By Micah Drew, Jordan Hansen and Keila Szpaller
"Our elite warfighters never stop serving, and this bill ensures the law reflects the trust they’ve earned through a lifetime of sacrifice.” — U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana about new legislation to extend conceal-carry across-state-lines privileges to qualified veterans.
TREASURE STATE EXPLORER
A huckleberry spritzer of sorts at the Belton Chalet outside the west entrance to Glacier National Park. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan)
Huckleberry time in Montana
You know that jolt you get when you’re on a trail, and all of a sudden, the aroma of huckleberries hits you?
Then you start looking around and aha! there they are! YUM. I’m a little jealous because I recommended a hike in the Two Medicine in Glacier National Park to a colleague, and it’s a place where for sure you can snack on huckleberries.
It’s the Aster Park Overlook, and lucky you if you’re in the vicinity of Glacier this weekend.
If you’re in the Whitefish area, though, Visit Montana tells me the Huckleberry Days Arts Festival runs today and tomorrow. It runs today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Huckleberry ice cream is available, as are huckleberry pancakes. Check here for more information.
~ Keila Szpaller
BIG LITTLE FISH
A record-breaking 1.23-pound pumpkinseed caught near Kalispell. (Courtesy FWP)
Pumpkin spice seed season
Montana has its own list of trophy animals that have been caught and hunted over the years.
To me, that suggests HUGE, MAJESTIC animals that are museum mount ready.
But Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks pointed out this week that even the smaller species still have records.
On June 30, Parker Shipman and his buddy Joe were fishing for crappie on Echo Lake near Kalispell when Shipman hooked into a large, beautiful pumpkinseed.
The new state record species is 10.04 inches long and 11.34 inches wide, and weighs a whopping 1.23 pounds!
That’s worth mounting on the wall.
~Micah Drew
TREASURE STATE EXPLORER (so much to explore)
A gal and her pup on a tile by Montana ceramicist Donna Flanery. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan)
The Archie Bray Foundation’s ceramics yard in Helena beckoned this week.
The visit prompted me to look for a profile of Frances Senska to learn more about her.
I found this one on Montana State University’s website. I’ve read it before, but it’s worth another read. Senska, an artist, potter, teacher, and child of missionaries worked at MSU.
She’s inspiring because she seemed to love the work itself and sharing it. She didn’t seem at all attached to any adoration or awe people might have had for her as an artist or for her role in shaping pioneers in her field.
I have pictures of sculptures in the yard at the Bray, but I can’t find them for you right now. Maybe that’s OK because you can wander through the field when you’re in Helena and see them for yourself.
You can learn more about the Bray and see visiting hours here.
What’s your favorite field trip in our capital city?
~ Keila Szpaller
(Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan)
THE HOOK BOOK 📚
My mom is doing a bit more reading these days, and she recently asked me for a recommendation. I asked her if she was in the mood for something light or serious, fiction or nonfiction, funny or academic.
She’s been in the mood for lighter reading, so this time around, I gave her three options that were handy: “Hillbilly Elegy,” by now-vice president J.D. Vance (she likes memoirs); the goofy Hawaiian mystery I mentioned here earlier by Jill Marie Landis (light for sure); and “Open Season,” by C.J. Box.
To be honest, I was rooting for her to read “Open Season” because I don’t think mysteries are her typical genre, but this series for sure falls in the light category.
She chose “Hillbilly Elegy,” so I thought I’d push “Open Season” on you. I have friends who vouch for C.J. Box on tape too, so if you have a long drive ahead, there’s an option for you.
This author tells stories that are placed squarely in the West, with fish and game officials on patrol and small town political intrigue and at least one character who is an engaging outlaw.
Happy reading!
~ Keila Szpaller
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