Hey, AA, you voted this guy in?

An Honorable Death

Beats lying in your own shit at some Yankee version of an NHS facility.

Herr Rotter Von Missoula Pens a Masterpiece

Because it is those uncouth peasants of the Reagan Right that are the problem.

Questions Nobody Is Asking

AA on horseback?

A Fine Piece from Montana

When Rot chases after those mountain goats

Who's up and who's down

Vacation over

Sorry you guys missed it.

Without AA, Bozeman hits the skids

JJ Rove

Several independent organizations that track the Electoral College math now classify Montana, based on public polling, as a toss up. That includes former Bush adviser Karl Rove, who also classifies North Dakota as a toss up. Great, JJ, just great. You're doing a heckuva job.

A Card Carrying Boston Liberal Gets It

Simple, yet utterly to the point. No Le Pewian "truthinessy' needed when hard reality is before you.

"Yet, in every one of my encounters with America's rural communities, the diversity of my privileged experience was eclipsed by the depth of theirs. I had rhetoric; they had well-measured speech, punctuated by forbearing silences. I had easy answers; they knew there was no such thing.

It is not that the Republican base is anti-intellectual, as David Broder claims; they are anti-elitist. An Ivy League education is hardly a universal signal of competence in anything other than the liberal cultural canon."

Montana & Romania join Planet Pepe

What the GUT is going on?

"Cheap Drinks, Lousy Food": see pic taken from Alzada, Montana...

Gentlemen,

I give you the hamlet that is Alzada, in Carter County, Montana. Or at least a pic (please click on the pic and take a look at the subtitles of the establishment) of one of the two local watering holes. See pic I snapped this afternoon of one local bar, and click on the wiki link for more: The business activity in Alzada today consists mainly of two bars, a mechanic shop, a gas station and a post office.

Death to Mosquitoes...

The paradox continues: scorching heat keeps the mosquitoes down (a bit), but causes amazing fatigue in the field. Cooler temps allows the body to cool, but provides a neat atmosphere for mosquitoes to feed. Check out those little black dots in the photo, and rearview mirror. Those are the little disease-carrying bastards. No malaria gets up this way, but West Nile Virus has been reported in all the upper Plains states. The fun continues...

USAF B-1 Bomber Pic

This was the second pass. I barely had time to pull the camera from the case and flip it on before the B-1 was out of sight. Click on the picture for a better view. The B-1 is centered. This was taken in southeastern Montana: tornados one day, B-1s the next. It's starting to get fucking weird out here, and this is coming from a born-and-raised Plainsman.

MFT's Sunday Afternoon Tornado Stroll...

Archaeology on the high Plains isn't for pussies. The winter brings temps of roughly -30, and in the summer it can easily top out around 110. Humidity is another characteristic, and if the wind isn't blowing its usual 25-35 mph, the mosquitos will remind you of the wonders of a calm day. Geology dictates a lot of this: pot holes and alkaline soil make for wonderful mosquito breeding grounds. Andrew Spielman wrote some great book on it some years ago. But back to meteorology: about half way on the hike into the project area, I looked south of our position and said to my co-worker, "That one is touching down..." We thought it prudent to return to the vehicle, which was only about a 1/2 mile away. Lightning strikes were harder to get with the camera, but I assure you bolts were coming down all around. Electric for sure. Here's to the strength of Thor, and the wisdom of Odin. Enjoy.

Man and Nature

Perhaps this is a George Perkins Marsh moment. Perhaps not. I snapped this in Carter County, southeastern Montana yesterday. The dozer appears inoperable, and there are daises growing out from behind the blade. The two-track road is rarely, if ever, travelled, not to mention barely maintained. It all seemed photogenic with the buttes in the background, too. These are the same buttes that represent the very tail-end of the Rockies, and the beginning of the Black Hills and western Dakota (both north and south) Badlands. Enjoy.

Porcupine, Lakotah

WTF is this "Republic"? You guys ever heard of it?

Lonesome Places On the Very High Plains

Travel well, MFT

Archaic Survey on the High Plains

It's probable that AI and Pepe are off doing research and writing during their summer hours, yes? JJ is, naturally, researching Italia and impala herds. I think AA is making trips up and down the coast of the Pac-NW (at least the last I heard). Here's a couple pics of mft doing a bit of archaeological survey and cultural resource inventory (see Section 106 of Public Law 102-575) on the high Plains.

That shiny or satin sheen stuff you see in the middle photo is either petrified wood or Knife River Flint. The last time it was touched was likely by the AmerIndian who created it many, many, many years ago.

Equally important: great steaks in the evening, especially when out doing the survey in cattle country. All the better with icy-cold beer, too.

That's all. Enjoy the pics.

~mft