectors have stories about the good finds, although most will never tell you about the mistakes.

Old collectors never dieAfter he closed the bookstore and moved to Lewistown, along

with his 1,600 remaining volumes, Dullenty said he had plans to divest himself of the collection he had so carefully accumulated over the years.

Im 74. Its time to whittle the collection down, Dullenty said. Im doing it by having book sales locally. I had a big one in 2010, and since then Ive had smaller ones a couple of times a year. Now I think Im down to 1,000 books or so.

Dullenty said it is difficult to offer his cherished books for sale, but it is made slightly easier by the joy each new book owner expe-riences, a joy Dullenty can understand.

Ultimately, all his books will be sold, with the exception of one.All these books have value to me, but there is only one that,

when I go over the great divide, my executor will still find here, Dullenty said. Its a copy of Jack Londons The Seawolf, and it has the painter Charlie Russells signature in it.

The story of how Dullenty got the book involves his aunts cous-in, who was 10 or 12 years old at the time, and who lived near Char-lie Russell in Great Falls.

Russell almost never signed books, his or others, Dullenty said. My aunts cousin decided he wanted Russells autograph, so he grabbed a book out of the family bookcase and took it up the road where he asked Charlie Russell to sign it. Russell did, probably because it was a child asking. My aunt gave me the book, and I wont part with it.

On the other hand, its entirely possible the executor of Dullentys estate may find more than 1,000 books remaining.

I keep buying them, Dullenty explained, even though I know I am supposed to be selling them off. When I see one I know to be rare or valuable, I cant pass it by. Recently one of the board mem-bers of the Charlie Russell museum in Great Falls passed away, and I ended up buying a signed copy of a book he had about Charlie Russell.

Dullenty has also channeled his urge to collect into other avenues.Ive sort of started to collect antiques and such, Dullenty said,

showing off a small box filled with lead toy soldiers, an antique let-ter opener, a tiny metalwork coin purse, a matchbook stamped with a campaign slogan and a diary written in Virginia City in the 1890s.

I have about 20 boxes of stuff like this, he admitted. The way I

found almost all of these items was at garage sales. Some things people give me because they hear I collect.

He added, I guess its kind of an addiction. I havent really stopped.

Deb Hill may be reached at editor@lewistownnews.com or (406) 535-3401.

June 2015 9

Dullenty shows one of the favorite books in his collection, one he wrote himself about the outlaw Harry Tracy. Dullenty is finding disposal of his collection to be difficult as he continues to buy books even while attempting to pare his collection down.

I guess its kind of an addiction. I havent really stopped. JimDullenty

News Lite

Unusual approach to sea lion problem BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) An Oregon community is

bringing in some unusual help to try to fix their sea lion problem. Theyre hoping a fake killer whale from Bellingham, Washing-ton, will do the trick.

KING-TV reports that Terry Buzzard of Island Mariner Cruises has used the life-size mock orca to promote his business during

parades and events. He heard about Astorias sea lion problems and offered to help.

Hundreds of sea lions have taken over the docks in Astoria, preventing boat owners from using their slips. Buzzard says he doesnt know if the fake orca will scare away the sea lions. The Port of Astoria has tried using electrified mats, but those arent working. Theyve also considered fences. At worst, Buzzard says the fake orca will be an amusing distraction for the humans.

June 2015 10

Prairie County celebrates 100 years

By Christa VanDyke Montana Best Times

TERRY This year, Prairie County gateway to the Terry Badlands, and home to world-renowned pioneer pho-tographer Evelyn Cameron and the historic Powder River Depot site at the confluence of the Powder and Yellowstone rivers in eastern Montana will mark 100 years.

The county seat is located in the only incorporated town in the county, Terry, named after General Alfred H. Terry, a Union officer in the Civil War who commanded an 1876 expedition in connection with Custers campaign against the American Indians.

Conveniently situated along Interstate 94 and the Yellow-stone River half-way between Miles City and Glendive, the small town of Terry offers an old-fashioned sense of western hospitality and charm.

Terry set to celebratePrairie County will celebrate its 100-year history with an

old-time Fourth of July celebration on Saturday, July 4 at the Prairie County Fairgrounds in Terry.

The event will take place in conjunction with the Terry Roping Clubs annual Fourth of July Rodeo which has add-ed old-time events this year in honor of the countys rich Western heritage.

The day will kick off with a Kids Rodeo at 9 a.m. and the Grand Entry at 1 p.m., followed by a barbecued beef dinner hosted by the county. The day will be filled with good ol fashioned fun, which will include centennial displays, a vin-tage car show, quilt show and raffle, live entertainment until midnight and a spectacular fireworks display all taking place at the picturesque Prairie County Fairgrounds with

fantastic views of the Terry Bad-lands.

Commemorative Prairie County Cen-tennial belt buckles boasting the distinguished 45 county plate number are available through the

Prairie County Museum and Evelyn Cameron Gallery. The

buckles are individually num-bered on the back with buckles #1 and

#45 being raffled off. The winner will be drawn at the Prairie Coun-ty Fair Aug. 8 and 9.

Those interested in ordering a buckle may contact the museum at (406) 635-4040 or visit the facility, which is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; and 1 to 4 p.m. on weekends.

Prairie County historyOn Feb. 5, 1915, Prairie County was officially recognized by the

Montana State Legislature and established as a county. Carved out of the two largest counties in Montana Custer and Dawson and a small part of Fallon County, Prairie derived its name from the level benchlands above the Yellowstone Valley settled by progres-sive farmers with modern homes.

Making history, the vote on Prairie County was the first election in which women had the opportunity to cast a vote for officers in the State of Montana.

Although there were over a dozen small towns once located in Prairie County, the two most notable besides Terry are Fallon and Mildred.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Smith, Terry, MontanaAbove: The Terry Badlands Scenic View offers breathtaking pan-oramic views of the Yellowstone River Valley and features the magnif-icent Calypso Trail. Left: The commemorative centennial belt buckle.

June 2015 11

Named for Benjamin OFallon an Indian agent, Army officer and nephew of explorer Capt. William Clark Fallon is one of the oldest towns along the Yellowstone River. It was a station on the

Northern Pacific Railroad and the shipping point for the XIT ranch. Twenty miles southeast of Terry, Mildred is located along OFallon Creek and was named for a daughter of a Milwaukee Railroad offi-cial.

Along with the railroad, wool, cattle and horse shipments were also a big industry in Prairie County. It was not uncommon for a million pounds of wool per year to be shipped out of the town.

Much of Prairie Countys history is recorded through the diaries and photographs of historic Montana photographer Evelyn Camer-on. Born in England to wealth and privilege, Evelyn moved with her husband to Montana in 1893. The landscapes and culture, and the lives of ranchers, sheepherders and families living in eastern Montana were captured in her photographs from the time she moved to Montana until her death in 1928.

Prairie County todayToday, Prairie County is still a strong agricultural-based commu-

nity, home to several 100-year ranches and farms that remain family owned. The Burlington Northern Railroad runs through Fallon and Terry following the Yellowstone River and also runs through Mil-dred following OFallon Creek.

The Prairie County Chamber of Commerces Main Street pro-gram has helped keep the little town of Terry hopping. Terry has a wealth of mom and pop shops that provide all the staples and ser-vices a community needs, as well as a fully stocked hardware store, unique gift and hobby shop, high-fashion clothing store, quilt shop and butcher shop to boot.

Photo courtesy of Tamara Choat, Powder River Meat Co., Terry, MontanaEarly this year, a herd of over 500 mostly Katadin sheep were driven by brothers Les and Danny Thomason through Terry past the historic Kempton Hotel.

Courtesy of Evelyn Cameron Heritage Inc., www.evelyncameron.comFrontier photographer Evelyn Cameron is pictured on a pet-rified tree in the badlands displaying a copy of The Bystander magazine, which was conducting a contest for photographs of the magazine being read in the most unusual locations.

June 2015 12

The Chamber also sponsors the annual Terry Yippee Day celebration and street dance held the last Saturday in July which this year will also include an Artist Event to benefit Evelyn Cameron Heritage Inc.

Take a journey through the pastInterested in a walking tour? The Volksmarch self-guided 5K walking

tour of Terry starts at the Kempton Hotel, Montanas longest continu-ously operated hotel, and meanders through Terrys tree-lined streets, past its most historic homes, businesses and buildings.

The Terry Badlands Scenic View has been called the rival of the Gar-den of the Gods by many tourists, offering breathtaking views of the Yellowstone River Valley and featuring the magnificent Calypso Trail.

The trail is a 5.5-mile primitive road that provides access to the Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area. The road gets its name from Calypso, a now defunct railroad stop on the Milwaukee Railroad that was active over 100 years ago. The Calypso Trail also served as a freight road, travel route and alleged boot-leg trail.

Many geocaches are placed along Calypso Trail as well as in the Prairie County Museum for those interested in Geocaching.

Enjoy Prairie CountyWhether its hunting agates, fishing the mighty Yellowstone or hiking

the badlands, Prairie County citizens and visitors alike have been enjoy-ing its beauty for over a century. Visit the chambers www.vistitterry.com website to see more photos and history of the 100-year-old county.

Dale Galland, Prairie County Chamber of Commerce president and owner of Prairie Unique, said, The Prairie County Chamber of Com-merce invites everyone to enjoy the unspoiled beauty, scenery and his-tory of the past in the present-day friendly and relaxed atmosphere of small-town America.

Christa VanDyke may be reached at tribune@midrivers.com or (406) 636-5513.

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Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Smith, Terry, MontanaPictured is Sheridan Butte, overlooking the confluence of the Powder and Yellowstone rivers.

June 2015 13

All Aboard, from Page 7

I never throw anything away unless I ask him first, said Alice.

Model railroading is probably one of the finest hobbies because of that, Chapple said. You have carpentry work, geography, history, just being able to build models (and) being able to transform objects into some-thing thats useable.

He added, We have visitors come from time to time to see my layout here in the basement.

Weve had school groups and Boy Scouts and 4H, said Alice. And people, with their grandkids visiting, will bring them over.

I started a lot of people in model rail-roading over the years and helped them build train layouts, Dick Chapple said.

Into the communityHis basement layout is permanent, but

Chapple also has mobile layouts he takes into the community. He sets them up in various businesses in Hardin during holi-days and for local events.

I have enough trains to start with the early period, like the 1860s, and then on up to the newest thats running now, said Chapple.

He once had a display set up for three consecutive months.

Every few days, Id change it up, bringing it up to the modern, he said. That was fun.

He has had Halloween displays com-plete with ghosts flying around, snowy Christmas trains and even collaborated with the local art teacher having the stu-dents design and make teepees to run his trains around for Little Big Horn Days in the summer.

Im always looking for a place to set (my trains) up, he said.

Backyard lineIn the summer of 2004, Chapple began to

lay the track for his own personal backyard line, in 1.5-inch scale. He documented the entire process and compiled it all into a book for his friends and family.

Its a hot August day and I have just fin-ished building my first 20 foot section of track, he wrote in his first entry. Wow, Im checking my sanity wondering what I got myself into!! Only 225 feet more to go. Yikes!!!

I called it the Montana Eastern Railroad, because there used to be a Montana Western Railroad years and years ago, and I thought, well, Ill call mine Montana East-ern Railroad, you know its fictitious, Chapple said.

Or so he thought. Four years after he built his riding scale train, he purchased a box of historical railroading magazines from a man at a train show.

I probably have one of the largest maga-zine libraries in the state for model trains, and trains, said Chapple.

The first thing I do is put them in chron-ological order and then list them, and then list the ones that are missing, he said.

Chapple came across one that said Mon-tana Eastern Railroad.

And I thought, What, there really was? Come to find out, there was, he said. The line was abandoned in 1972, so it doesnt run anymore, but that was pretty cool.

One might say its been downsized and relocated to the Chapples backyard.

One-of-a-kind get-togethersThe Chapple family get-togethers and

birthdays are one-of-a-kind. We have train parties, said Alice. They head to the backyard, fire up the

barbecue and ride the train. Alice said Dicks birthday was coming up, and she had invited their friends.

They asked, Is it a regular party, or a train party? she said.

Chapples book is filled with pictures of friends and family riding the Montana East-ern Railroad.

Its all encompassing, said Alice.It could be said a model railroader is part

carpenter, part historian, part geographer, part fine craftsman, part artist, part magician and all storyteller.

Its no fun alone, said Chapple, The fun is in sharing it.

And share he does.

Britt Eben may be reached at news@ bighorncountynews.com or phone at (406) 665-1008.

Dick Chapple lifts the veil to reveal more of his large-scale model train col-lection. Hundreds of trains are stored under the track of the Rural Montana Branch Lines.

News Lite

Found canister contains 21-year-old message IONIA, Mich. (AP) It isnt quite a message in a bottle, but

an Ohio man says he found a 21-year-old message secreted in a camera film case that had traveled some 40 miles down the Grand River in western Michigan.

Terry Smith tells WILX-TV that he found the case with the messages inside while hunting for mushrooms in Ionia, Michi-gan. According to Smith, the case contained three pieces of paper written by two 12-year-old girls in Lansing in 1994.

Its in pretty good condition really. I mean, it was water stained, it was damp when I took it out of the bottle. But, its in

really good condition for being 21 years old, Smith said.Two of the documents show drawings of the girls, while the

third is a letter to the finder of the film case.Leah Sedelmaier, one of the authors of the note, was contacted

by Smith and WILX. Although she doesnt remember putting together the note, shes said shes shocked someone found it.

We used to play in this creek thats back here in the neighbor-hood; and, we used to make rafts and have races with them. I total-ly believe we wouldve done something like that, Sedelmaier said.

Sedelmaier said she has since reconnected with her co-author and childhood friend to try and piece together their memories from that day.

By William Hageman Chicago Tribune/TNS

Never the conformist, Big Bird flew west for the winter. Or at least a chunk of it.

The snow back home was 3 feet deep when we left, Caroll Spinney was saying by phone from Hawaii, where he and his wife, Debra, were soaking up the sun, thousands of miles from their Connecticut home.

For nearly 46 years, Spinney has been Big Bird on Sesame Street. And Oscar the Grouch. Enclosed in an 8-foot feathered costume or crouched in a trash can doesnt translate into a lot of TV face time. So Spinney has worked in relative anonymity.

His face and his story, though, will be much more familiar, now that the docu-mentary I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spin-ney Story has been released.

Spinney, 81, took a break from his vaca-tion to talk about life, family, parenting, the early days of Sesame Street and more. Heres an edited transcript of the conversation:

Q: How often do you suit up these days?

A: We only tape a certain part of the year and we dont make as many shows as we used to. We often do it in the fall; this year were doing it in the spring.

Q: Is it true the body suit for Big Bird is only 10 pounds? And the legs, youre shown in the film wearing them around like most people would wear a pair of

comfortable jeans.A: (The body) sits on suspenders on my

shoulders so I dont notice the weight. ... The head is another story. It weighs 4 pounds and I have to hold it up with my hand. That can get tiring. The legs, theyre not bad. I used to have a pair of shoes thatd kill me in there. Then I got some SAS shoes, and theyre very comfortable. ... Also, the (feet) make me 4 inches taller so I feel important on the set.

Q: How many costumes are there?A: We still use the same head we used in

the 70s, even probably back to 69. It just gets refeathered. I wish I held up as well.

Q: How do you think the film turned out?

A: Deb and I watched it together; we first saw it on our own screen at home. Its very well done. The next time we saw it was in a good-sized theater in Toronto, on a 60-foot-wide screen. We were sitting with people, and there were times when we heard some whimpering. People need-ed Kleenex. Its really wonderful.

Q: When they approached you about doing the film, were you on board right away?

A: The young men who created (the pro-duction company) Copper Pot Pictures had done one documentary. Someone said, Why not do something on Caroll Spin-ney? ... Whos he? Which is typical. Big Bird is famous; Im not. I get asked that a lot, Does that bother you? I say no, thats one of the good things about him. I

have the satisfaction of being Big Bird, making a good living. So I think it worked out very well. Now I realize thats going to change. Twice in airports people have come up to me, Youre Caroll Spinney!

Q: Going back to the early days, Jim Henson came up with the idea of Oscar and Big Bird, but you brought them to life. How much of the final character was you, how much was Jim? There was a change in the first couple of years.

A: Oscar (whom he voices and operates as a puppeteer) is pretty much the way Jim pictured him. In the film, theres a (direc-tor) who didnt think I was nasty enough. I did. I never agreed with him. Big Bird changed greatly. Jims initial thing, (Big Bird) was a big, goofy guy. As we were doing the show (early on), I thought itd be better if Big Bird was not a goofy guy but a kid, learning the alphabet and so on. Thats why I changed his character.

Q: In that first year, you were literally steps away from quitting.

A: Yeah. There was a two-story flight of stairs Jim had in his place . . . You opened the front door, there was no foyer, just stairs. And I was headed up those stairs. At the first flight was the workshop where Kermit Love, the puppet builder, saw me going up, looking grave. Where are you going? Im up to quit. ... Why? The pay was terrible. I lived many miles from New York and couldnt leave it. So it was not easy to stay. I was sleeping on peoples couches and such.

June 2015 14

CarollSpinneyhasbeenmanin

suitfor46yearsBigBird

Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film/TNSCaroll Spinney is pictured in the documentary, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, a Tribeca Film release.

June 2015 15

Q: But you were talked out of it. And things turned around.

A: It seems strange ... Big Bird got internationally known in a year ... I had an offer from a TV station in Boston to do my own show. Im glad I didnt. That show wouldnt have lasted. Also what helped was Big Bird on the cover of Time maga-zine. I saw that (and thought), Wow, I think Ive arrived.

Q: In creating Big Birds personality, did you draw on anything from your childhood?

A: I think so. I was a kid who just want-ed to be liked. I was pushed around and teased. Having the name Caroll and being a small guy, I didnt have a good time at school. Bullies do exist. And hearing things like, Caroll, still playing with your dolls? (a reference to his puppets). It wasnt fun. But I guess I had the last laugh.

Q: In the film, (Sesame Street co-star) Bob McGrath says you learned to speak directly to the hearts of kids from 2 or 3 on up to adults. Do you ever just sit and think about the people youve influenced?

A: When you think weve been on 45 years ... I never realized that within the first year between 9 and 12 million chil-dren were watching each day. Now were in so many countries. Ive talked to people from other lands whove told me how much Big Bird meant in their lives. So 10 million a day over 45 years, hundreds of millions of children, and weve been part of their lives. I couldnt have made a bet-ter move and not quit.

Q: You have three children and four grandkids. If anyone can qualify as a parenting expert, its you.

A: Theres a lot of drama when you have children. Our oldest (grandchild) is

26, the youngest is 8. Or 9 or 10. He keeps growing so quickly.

Q: Where do most parents make mistakes?

A: I think its really good for parents to aid and abet (their children) when they show some talent in some direc-tion, even if its not in the direction you thought they should go. When I was 13, 14, I had a friend. He was a very good artist, but his parents kept giving away his drawings. He was so discouraged. ... (Some time later) I saw him again and he said he didnt draw anymore because they just kept giving away his drawings.

Q: Any other advice?A: Make sure there is some disci-

pline in their life. Not corporal punish-ment. But support them and be merci-ful. Its not easy being a kid.

Q: Is there one quality above oth-ers that parents should instill in their kids?

A: Some things come naturally, like loyalty. Perseverance. Young people say, I want to make it as a puppeteer, how do I do that? I say dont be dis-couraged. ... Whatever a child wants to do, stick to it and dont forget your goals. I guess thats more for the kids.

Q: When you take off the cos-tume, do you put Big Bird away? If youre out buying groceries and you see some kid misbehaving, does Big Bird ever tell the kid, Hey, knock it off?

A: I dont think a person needs a stranger to say, Dont do that. Ive seen some bad behaviors. One child in a grocery in New York City, the grandfather was a pussycat, seemed to be a really nice person. But the kid was so spoiled. I want that, I want that. The grandfather says, Im sorry, Im

sorry. I thought, that child was allowed to become that child. If hes that bad at 7, what will he be like at 37?

Q: What about TV viewing?

A: I dont think all television is good (for kids). Some of the stuff is so adult. Im not sure you want your 9-year-old girls to see those val-ues. I just hate to see childhood rushed.

Q: A silly ques-tion. Do you make

faces at kids in the store? You know, to try to make them laugh?

A: Yeah, I do that. I have a little bunny rabbit puppet. Its just so perfect. I found it in Austria, in a little shop, its just the sweetest little thing. Fits in my pocket. It works perfectly. Its the biggest icebreaker. You dont have to be a puppeteer. Just experiment in front of a mirror, see how it looks. Thats what Jim Henson used to do. He told me the first day, lets go look in a mirror. Theres nothing better than watch-ing a puppet. I enjoy breaking the ice with children. Theres no better way to do it than with your arm, and with joy.

Q: The film shows how much you and Debra like to travel. Is there someplace you really want to visit but havent?

A: Norway. She has never seen the northern lights.

Q: What else do you like to do?A: River cruises in Europe. . . . Theyre

fantastic. Almost every city along the river has a castle. The homes are so charming. And the food on these boats. Im allergic to wheat, but they make me bread and gra-vy. So good.

For more on I Am Big Bird, go to www.iambigbird.com. To view the films trailer, check out this YouTube video. http://tinyurl.com/m9bz693.

Photo courtesy Tribeca Film/TNSAbove: The poster of the documentary, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, which opened in theaters May 15. Below left: A snapshot from the documentary.

EDITORS NOTE: Montana Best Times has been featuring some of the fascinating adventures Terry McEneaney had when he was Yellowstone National Parks ornitholo-gist.

However, this month McEneaney features something a little different, because while he was in the park, he saw a lot of interest-ing things besides birds. We thought our readers might be interested in one of those

stories Yellowstones odd hairless marmots.

This story is a departure from my personal experiences and adventures with Yellowstone birds. Just recently, I happened to stumble on a rare picture in my files of hairless marmots that I thought would be of interest to the public. Most people have nev-er heard of Yellowstone hairless marmots, let alone seen rare pictures of them. So I thought it only fitting that I share with you my experience and personal photo by unraveling the mystery of these animals.

About marmots The Yellow-bellied Marmot is a medium-sized mammal

belonging to the order Rodentia, and comprises a group of relat-ed individuals in the family Scuiridae. Marmots are primarily vegetarians. Included in this family are all species of marmots/woodchucks, prairie dogs, and chipmunks. The generic term marmot is of European alps Romansch (bordering Italy) origin meaning mountain mouse, while the specific name flaviven-tris means yellow-bellied, even though the belly hairs are in

fact rusty or gold in color. Marmots and ground squirrels do hibernate, but denning hiber-

nation for these individuals can start very early, such as early August in Yellowstone with spring emergence from dens as early as late March/early April. Hibernation is misconstrued as an adap-tation of individual mammals to cold temperatures, when in fact it is more of a physiological response to variable food supplies.

Hibernating mammals such as marmots go through two unique sleep phases: the deep torpor or hypothermia deep sleep phase and the euthermia, or weak sleep recovery phase involving peri-odical arousal. This periodic arousal can be caused by increased or early warm temperatures and/or the absence of snow from den entrances. If these individuals wake up and find plenty of nutri-tious food available, they have no problem surviving, but if food is scare upon emergence, they totally rely on fat reserves to get them through these problem periods.

The hairless marmot A hairless marmot is not a new species known to science.

Some people not experienced with this odd morph of marmot refer to them as bald marmots, but in fact they have hair on their head and therefore are not bald at all. To me they look like a combination of the skin of a sunburned rat and the hair of a lion with a mane on the head and a tuft of hair on the tail. I refer to them as hairless marmots because parts of their body are hair-less, as can be seen in the picture of individual marmots accom-panying this article.

June 2015 16

Terry McEneaney is ornithologist emeritus for Yellowstone National Park, and is the author of three books: Birding Montana, Birds of Yellowstone, and The Uncommon Loon. He has been watching birds for 50 years and is one of Montanas most experienced birders.

Unraveling the

Mysteryof

YellowstonesHairless Marmots

BirdingBig Sky

Photos by Terry McEneaneyThree Hairless Marmots are pictured on old pressure-treated boardwalk at Old Faithful geyser. Note all three indi-viduals have a mane on their heads and tuft on their tails like a lion, and skin resembling that of a sunburned rat.

June 2015 17

More short stories from Lucky Feathers: Adventures and Experiences of a Yellowstone Ornithologist, will be featured in forthcoming issues of Montana Best Times. In the meantime, enjoy Montana birds! And the Best of Big Sky Birding to you!

Bird watching questions may be sent to Terry McEneaney by writing to 1215 Lolo St., Missoula, MT 59802; emailing terry@ravenidiot.com; or visiting www.yellowstonewildlifeguides.com or www.ravenidiot.com. If questions are mailed, include a phone number at which you can be reached.

A hairless marmot is in fact a Yellow-bellied Marmot (Mar-mota flaviventris) with a strange looking hair condition. What causes this loss of hair is open to numerous theories and wild conjectures.

What causes hair condition? The most frequently talked about theories were simply word of

mouth in origin, with no basis of fact. The most talked about the-ory involved tourists/visitors feeding junk food to the marmots, causing this unusual loss of body hair. Another theory popular-ized was the Old Faithful boardwalk contained pressure-treated wood, causing the hair loss. Some believed the feeding of the Old Faithful marmots in combination with the contaminated board-walks were the cause of this hair loss in marmots. But where was the evidence?

The first records of the presence of Yellowstone hairless mar-mots occurred in the spring/summer of 1984 from the north end of the boardwalk at Old Faithful geyser. These odd individuals were reported for five straight years with last field records in the summer of 1988.

On April 1, 1987, I personally collected some marmot speci-mens as part of a study and sent them to the Madison Wildlife Health Lab to determine the cause of this unusual hair loss in Yel-lowstone marmots. The only results that came back from the lab that grabbed ones attention was the fact that traces of arsenic were detected in the hair follicles of the marmots. It was a known fact at the time that some pressure-treated wood contained chro-mated copper arsenate, and Yellowstone NP did use this type of wood product in the building of boardwalks in the past. But arse-nic is also available in natural abundance, as are many other dan-gerous chemicals found in Yellowstone (e.g. mercury, etc.) due to the preponderance of geothermal features. Additionally, there is the heated ground associated with the geothermal features com-pounding the discussion.

Surprisingly, the literature shows marmots do lose body hair upon emergence in late winter/early spring. Also, based on some environmental conditions, marmots can lose loose skin in a con-dition called stratum corneum desquamation. And in some unusu-al cases after post hibernation emergence they can lose vast amounts of hair, making them look nearly buck naked, with the hairs eventually growing back to normal length over the summer.

Did the illegal feeding of junk food to the marmots at the Old Faithful boardwalk have anything to do with their hair loss? Probably not, but it did contribute to them surviving late winter emergence. People did have impacts it just wasnt natural. Was it a good idea to stop feeding wildlife? Yes. But it was difficult for visitors, since they are used to feeding wildlife.

Be that as it may, hairless marmots have not been seen in Yel-lowstone since 1988. Why not? Regarding the Old Faithful gey-ser boardwalk, was it the arsenic that caused the demise of the hairless marmots? Probably not. More likely it was what we call the Murder on the Orient Express effect, in that everyone did it. It was this combination of: the 1988 Yellowstone drought, the 1988 wildfires, the removal of valuable cover when the Old Faithful boardwalk was replaced with recycled materials, the heat of the ground around Old Faithful, and the removal of an artificial (visitor) food supply all contributed to the reason we do not see the rare hairless marmots at Old Faithful with any reg-ularity.

But I wanted to share with you this rare photo I found in my files unraveling the mystery of Yellowstone Hairless Marmots.

Shown is the normal pelage of a Yellow-bellied Marmot emerging from hibernation.

John Wayne Day in Texas honors actors 108th birthday By The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas Wearing a brown plaid coat worn by John Wayne in 1945s Flame of Barbary Coast, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has declared a day in honor of the quintessential screen cowboy.

An avid collector of movie memorabilia, Patrick wore the coat as he presided over the Senate May 26.

He declared it John Wayne Day in Texas to mark the Holly-

wood legends 108th birthday John Wayne was born May 26, 1907 and named the actor an honorary Texan.

There were proclamations from the House, Senate and Gov. Greg Abbott. Senators told Waynes visiting children and grand-children of their love for movies including True Grit, The Searchers, and Rio Bravo.

Sen. Judith Zaffirini, whose district is near the set of Waynes 1960 movie The Alamo, quoted her favorite Wayne-ism: Talk low, talk slow, and dont say too much.

By Erica Curless The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)/TNS

Hockey has no age limit. Its a lifelong sport, so say the women in the newly formed Silver Skaters a division of Spokane Womens Hockey League for women age 50 and older ... much older.

Olga Pasher is 75. Sharon Meyer is 72. Nancy Kellner is 69. Deb Kyle is 63. The other gals are youngsters in their 50s.

Yet those numbers are as irrelevant as the notion that hockey is about blood, bro-ken teeth and fights.

People have a really strange notion of who plays hockey, said Kyle, a recently retired college instructor, while helping pin a black Silver Skaters patch on one of her teammates oversized jersey.

The Silver Skaters are all about camara-derie, the finesse of skating and playing on a team for fun regardless of their ability to slap the puck into the goal. Besides, check-ing slamming your body into your opponent to get the puck from them isnt allowed in womens leagues.

Women my age did not have team sports when we were young, said Kellner, who turns 70 this year and attended high school long before Title IX established girls sport teams in 1972. This is good for us. Were learning to play as a team.

Kellner came up with the idea for the Silver Skaters after registering women for the leagues new season. She realized there were enough older skaters to make a team. Then came the idea for a 50-plus womens jamboree where the Silver Skaters invited other skaters from across the region and Canada.

Spokanes first Silver Skaters Jamboree is Saturday and Sunday at the Eagles Ice-A-Rena. Because of schedules, weather and short notice, it appears only players from Grand Forks, British Columbia, are attending. Kellner hopes that the jamboree grows to include women from Montana, Alberta and other towns in Washington next year. She would also like to see more women, young and old, take up the sport.

Many of the Silver Skaters didnt start until they were older. Some started because their husbands played. Others, like Kellner, had children who became interested in the sport. Some received peer pressure from friends who were already playing.

Sharon Meyer started at 57, when her

coworker at Spokane Community College encouraged her to join.

I was hooked, Meyer said, adding that skating is a good weight-bearing exercise and that its easy on the joints because of the gliding.

Yet, like most things, its not totally safe.

Players still fall. Sometimes they cant stop and crash into one another. Ankles twist.

The fights are just part of the show, Kyle said about the bloody dog piles for which the sport is infamous. Were much more into the game.

Besides, she said, the womens league scrambles the teams each year so that per-son who was your nemesis last year is likely to be your teammate this year.

Nobody wants to make an enemy of friends, she said.

Because ice access is expensive and time is limited, the Silver Skaters dont practice. They all just skate during the reg-ular leagues Friday night rec games. Some also skate on co-ed teams.

The womens games are slower and low-er-scoring than the mens games and the puck is easy to track. Yet there is lots of action and even more laughs.

My husband always comments that You guys smile too much and laugh on the ice, Kyle said.

Kellner is always reminding the women to stop apologizing: There is no sorry in hockey.

As the women get ready for a recent Fri-day night game, they sip from flasks filled

with whiskey, Fireball and other pre-game spirits of courage as they put on their shoulder, knee and elbow pads and tape their colorful stockings in place.

Kyle pulls red jerseys from a big bag and calls out numbers.

Im 9, Meyer shouts, catching the jer-sey. Nine. Thats how many grand-children I have. She returns to lac-ing her skates. Then she takes off her gold hoop earnings and puts them in the case that holds her mouth guard.

Jacque Early, 52, swings her silvery gray purse over her shoulder as she holds her helmet with full face guard in the other hand.

This isnt a purse, she jokes. This is a big bag of whoop ass.

Jean Tarr, 54, shows off her hot-

flash gloves, thick protective gloves with holes worn in the fingers.

These women obviously enjoy them-selves. The laughing lasts as they sit in the box and as they skate out onto the ice for quick 1-to-2 minute bursts of game time before they switch off with other players.

At 75, Pasher is the mom of the team. She hasnt played in several years but is back on the ice getting ready for the jam-boree. Raised in Alberta, Pasher skated a lot as a kid but, even in Canada girls didnt play hockey.

She remembers moving to Spokane in the 60s and working with a couple women to start a female hockey team. She laughed, recalling that they wore figure skates with toe picks, wool sweaters and tight jeans. They had helmets but no pads or other safety equipment. Yet that didnt stop them from learning the game and growing it into what is now a womens league with more than 50 active members, of which about 15 are part of the Silver Skaters.

Its addictive, Pasher said before head-ing out to skate a few laps for warmup. You cant get out of it.

June 2015 18

For Silver Skaters, age is merely a number

Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review/TNSSilver Skaters member Ellen Schwannecke, 50, sits on the bench waiting her turn to join teammates on the ice during a Spokane Womens Hockey League game at Eagles Ice Arena in Spokane, Washington, Jan. 9.

June 2015 19

Custer and Rosebud counties - American Legion: Will need volunteer

ticket takers this summer. - Clinic Ambassador: Need volunteer to

greet patients and visitors, providing direc-tions and more, two locations. - Custer County Food Bank: Volunteer

assistants needed for 8 a.m-1:30 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to process donations, stock shelves and more. - Grammas Ice Cream Shoppe: RSVP

will need help selling ice cream at the East-ern Montana Fair August 19-22. - Historic Miles City Academy: Urgently

need volunteers at the thrift store. - Holy Rosary: Volunteer receptionist

needed at front desk. - MCC: Popcorn maker starting in Sep-

tember on Tuesdays. - Soup Kitchen: Volunteers needed to

greet (seated position), serve and/or prepare food. - St. Vincent DePaul: Volunteers to assist

in several different capacities. - VA Activities: Urgent need for someone

to help with activities. - VA Community Living Center: Volun-

teer with people skills needed to interview CLC residents on a monthly basis. Must be able to objectively ask questions, work on a laptop while doing so, and be accurate. Select your own hours. People skills and accuracy are important. - WaterWorks Art Museum: Volunteer

receptionists needed, 2-hour shifts Tues-days-Sundays; a volunteer also needed in cataloging the art collection, one to assist with historic research of the permanent art collection, and a volunteer to assist in sum-mer kids classes. If you are interested in these or other vol-

unteer opportunities please contact: Betty Vail, RSVP Director; 210 Winchester Ave. #225, MT 59301; phone (406) 234-0505; email: rsvp05@midrivers.com.

Dawson County - Local Farm to Table Store: Someone to

help in and during store hours, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. - Makoshika Visitors Center: Volunteers

needed to assist on Mondays and Tues-days. Training provided. - If you have a need for or a special inter-

est or desire to volunteer somewhere in the community, please contact: Patty Atwell, RSVP Director, 604 Grant, Glendive, MT 59330; phone (406) 377-4716; email: rsvp@midrivers.com.

Fergus and Judith Basin counties - Art Center: In need of volunteers on

Saturdays. - Community Cupboard (Food Bank):

Volunteers are needed to help any week mornings as well as with deliveries. - Council on Aging: Volunteers needed to

assist at the Senior Center (Grubstakes) and with home delivered meals and senior transportation. - Library: Volunteer help always appreci-

ated. - ROWL (Recycle Our Waste Lewis-

town): Recruiting volunteers for the 3rd Saturday of the month to help sorting, bal-ing and loading recyclables - Treasure Depot: Thrift store needs vol-

unteers to sort, hang clothes and put other items on display for sale. - Always have various needs for your

skills and volunteer services in our commu-nity. - Current RSVP volunteers are encour-

aged to turn in your hours each month; your contribution to the community is greatly appreciated! Contact: RSVP Volunteer Coordinator

Sara Wald, 404 W. Broadway, Wells Fargo Bank building, (upstairs), Lewistown, MT 59457; phone (406) 535-0077; email: rsv-plew@midrivers.com.

Gallatin County - American Cancer Society-Road to

Recovery: Drivers needed for patients receiving treatments from their home to the hospital - American Red Cross Blood Drive: Two

volunteer opportunities available: an ambassador needed to welcome, greet, thank and provide overview for blood donors; and phone team volunteers needed to remind, recruit or thank blood donors. Excellent customer service skills needed, training will be provided, flexible schedule. - Befrienders: Befriend a senior; visit on

a regular weekly basis. - Belgrade Senior Center: Meals on

Wheels needs regular and substitute drivers Monday-Friday, to deliver meals to seniors before noon. - Big Brothers Big Sisters: Be a positive

role model for only a few hours each week. - Bozeman and Belgrade Sacks Thrift

Stores: Need volunteers 2- to 3-hour shifts on any day, Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. - Bozeman Deaconess Hospital: Volun-

teers needed for the information desks in the Atrium and the Perk, 8 a.m.-noon, and noon-4 p.m. - Bozeman Senior Center Foot Clinic:

Retired or nearly retired nurses are urgently needed, 2 days a month, either 4- or 8-hour shifts. - Galavan: Volunteer drivers need-

ed Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CDL required and Galavan will assist you in obtaining one. Volunteers also needed to make reminder calls and confirm rides for

the following day. - Gallatin Rest Home: Volunteers wanted

for visiting the residents, sharing your knowledge of a craft, playing cards or read-ing to a resident. - Gallatin Valley Food Bank: Volunteers

needed to deliver commodities to seniors in their homes once a month. Deliveries in Belgrade are especially needed. - HRDC Housing Department Ready to

Rent: Curriculum for families and individu-als who have rental barriers such as lack of poor rental history, property upkeep, renter responsibilities, landlord/tenant communi-cation and financial priorities. - Habitat for Humanity Restore: Belgrade

store needs volunteers for general help, sorting donations and assisting customers. - Heart of The Valley: Compassionate

volunteers especially needed to love, play with and cuddle cats. - Help Center: Computer literate volun-

teer interested in entering data into a social services database. Also volunteers needed to make phone calls to different agencies/programs to make sure database is up to date and make safety calls to home bound seniors. - Jessie Wilber Gallery at The Emerson:

Volunteers needed on Wednesdays, Thurs-days, and Fridays to greet people at the main desk, answer questions and keep track of the number of visitors. - Museum of the Rockies: Variety of

opportunities available such as helping in the gift shop and more. - RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to quilt,

knit, crochet and embroider hats for chemo patients, baby blankets and other handmade goods once a week (can work from home). Items are on sale in our store in the RSVP office at the Senior Center or on Saturday Farmers Markets until September 13. *Donated yarn needed for the quilting, knitting and crocheting projects. - Three Forks Food Bank: Volunteer

needed on Mondays and/or Thursdays to help with administrative duties, including answer phones and questions, some paper and computer work. They will train. - Your unique skills and interests are

needed, without making a long-term com-mitment, in a variety of ongoing, special, one-time events. Contact: Debi Casagranda, RSVP Pro-

gram Coordinator, 807 N. Tracy, Bozeman, MT 59715; phone (406) 587-5444; fax (406) 582 8499; email: dcasagranda@thehrdc.org

Musselshell, Golden Valley and Petroleum counties- Food Bank: Distribute food commodities

to seniors and others in the community; help unload the truck as needed.

See RSVP, Page 20

Below is a list of volunteer openings available through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) in communities across southern Montana. To learn more about RSVP, call (800) 424-8867 or TTY (800) 833-3722 or log on to www. seniorcorps.org.

RSVP

Thursday, June 4 American Legion Baseball, Laurel Dodgers vs Lewistown, 6 p.m., Thomson Park, Laurel Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park Interpretive Programs, Thursdays and Fridays, 8 p.m., through September 5, Whitehall

Friday, June 5 Lower Yellowstone Amateur Radio Club, through June 7, Fairgrounds, Glendive The Brewery Follies, weekends through August 30, Virginia City Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. through June 14, Blue Slipper Theatre, 113 E. Callender St., Livingston

Saturday, June 6 Farmers Market, Saturdays through Oct. 10, Glendive Nevada City Living History Weekends, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., through Sept. 27, Lantern Tours start at 9:30 p.m., Nevada City Beartooth Ball Passport to Paris, Red Lodge

Tuesday, June 9 ABC City League Tournament, through June 13, Glendive

Thursday, June 11 Livingston Craft Beer Week, through June 16, Katabatic and Neptunes breweries, Livingston

Saturday, June 13 Buzzard Day, Makoshika State Park, Glendive

Bump-N-Run, Fairgrounds, Glendive Governors Cup, races start at 6 a.m., registration fees vary by race, Helena Pioneer Power Day Threshing Bee, Lewistown

Wednesday, June 17 Gordon Lightfoot, 7:30 p.m., Alberta Bair Theater, Billings

Friday, June 19 Reception: Best of the Sweet Grass, Sweet Grass County Artists, Two Rivers Gallery, Big Timber The Montana Festival of the Horse, through June 21, Billings Gardiner NRA Rodeo, through June 20, Gardiner Monty Pythons Spamalot, weekends through July 12, Shane Center, Livingston

Saturday, June 20 Anaconda Bicycle Festival, through June 21, start times and registration fees vary by race, Anaconda Billings Biggest Garage Sale, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Metra Park, Billings Adventure Cycling: Montana Big Sky Country, through June 27, Bozeman Longest Day of Trails, guided bike rides, Bozeman Abate Poker Run, Fairgrounds, Glendive Brothel Days, through June 21, Virginia City

Monday, June 22 Babe Ruth City League Tournament, through June 27, Glendive

Thursday, June 25 Music on Main, Thursdays through Aug. 13, Bozeman A Symphony of Wine, Bozeman Little Big Horn Days, through June 28, Hardin

Friday, June 26 Big Timber Rodeo, through June 27, Big Timber Badlands Drifters Cars in the Park, through June 27, Glendive Farmers Market, Fridays through Sept. 25, Red Lodge

Saturday, June 27 Sweet Grass Festival with Kyle Park, 8:30 p.m., Big Timber Bluegrass Festival, noon, Pine Creek United Methodist Church, East River Road, Pine Creek

Sunday, June 28 St. Timothys Summer Music Festival, 4 p.m., through August 23, Georgetown Lake, Philipsburg

Thursday, July 2 28th Annual Festival of the Arts, through July 4, Rotary Park, Livingston Roundup Rodeo Parade, 2 p.m., downtown Livingston Roundup Rodeo, through July 4, Park County Rodeo Grounds, Livingston

June 2015 20

RSVP, from Page 19

- Meals on Wheels Program: Deliver meals to the housebound in the community, just one day a week, an hour and a half, meal provided.- MVH Museum: Volunteers needed to in

many capacities such as guides, mainte-nance, yard work, historic preservation, board meetings, record keeping and fund-raising.- Nursing Home: Piano players and sing-

ers needed on Fridays to entertain residents, also assistant needed in activities for resi-dents to enrich supported lifestyle.- Senior Bus: Volunteers to pickup folks

who are unable to drive themselves.- Senior Center: Volunteers are needed to

provide meals, clean up in the dining room and/or keep records; meal provided.- RSVP offers maximum flexibility and

choice to its volunteers as it matches the personal interests and skills of older Ameri-cans with opportunities to serve their com-munities. You choose how and where to serve. Volunteering is an opportunity to learn new skills, make friends and connect with your community. Contact: Shelley Halvorson, South Cen-

tral MT RSVP, 315 1/2 Main St., Ste. #1, Roundup, MT 59072; phone (406) 323-1403; fax (406) 323-4403; email: rdprsvp2@midrivers.com ; Facebook: South Central MT RSVP.

Park County- Big Brothers Big Sisters: Mentor and

positive role models to a boy or girl need-ed, one hour a week.

- Fix-It-Brigade: Needs volunteers of all ages and skill levels for 2 hour tasks on your schedule to help seniors or veterans with small home repairs and chores, such as changing a light bulb, mending a fence, cleaning up a yard.- Livingston Downtown Builders Associa-

tion: Needs drivers able to drive a double clutch vehicle, and docents for the Yellow Bus Tours this summer, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 1 and 2 p.m., training provided.- Livingston Health and Rehab: Activity

volunteers needed weekends for bingo call-ers and movie showings; Monday-Friday 9-11 a.m. for coffee and reading the local news; Tuesdays and Thursdays 7 p.m. movie night.

June Calendar

2015

See RSVP, Page 22

Breakfast Frittatas10 small potatoes1 medium onion, sliced1 tbsp. olive oil1/2 cup ham diced or 6 slices bacon6 eggs1/4 c. milk1 c. grated cheeseSalt, pepper and herbs to taste

Wash potatoes. Leave skins on. Boil potatoes about 20 minutes or until fully cooked. Allow to cool. Slice and place in bottom of large, greased baking dish. Cook onion in oil if using ham. If using bacon, cook bacon first to your liking. Add onions and saute in bacon grease. Layer onions and meat over potatoes. Beat eggs, milk and cheese together with herbs. Pour egg mixture over potatoes, onions and meat. Press down until all potatoes, onions and meat pieces are covered by egg mixture. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until eggs have set and top is golden.

Note: The last time I made frittatas, chives and tarragon were available in the garden, so I used those herbs.

Basil/Avocado Pesto1 c. packed fresh basil leaves1/2 large ripe avocado

2 cloves garlic2 tbsp. walnuts2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice1 tbsp. lemon zest2 tbsp. water, plus more if necessary1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheeseSea salt, to taste

Add basil, avocado, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice and lemon zest to food processor. Pulse for 20 seconds or until pesto is chopped. Add in water and process again until completely smooth. You may need to add more water to get it to your desired consistency; I like mine a little on the thicker side. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cheese.

Store in an airtight container or sealed mason jar and refrigerate. Pesto is best if used within a few days, otherwise you can freeze it for several months.

NOTES: A half cup spinach may be added for extra nutrition. Pine nuts may be used instead of walnuts, but they pack more saturated fat. Asiago cheese gives the pesto more of a bite.

On The MenuWith Jim Durfey

June 2015 21

It may be good ... but can it pass the Leftover Test?

If a home chef prepares a meal that all the dinner guests rave about, thats great. But if there are leftovers that find a permanent home in the fridge, that isnt so good.When you cook a dish that is a hit when its first brought to the table and then disappears quickly after the leftovers are in the fridge, thats when you know youre headed for the Cooking Hall of Fame.

The two recipes below have been used by your Best Times recipe contributor to make dishes that pass the Leftover Test.

When frittata leftovers end up the fridge, they vanish in less than 24 hours. Sometimes I think there must be a tyran-nosaurus rex living in the basement of the Durfey shack. When my wife and I are at work, it makes its way to the main floor of the house and devours every morsel of the frit-tatas.

Although frittatas are often served as a breakfast item, my

wife and I dont eat a substantial breakfast. We prefer to eat our frittatas at the evening meal. But if you have summer guests and youre taking them for a long hike in Yellowstone National Park or in Makoshika State Park, for example, a breakfast that features frittatas is the perfect way to start out the day.

The basil/avocado pesto also seems to be able to disappear at will. Pestos are finding their way into all sorts of food dishes these days. They star as a pizza sauce, a sandwich spread, an ingredient in fish tacos and, of course, a dip for chips. Your dinner guests will never guess that this type of pesto is much lower in fat than typical pestos. It packs lots of flavor even without all the extra fat.

Dont skimp on the lemon juice. If you give the pesto a nice citrus punch, the flavor will be divine.

Q. Whether or not its the smelliest cheese in the world can be debated. But what is it that gives Limburger cheese such a powerful stink?

A. It was 1867 when the first such cheese was created in the cellar of Rudolph Benkerts in the former Duchy of Limburg (now split up into the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium), says Ian Crofton in A Curious History of Food and Drink. The notorious smell of this semi-hard white goats cheese is generated by the microorganism used in the fermentation process, Brevibacterium linens. Oddly, this same bacterium also causes human foot odor. A 2006 study revealed that the malaria-spreading mosquito is equally attracted to the smell of Limburger and the smell of human feet.

Q. When can kids having lots of active, fast-paced fun be harnessed to generate electricity that can power a light to read or do homework?

A. When they are supplied with Soccket balls and Pulse jump ropes made by the New York-based company Uncharted Play (UP), whose focus is to get them into the hands of kids in underdeveloped countries, says Jim Sullivan in Discover magazine. Play is movement and requires plenty of energy; kinetic energy can be transferred into electricity, the same way a self-

winding watch uses the movement of the wearer to wind itself up.

Soccket is a soccer ball and rolling power plant in one, converting every corner kick or header into battery-stored power via an internal DC generator ... Then small appliances can be plugged into it (such as the LED lamp included with each ball) using a typical USB adapter. Just 30 minutes of play produces three hours of power, while six to eight hours can generate a full charge of 72 hours.

In Muslim countries, where boys and girls are not allowed to play together, the company noticed that the boys were excited about playing Soccket soccer, while many of the girls were off to the side jumping rope, says Nicole Brown, UP vice president of marketing. Enter Pulse, a jump rope with each handle containing an energy-harnessing mechanism. The rope doubles Socckets output so that just 15 minutes of play converts into six hours of energy. Adds Sullivan: Pulse was also designed to be compatible with iPhones, which can be charged with an adapter that plugs directly into both of the jump ropes handles.

Next up: UP hopes to develop a skateboard with power-generating wheels.

Q. Somewhere around the year 1800, the worlds population reached one

billion people (1,000,000,000), then two billion by 1930. What happened in 2011?

A. According to experts, that was the year the worlds population hit seven billion, as reported in 5000 Awesome Facts by National Geographic for Kids. If that number doesnt sound very big, consider that it would take a person an estimated 200 years to count to seven billion out loud! Looking at the balance of things, about every second five people are born and two people die. As these numbers add up, well probably reach nine billion by 2045.

Todays seven billion people reside in 194 countries and speak some 7,000 languages. Slightly more are male than female, with a median age of 28 years. Typically most are right-handed. Remarkably, seven billion text messages are sent every 30 hours in the U.S. alone.

Looking at the sweep of time, a total 100 billion humans have lived on Earth, and of all these, only 7 percent are living today. Lucky us!

Q. How are astronauts affected by spending a year in the zero gravity of space?

A. The sustained body weightlessness may bring on weakening of the calf muscles, quadriceps, and neck and back muscles that must generally work against the force of gravity, says Jeffrey Kluger in Time magazine. Bones may lose minerals and weaken, and as calcium is flushed from the body it may become concentrated into kidney stones. Plus, skin thins and loses elasticity, at times becoming more sensitive and giving way to infections and slower healing.

The eyes also can be affected as unweighted fluids shift upward, putting pressure on the optic nerve and eyeball and leading to a loss of visual acuity. Ear problems can bring on motion sickness

June 2015 22

By Bill Sones and Rich Sones, Ph.D.Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at strangetrue@cs.com

Why does Limburger cheese

stink so much?

RSVP, from Page 20

- Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen: Volun-teers needed to prepare meals.- Main Streeter Thrift Store: Someone

who enjoys working with the public. Come help greet customers, ring up purchases, label and hang clothes and accept dona-tions. - Meals on Wheels: Always need substi-

tute drivers to deliver meals to seniors in their home.- RSVP: Has many one-time events,

including mailings and fundraising events that require volunteers.- RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to knit

and crochet caps and scarves for each child at Head Start, also as gifts for children of prenatal classes, and baby hats and afghans for the hospital newborns; Thursdays, 1-2 p.m. at the Senior Center.- Senior Center: Need volunteers, Thurs-

days, 1 p.m., to cut unsold clothing into rags to be sold for proceeds to the center.

- Stafford Animal Shelter: Kindhearted volunteers needed to socialize cats and kit-tens, and to walk the dogs. - Transportation: Volunteer drivers need-

ed to help patients keep doctor appoint-ments; some gas mileage assistance may be provided. Contact: Deb Downs, Program Coordi-

nator, 111 So. 2nd St., Livingston, MT 59047; phone (406) 222-2281; email: deb-downs@rsvpmt.org

and disorientation until the body adapts, then these symptoms may recur during reacclima-tion to gravity back on Earth. Add in tight schedules and ambient noise and sleep may be disrupted, resulting in as little as six good hours a night and bringing on anxiety and reduced alertness.

At the heart of the matter, of course, is a potentially weakening ticker as it no longer has to work against gravity to pump fluids to the upper extremities.

Damage-limiting countermeasures include exercising for two hours a day, eating a well-regulated diet, wearing lower body pressure-restoring garments and finally, maintaining regular communication with folks back home.

Q. Which solar systems are more likely to harbor extraterrestrials? Think geome-try here, and call this one the circle of life.

A. Having lots of planets helps the chances, since the more planets a star has, the more cir-cular their orbits are apt to be, says Ken Cro-swell in Scientific American magazine. With circular orbits, the planets dont interfere with one another; moreover, they dont move too close to their star and thus burn up or move too far away and freeze.

Our own solar system fits this pattern, with eight (or nine) planets moving around the sun in fairly circular paths. For example, Earths

orbit has an eccentricity of just 1.7 percent (eccentricity ranges from 0 percent for a perfect circle and approaches 100 percent for extreme ellipses). Mercury and Pluto, on the other hand, pursue oval-shaped orbits, with 21 percent and 25 percent eccentricities. Yet these are tame compared with many other stars where the planets have eccentricities exceeding 60 percent, 70 percent, even 80 percent.

Thus intelligent beings are more likely to prosper on planets with circular orbits, Cro-swell concludes. Such beings would see many other worlds orbiting their star, just as we do and may even bicker over which ones are truly planets.

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