In Montana, where I live, we have more hoofed ungulates than we have people. Deer, pronghorn and elk roam freely among the 94 million acres that make up the Treasure State.  Frequently we see them in our back yards, or on hikes, where we have run into other free-ranging critters like bear and the very furtive mountain lion.  With one million people in the fourth largest state by ground area, Montana has room to roam and room to exhale.

We moved here from Chicago in 1998, and while I do love my old hometown for a visit (can't beat the culture and restaurants!), I am always glad to return to our recently expanded airport in Bozeman (8 gates!) and walk to my car, just steps away. The two cities are a study in contrasts in many ways, but the driving force for our relocation was most definitely the press of humanity.

Life is simply easier when there is ample space for work and everyday tasks; and the big plus of millions of acres of prairie, forest and mountains free for hiking, viewing and driving make this state a most special exception among the lower 48.  Most noticeable for me is the lack of any serious traffic.  When we travel from point A to point B, we measure it in a time which is 100% reliable...one could never say that about most cities and suburbs across the country.

Montana is likely to grow, and our hometown Bozeman is in the midst of a major building boom right now.  It's amazing how quickly the landscape around town is changing since our move here.  I suspect it is only the winter weather, which often lingers until June,  that keeps a massive relocation swarm at bay. 

In my lifetime I will probably notice manageable in-migration, though I do wonder if constant, relentless population growth will, in the end, win out; and Montana will look--and feel-- like anywhere else.

Please remember. It's cold and snowy here. No rush to move.

Bill Muhlenfeld is owner and publisher of Distinctly Montana magazine and other publications. He lives in Bozeman with his partner, Anthea, and always finds time to enjoy the great outdoors, when he is not writing about it.... 

I have always considered myself a cat person. Growing up I only have vague memories of our family dog when I was young but could name all 8 of the various cats we had as well as exactly what they were like and which ones I liked the most. It didn’t take long of living outside of my parents house to quickly add a kitten to the place I rented with my best friend. And shortly after that adding another. It wasn’t until years later, after getting married, moving around and finally settling back into Bozeman that I even considered getting a dog. Knowing it was something my husband wanted very much. He never had so much as a gold fish as a child. I still wasn’t convinced I did, but knew how happy it would make him. I also knew that if I ever had a dog it would have to be a golden retriever, which was the one dog I always thought the cutest thanks to their numerous appearances in romantic comedies, my favorite genre of that time. The moment I picked our golden out, tied a bow around her neck and brought her into our home as a birthday surprise I became a dog person.
 

Over the next twelve years, Sadi became a part of our family. At first, I wasn’t quite sure what we had gotten our selves into, the early puppy years of getting up in the middle of the night, watching her chew down a brand new tree in the backyard and dig herself out of our fence a couple of times. Getting frustrated but then softening immediately when she looked at you with her big brown eyes. Taking her on her first hikes up the M and having to carry her part way up because her short little legs couldn’t quite make the climb. Later on, trying to keep up with her on a trail as she ran off ahead. Bringing home our first baby, unsure of how Sadi would react. We should have known it would only be with love as that is all she was ever capable of. Those early days of being home alone with a newborn she became the one I talked to throughout the day, the one who came by my side when I was losing it because the baby wouldn’t stop crying. It was Sadi who made the baby giggle for the first time by licking her hands. When the second baby came home, we were greeted at the door with her wagging tail, Sadi eager to meet the completion of our family.
 

This dog was love and unwavering patience with two young girls. They could climb on her, hug her so tight, dress her up in their doll clothes, put ribbons in her fur. The week before we lost her they had her hooked up to an imaginary Santa sleigh and she was the reindeer. There were times I would look into her eyes and see the annoyance, but also the happiness. She was their protector, taking on the habit of barking if strangers walked past the house and keeping a close eye wherever they were. Spending her nights half in one room and half in the other. She never choose favorites, only made each of us feel like we were the one. To be loved by her was to be in the presence of unconditional adoration.
 

You never imagine you won’t have them in your life. Of course you see the slow down. I remember when bringing her along on my morning runs began to get too difficult and simply letting that go. As the girls became stronger hikers, she became weaker. Rather than running ahead on the trail to peaks of mountains, we began to settle for easier ones with her and reluctantly left her home for big ones. The water was the one place she never slowed down. Always eager to swim after a stick or ball, but never ever bringing it back to you. Sooner than any of us wanted, the walks became just a stroll around the block and then sadly realizing even that was too much.
 

To say goodbye to Sadi was one of the greatest heartbreaks in all our lives. While grateful for the full beautiful life she had with us, I still can’t fully process that she is gone. The emptiness that fills our home, the quiet that greets you when you walk in the door. Trying to comfort my children as they cope with this loss, while feeling my own heart breaking. Seeing my husband lose his first pet, his best friend. Finding comfort in his words when he says we can all learn from Sadi. She lived her life full of happiness with just the simplest things...being around people she loved. She was the kindest, gentlest soul and if we could all just be a little more like her, the world would be a better place.
 

I still consider myself a cat person, in fact the cat mentioned above still sleeps next to me each night...19 years later. However, because of Sadi I am also completely a dog person. Or perhaps it was just her. She will be forever missed and always remembered in our hearts.

Angela Jamison is a native Montanan and she grew up in beautiful Bozeman. I'm the mother of two girls and write a blog about our life here and taking in the simple pleasures of family and food.

http://www.rdeliciouslife.blogspot.com/

As we prepare to usher in another year, many of us are still mourning the loss of dozens of legendary icons whose talent, accomplishments, and leadership have etched their lives into the history books for all time. The world lost superstar musicians, stars of the stage and screen, courageous astronauts, some of the greatest athletes of all time, noteworthy writers, and larger-than life political figures. From David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Muhammad Ali, Gordie Howe, Arnold Palmer, John Glenn, Janet Reno, Harper Lee, Elie Wiesel, Nancy Reagan, Fidel Castro, and Mother Mary Angelica, the list is shocking and profound all at the same time.
 

Needless to say, the year 2016 is leaving a great deal of talent in its wake. Some of these individuals lived long, full lives while others had theirs clipped disturbingly short. The more recent deaths of Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, seemed to be the last straw for many people with 2016. People became so overcome with anxiety at the thought of losing anyone else this year that a GoFundMe page was set up to protect the notorious Betty White.
 

People are so busy mourning and trying to preserve pieces of the current year that they haven’t even stopped to think about how the losses of 2016 are actually invaluable gifts we can carry with us for the next 365 days. One thing all of these icons had in common-- from those who lived well into their 80s to those who slipped away prematurely—is that their lives were full and vibrant from start to finish. They all followed their passions, gave 110% and didn’t waste one single minute of the life they were given.
 

Recently, I had the privilege to travel to Memphis with my family to visit Elvis Presley’s home at Graceland. Elvis is another perfect example of a world-renowned icon who was taken from us far too soon. But in his 42 short years, he accomplished more than most us could do if we were given 200 years. While looking at a wall full of records and awards he achieved, I noticed one framed print on the wall bearing the words “Before anyone did anything, Elvis did everything.” I smiled in reading it knowing how true it was. While I believe those words are especially true about Elvis, I think that they can also pertain to many of the other individuals we said farewell to in 2016.
 

If Elvis had accepted the first rejection he got and instead taken up a sensible and secure job to help support his family, the world may never have come to know rock and roll. If Muhammad Ali had decided that training was too difficult and time consuming then boxing may not have become the sport it is today. If Elie Wiesel had let the fear of discrimination and racism overtake him, we wouldn’t have had such a profound witness on the atrocities committed during World War II. If John Glenn had been content with an ordinary life and only believed in what he could already see and touch, man may have never left earth and set foot on the moon.
 

The point is, we all think we have time. We think that if we wait until after the holidays, after our kids start driving, after we get a better paying job, after we finish remodeling the basement that we can finally go after our dreams and start living life to the fullest without regret. We think that if we are meant for greatness that opportunity will fall into our lap and deliver us from our present circumstances. But the reality is, our hesitance to act in our own life and do so right now may very well be the largest regret we find ourselves burdened with in our final days.
 

The time to act is now. The time to achieve is now. The time to believe in ourselves is now. The time toenjoy and live our lives is now. Stop mourning the deaths of 2016 and instead look to those passed onlives as examples of how we should live our lives in 2017. The saying, “live each day as though it is your last” seems corny and over-stated. But it is nonetheless true….because we never know when our last day is going to be. The icons of 2016 were so greatly adored while alive and so missed now that they are gone because they lived such prolific lives. As you enter into 2017, make one of your resolutions be to live each day in the moment while giving it your very all.

Lacey Middlestead is a Montana native and freelance writer currently living in Helena, Mont. She loves meeting new people and helping share their stories. When she’s not busy writing articles for newspapers like the Independent Record and Helena Vigilante, she can usually be found indulging in her second greatest passion–playing in the Montana wilderness. She loves skiing and snowmobiling in the winter and four wheeling, hiking, boating, and riding dirt bikes in the summer.