Turkey Trots: Nebraska to Montana

Montana turkeyMore Nebraska wild turkeys are getting new homes in Montana.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said in a news release Monday that Montana wildlife workers were in Crawford, Neb., last week to pick up 125 wild turkeys. The birds were captured Thursday on private property near Whiteclay in the northern Nebraska Panhandle.

The commission says there are plenty of turkeys in the Whiteclay area, but not so in the Great Falls area of Montana, where the state is trying to establish a wild turkey population.

Last year Montana received 91 Nebraska turkeys.

 

 MORE>>>Billings Gazette

Yoga: A Resolution Worth Keeping

By Angela Jamison

Angela JamisonAngela 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.

It is 2016, a new year, a time for resolutions and reflection. A time of year when gym memberships are at a record high and everyone plans to make up for all the indulgence of the holiday season. This was very apparent as I walked into my usual yoga class on the Sunday after New Years Day. What is normally a fairly quiet class was packed wall to wall. Most were new faces, a few familiar. It took me a minute to realize why it was so busy this Sunday morning. At first I found myself annoyed as I kept scooting my mat closer and closer to the wall to accommodate the never ending trail of people making their way into the room. I quickly adjusted my mind set to feel happy for all these folks who were perhaps trying this for the first time. I was at yoga after all…a place where your energy is supposed to be positive. I realized the more people finding yoga the better. The Dalai Lama once said if every child learned mediation we could eliminate violence from our world. Now, I don’t know if this is true but I do believe yoga can bring something to everyone and a little more peace to the world and compassion to those around you.

I began my yoga journey about 15 years ago. On a whim my sister, a couple friends and I decided to give it a try and see what all the fuss was about. It was just four of us and the instructor, a sweet Russian lady with a thick accent making it hard to understand the already difficult Sanskrit language often used in yoga. We were tucked in the back of a small gym where we could hear the hip-hop music of people working out. This was a perfect first lesson in the yoga world-learning to block out any outside noise and focus in on what’s happening on your mat. Although those first few classes felt foreign I knew I was onto something special. By the time we were in savasana (resting pose done at the end of any yoga class) I felt better than I ever had. At that time I was only 23 so feeling good was a common occurrence…now pushing 38 I appreciate it even more. Throughout the years yoga has always been a part of my life. Sometimes with regular, weekly classes, sometimes with long breaks in between before I found it again. Watching the classes fill up this past week I felt happiness seeing the variety of people walking in to discover yoga.

Yoga is for everyone. Of course some think of it as only for hippies or just women or other extremes. This is simply not true. At yoga I see everyone. From young college students checking it out because it seems like the cool thing to do, to skiers popping in to stretch their aching muscles after a day on the slopes, to older folks trying to find a gentler way to take care of their bodies. There are all ages, all abilities and often equal amounts of men and women in the classes. That is the beauty of yoga, you go with what works for you. Just because the person next to you is whipping into headstand doesn’t mean you can’t settle back into child’s pose. It is for you to do what feels best at that moment.

Here in Bozeman we are so fortunate to have so many options when it comes to yoga. We have a couple of hot yoga or Bikram type yoga studios. These are not for the faint of heart. Having dabbled in this briefly I found it wasn’t for me. However, there are many who soak up all the healing benefits of practicing yoga in an intensely hot room for 90 minutes. Almost all the gyms in town offer yoga classes and even the Adult Ed program has wonderful intro to yoga classes. This is where I first learned about the world of Kundalini yoga…while sitting with others in what used to be the library of Willson School when I was a kid (that dates me for sure!) There are also several yoga studios making it easy to find a place for you. I have found my yoga home to be at Your Yoga…a laid back studio with a variety of classes offered and a perfect place to try yoga for the first time.

 

As we get further into this new year I’m sure the yoga classes will continue to ebb and flow. Some will fall in love and continue and some will move onto the next resolution. If you’ve never tried it, it is worth putting aside any worries of intimidation or fear and going for it. It is good in so many ways. Mentally for clearing your head and staying present. Physically to stretch and strengthen the one body we get in this life. Spiritually…no matter how you feel about this a side effect of yoga is feeling more spiritual. It will bring a sense of peace and calm in all aspects of your life. As you go about doing other things you enjoy….hiking, skiing, fishing, rock climbing…you will find after yoga you will actually enjoy it more. It teaches you to focus on the present moment and that can’t help but fall into other parts of your life. The next time you are walking on a trail or floating the river you will notice more, take in more and soak more up. An opportunity to call up the calm you felt in a class in a chaotic moment later in your day. This is powerful.

Whatever resolutions you made, or if you didn’t make any at all, think about giving yoga a try in 2016. Taking an hour to clear your mind and simply breath. It is so good. And, if 2016 isn’t your year for this maybe the next one will be. Yoga has been around for thousands of years, it’s not going anywhere.

 

 

 

How To Scare an Outdoorsman

By Kristen Berube

kristen berubeKristen Berube lives a crazy, laugh-filled life with her outdoorsman husband Remi and their three camo-clad children in Missoula, Montana. A graduate of Montana State University and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, she loves being a mom and enjoys hiking, fishing, and camping.

 

“Confessions of a Camo Queen: Living with an Outdoorsman” is her first book.  Take a look at Amazon.

If you ever want to scare the life out of the “Rambo” in your life, mention the words…Gun Control. I can guarantee his body will convulse in shivers, he will hyperventilate, begin screeching in some inhumane language, and possibly start taking swings at anything and anyone. Look out!!!

Given current political drama regarding gun control, this is an EASSSSSY method.

Now that big game season is over and duck n’ goose season is drawing to an end, I need to have a few ways to distract the outdoorsman. Otherwise, he is bored. And anyone who knows men, knows that bored men are a badddd thing-almost as bad a man with a cold. Ahhhhh- now that’s some serious whining. Bored men though…they are annoying!!! They follow you around like a lost puppy and seriously cramp your style when you are trying to get anything done! Here are 3 tricks to deal with a bored outdoorsman…

Trick #1-

I know it is mean, but whenever the outdoorsman starts to bugging me, I just casually, under my breath mention GUNNNNN CONTROLLLLLLL!!!! If the outdoorsman continues to bug me, I will just say GUNNNNN CONTROL even LOUDER. This generally is not necessary, the first time, a mere whisper of gun control, usually does the trick to distract the outdoorsman from harassing me. This really is a great trick, because then the outdoorsman usually has to go do some anger-venting activity, like chopping firewood. This allows me to continue along on my merry way, undeterred, except for peeking at him with his shirt off while he is chopping wood. But that’s another story.

Trick #2-

If you need the outdoorsman out of your hair for at least half a day, tell him that you heard the government is going to start confiscating guns. Before you say it, hide behind a door or large object to avoid any damages to your person when he throws a hissy fit. I promise you, he will immediately run to his gun stash and begin caressing and lovingly talking to his metal “friends”. This is when you quietly mention, “Maybe you should go shooting for the day?” He will be gone as soon as his happy butt can load up his arsenal. Bye, bye honey, love ya!

Trick#3-

Easy peasy…simply tell him you will make him a “honey-do” list for around the house. He will vanish so quick that you won’t even know what hit ya’!

Even with these tricks, off season is a hard time of year so you better get working on that “honey-do” list, just in case you need it. God knows, there are plenty of things that probably need done around the house since he has been AWOL for monnnnthhhhssss!!!!

P.S. I think maybe we should start campaigning for mandatory outdoorsman tattoos….Outdoorsman should come with one of those handy “WARNING” labels; it really would prevent a lot of unnecessary drama. Don’t you think?

WARNING: Extremely volatile individual. Possible ignition from the mention of WOLVES or GUN CONTROL. If ignition occurs, quickly run away, scream for help, and spray product with a water hose. Beware of swinging fists, stomping feet, and angry tears.

 

Montana Jail: 10 Employees, 0 Prisoners

Montana jailThe Two Rivers jail in Hardin that had as many as 250 inmates at its peak of operations is now in standby mode after its cells were emptied this week.

 The jail had no inmates on Monday. The facility has struggled to find inmate contracts for revenue since the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs dropped its contract in October.

Warden Ken Keller says the jail is now operating with six security officers and four administrators. There were about 39 employees a month ago.

MORE>>>NBC