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Carnegie libraries in Montana Growing your own food

Senior farmers and ranchers keep at it

The Iris Lady

June 2014

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June 2014 2

Bookshelf .................................................Page 3Opinion ....................................................Page 4Savvy Senior ............................................Page 5On the Menu ............................................Page 19

Volunteering .............................................Page 20Calendar ...................................................Page 21Strange But True ......................................Page 22

INSIDE

News Lite

Michigan zoo sells exotic animal dooBATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) A zoo in southern Michigan

is selling a composted mixture of manure produced by exotic ani-mals.

Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek hosted a Zoo Doo eventMay 29 and will host another June 5.

Horticulturist Frank Cummins told the Battle Creek Enquirerthat the zoo has compost available from herbivores that sells at$25 a load to zoo members and $30 for nonmembers. Cumminssays that the price is a deal, since cow manure can sell for around$2 or $3 a bag.

The Kalamazoo Gazette says zebra, antelope, giraffe and otheranimals are contributing to the gardening aid.

Binder Park Zoo says its a fun and creative way to raisemoney and dispose of waste. It also uses the compost as fertilizerat its facilities.

Half-sisters meet for the first time, after 85 years

JENKS, Okla. (AP) A woman in her 80s met her 94-year-old half-sister over the Memorial Day weekend the first timethe siblings had ever set eyes on each other.

KOTV reports that 85-year-old Zelda Gates didnt even knowshe had a half-sister until she read her fathers will.

On Monday, Gates finally met Reta Knight, her older half-sis-ter, in Jenks, about 12 miles south of Tulsa.

Knight says her father left her and her mother and she alwayswondered why. She says her mother was evasive when she asked,so she didnt push the subject.

Family members used old pictures and online genealogyresources to make sure of the connection.

Gates says meeting her sister for the first time was wonderful.She noted that the two look alike, too.

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By Montana Best Times Staff

We baby boomers like to put off think-ing about retirement at least the partthat involves planning ahead for finances,health care, housing and things like that.

And dont count on us to do it wayahead of time. But five years ahead ofretirement is more realistic.

And thats the message of The FiveYears Before You Retire, by Emily GuyBirken.

Five years from retirement seems real-istic to me because thats the point atwhich it really hits home to most peoplethat theyre actually going to retire in theforeseeable future, writes Birken in theintroduction to her new book.

However, even though half of all Ameri-cans have put money aside for retirement,many still dont have enough in their sav-ings to retire at the age theyd like, says anews release on The Five Years BeforeYou Retire.

Birken shows those who have been sav-ing since their first job and those just start-ing to plan how to maximize their currentinvestments and finally enjoy the futurethey deserve.

The most critical years in retirementplanning is the last five years that iswhen people determine whether they cantruly afford to retire during that time,according to Forbes, the release said.Birkens tips provide a safe path for retir-ees to figure out what they need to do now

to ensurethey livecomfortablyfor years tocome.

Coveringevery aspect ofretirement plan-ning, The FiveYears BeforeYou Retire helpsthose near toretirement createa realistic plan fortheir future, usingchecklists, quizzes,and charts on everything from expendi-tures to taxes, inflation, and health carecosts, the release said.

The books table of contents give a goodoverview of the excellent information onretirement planning:

Part One: The Nitty-Gritty of Retire-ment Finances

Chapter 1: How Far Away Are You? Chapter 2: Saving and Budgeting for

the Next Five Years Chapter 3: Income in Retirement Chapter 4: Find the Right Financial

PlannerPart Two: The Government Giveth (and

Taketh Away) Chapter 5: What to Expect from Social

Security Chapter 6: Taxes and Your Retirement

Income

Chapter 7: What to Expect from Medi-care

Chapter 8: Planning for Health-CareExpenses in Retirement

Part Three: Home, Family, and OtherConsiderations

Chapter 9: Housing in Retirement Chapter 10: The Family Fortunes Chapter 11: Creating a Budget on a

Retirement Income Chapter 13: If You Dont Have Enough

SavedEmily Guy Birken is a finance writer

who writes the Live Like a Mensch col-umn for The Dollar Stretcher. She is also acontributor to Wise Bread, PT Money,Money Crashers, Yahoo! Finance andBusiness Insider, and many other personalfinance sites. She edits and writes the blogfor FinCon blog, an annual conference forfinancial bloggers. You can visit her atsahmnambulist.blogspot.com.

Bookshelf

June 2014 3

The 5 Years Before You Retire:Retirement Planning When You Needit the Most By Emily Guy BirkenAdams Media 2014 Paperback239 pages 5 1/2 x 8 1/2$17.99 ISBN-13: 978-1-4405-6972-2

What to do in thoseimportant years

before the big day

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June 2014 4

Opinion

Why they do what they do

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and Better M O N T A N A

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) 222-8580E-mail: montanabesttimes@livent.net Subscription rate: $25/yr.Published monthly by Yellowstone Newspapers, Livingston, Montana

A story in this issue on senior farmers and ranchers part of aseries of three articles weve organized under the theme of Grow-ing Montana talks about how those producers just wont quitthe life they love, despite their age.

I dont know what else wed be doing. We enjoy this more thananything, Montana Best Times writer Deb Hill quotes Joyce Dahl-hausen, 75, of Moccasin, who with her husband Frank, 77, raise cat-tle on their ranch.

We were never money chasers, says David Shipman, who, evenat 76, still runs cattle north of Lewistown. And Im not in a hurryto buy a new outfit and go off to some place else. I enjoy what I do.Thats why Ive never worked a day in my life.

Then theres Jim Lewis, a farmer who at 81 81! is still onthe job in the small community of Ware.

Theres nothing better than being outside at about 5 a.m. and lis-tening to the birds and animals, seeing the fields, watching the suncome up, he says in Hills story. Its hard for me to imagine doingsomething else I just like what I do here too much to quit.

I have an inkling of what they feel like.One of the times I felt most satisfied with a job, maybe even when I

felt most alive, was when as a teenager I worked for a dairy farmer inIowa. I worked hard all day baling hay, cultivating fields, carryingnewborn calves into the barn and bottle feeding them, shovelingmanure and spreading it on the fields, pitchforking sweet, fermentingsilage from tall silos out to bawling cows, and coming home smelling

of sweat and the products I worked with manure, chopped-up cornstalks, calf milk and hay.

And it felt good. No, it felt great . I was tired to the bone at theend of every day, but I felt like I had actually done something something needed, worthwhile and totally satisfying.

Im not a farmer today, but some days after a long day of staringat pixels on a computer screen

There you go. Thats why the Dahlhausens and Lewis and81-year-old Jim Lewis keep doing what theyre doing. Its a greatlife. Who would want to quit?

We salute them and the other gardeners and growers depicted inthis issue of Montana Best Times. Keep at it.

Dwight Harriman Montana Best Times Editor

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Dear Savvy Senior, At age 63, I will be retiring in a few months and need to find

some health insurance coverage for my wife and me until Medicare kicks in. Is Obamacare my only option?

About to Retire

Dear About, There are actually several places early (pre-Medicare) retirees

can go to find health insurance coverage Obamacare isnt theonly game in town. Here are your options depending on yourincome and health care needs.

Government marketplaces If your yearly income falls below the 400 percent poverty level,the Obamacare insurance marketplace is probably your best

option for getting health coverage because of the federal tax cred-its they offer, which will reduce the amount youll have to pay fora policy. To qualify for the tax credits, your households modified adjust-

ed gross income for 2013 must have been under $45,960 for anindividual, or $62,040 for a couple. If your income will dropbelow the 400 percent poverty level in 2014 or 2015 because ofyour retirement, it may still make sense to buy coverage throughthe Obamacare marketplace, even if you dont qualify for the taxcredits based on last years income. To help you see how much you can save, see the subsidy calcu-

lator on the Kaiser Family Foundation website at kff.org/interac-tive/subsidy-calculator. To shop for marketplace plans in your state, visit Healthcare.

gov or call their toll-free help line at (800) 318-2596.

Outside the marketplace If you arent eligible for the government subsidy, or you want

additional policy options to what Obamacare offers, you can alsobuy health coverage outside the government marketplaces direct-ly through insurance companies, brokers or agents. This option isnot available if you live in Washington D.C. or Vermont. These policies do not offer the federal tax credits, but they are

required to offer the same menu of essential benefits as Obam-acare policies do, and they cant deny you coverage or chargeextra for pre-existing health conditions. You might even findslightly lower premiums on outside policies, assuming that youdont qualify for the tax credits. Another possible reason for shopping outside the marketplace is

to find a plan that has your preferred doctors and hospitals in itsnetwork. Many plans offered in the Obamacare marketplaces pro-vide a very limited number of health care providers. To shop for these policies, contact insurance companies, bro-

kers or agents and ask them if they offer policies that are notavailable through the government marketplaces. To find a local broker or agent that sells insurance plans, check

the National Association of Health Underwriters website (nahu.org) which has an online directory. But keep in mind that agentswont necessarily show you all available policies, just the onesfrom insurers they work with. You can also look for these plans at insurance shopping sites

like eHealthInsurance.com or GoHealth.com, which lists plansand providers that may not be listed on Healthcare.gov.

COBRA If you only need health insurance coverage for a short period of

time before becoming Medicare eligible, another option you maywant to consider is COBRA. COBRA coverage allows you toremain on your former employers group health plan for up to 18

months, but not every employer plan is COBRA eligible. Contactyour employer benefits administrator to find out if yours is. In most cases COBRA is expensive, requiring you to pay the

full monthly premium yourself. But, if youve already met ornearly met your employer plans deductible and/or out-of-pocketmaximum for the year, and dont want to start over with a newplan; or if you find your employers health plan to be better ormore affordable that the government or off-marketplace options,it makes sense to keep your current coverage under COBRA.

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

Jim Miller, creator of the syndicated SavvySenior information column, is a longtimeadvocate of senior issues. He has been featured inTime magazine; is author of The Savvy Senior:The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family andFinances for Senior Citizens; and is a regularcontributor to the NBC Today show.

June 2014 5

Health Insurance Optionsfor Early Retirees

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By Laura NelsonPioneer Staff Writer

BIG TIMBER Its all in the library.From dismal emigrant beginnings to rail-

way riches, his name was associated with

everything from Pinkerton agency shootoutsto man-made, deathly flooding, clearing outtroops in the Civil War and establishing anew way of giving to the needy.

His isnt just an adventure story foundon a shelf in a library, either.

The story of Andrew Carnegie is onethat built them.

A short man whocast a long shadow

He was known as a short man who cast

a long shadow, Crazy Mountain MuseumDirector Steve Harvey said.

In celebration of The Big Timber Carne-gie Librarys 2014 Centennial Celebration,Harvey compiled the fascinating history ofthe man whose name appears on hundredsof libraries across the nation.

Andrew Carnegie was known as manythings in his time, Harvey explained, manywhich did not come with very positive con-notations. He was often considered a robberbaron, a king of steel, a mastermind billion-aire, a giant of industry and even held thetitle of richest man alive in the early 1900s.

America really grew up, vertically, onCarnegie Steel, Harvey said. Because ofhis steel, he started building the skyscrapersthat literally built many of the skylines we

know today. Whatever he touched, he mademoney on.

Carnegie was also a man known for say-ing, A man who dies rich dies disgraced,Harvey said.

He really re-arranged how people lookedat charity at that time, Harvey said. Hereally made that transition from chari-ty, which was giving to a specific relief orpurpose, to philanthropy, which was giv-ing to create social change.

As the century turned and Western devel-opment boomed, Carnegie spent more than$55 million of his wealth on libraries alone.In all his philanthropic pursuits, he wouldgive away more than $350 million dollars.

What would compel him to give awayall that money? Harvey asked. Thatswhat compelled me, to try and understandhis thinking, his motivation.

Understanding why To understand that, the museum director

said, one must travel further into Carnegies

history to the days of his poverty-strickenyouth.After working in the textile industry in his

early and late teen years, Carnegie got hisfirst big break as a telegraph boy inhis Pennsylvania town $2.50 a week wasa big upgrade from his days as a bobbinboy in the factory, Harvey noted. A retiredmerchant organized a Saturday club formany of the telegraph boys to gather andperuse his personal library. That was the keyto education for the boy who went to schoolonly until the age of 8.

Later, his purpose for building librarieswould be founded on two principles: thatthey always be free to use and open toall. The first of his public libraries wasopened in 1883 in his birthplace of Dunferm-line, Scotland. Six years later, the first inAmerica would open in Braddock, Penn.

Carnegie libraries in MontanaThe Big Timber Carnegie Library marks

a century in existence this year, having joined the family of Carnegies benefactorsin 1914. Over the course of 17 years, 17

June 2014 6

A history sharedCarnegie libraries in Big Timber and around

Montana were made possible by a big, historic gure

Photo by Lindsey Erin Kroskob/courtesy of Big Timber PioneerAndrew Carnegie, played by Big Timbers John Esp, has made several guestappearances in 2014 at the Big Timber Carnegie Library, where he enjoys readingto children.

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Carnegie libraries were establishedthroughout Montana; Miles City was thehome of Montanas first Carnegie Libraryin 1901.

More than 2,500 Carnegie libraries arefound around the world, with 1,689 in theUnited States. Carnegie was partial tosmaller communities 70 percent of thelibraries are found in towns with less than10,000 souls.

And they were all built in a span ofabout 30 years so in one generation, allthese new libraries appeared, Harveysaid. Thats really incredible.

Harvey painted a bleak picture of librarylife in the late 1800s. In 1894, there wereonly 400 public libraries in the Unit-ed States, and only 46 of those were westof the Mississippi.

Today, nine of the original 17 Carnegielibraries in Montana still operate as librar-ies, including those in Big Timber, Dillon,Fort Benton, Hamilton, Hardin, Lewis-town, Livingston, Miles City and RedLodge. Fifteen of the original buildings arestill standing, serving, in addition to librar-ies, as government office buildings, art gal-leries, historic museums and more. Sevenbuildings are listed on the National Regis-ter of Historic Places.

Nearly 400 Carnegie libraries across thenation hold that National Register listing,Harvey said, which gives the librariesthe distinction of being the largest group ofbuildings with that honor.

The libraries were built from a key of sixdifferent floor plans, Harvey noted BigTimbers was floor plan A but nolibrary was supposed to be the same. Therewere no requirements that Carnegies namebe in the librarys title, although manywere so named, and common design ele-ments ran through the different sites. Mosthave lampposts set outside the front doorswith a Greek inscription that reads, Letthere be light.

Thats very fitting, Harvey said.Carnegies libraries would bring that

light of free, public education to all thosewho desired it and desired to better them-selves, Harvey noted. All Carnegie Librar-ies had to fit the formula by demonstrat-ing a need for a library, providing a build-ing site and providing a matching grant.

He wanted the town to support it, Har-vey said.

A roving band of books Before the Carnegie Library, Big Tim-

bers first collection was put together in1901, although it was a mobile librarythat wandered from stores to churches toorganization homes, Harvey said.

The library board was formed in 1906,after years of a couple feisty gals run-ning point on organizing a home for theroving band of books, Harvey explained.The Big Timber Womens Club spearhead-ed efforts to purchase a plot of land for theproposed library.

All across the west, the womens clubswere a force to be reckoned with. They

were who got all that done, Harvey said.In 1912, Big Timbers library president,

J.A. Lowrey, wrote to Carnegie, requestingfunds for the library with those stan-dards met. The city was awarded $7,500,based on the towns population, and a onemill tax was established to fund the library,which is still in effect today.

Harvey shared a quote found in TedJones Carnegie Libraries Across Ameri-ca book: There is no city so great that itdoes not wear its library as its chief jewel.

Big Timber will continue to celebrate itschief jewel throughout the centennial year,Harvey said, with its largest event collabo-rating with the communitys annual SweetGrass Fest and Rodeo event June 28.

Contact Laura Nelson at editor@bigtim-berpioneer.net or (406) 932-5298.

June 2014 7

Above: The Big Timber CarnegieLibrary opened its doors in April 2014.Photo courtesy of Big Timber Friendsof the Library

Left: Crazy Mountain Museum directorSteve Harvey compiled a history of thelife of Andrew Carnegie.Photo by Laura Nelson/

courtesy Big Timber Pioneer

Celebrating a Centuryof Library Learning

Big Timber is getting ready to celebrateits Carnegie Library turning 100. A num-ber of events are planned for The LibrarysBig Day, set for Saturday, June 28. Following is the schedule: Noon Registration begins. Starting

at noon and taking place throughout theevent will be tours of the library, facepainting for children, trolley rides andmusical entertainment on the library lawn.

12:30 p.m. History of CarnegieLibraries Lecture, presented by CrazyMountain Museum Director Steve Harvey,in the Community Room. 2 p.m. Sweet Grass Fest Parade

begins. There will be chairs and shade atthe library lawn for parade watchers. Cur-rent and former librarians will serve asparade marshals. The theme of the parade

is 100 Years of Books and Broncs. 3:30 p.m. Centennial CelebrationProgram begins on the library lawn. TheLegion Honor Guard will present the flag.Speakers will include Gov. Steve Bullockor his representative; State Librarian JenniStapp; and library and local governmentofficials. A letter will be read from VartanGregorian, president of the Carnegie Cor-poration, New York City. Librarians andothers will be recognized. 4 p.m. Cake Contest winners will

be announced and a $100 grand prizeawarded. Cake Silent Auction will con-

clude. The birthday cake will be served byFriends of the Library. Events are free and open to all, just as

Andrew Carnegie would have wanted it.

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By Kathleen GillulyMontana Best Times

LAUREL To the delight of collec-tors and neighbors, over 800 varieties ofTall Bearded Iris show their majestic col-ors every June in a northeast Laurelneighborhood.

Muriel Zahm has been tending to herassemblage, cultivating the plants andselling their offspring for the past 46years. Like the plumage of showy birds,the irises strut their stuff once a year for

just a few weeks. During that time, thespectacular sight of blooming flowerscovering about a quarter of an acre drawsiris fanciers, children on field trips,seniors from assisted living homes andothers who are just in awe from the won-der of so many irises.

It isnt just the colors or the beauty ofthe blooms that attracts buyers, Zahm

explained while pulling some peskyweeds from the around the green fan-likeleaf blades of new growth. A lot of peo-ple chose them because of their name.

Cultivating irises With monikers like Lemon Pop, Honk

Your Horn, Amarillo Frills, Music SweetMusic, Lost and Found, Rancho Rose, OnEdge and Fabuleux, the varieties or irisare almost endless, as are the colors.

The man who creates these crosses inOhio names them, she said. Some are

named after the colors hes cultivated, oth-ers are just whatever catches his fancy.

Although Zahms garden brings forthhundreds of colors, she advises people totend to the blooms, as she does, to keepthem from crossing with each other andreverting to purple.

I dont let any of them go to seed, shesaid. When they finish blooming I takeout every bloom stock.

That keeps the descendants pure. Eachnew baby iris, or rhizome, that grows offa mother plant is a perfect match.

June 2014 8

The Iris LadyRainbow of blooms a testament to Laurel gardeners expertise

MT Best Times photo by Kathleen GillulyOn the cover and at right: Muriel Zahm, owner of Muriels Iris Garden near Laurel,tends this seasons crop of irises.

EDITORS NOTE: Its springtime in Montana, and with this issue Montana Best Times celebrates the growing sea-son with a series of articles titled Growing Montana. The first story below features renown iris gardener MurielZahm, followed by a feature on the Dr. Greenthumbs business in Livingston (Page 10), and concluding with a piece onsenior farmers and ranchers in the Lewistown area who are just not going to quit what they love doing (Page 12).

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After the flowers die, Zahm tends to therhizomes, allowing them to grow to trans-plant size. At the end of July, she and herdaughters harvest and wash each bulb-likeoffshoot and the attached fan of newleaves and package them up according to

orders placed by customers that viewedthem in their glory during full bloom.Rocky Mountain iris, a wild variety, is

the only native iris found in Montana. Thedomesticated blooms Zahm raises, ruffledand bold like flamenco skirts, exhibit thesame toughness as their wild cousins. Thatmakes them an excellent choice for xeri-scaping, a method of landscaping thatreduces water usage and employs plantsthat require little maintenance.

My garden is a lot of work because of thesize and scope, she said. But in general,

these are super hardy and great to grow inMontana. They like lots of sunshine and theydont like to sit in water, so they do needgood drainage, but they are tough to kill.

Additionally, deer avoid iris, they multi-ply easily, and even recuperate from beingsprayed with the herbicide Zahm uses onweeds. A general balanced fertilizer workswell, she said.

Visitors welcome

Every year, in addition to faithful cus-

tomers, looky-loos and tours, the Big SkyIris Club comes for a picnic in Zahmsspacious yard. Iris fanciers from aroundthe state share their love of the tall, dra-matic flowers. Others come just to wanderthrough the large iris patch or to take pho-

tos. In general, the flowers will bloomthrough June 16, depending on the weath-er. Drop-in visitors are always welcome.

I love having children here, Zahmsaid. Last summer, a woman came withher grandchildren. She wanted to have pic-tures of them among the flowers. She hadthe little boy sit by one called BlowingKisses and had him blowing her kisses. Itwas precious.

Zahm welcomes anyone to visit her gar-den at 1525 E. Maryland Lane. The besttime to visit is the first week in June, shesaid, but the flowers are lovely for severalweeks. Each flower is identified by a signand folks can pick up an order form beforeperusing the plants. Prices and specificswill be on the form. The baby irises costbetween $3 and $6 each, depending on thecolors. Pink, orange and black are the pric-iest, as are the newest hybrids. A deep bur-gundy named Bewilderbeast is a deal at

just $3, as is the purple Judgement Call.For more information or to schedule a

tour, call Zahm at (406) 628-3048 orvisit her Facebook page at www.face-

book.com/MurielsIrisGarden. Contact Kathleen Gilluly at schools@

laureloutlook.com or (406) 628-4412.

June 2014 9

Photos courtesy of Muriel Zahm Above: Muriel Zahms iris plot is featured in full bloom during

a previous growing season.

Right: Iris varieties display their brilliant colors.

Irises inMontana

By Montana Best Times Staff Iris takes its name from the Greek

word for a rainbow, referring to thewide variety of flower colors foundamong the many species. As well asbeing the scientific name, iris is alsovery widely used as a common namefor all iris species. A common namefor some species is flags.

Rocky Mountain iris or Missouriiris (Iris missouriensis ) was collectedon July 5 or 6, 1806 by Captain Lewison the return trip through Montana,Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parkssays on its website.

This iris is the only native irisfound in Montana. It is fairly commonin western and central Montana andmakes a good choice as a native land-scaping plant.

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By Natalie StoreyMontana Best Times

All summer long, Marc Catellier eats Caprese salads, one of hisfavorite dishes, made from tomatoes and basil he grows in hisgarden.

The only thing I have to buy is mozzarella and olive oil, saidCatellier, who also owns Dr. Greenthumbs in Livingston.

He grows five different types of basil for his Caprese salads, hesaid.

Catelliers garden has slowly taken over the yard of his house,and he now grows so much food that he donates a great deal of itto the local food pantry.

A growing movementCatellier is part of a growing number of people who are turning

to gardening to provide their food.Interest in growing ones own food has grown nationally and in

Montana in recent years. While many older people remember atime when all households provided more for themselves, todaystrend toward 21st century homesteading is attempting to bringthat way of life back.

Urban gardens are popping up again in the yards of manyhomes, throwbacks to gardens people used to feed themselvesduring the Depression years of the 1930s. Several popular bookshave advocated and provided advice about how to grow andmake more of your own food, including Radical Homemakers:Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture by ShannonHayes and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life byBarbara Kingsolver. Both authors chronicle their attempts to pro-vide all of the food their families eat.

A number of factors are driving the trend toward growing onesown food, including concerns about food safety and quality,reducing grocery bills, and a desire for ones diet to be more envi-ronmentally friendly, according to an article in Mother Earth

June 2014 10

More and more Montanansare growing their own food

MT Best Times photos by Shawn RaeckeMarc Catellier is pictured in the grow room inside his business, Dr. Greenthumbs, in Livingston. He uses the room to startpeppers, basil and other plants in early spring.

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News on 21st century homesteading.Toby Day, the horticulture Extension

agent for Montana State University, saideconomics drive gardening trends in Mon-tana.

When economies go down, gardeningbecomes very popular, Day said. Wheth-er or not it actually saves money, Im notsure. But the idea of being self-sustainingis really tied to the economy.

From peppers to goats Agricultural educators in Montana say

that theres a spectrum of interest in grow-ing ones own food. Some people want to

grow only herbs and greens, while othersraise animals and vegetables that last theirfamilies throughout the year.

Mona Lewis, who founded ParadisePermaculture in Livingston, said peoplewho attend the food self-reliance classesshe offers are interested in growing foodon all scales.

I really believe we all have some agrar-ian roots, Lewis said. Its just goingback to common-sense knowledge andtaking care of our own lives.

Some people like Catellier grow their

own food because they cant find whatthey are looking for in the grocery store.

Catellier is a hot pepper enthusiast. Storesdont sell the varieties of peppers he likes,

such as the Carolina Reaper and the Ghostpepper alleged to be among the hotteston earth so he grows them himself. Hemakes his own hot sauce and barbecuesauce from the peppers.

Michele Evans, who lives on a modernhomestead in Park County, said it took herthree years to build a food system for herfamily. Now, almost everything they eatthey raise themselves, Evans said.

Evans teaches classes through the West-ern Sustainability Exchange and ParadisePermaculture. Although she grew up in a

gardening household, Evans said she start-ed with making her own chicken soup.Evans raises chickens and goats in addi-

tion to all the vegetables she grows in herindoor and outdoor gardens. She makesher own pet food as well.

I think theres a lot of interest, but peo-ple dont want to do what I do becausethey see it as overwhelming, which itisnt, she said. They look at the amountof hand work I do and think I could neverdo it, but they can.

Natalie Storey may be reached atnstorey@livent.net or (406) 222-2000.

June 2014 11

Above: Seed packets for sale in Dr.Greenthumbs.

Below: Tomato seedlings are showninside the business.

I really believe we all have some agrarian roots. Mona Lewis, founder of Paradise Permaculture

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ne 2014 12 June 2014

Passion for the land keeps olderfarmers and ranchers going

Joyce Dahlhausen, 75, rides the ATV as she helpsfeed cattle. Unwilling to give up ranching, Joyceand Frank Dahlhausens concession to advancingage was to sell off the mean cows.

Photo courtesy of Joyce Dahlhausen

By Deb HillMontana Best Times

LEWISTOWN Old farmers never die, they just go to seed. so the joke goes.But in Montana, it seems, theres some truth to the old saw,that plenty of farmers and ranchers are quietly working

away, taking care of crops and livestock well past retirementage.

What makes a person continue to work at a job that is bothphysically taxing and filled with uncertainty, year after year?Why not just sell out, buy an RV and tour the country? Onewould think that at some point, perhaps after age 50 or 60, the

joys of leisure would begin outweighing the psychic returns ofhard work.

Well, if you think that, you dont know Montanas farmersand ranchers too well. What they will tell you, if you ask, isthere is nothing they could be doing that is as satisfying to thesoul as agriculture absolutely nothing.

Why change? Were happy doing what were doing, and were happy

here, explained Joyce Dahlhausen, of Moccasin. Joyce, 75,and her husband Frank, 77, are still running cattle on the ranchthey purchased in 1978. A son helps out a bit, but the Dahl-hausens still do most of the hands-on work, including calving.

I dont know what else wed be doing, Joyce said. Weenjoy this more than anything.

Early in their marriage, Joyce and Frank lived on the familyplace east of Helena. Frank worked for the city and Joyceworked for the telephone company while they did a little farm-

ing. But when the kids were in junior high and high schthe family headed to central Montana to a larger farm. Tpurchased two sections, and added to them over the yea

Its been a good life. It was a good move for the kidJoyce said. We dont really see any reason to change. Wreally enjoy the animals seeing the new births, the caAll our cattle are personally raised.

The one thing we did do, because at our age we donmove as fast as we used to, we got rid of the mean cowsMy son told me, Mom, you know the cows, you know mean ones. Lets sell those so I dont have to sit down hand worry about you.

But besides that, we really havent changed what wemuch, she added.

Technology provides a boost Besides sheer stubbornness, equipment may be the o

factor that best explains how farmers and ranchers are ato keep on working despite the aches and pains of beinger.

Its not easy work, but todays equipment makes a dence, David Shipman said.

While Shipman, age 76, stopped growing grain someyears ago, he still runs cattle north of Lewistown.

I couldnt go feed cattle in the winter without my hecab, he explained. The work is not quite as hard now used to be, before we had all this technology.

Shipman said he seeded his fields to grass and hay a ago, and kept the cattle operation.

So why not retire entirely?I sort of just got everything paid for, finally, Shipm

said. I just enjoy having some cattle and working themget help from the neighbors sometimes, and my brotherwhos 69, comes out from Port Townsend, Wash., to helpwith calving. Its hard to slow down.

Shipman said he started working the family farm at a17, and has been doing it ever since. His secret to succefarming is: Dont make the same mistake twice.

The home place was paid for when I got it, otherwiswould likely have lost it along the way, Shipman said.Because it was paid for, I could screw up and be OK. Ttrick is to learn from your mistakes and dont repeat the

Shipman said he put the farm in a conservation easemto ensure farming there can continue into the future.

We never were money chasers, he said. And Im na hurry to buy a new outfit and go off to some place elsenjoy what I do. Thats why Ive never worked a day inlife.

Farmers, ranchers getting older acroAccording to Darren Crawford, Agricultural Extension S

vice agent for Fergus County, the aging of the countrys farers and ranchers is of concern to many in the ag-related fie

The average age of a farmer or rancher in Montana in 2was 58, Crawford said, citing figures from the National Acultural Statistics Service. In 2012, it was 59. That doesnsound like much of an increase, but those are averages ovelot of people. There are many more older people in agricultthan there used to be.

Crawford said while advances in equipment and technol

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June 2014 14

might have allowed farmers to continue to work their land intolater life, changing family structure and other cultural shiftshave also had an impact, mostly by reducing the number ofyoung people entering farming.

Starting about in the 60s, farmers and ranchers lost theirlabor source, because families got smaller and more of the kidswent to college and then to other careers, not farming, Craw-ford said. Then the farms had to rely on equipment instead ofmanpower. Things like hay baling changed putting hay up insmall bales takes much more manpower than big round bales.Pretty soon, everyone baled into big rounds, but then you haveto have the equipment to move them. And that equipment isexpensive a young rancher cant afford it.

Rising land prices and falling commodity prices are other

issues Crawford said create hurdles to attracting beginningfarmers and ranchers.

One thing that may help right now is the land coming out ofthe CRP (Conservation Reserve Program), Crawford said.Younger farmers can afford that land. But my concern is thelonger we wait to create programs to get younger people into

farming and ranching, the more institutional knowledge we loseas we lose the older generation that worked the land.Theres a lot of ranching and farming that isnt learned

from books. You have to go out with someone who knows thatpiece of land, whos been successful at raising cattle or cropsright there. They know the seasons, they know the soil, theyknow the range conditions, and they know what to do to getthe best results. If theres no older generation left to pass this

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Photo courtesy of Lewistown News-ArgusDavid Shipman, 76, still runs cattle north of Lewistown.

Photo courtesy of Joyce DahlhausenFrank and Joyce Dahlhausen are pictured in front of a roundbale of hay on their Moccasin-area ranch. The couple hasbeen raising cattle here since 1978.

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June 2014 15

information along, its going to be tough on those comingafter.

Enjoying the challenge At least for now, however, it seems there are plenty of expe-

rienced farmers and ranchers still working the land, if a younger

farmer needs advice.Im still in this full time, said Jim Lew-

is, 81, who farms north of Lewistown nearWare. My land is in wheat, barley, some-times peas. I just enjoy the challenge of thenext crop, of raising things and seeing whatgrows, and dealing with Mother Nature.

Lewis said his folks bought the farm heruns in 1951. Jim was teaching Vo-Ag in1977 when his father died, and he tookover the farm. He continued teaching, andfarming, until 1987, when he retired with30 years of teaching under his belt.

Since then, Ive been farming fulltime, Lewis said. While his daughterbrings the grandkids home to help withharvest every year, and his wife, Marilyn,pitches in, Lewis mostly works the farmwithout help. But dont think for a minutehes unhappy about that.

Theres nothing better than being out-side at about 5 a.m. and listening to thebirds and animals, seeing the fields, watch-ing the sun come up, Lewis said. Its

hard for me to imagine doing something else. Im not even surewhat that would be. I just like what I do here too much to quit.

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

Photo courtesy of Marilyn LewisJim Lewis, 81, stands beside the plane he flies to check the farm and to travelaround the state, holding a Master Pilot award he received in February from theFederal Aviation Administration.

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By Doug SmithStar Tribune (Minneapolis)/MCT

NISSWA, MINN. The plan was for 5-year-old RoyalKarels to visit his grandparents resort near Brainerd, Minn., fora couple of days back in the summer of 1942.

But little Royal was instantly hooked on life at the lake.I stayed all summer, he said the other day. Thats where I

learned my love of fishing. I went there every summer until Iwas 16, fishing every day.

Karels, a retired Brainerd elementary school teacher, is 76now, and still fishing. Virtually every day. Under an azure sky ona Saturday at the Governors Fishing Opener on Gull Lake,Karels opened his 46th season of full-time guiding, and his 71styear of fishing since that fateful summer of 1942.

It was a slow start to a long-awaited season. Karels boated twosmall northerns and I landed none by lunch. Other anglersreported similar inaction. But basking in the sun, few com-plained.

This is a beautiful opening day, Karels said as a loon callednearby. I had my doubts the ice would be gone by now.

Karels is a local icon. When hes not guiding anglers on Gullor three dozen other Brainerd-area lakes, hes out fishing, alone,with his wife, Diane, or with his grown children or 10 grandkids.

I never get tired of fishing, he said. I absolutely love beingon the water. Its in my blood. I find it so relaxing and so muchfun. I dont even have to catch fish.

But he and his clients usually do. Lots of them.Karels has been helping people catch fish since he was 10 and

anglers showed up at his grandparents resort on Shirt Lake,looking for advice.

It was an excellent bass and panfish lake, and people camefrom Ruttgers (Bay Lake Lodge) and the Twin Cities and askedwhere to fish. Grandfather said, Have the kid row you. Id sellthem frogs and worms, and I rowed these people all over thelake. There was no fee involved. People would hand me a dollaror two. I thought I was in heaven. It was a lot of fun, and Ilearned how to deal with people. That came in handy later.

By the time he was in college, he had a 2 1/2-horsepowerJohnson outboard.

Karels started guiding full-time in 1961 on Bay Lake. He isone of the early members of the legendary Nisswa GuidesLeague, formed by Marv Koep. The guides worked out ofKoeps bait shop near Nisswa.

It was a magical time, Karels said. There were so manypeople coming to the shop. Marv had a fish contest, and big fishin the freezer, and people would come to look at our guide boats.We had Lowrances Green Box depth finders and splashguards.

The price was attractive, too. Two anglers could go out with aguide for a half-day of fishing for less than $20. Now a half-dayis about $300.

A lot of people could afford it, he said. We were so busy. I

was going every day, twice a day.Karels has guided out of Craguns Resort on Gull Lake for the

past 26 years and isnt slowing down.Im getting out all that I want, he said. Im on the water at

least five days a week. And when Im not guiding, Im fishing. Ilove to fish.

He still enjoys teaching. His classroom now is in a boat,though he does weekly fishing seminars at Craguns.

Karels has witnessed the big changes that have occurred infishing. Electronics and modern fishing gear have made anglersmore successful. And the catch-and-release ethic unheard ofyears ago has helped fishing, too, he said.

Im catching more fish than I used to in the old days, Karelssaid. We have lighter lines, better lures, were fishing more andbetter lakes.

Karels targets about 35 area lakes, and unlike some guideswho focus on walleyes, hes a bass addict.

I fish a lot for bass because I like the action, he said. I fishwalleyes in the spring and fall, but in the summer I have to haveaction. I wont take people to most of those lakes unless theyrelease all the fish, and they are more than willing to do that.

Most people just want to catch fish. They want to take a cou-ple photos and put them back. It works out great.

Karels an avid ice angler and deer hunter is still goingstrong, heading toward 80. He has retired once but has no inten-tion of retiring from his passion.

Im going to keep guiding as long as I can get in and out ofthe boat, he said.

I love it. Its part of my life.

June 2014 16

Legendary guide is still at itafter 71 years of shing

Photo by Doug Smith/Star Tribune/MCTLongtime angler guide Royal Karels, 76, of Brainerd, Minn.,holds a small northern he caught at the Governors FishingOpener on Gull Lake. The walleyes proved elusive that morn-ing for most anglers.

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June 2014 17

A summer must-see: Chattanoogas Rock City

By Kathy WittKathyWitt.com/MCT

More than 75 years ago, a Tennesseeland developer named Garnet Carterembarked on an ingenious campaign tolure tourists to his mountaintop attractionto see some rocks. Yes, rocks.

See Rock City was painted on nearly1,000 barn roofs in 19 states from 1936 to1969; millions heeded Carters call andmade the trek to Chattanooga and the topof Lookout Mountain. Their reward?Breathtaking vistas sweeping acrossswatches of seven states from a massive

outcropping named Lovers Leap. Fairy-land Gardens, a whimsical wonderlandcreated by Carters wife, Frieda, an aficio-nada of European folklore, with Germanstatues of gnomes and well-known charac-ters from fairytales is set amidst a profu-sion of wildflowers and other nativeplants.

The area had its nickname long beforethe Carters began wresting a world-classattraction from this ancient geologic mar-vel. Bucket list adventurers had been com-ing to this mountaintop wilderness as earlyas 1823 to experience the Rock City andtraverse its naturally formed streets and

avenues by mule. By the close of thedecade, Frieda had begun her grand-scale,four-year landscaping project, forgingpaths among the rock formations.

A mere 100 now-historic barns bearingthe distinctively painted black and whiteslogans remain. Rock City, however, hascontinued to grow, adding the magicalFairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Vil-lage, a 25-foot climbing wall, lots of shopsand restaurants even a Starbucks.Wending through the 14 acres and passinga 100-foot waterfall and a 1,000-ton bal-anced rock is the Enchanted Trail. Its routetakes thrill seekers across the Swing-A-

Visitors can see seven states from RockCitys Lovers Leap near Chattanooga,Tenn.

Courtesy of R&R Marketing/MCT

Travel

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June 2014 18

Long Bridge, hovering 1,700 feet above sea level and spanning200 feet.

Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world con-tinue to find their way to Rock City each year, but it isnt the onlydraw on Lookout Mountain. Ruby Falls is a 145-foot-high under-ground waterfall. The Ruby Falls ZIPstream Aerial Adventure isan obstacle course in the sky that includes bridges, tunnels and700 feet of roundtrip zipping. The worlds steepest passenger rail-way, the Incline Railway, is a National Historic Site that has beenin operation since 1895.

You can grab a seat for the Battles for Chattanooga, a three-dimensional electronic battle map presentation recalling LookoutMountains strategic role in the Civil War through 5,000 minia-ture soldiers, hundreds of lights, lots of sound effects and narratedvideo. Afterward, stroll over to Point Park, the site of what iscalled the Battle Above the Clouds, to see where the battles you

just learned about were fought 150 years ago.Off the mountain, downtown Chattanooga is home to the Ten-

nessee Aquarium so big it takes up two buildings, their glasspeaks stretching into the skyline. In the River Journey building,see freshwater habitats, two living forests and a lot of creatures,including alligators, frogs, prehistoric sturgeon and otters.

This is also where Ranger Ricks Backyard Safari is located,

along with a Eurasian eagle owl, one of the largest owls in theworld. At the end of May, the aquariums otter exhibit will havebeen expanded so visitors can see the feisty critters cavortingabout a multi-tiered landscape featuring shoreline, pools andwaterfalls any time of day.

The Ocean Journey building is where the sharks hang out,along with penguins, jellyfish, squid, cuttlefish and crabs. ItsUndersea Cavern reveals panoramic views of a Secret Reef; itsindoor rainforest is home to the Butterfly Garden with hundredsof the jewel-hued beauties in free flight.

Straight up Broad Street from the aquarium is The Chatta-noogan, a boutique hotel with resort amenities that is offering aSummer Fun Package for families. Choose free tickets either to

Rock City and Ruby Falls or to the Tennessee Aquarium andIMAX with an overnight stay.Kids will be happy to know there is free WiFi, a heated swim-

ming pool and an extensive menu with their kind of eats (chickenfingers, grilled cheese, sliders, pasta, pizza) at the hotels BroadStreet Grille. Mom and Dad will love the vacation ambience ofthe hotel, its oversized guestrooms, full-service spa with twinkle-light relaxation area and sunning terrace adjacent to the pool.

The hotel sits on beautifully landscaped grounds with lots oftrees shading a courtyard in a neighborhood of museums, shopsand restaurants. Lookout Mountain, visible from many of theguestrooms, is 15 minutes or so away.

Eighty-two years after its official opening in 1932, Rock Citycontinues to pull road trippers from the highway to come seewhat Mother Nature and one entrepreneurial couple created. Avisit to Rock City and Chattanooga combines blast-from-the-pastfun with todays adventure in an extremely family-friendly get-away.

InfoChattanooga, (800) 322-3344, www.ChattanoogaFun.com.The Chattanoogan Hotel, (877) 756-1684, www.Chattanoogan-

Hotel.com. Ask for the Summer Fun package when making reser-vations. Rates start at $169 per night and are based on a two-nightstay for a family of two adults and two children.

Dont-miss moments Standing at Lovers Leap atop Lookout Mountain and seeing

the world spread out before you. OK, not the world, but sevenstates (Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Car-olina, Virginia and Kentucky) and at 1,700 feet above sea level.You may be overcome with the impulse to shout to your fellowtourists, Im the king of the world!

Racing down the Tennessee River aboard the TennesseeAquariums River Gorge Explorer, a zippy eco-cruise vessel thatcan do S-curves at 50 miles an hour and stop and turn on a dime.You might spy bald eagles, blue herons and other river life, andyoull hear more about Lookout Mountain, its geology and role in

the Civil War. Dining at either one of the Chefs Tables in The Chattanoogan

Hotels exceedingly pleasant Broad Street Grille. Sink into a com-fy chair and turn yourself over to the culinary team; you wont bedisappointed. Dishes are layers of flavors (like the BLT bacon,arugula, dried tomato and smoked onion aioli) beautifully present-ed in a no-rush, soft-hush atmosphere, perfect for long conversa-tions and lingering over desserts like luscious tiramisu.

Treating yourself to a Riverport Facial at The Spa at TheChattanoogan. Its 50 minutes of tranquility and total relaxationthat ties harmoniously into a getaway to Rock City: Smooth-as-glass stones from North Chickamauga Creek and the TennesseeRiver are cooled and placed on key pressure points on the face to

improve circulation. Divine! Youll leave feeling buffed, de-puffed and polished. Discovering the MoonPie General Store just a few blocks

from the Tennessee Aquarium. Talk about a welcome blast-from-the-past. Grab some MoonPies and RC Colas or your pick of lotsof other retro-themed candy and souvenirs _ Gummy Bacon, sockmonkeys, Capt. Kirk mugs, even See Rock City birdhouses.

EDIT0RS NOTE: Author, travel and lifestyle writer, and travelgoods expert Kathy Witt feels you should never get to the end of

your bucket list; theres just too much to see and do in the world.She can be reached at KathyWitt24@gmail.com or KathyWitt.com.

Learn about theCivil War Battlesfor Chattanoogaand the impor-tance of thelocation in theoverall militarystrategies of boththe Union andConfederacy.

Courtesy of R&RMarketing/MCT

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If youre lucky enough to have somegrouse, pheasants or partridges in yourfreezer, youre in for a real taste treat.They are superb when cooked over char-coal briquettes or on a gas grill. Wild game meat doesnt have as muchfat as domestic chickens, though, so thebirds must be split in half in order toreduce the amount of time they cook. Thatwill prevent the meat from drying out. Re-sults are best when the skin is still intacton the breast and the thighs of the birds. Once the birds are split, the cookingprocess is almost too simple. But its atried and true method that has createdfans of mountain grouse many times atthe Durfey shack. Once the bird is thawed out, it shouldbe placed on a sturdy cutting board on itsback. If youre a cleaver fan, you shouldwhack the bird along the keel bone ( at

chest bone), lengthwise. Try to aim forthe middle of the keel bone. It might takeseveral attempts until youve severed thekeel bone and the vertebrae and cut thebird in half. Keep your free hand awayfrom the bird to make sure you dont ac-cidentally whack it as well.

If you need to help separate the halvesas you continue to whack away, use afork or other utensil. Dont use your freehand for that purpose. If a French chefs knife is more yourstyle, put the point of the knife near the

neck bone and place the palm of yourfree hand on the top of the knifes blade.Aim for the middle of the keel bone asyou force the knife down through thebirds chest. Keep reminding yourselfthat youre in charge not the bird. The keel bone wont separate so thatyou have two exactly even halves. Alittle bit of the breast meat from the cutside will be left on the larger half. But tryto make your cut as close as possible tothe keel bone. The larger the bird, the more forceyoull need to exert. Dont let your thumb slip under theblade of the knife during the process oryoull end up at the emergency room likeyour Best Times recipe contributor didone time. We had invited good friendsof ours over for a mountain grouse feedearly one summer. I wasnt keeping track

of all of my body parts and managedto cut my thumb deeply enough thatstitches were required. Our friends knew where the beer waskept in the fridge. They entertainedthemselves until the careless chef and hisapologetic wife returned from the hospi-tal and nished cutting up the birds andcooking them over white hot coals. Ourfriends told us it was worth the wait. Although cutting the birds in half is abit of a challenge especially the rsttime its attempted the results are well

worth it becauseits the easiestway to preparetasty gamebirds. The halvesshould becooked overfairly high heat.They should beturned once dur-ing the cookingprocess. Yourtiming is perfect if the birds are cookedthoroughly enough to meet your require-ments, but not a minute longer.

The size of game birds varies greatly.There are very small ruffed grouse andvery large dusky (blue) grouse. Pheas-ants can be small young-of-the-yearbirds that are harvested early in the fall

or large mature birds that are shot closeto the last day of the hunting season. Togauge the doneness, its a good ideato take an average-size bird and test itby cutting next to the inside of the thighbone occasionally. I like to take my birdsoff the heat when the thigh meat is still abit on the pink side. We never eat the skin of game birdsat our house. Its just about impossibleto remove all the pin feathers from wildbirds. If you have an electric plucker youmight have better luck with that chore.

On The Menu With Jim Durfey

June 2014 19

Grilled Wild Game BirdsSplit game birds with skin onOlive oil, optionalHigh heat from charcoal briquettes or a gas grill

Place bird halves on grill. Turn halves after eight or 10 minutes. Test for donenessby cutting into inside of thigh. Remove birds when meat near thigh bone is still alittle pink. Guests should be advised to remove skin before eating birds.

Time for cleavers &

stout kitchen knives

A male ring-necked pheasant.Photo by Dave Menke/courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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June 2014 20

Gallatin County - American Cancer Society-Road to

Recovery: Drivers needed for patientsreceiving treatments from their home to thehospital.

- American Red Cross Blood Drive: Twovolunteer opportunities available: an ambas-sador needed to welcome, greet, thank andprovide overview for blood donors; andphone team volunteers needed to remind,recruit or thank blood donors. Excellent cus-tomer service skills needed, training will beprovided, 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.- Big Brothers Big Sisters: Be a positive

role model for only a few hours each week.

- Bozeman and Belgrade Sacks ThriftStores: Need volunteers 2-3-hour shifts onany day, MondaySaturday 9:30 a.m.-6p.m.- Bozeman Deaconess Hospital: Volunteers

needed for the information desks, 8 a.m.-noon, noon- 4 p.m., variety of other posi-tions need filled as well.- Bozeman Senior Center Foot Clinic:

Retired or nearly retired nurses are urgentlyneeded, 2 days a month, either 4- or 8-hourshifts.- Child Care Connections: Front desk help

needed Thursdays, noon-1 p.m., to greet cli-ents, answer phones and general receptionduties.- Childrens Museum of Bozeman - Wel-

come desk volunteer (s) needed for 2-hourshifts, Mondays-Saturdays.- The Emerson Cultural Center: Volunteers

needed for front office, greeter/reception,MondayFriday 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.- Galavan: Volunteer drivers needed Mon-

day-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CDL requiredand Galavan will assist you in obtainingone.- Gallatin County 911 Communications:

Office help needed 1 1/2-2 hours one day aweek on your schedule.

- Gallatin County Election Office: Seeking judges for the Nov. 4 elections. ($8 perhour) Training provided.- Gallatin Rest Home: Volunteers wanted

for visiting the residents, sharing yourknowledge of a craft, playing cards or read-ing to a resident.

- Gallatin Valley Food Bank: Volunteersneeded to deliver commodities to seniors intheir homes once a month. Deliveries inBelgrade are especially needed.- Habitat for Humanity Restore: Belgrade

store needs volunteers for general help, sort-ing donations and assisting customers.

- Heart of The Valley: Compassionatevolunteers especially needed to love, playwith and cuddle cats, do carpentry work,be an animal bank collector (asking localbusinesses to display an animal bank fordonation collection) or birthday party lead-

er.- Help Center Telecare: Volunteers needed3-4 mornings a week 8:30-11 a.m. to makecalls to homebound seniors, providing reas-surance, check on safety and well-being,and access to up-to-date referral informationto vulnerable individuals.- Museum of the Rockies: Variety of

opportunities available.- RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to quilt,

knit, crochet and embroider hats for chemopatients, baby blankets and other handmadegoods once a week (can work from home).Handcrafters are in need of 3-ply sportsyarn, and baby yarn.- Senior Nutrition Volunteers: Volunteers

needed to help seniors with grocery shop-ping, meal and menu planning, and com-panionship, 1-2 hours a week, days andtimes are flexible.- Your unique skills and interests are need-

ed, without making a long-term commit-ment, in a variety of ongoing, special, one-time events.

Contact: Deb Downs, RSVP ProgramCoordinator, 807 N. Tracy, Bozeman, MT59715; phone (406) 587-5444; fax (406)582-8499; or email: debdowns@rsvpmt.org.

Park County - The Depot and Yellowstone Gateway

Museum: Volunteers needed during summerseason.- DES: Needs volunteers to help in map-

ping your neighborhood by noting resourc-es and those with special needs in the eventof possible emergencies.- Fly Fishing Federation: Volunteers need-

ed to help with mailings, childrens events,and more.- Livingston Health and Rehab: A volun-

teer is needed to call Bingo games.

- Livingston/Park County Library: Needsafternoon volunteers.- Loaves and Fishes and/or Food Pantry:

Many volunteer opportunities available.- Western Sustainability: Needs volunteers

to help once a month signing up seniors forfree Farmers Market produce.- Various other agencies are in need of

your unique skills in a variety of ongoingand one-time special events.

Contact: Shannon Burke, RSVP ProgramCoordinator, 206 So. Main St., Livingston,

MT 59047; phone (406) 222-2281; email:livingston@rsvpmt.org.

Fergus & Judith Basin countie- Community Cupboard (Food Bank):

Needs volunteers to help stocking food onthe shelves as well as with delivering foodto the home bound.- Council on Aging: Needs volunteers to

help at the Senior meal site (Grub Steaks)and with home-delivered meals. Your noonmeal is provided if you work at this site.- Head Start and grade schools: Volunteers

needed to assist students.- Library and Art Center: Volunteer help

always appreciated.- ROWL (Recycle Our Waste Lewistown):

Recruiting volunteers for the 3rd Saturdayof the month to help with greeting, trafficdirecting, sorting, baling and loading recy-clables working to keep plastic wastes fromour landfills.- Treasure Depot: Needs volunteers to sort

items and clothing at the thrift store.- Always have various needs for your skillsand volunteer services in our community.

Contact: RSVP Volunteer Coordinator, 404W. Broadway, Wells Fargo Bank building,(upstairs), Lewistown, MT 59457; phone(406) 535-0077; email: rsvplew@midrivers.com.

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

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

- Meals on Wheels Program: Deliver mealsto the housebound in the community, justone day a week, an hour and a half, mealprovided.- Nursing Home: Assist with activities for

residents to enrich supported lifestyle.- Senior Center: Volunteers are needed to

provide meals, clean up in the dining roomand/or keep records; meal provided.-Museum: Volunteers are needed to greet

visitors and guides to show people around.- Senior Bus: Volunteers to pickup folks

whom are unable to drive themselves.- RSVP offers maximum flexibility and

choice to its volunteers as it matches thepersonal interests and skills of older Ameri-cans with opportunities to serve their com-munities. You choose how and where toserve. Volunteering is an opportunity tolearn new skills, make friends and connectwith your community.

Contact: Volunteer coordinator MollieOmicioli, South Central MT RSVP, 315 1/2

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

SeeRSVP , Page 21

Below is a list of volunteer openings available through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) incommunities 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

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Wednesday, June 4 Farmers Market , Wednesdays throughOctober, Miles Park band shell,Livingston

Federation of Fly Fishers Museum ,

Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Livingston Yellowstone Gateway Museum ,Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,Livingston

Montana Watercolor Society MembersShow , through June 30, Tuesday throughSaturday, Lewistown Art Center,Lewistown

Friday, June 6 Wings Across the Big Sky Bird Festival ,through June 8, GranTree Inn, Bozeman

Saturday, June 7 Rock Creek Walleye Tournaments ,through June 8, Rock Creek Marina, ForkPeck

Drum Wars , through June 8, DawsonCommunity College, Glendive

Universal Athletic Spring Fling HoopThing , Montana ExpoPark and CentralPark, Great Falls

Sunday, June 8 Festival of Cultures , Rocky MountainCollege, Billings

Monday, June 9 Greater Yellowstone Coalition WildlifeTrip , through June 12, Sliver Gate

Thursday, June 12 Miss Montana Scholarship and StateFinals Pageant , through June 14, DawsonCounty High School Auditorium, Glendive

Miles City Garden Club , 7 p.m., FirstBaptist Church, Miles City

Friday, June 13 Nitro National Pro Hillclimb , through June 14, Columbus

Gardiner Annual NRA Rodeo , through June 14, Gardiner

Saturday, June 14 Matthew Quigley Buffalo Rifle Match ,through June 15, AG Lee Ranch, Forsyth

Buzzard Day Celebration , MakoshikaState Park, Glendive The Mega Monster Truck Tour ,Fairgrounds, Helena

George Ives Trial and Hanging LivingHistory Program , through June 15,Virginia City

Annual Wilsall Rodeo , through June 15,Wilsall

Thursday, June 19 Montana Senior Olympics SummerGames, through June 21, variouslocations, Great Falls

Friday, June 20 25th Annual Lewis and Clark Festival ,through June 22, Gibson Park, Great Falls

Saturday, June 21 Adventure Cycling: Cycle MontanaRoad Bicycle Tour , through June 28,begins in Missoula

Fishtail Family Fun Day , begins 7 a.m.,Fishtail

Wednesday, June 25 Little Bighorn Days and Custer LastStand Reenactment , through June 29,Hardin

Thursday, June 26 19th Annual 1876 Grand Ball ,downtown Hardin

The Bridge - Headwaters Country Jam ,through June 28, Three Forks

Friday, June 27 Annual Chamber Golf Tournament ,Lewistown

Snowy Mountains Muzzleloaders

Rendezvous , through June 29, Lewistow Virginia City Art Show , through June 29, boardwalk and in Virginia cityCommunity Center, Virginia City

Saturday, June 28 Sweet Grass Fest , downtown Big Timbe Vintage Vehicle Show , Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings

Ride Around the Pioneers in One Day130 Mile Ride (RATPOD) , Dillon

Miles City Secret Summer GardenTours , 1-4 p.m. Miles City

19th Century Boxing Exhibition LivingHistory Program , 6:30 p.m., VirginiaCity

Sunday, June 29 Billings Symphony Orchestra andChorale: Symphony in the Park , 4 p.m.,Pioneer Park, Billings

Tuesday, July 1 Southwest Montana Arts Show andSale, through July 31, Bozeman LibraryBozeman

Wednesday, July 2 Lewistown 4th of July Celebration andParade , through July 4, Lewistown

Livingston Roundup Parade , 3 p.m.,downtown Livingston

Depot Festival of the Arts , through July4, Livingston

Livingston Roundup Rodeo , through July 4, Park County Fairgrounds,Livingston

Home of Champions Rodeo andParade , through July 4, Red Lodge

Thursday, July 3 4th of July Celebration; through July 4 ,Laurel

June 2014 21

June 2014 Calenda

RSVP, from Page 20

Custer & Rosebud counties - Clinic Ambassador: New volunteer posi-

tion starting approximately July 1st.- Custer County Food Bank: Volunteers

needed for food distribution Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Thursdays.- Historic Miles City Academy: Volunteers

needed to assist in thrift store with sortingand cleaning donated merchandise.- Holy Rosary Health Care: Volunteers

needed Mondays and Thursdays in the giftshop.

- Miles City Historic Preservation Office:Seeking a volunteer to help with clericalduties.- Spirit Riders: Volunteer to assist with

traffic control at funerals.- St. Vincent DePaul: Volunteers to assist

in thrift store with sorting, pricing, cashierand stocking.- VA Miles City CLC: Urgently need vol-

unteers to assist with veteran activities.- WaterWorks Art Museum: Volunteer

receptionists needed, 2 hour shifts Tues-days-Sundays.

If you are interested in these or other vol-unteer opportunities please contact: BettyVail, RSVP Director; 210 Winchester Ave.#225, MT 59301; phone (406) 234-0505;email: rsvp05@midrivers.com

Dawson County - If you have a need for or a special inter-

est or desire to volunteer somewhere in thecommunity, please contact: Patty Atwell,

RSVP Director, 604 Grant, Glendive, MT59330; phone (406) 377-4716; email:rsvp@midrivers.com.

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Q. Gasoline seems pretty expensivethese days, but how does it comparewith some of the other liquids in yourlife?

A. To answer, you need to estimatecosts and volumes, says LawrenceWeinstein in The Physics Teachermagazine. We all spend too much timestaring at the gas pump displayindicating $3 and up per gallon, whichtranslates to about $1 per liter (a liter isabout a quart). Bottled water costs abouta third as much. Crude oil at about $70per barrel figures to about 44 cents perliter.

Next consider perfume, which canrange from $1 to $1,000 per ounce (orhigher), most often about $20 to $50 perounce, putting it at roughly $1,000 perliter.

Now ink for inkjet printers is priced at$5 to $10 for a typical container of about10 cubic centimeters (cm). That is about$1 per cubic cm or $1 per milliliter.

Thus, crude oil, gasoline and bottledwater all cost a dollar or less per liter.Vodka goes for $50 per liter, and winefor $3 to $300 per liter. Ink for inkjetprinters costs about the same as perfume,or $1,000 per liter.

As Weinstein concludes, The nexttime you go out on a date, just splash alittle ink on yourself. It should certainly

make an impression.Q. How many bananas does it take

to get you drunk?

A. Depends on who grows them andhow theyre processed, says AmyStewart in The Drunken Botanist.

Most of us have only eaten the onekind of banana carried by supermarkets,but actually hundreds of cultivars exist,including the so-called beer bananas ofUganda and Rwanda. Farmers prefer to

grow beer bananas ... because they canprocess the fruit into a highly profitablebeer that, while short-lived, does notperish as quickly as the bananasthemselves do. Transformed into beer,the bananas are easier to get to market.

Processing involves piling ripe,

unpeeled bananas into a pit or basket andhaving people tread on them to extractthe juice. Then the juice is left to fermentfor a few days until the cloudy, sweetand sour beer is ready to drink. It can bebottled and stored for two or three daysat most.

Q. When in the presence of a certaincarnivorous flower, would behavingsheepishly help save your skin?

A. Not if the flower is a Chilean Puyachilensis and if behaving sheepishlymeans behaving like a sheep, saysMental Floss magazine. The monstrousflower, which can take 20 years tobloom, has razor-sharp spines forensnaring small animals like birds and yes! sheep. The animals thatwander too close to the plant cantwriggle free and eventually starve todeath. The process aint pretty, but asthe victims decompose, they fertilize thesoil and provide needed nourishment forthe aptly named sheep-eater.

Q. At a bar one night, you think of a

couple of rowdies there asNeanderthals. How far off the markare you with such a term?

A. While its been more than 5million years since we parted ways withchimps, its been only 400,000 yearssince human and Neanderthal lineagessplit, says Jonathon Keats in Discovermagazine. That makes you pretty much aNeanderthal yourself, meaning yourthinking is hardly off the mark at all.

Moreover, if youre Asian or

Caucasian, your ancestors interbred withNeanderthals as recently as 37,000 yearsago in Europe.

Despite some bad press, Neanderthalshad some great ideas: They made spearsby hafting sharpened stones to woodenhandles, then glued them together. Using

those spears, they were able to huntbison and woolly rhinoceros. And wheninjured, they nursed each other back tohealth, enlisting their greatest concept ofall: empathy.

As Keats suggests, to check out yourown quantity of Neanderthal DNA, youcan swab your cheek and send the swabto the National Geographic SocietysGenographic Project.

Q. Imagine if you could eat a270-pound hamburger with no handsand no implements, and that made upa third of your annual energy budget.Then who might you be?

A. Likely a Burmese python, whicheats only three to five times a year,strangling prey 15 times its size, saysCornell herpetologist and snake-loverHarry Greene, as reported by ElizabethPennisi in Science magazine. Greenehas tracked down bushmasters, rattlersand more in 30 countries; once in aBrazilian swamp, he brushed up againsta green anaconda as long as a mid-sizecar.

The king cobra, largest venomoussnake in the world at 4 meters long(some 13 feet), has developed afearsome venom of 73 peptides andproteins that swiftly immobilize and killits prey, mostly other snakes. (Actually,100,000 humans die of snake bitesevery year.) Prey-crushing pythons(they dont have venom) can go withoutfood for months; when they do finallyeat, their kidney, liver and gut candouble in size in a matter of days, and

June 2014 22

$1,000 for a liter of printer ink,and other crazy per-liter prices

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

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their metabolic rate increases 40 timesover.

A lot of people think of snakes as thesesimple tubes, adds evolutionary biologistDavid Pollock at the University of Colora-do School of Medicine, but theyve actu-ally adapted in many impressive ways.

As Pennisi sums it up, Snakes haveslithered their way through oceans andacross all the continents save Antarctica;their 3000 species have infiltrated nearlyevery conceivable habitat from termitemounds to rainforest canopies.

Q. Dust off your crystal ball and trylooking 50 years into the future. Whensci-fi writer Isaac Asimov did this 50

years ago in 1964, how well did he hittodays mark?

A. As expected, Asimov had plenty ofsavvy technological hits, anticipating self-driving cars, video calling, widespreaduse of nuclear power, single-duty house-hold robots, says David Pogue in Scien-tific American magazine. Asimov alsoworried about coming world overpopula-

tion, estimating it at 6.5 billion, whichisnt far off todays 7.1 billion. However,Asimov missed in that undergroundhomes and those underwater neverbecame popular, nor did cars and boatsthat levitate on jets of compressed air.

Actually, many of his prognosticationsfall into a third category of technologies

feasible today but not yet commonplace:moving sidewalks in airports but not oncity streets; no moon colonies nor ones onMars; no large solar-power stations in thedesert.

As Pogue summarizes it, three lessonscan be learned here about predicting thefuture: First, almost every new technolo-gy takes longer to arrive than sci-fi writers

imagine. Second, not all the big ones canever be anticipated; for example, evenAsimov overlooked the coming of theInternet. Finally, many attractive or logi-cal developments never materialize,thanks to our own human failings. Thefault, dear Isaac, is not in our engineeringbut in ourselves.

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Across

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35 Film36 Yet, poetically

37 Toon lead singer in aleopard-print leotard38 Outlook39 Building andgrounds41 Comprehend42 Post-reaping sights43 Japanese sandal44 Bunches45 Thrice, in Rxs46 Egyptian Christian50 Nonexistent51 Blew up

54 Gotcha55 Liven up56 Experiment57 Number thats physi-cally impossible to writeout in standard form

Down

1 __ drive2 The company forwomen company3 See 18-Across4 Honored retiree

5 Selling fast6 Swore

7 Sleeveless garments8 Summer quaffs9 Nuevo __: Peruviancurrency10 Remove restrictionsfrom11 Like many a garage12 Enthusiastically

13 Signs, as an agree-ment

14 Type of headlight22 Start to bat?24 __ Arc, Arkansas25 Petrol purchase26 Weighs options27 Dominant team28 Winter soil phenom-ena

29 Trojan War figure31 Law recipient

34 Takes a bath35 It merged with Trav-elers in 199837 Tease, in slang38 Irreg. spelling40 Xylophonists tool41 Antecede43 1983 Woody Allentitle role45 TV watchers conve-nience47 Like zero48 Best of the Beatles

49 Big natural historymuseum attraction52 Bride in 1969 news53 N.Z. currency

Crossword

June 2014 23

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