Author: Jodey

Icicle in moonlight

by Jodey, posted in Montana winter 
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe —
Sailed on a river of crystal light,
Into a sea of dew.
"Where are you going, and what do you wish?"
The old moon asked the three.
"We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!"
Said Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe,
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew.
The little stars were the herring fish
That lived in that beautiful sea —
"Now cast your nets wherever you wish —
Never afraid are we";
So cried the stars to the fishermen three:
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
                --Eugene Field

(This is the first half of the magical nursery rhyme and song.)

Spring Snow in Montana 2

by Jodey, posted in Uncategorized
Ducks on the Boulder River
The mist had cleared by the time I walked to the river. A couple geese were enjoying the quiet of the morning.

The quiet that comes after a good snowfall is palpable. To stand within the silence, time slows and each minute that passes holds a moment of pure simple peace. To be part of it feels like one of the greatest privileges.

Do you see what I see?
And then they took off in flight!

We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.

–Martin Luther King, Jr.

                                            

Hello bulls!

by Jodey, posted in Uncategorized
The bulls are back! Sitting serenely under a big cottonwood – big bulky and beautiful!
The bulls are casually curious as I go about daily life at the house. This particular afternoon I stumbled on them at the far end of the pasture near the river.

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.

–Henry David Thoreau

                                                           

Big Timber Sheriff’s Report 10

by Jodey, posted in Sheriff's reports

NOTE: I’ve been collecting excerpts from the Big Timber Pioneer’s “On the Record” for several years. Each Sheriff’s Report post consists of a few of these which tickle my funny bone at the time of writing the post.

Animals animals animals!  Either sleeping or hitching a ride in a truckbed –

10/11/18

  • 2 – A caller reported cows in their yard on Swamp Creek Road. The owner was notified.
  • 2 – A caller reported horses in their yard on Bridger Creek Road.   The caller said they put the animals in their corral until the owner could come get them.
  • 5 – A caller reported a horse in distress on Main Boulder Road. A neighbor checked on the animal and said it was just sleeping.

7/18/19

  • 7/11/19 – A caller reported a pickup parked in front of their house on McLeod Street had goats in the back. A deputy responded.

Snowy tracks

by Jodey, posted in Montana winter

The snow reveals so much activity from the night before, tracks  going here and there, showing the popular places to get water at the river or to cross over a fence.  On my ski along the river I wondered whose are these, so solitary and steady?

Hope can neither be affirmed or denied. Hope is like a path in the countryside: originally there was no path – yet, as people are walking all the time in the same spot, a way appears.

–Lu Xun

Big Timber Sheriff’s Report 9

by Jodey, posted in Sheriff's reports

NOTE: I’ve been collecting excerpts from the Big Timber Pioneer’s “On the Record” for several years. Each Sheriff’s Report post consists of a few of these which tickle my funny bone at the time of writing the post.

Buffalo skulls, rickety trailers on the highway 90 and a team of mules on highway 10…

8/2/18 Big Timber Pioneer:

  • July 22 – A caller reported an individual stealing a buffalo skull from their neighbor’s house on Poplar St. A deputy responded and spoke with the homeowner.
  • July 24 – A caller reported a pickup pulling a trailer that appeared to be falling apart on I-90 eastbound near mile marker 374. MHP was notified.

10/4/18

  • 24 – Two hunting dogs were reported running around on Main Boulder Rd. near Eight Mile Bridge. The owner was notified.
  • A caller reported a person driving a team of mules on Highway 10 East near mile marker 15. Stillwater County was contacted and said they had spoken with the person earlier and everything was fine.