“Chase Hawks was a tough little guy,” Don Cooper recalled. “I met the little tyke when he was about two or three. He was sitting on top of a big ‘ole horse at a branding and wanted down. ‘Help me off this horse,’ he said to me. I was busy and I didn’t know him, so I ignored him. ‘Hey you SOB, help me off this horse!’ I looked around, ‘You talking to me?’ I asked him. ‘Yes, dammit, help me down!’” 

As the west end of Billings continues devouring farm ground and open spaces with commerce, pavement and apartment buildings, Action Toys serves as a reminder that not all progress requires the erasure of the past.  

As a  Hungarian descendent, we jokingly refer to garlic as part of the “Holy Trinity” of cooking:  garlic, onions, and paprika. It is used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and a recipe calling for one clove of garlic usually means that amount is quadrupled.  

Gusts of Big Timber has been a community anchor on main street for over 75 years. Located on the corner of 2^nd Ave and McLeod Street in Big Timber, the brick building is as familiar to customers as Sweet Grass County High School’s Sheepherder mascot.  

As the orange and yellows colors of autumn transition to white blankets of snow, it's time to cozy in by the wood stove and let the warmth shake the cold from our bones. In our home, most evenings, our kitchen is filled with smells of baking bread, simmering soups, smoked meats, savory potatoes and sweet treats.

Mary Ellen Mangus remembers looking over at her rosy-cheeked, youngest daughter Marci as she stood on the boardwalk at Old Faithful and thinking, ‘there’s got to be a better way to keep her warm than her hand-me-down wool knicker socks.’  

As the last notes of an 80’s rock song faded, Les King’s smooth voice surfed out across the airwaves. He greeted his listeners, announced the time, talked about the weather, and followed up with a short synopsis of the latest news before moving to the promotion of a local business.  

A life of many occupations and diversions… learning to sew while growing up on a North Dakota ranch, earning a master’s degree, serving in corporate America, and owning a small business… Barbara Wells says the winding road her life has followed prepared her for where she is today.

As Christmas and the New Year draw near, we’re determined to do what we can to remind shoppers of the importance of spending their shopping dollars with local businesses. Studies say that for every dollar spent locally, it is turned over seven times in the local economy. When you support a small, local business; that money continues to support families, jobs, schools and the local economy.

With all its flamboyant pageantry, and horsemanship, trick riding is the stuff of little cowgirls’ dreams. At age five, Madison MacDonald-Thomas was smitten by the spotlight, fast horses, and jaw-dropping stunts. 

Thousands of camo-clad archery shooters traversed the snowless slopes at Red Lodge Mountain, shooting their way through 3D courses set up to hone their skills and test their marksmanship. Dozens of archery enthusiasts carrying bows and quivers filled with arrows, packs and harnesses strapped to their torsos, were visible from the chairlift.

My Grandpa Boysen was an avid hunter and fisherman and lived in rural California surrounded by lemon, avocado and persimmon trees. Every Autumn, he sent my brother and me a package that, once we sliced the shipping tape, the box would burst open with the scents of his orchard harvest. Down deeper were secured plastic bags filled with his specially cured venison.

Magic happens when Kenzie Holmberg picks up her camera. Whether she’s shooting a music video for an up-and-coming country singer, doing still-shoots of models for commercial branding, or documenting the everyday operation of a ranch; she captures the raw and the real.

The ancestors of the Russell and Rich families are as hardy as the century-old apple trees still growing on the Russell Ranch. Both families immigrated to the area in the early 1900’s - homesteading at a time when success would come only with hard work, determination and sacrifice.

A couple of years ago, a grass fire, sparked by a chain hitting the roadway, ripped across the dry field and within minutes, burned nearly a mile, ultimately reaching the shop at my son’s workplace. The flames were quickly extinguished, but it was a wake-up call. A structure-threatening fire can occur at any time, especially during our hot, dry summers. 

The tantalizing aroma of seared meat teased the crowd. Smoke rose from the portable charcoal grills, manned by chefs ranging in age from 6 to 13; all busy turning patties and kabobs, rolling meatballs and checking temperatures. It was an exciting time at the 3rd Annual Montana BBQ Kid’s Que Cook-Off in Absarokee this summer.

While we were planning this issue we were struck, once again, by a common theme weaving its way through the stories. Determined young chefs at a competitive barbeque in Absarokee; a centenarian couple from Nye married for 77 years and passionate people who have turned their much-loved hobbies into successful careers - authenticity shines through again!  

I really can’t remember when I started fishing, but I do know why. The “when” stretches back over 60 years -as soon as I could lift a fishing rod. The “why” is my dad. He loved the sport and wanted to share with his boys one of the many adventures he enjoyed as a Montanan.

The ebbs and flows of a river, guided by the rhythms of the natural world, ranging from quiet, tranquil waters to white- water rapids are the same patterns that mimic the life of Shawna Noble. The youngest of five children, Shawna grew up in a single parent household. Her greatest adventures involved riding her bike around the streets of Billings and playing in the backyard.

It’s been a work in progress, but the historic Roosevelt Center, a 104-year-old building, which served as the Roosevelt School for over eight decades, is now an event and art center and fast becoming a destination-conference location.