Montana (September 2010)

From September 20, 2010

Of all the places I've lived throughout my life, I mentioned that my two favorite were Friday Harbor, WA, and Bozeman, MT.  Let me tell you how we ended up in Bozeman...

In September 1995 my family packed up and moved to Helena, MT. It seemed like a good, central location, right in the middle of three major Montana cities and two national parks. But Helena had its problems. It was surrounded by a ring of mountains, making air quality a problem and on certain days the kids could not go outside the school for recess.

Helena, MT

My kids also had a hard time adjusting to Helena schools, particularly having just come from a top school for gifted children in Washington. When my daughter, Shelby, had to correct her 6th grade teacher's spelling a few times, she inadvertently made herself a target, and our family in general.

My son, Alex, was so bored he did only the minimum work required and got a C in 3rd grade. How do you get a C in 3rd Grade? I knew that the next year Marie would enter the school system and decided it was either time to move or start homeschooling, which at the time, was very uncommon.

Manhattan house

It just so happened that a large, 3500 square foot house near Bozeman was in dire need of some care and so 11 months after moving to Helena, we headed south to a town called Manhattan. Our nearest neighbors were a quarter mile away and we had 12 acres, a beautiful new barn, chicken shed and other outbuildings. The property was lined with giant cottonwood trees and a spectacular sun rose over the Bridger Mountains every morning.

The barn

My horses

 Though it was an older house, the Manhattan house was the perfect size and then some. We had a tack room for the horses and crafts as well, such as for yarns and fabrics. The family room was so large that one end housed the entertainment systems and the other the music area with the piano-- a budding computer area in between, and neither really bothered each other.

This is also the home we lived in when my 5th child, Karen, was born in 1997.

The area was beautiful, but the drive into Bozeman to do anything got a little tedious. We had planned to stay as long as possible in Manhattan, but the retired military California homeowner had decided he missed Montana and wanted to move back a year later. Time to look for another home.

Next house was on 20 acres divided into three pastures and an acre yard around the house. Since we had two horses by then, it was the perfect place. The house wasn't as large as the Manhattan house, but still large, close to Bozeman and surrounded by nature at its best. Of all the places I've lived in this county over the past 15 years, this has not been my favorite house but definitely my favorite location to live and still be "in town."

Back pasture looking northeast

From the little apple orchard on the side property to the back fence lined with beautiful lilac bushes, to the brilliant elderberry trees so red in the fall and the firs covered with snow in the winter. I put in a huge garden and lined the entire perimeter with yellow and white daffodils to honor the kids paternal grandmother who had recently lost her battle with cancer.  My youngest was born while we lived in this house.

Shelby with Penny

All the kids started riding early. Karen's turn!

Our landlord planned to sell us the house, and having raised 8 kids himself, he knew too well the importance of having a good kitchen with top-rated appliances. He treated us very well and was a very kind man. But three years later, his grandson died and left a widow with children. He wanted to give the house to his widowed granddaughter.

Once again we were forced to find another place to live, this time more complicated because not only had our family reached the size of 8 members, we also had two horses to place.  To make a long story short, we sold the horses and over the next 10 years ended up in four more houses-- none of them ideal and all of them temporary rentals.

So why would Bozeman be on top of my list of favorite places to live?  I have watched 2-lane roads turn into 6-lanes; I have seen strip-malls pop up where fields used to be; I have watched the mountains gradually disappear from the horizon as hundreds upon hundreds of houses have popped up in subdivisions everywhere; why would Bozeman still be on the top of that list?

Bozeman is a University town which means a lot of diversity and community activity.  It is a very friendly town that will never leave you stranded on the side of the road or out in the cold.  It is surrounded by beauty and steeped in historical richness.  It is an artsy town full of artists, authors, musicians and even some celebrities.  They like it here because they can walk down the street and not be bothered by admiring fans.  People treat each other with courtesy and respect.

Year-round there is always something to do or someplace to go.  There are trails of all types to follow, scenic routes to take, rivers and streams to play in or go fishing, there are ski resorts and lodges and just plain cabins in the woods.  There are horses and wranglers, cattle and sheep, and acres and acres of nothing but fields, pastures, or mountains.

Every street in Bozeman is tree-lined and in the fall the leaves are vibrant with shades or red, yellow and gold. As the sun streams through the trees it creates a spectacular luminescent and surreal quality to every neighborhood.  You can expect snow every fall, which usually melts in between snowfalls. Our general rule here is that if there is still snow on the ground by Thanksgiving, it is here to stay through the winter.

Bozeman is full of open spaces, parks, good schools, and a town council that genuinely cares about its citizens.  Not only is it naturally beautiful, it is culturally beautiful.  A great place to raise children, a great place to retire, a great place to work, and a wonderful place to live in general.

I am really going to miss this place.