Love Like Gold--A Theme That is Based on Montana Themes, as Native Montanans Understand Them
Last summer, while I spent two and a half months, in beautiful downtown Missoula, I met a documentary film producer, Michael, working on the movie, Cowboy Heritage, a history of homesteading in the Treasure State, Montana, how cowboys played a role in taming the wild west, the hardships, the triumphs and the failures, that made up this hardy and tough part of the country, with vigilante justice, hardcore mining towns, lawless, to say the least, with bootlegging, prostitution, and the Copper Kings, ruling with money and power, leaving locals, to hang onto their cowboy hats, and fight back against the corruption and control. But, one day, as we were walking back to Mike's truck, we happened across a filming of a movie scene, and yesterday when I picked up the local paper, the insert of This Week In the Flathead--November 6, 2014--5, the title Local filmmakers tackle 'Love Like Gold' and as I read the article, it dawned on me, this was the movie and the crew, producer, writers, actors, and photographers, that I met, remembering the title of the movie, and the brief introduction of the major players in getting this full length movie, shot in Montana off the ground. Wow, that is cool, it made me feel, connected to the movie world and also Montana, having been here almost three years, off and on, when life circumstances let me, my preference, for sure . . .
Love Like Gold deals with the failing economy when a ranch hand moves to Missoula from Eureka after the ranch he was employed at is forced to sell. Our hero meets a femme fatale character that he falls in love with and their journey to save each other is filled with violence and struggle to figure out how to use love to find hope in their cruel world. Writer and producer, both from Montana, ventured out of state, to get degrees and experience and wanted to come back home, to their roots, and do a movie about, growing up on the outskirts of Eureka, as Atherton and Bennett watched as the lumber mills shut down one by one and their economy collapsed, leaving the community in poverty. When I met the women, and we talked about the movie, where they had been, why they came back to Montana, and a bit about the movie, as the photographer, filmed, what I remember as an engagement scene, or the proposal, with young hot stars, from as far away as New York and Paris. I might be wrong, but, that is what I think was being filmed. I will have to go see the movie, and see if I am right. The scene was filmed, right across Higgins Street, from the Iron Horse Grill & Bar, which is catty corner, from one of my favorite hangs, the Break Cafe Coffee Shop, where at least 20 or 30 of my blogs were written.
When I met, Atherton and Bennett, I promised them I would write about their movie, so making good on that promise, here it is . . . don't want to tell more about the story, because I want you to go see the movie, as I want to myself--a cool connection, GOOD LUCK!
Biking for a Buck, Montana in a Nuthatch!
I opened the Daily Inter Lake Newspaper, to C1, the Outdoor Section, on Thursday, November 6, 2014, and there was this picture, that I thought had to be a joke, or wrong, as many stories, and things I have either learned or heard about Montana, and this is definitely one of them, that is actually true, and not a joke, but the real McCoy. There is the picture of a kid on a fat boy bike, the kid's name is Mark Christensen, my grandmother's maiden name, related, I hope so, because, this picture, for some reason, symbolized, the fortitude, the fight, the stamina, of the general population of not only the forefathers and mothers of Montana stock, but the attitudes of modern Montanans, who just get the job done . . . like even the thought that, they do an amazing job, of running the fourth largest state, with barely one million people, half the number, I think of the Salt Lake Valley, alone, and do so, on a tax base, that is minuscule compared to many state budgets, and they have all the necessary services, plus some, like the free shuttles, that literally, takes people 200 miles, so people in the rural areas, get to medical care, and government service . . . it is as amazing as this young man, carrying the buck he shot, in a backpack, on his bike, and bringing it down the mountain in snow this week, after he dressed it out, and the panoramic photo, shows the 5 or 6 point buck's rack of antlers, sticking out of his backpack . . . I saw that, and thought, what the hell? Are you fucking kidding me, but I have found that is very indicative of the rough and tumble, personalities, that make me, continually, fall in love with Montana, over and over again.
The photo shows Mark, way in the hell out in the mountains, and he said that he rode his fat boy bike, because he wanted to get to remote areas, that nobody with a truck or maybe even ATV could get to, and it looks like it paid off for the boy. I am not sure, how old this guy is, but, talk about taking his hunting habits to the limits, that type of get up and go, roughing it through tough times, yet, I am sure, getting a huge buzz out of the fact that he is in a league of his own, when it comes to hunting, will take him miles in life, that others dare not tread, treading on sacred ground if you will. The picture is awesome . . . check it out.
No Time For Love, Whitefish Community Theater, Cell Phone Towers In Yellowstone?
This Week in the Flathead, cover picture, fun one, showing part of the play, No Time For Love . . . the story starts, if memory serves, with a girl and a guy, going on a date together, I can't remember if it was a football game, or something fun, like that, you would think the guy would forgo, his electronic devices, checking emails, texts, the web, and messages on his phone, but the girl is so frustrated by this guy's fetish with all his devices, that she realizes that there is literally no time for love, and things have got to change. I can't agree more. I had a situation, that happened a few years ago with my sisters, whom I hadn't seen for years. And after one sister-in-law, got so sick, she almost died, I decided, that a busy law practice should not stop me from going to visit family up north, that I hadn't seen for a long, long time, given the fact that previously, for 8 years I thought I was going to die, then, when I didn't, I jumped right back into law practice, and didn't have time to breath. But, a life threatening situation, makes you come to grip with how very fragile life is, and there better be time for love!
I walked in the kitchen of my sister, Marcie's house, and I didn't hear a sound, so I walked into the kitchen, and there were two of my sisters, not talking, and texting or writing texts, and there was not a sound. Then one of my sister, said, Why didn't you go to Katie's wedding? What, I never knew she was getting married? Mother of the bride, said, Well, we put the invitation on Facebook! Well, I don't do Facebook . . . they both just shrugged their shoulders, as if this sister, was totally worthless, and went on doing their thing, on their Smartphones, or ipods, and to tell you the truth, I don't know the difference. I set up a Facebook account, once, but I forgot my password, and didn't care to ever figure it out again, and let it go, after just setting up the homepage, or whatever it is called, too much word, and I was already only sleeping 2 hours a night in my jet tub, only to get up and answer clients questions on email, which I eventually gave up too.
My, how things had changed in the Southwick family, and not for the better. In years passed, if there was a wedding, you may not have gotten an invitation, like a friend, office worker, or church member; the notice was done through word of mouth, as you stopped by mom and dad's house, or in having a phone conversation with another sister or brother, cousin, aunt or uncle, but I was busy, but, really a wedding? But, in years passed, the family would wish the bride and groom the best, knowing they had better things to do, that sit and talk to family, and the rest of us, would gather at a family member's house, and eat, play Canasta, a favorite family card game, with bonding taking place through conversation and competition, while the kids ran the house, having fun with cousins. There was none of this at this wedding . . . I basically missed out on 8 years of family stuff, due to dying, but, could things really have changed this much, electronic devices, taking the place of cards? Are you kidding me . . . well, if the sisters are going to just text, and deal with other kids on the phone, after years of not seeing them, I was out the door and gone,
I had time, but they didn't . . . a sad story in deed . . .
Yellowstone National Park, Putting in Cell Towers & Internet Services?
Seriously, we as Americans, taking a vacation, you would think, given the destination, to a rustic National Park, to see bison, elk, bear, deer, geysers, mountains, and pine trees, not to mention, Old Faithful, and we need to bring along our cell phones, computers, and notepads? Are you fucking kidding me? Really? There was an article, the other week, about a dad, who brought his teenagers to the Park, and they were disappointed that they could do all the social networking that they do at home! Guess what kids, this is not your home, it is the public lands, and we don't want cell phone towers ruining the scenery, in a national treasure, with lodges at least 100 years old! It is not like, you can't stay in West Yellowstone, or Jackson Hole, or some of the towns around the parks, if you really want cell phone service, or more than you are currently getting . . . that is the beauty of the National Park experience . . . you are in remote areas, that you can get away from your clients, your friends, your boyfriend, your ex-wife, or ex-husband, obsessed co-worker, and for sure YOUR BOSS!
There is nothing nicer, that to say, oh, sorry, there was not cell phone service up where I was staying. Not this summer, but the summer before, I got a job at Glacier National Park, at the most remote part of the Park, that you can stay at, Swiftcurrent Lodge, my boyfriend of the time, well, one of them, was a chef, and I wanted to do housekeeping, but management wanted my attorney skills on the reservation desk to keep out of control people in line, like the ones, who wondered why there was not cell phone service, Internet, and TV's in the little cabins, that are there to give you a rural, remote, and rustic experience, unlike the comforts of your own HOME! That is just not, fucking the point! Anyway, after getting hired, and staying up in the cute little log cabins, having a great time, before all the maddening crowds showed up for the summer, I had to go down to the main, lodge at East Glacier, for training.
Now, when I left, civilization, so to say, all my clients, seemed to be find in Utah, with me trying to gracefully bow out of practice in the state of Utah, without getting in trouble for ineffective assistance of counsel, with me trying to relocate to Montana, but, the very second, I went to the lodge, where there was actually, cell phone service, my fucking clients got a hold of me, and I had to come back to UTAH! Shit! So, I gave up my dream summer, in the Crown Jewel of the Continent, Glacier National Park, all because, my fucking clients, down in the dry, dead, desert of southern Utah, now 100 degrees now, were calling me, screeeeeeaaaaaammmmm! I was so pissed off, and probably would have bowed out, but both Kay Lynn Reilly and my son-in-law, needed me; I don't think one of them alone, would have been enough to get me back into the state, but with both needing legal help, allegedly, the call to duty, trumped, my love of nature, love of amazing wildlife, having seen three grizzly bears the first hour, on the way up to Swiftcurrent, the great food, new friends, for all over the world!
I don't think, putting cell phone service into the National Parks for a bunch of spoiled children and teens, who need, more then their parents, and experience in the Parks, that will forever stand up in their minds, fun, alive, without all the pulls of modern society, and alleged, civilized life, like back home, giving them time to think, to connect to nature, and family, time to feel free, run through streams, take pictures of their experience, that can be stored in their phones and cameras, to be taken out when they are back home. This is a big mistake. My oldest daughter, Greta, worked at the reservation desk at Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim . . . a life changing experience; she has worked for the Park Service, the Forest Service, and Utah Natural Resource Management, she had friends from all over the world, that expanded her visions, with her joining the Navy, just a year later, to further, expand her horizons, on life, love, and leadership. She used to tell the family funny stories, about people wondering where the TVs were, the fast food restaurants, whether the 14 foot windows, showing the Grand Canyon, was a picture!
You are sitting at the edge of one of the seven wonders of the world, and you want to watch TV? You would prefer to talk or text to friends a home, than hike, the north rim, that again, will change your life forever, as it did with me, and is now a family initiation, new members have to hike down the switch backs, thinking they are tough and cool, the ultimate hikers, in great shape, come crawling out of the canyon, knowing full well, nature could kick their asses at any time. Life flights are a daily event, or people who do not learn to respect the canyon for the beauty, but the danger, the adventure, and the heat. It is not your average hike! I don't care what shape you are in, you are in for the hike of your life. I think the first time I got, how hard it would be to repent on our own, without Christ's help, was when the speaker, compared repentance for our own sins, to climbing out of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I GET IT, FINALLY! Cell phone service and Internet, don't belong in our National Treasures! Keep them untainted from the real world!
Documentary Explores American Indian Healing Traditions for Veterans
Healing the Warrior's Heart, will air on KUED Channel 7 in Salt Lake City, Utah, in honor of Veteran's Day, on Monday, November 10 at 9 p.m., MST. The film reveals how the ancient spiritual traditions of our nationals first warriors are helping today's veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The documentary explores the central role that military service plays in Native life and how American Indian spiritual traditions help returning soldiers reintegrate into society . . . critical, with soldiers, coming back from two wars, unprecedented in modern history. Ken Verdoia, is moderating the documentary . . . I knew him from my Salt Lake City, days, and I think his wife, was an assistant attorney general, if I remember, some connection to me. But Ken does a great job, and the movie, will be excellent, with great content, and relevance to what we need, healing the body is one thing, the soul, the mind and the heart, is another. I am looking forward to watching it.
I had a client in St. George, her nationality was, part Indian and part Hispanic, when I took her case, she suggested, that before trial, we have her brother, who was a spiritual healer, take us in the sweat lodge and cleanse our souls of all anger, taint, and frustration over the case . . . good idea, because there was a ton of shit, we were dealing with, campus cops, who were the disorderly, violated property rights, and allowed whites, to terrorize my client, drive ATVs on her property, a single mother and kill her dogs, driving her off the property!
We tried to go out to her brother's house, but he was also a popular youth counselor, who worked with many people in the jails, to help them heal, change, and cleanse their pasts . . . he couldn't be there that night, but we did fine in court. Me and the judge, a former, Washington County Chief Deputy Attorney, squaring off against each other, ended up, with visitors, but a whole lot of respect, between the two of us . . . so, some healing took place for this former, assistant attorney general, who used to train prosecutors, with everyone of them, now judges, no exception, wanting the punish me for changing sides, and doing not only defense work, but civil rights work . . . Annette, was much like I am, just trying to help stray dogs, and got arrested, charged with animal cruelty, lack of tags and licenses, getting embarrassed, when officers would not wait 5 minutes for her to finish an oral presentation, costing her, her college career, missing three days of finals in the Washington County Jail, with nobody caring about her three children! The dogs were more important than the kids . . . lots of us need healing!
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