MONTANA

March 2014

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and Better

Railroad speeders

Baseball super fan Apsaalooke Nation newspaper Montana songwriter

FREE TAKE ONE FREE TAKE ONE FREE TAKE ONE FREE TAKE ONE FREE TAKE ONE

Bookshelf..................................................Page 3 Opinion.....................................................Page 4 Savvy Senior.............................................Page 5 Big Sky Birding........................................Page 17

INSIDE

On the Menu.............................................Page 19 Volunteering..............................................Page 20 Calendar....................................................Page 21 Strange But True.......................................Page 22

News Lite
Hot for Frozen, Ohio reporters parody a hit Finns give reindeer fluorescent antler makeovers CINCINNATI (AP) A Cincinnati traffic reporter has gained
national attention for his dramatic on-air parody of a Disney movie song. WKRCs Bob Herzog changed Let it Go, sung by Princess Elsa in the animated movie Frozen, to Just Dont Go to reference the winter weather. As images of cars skidding on ice and traffic conditions play, Herzog dramatically sings lines like: I must share what dispatchers say, all the tractions gone. Schools closed or at least theyre on a delay. A YouTube video of the performance has a half-million views, and media outlets nationwide have written about it. The parody is part of Herzogs Dance Party Fridays. Hes changed Elton Johns Rocket Man to Traffic Man, Tom Pettys Free Falling to Tree Falling and Barry Manilows Copacabana to Drive Indiana. HELSINKI (AP) Rudolph the reindeer is having a glittering antler makeover the latest attempt to halt some of the thousands of road deaths of the roaming caribou in the wilds of Finland. Anne Ollila of the Finnish Reindeer Herders Association says the antlers of 20 reindeer have been painted with various fluorescent dyes to see how the animals react and whether the paints are resistant to the harsh Arctic climate. If successful, animals with glittering antlers will be free to roam Lapland a vast, deserted area in northern Finland where herders tend to some 200,000 reindeer. Ollila says reflectors and reflective tape have proven unsuccessful as reindeer have torn them off and road signs warning drivers of roaming reindeer often are stolen by tourists as souvenirs.

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Bookshelf
The Best of Glacier National Park By Alan Leftridge Farcountry Press 2013 Softcover 144 pages $19.95 ISBN 13: 978-1-56037-560-9

Start planning now for Glacier Park visit

By Montana Best Times Staff
Summer vacations are like weddings you cant begin planning too early. And if youre thinking of heading to a stupendous place like Glacier National Park, its best to start planning now so you can pack the most into your summer visit. The Best of Glacier National Park was written by former park ranger Alan Leftridge, who also took the photos for this excellent, easy-to-use guide. Leftridge loves sharing his passion for the outdoors with other people, according to Helena-based publisher Farcountry Press. Seeing the excitement and enthusiasm on a visitors face is its own reward, Leftridge said in a news release on the book. They come to a park asking, What is there to see and do? and you can see the anticipation build as you describe the natural wonders awaiting them. Its the best part of the job. Leftridges own passion for the parks is infectious his daughter has worked as a seasonal ranger in Glacier. Glacier is a landscape of superlatives, he said. Theres amazing scenery, stunning wildflower displays, grizzly bears and wolves, and some of Americas best hiking trails. Its easy to share my excitement for such a spectacular place. From his home in Montanas Swan Valley, Leftridge regularly ventures onto Glaciers trails, photographing wildflowers, watching wildlife, and easing into the serenity of the mountains. Over the years, Ive spent many hours exploring Glacier, Leftridge continues in the news release. I wanted this book to read like an insiders guide, as though a trusted friend was divulging all the best things to see and do in the park. The book describes the best day hikes, nature trails, backpack trips, boat tours, flora and fauna, historic sites, and more. There are sections on the best activities for kids and the best ways to spend a rainy (or snowy) day. Also included are the best activities in Waterton Lakes National Park, Glaciers sister park just across the border in Alberta, Canada. Alan Leftridge has served as a seasonal naturalist in Yellowstone National Park and a wilderness ranger in the Mission Mountains Wilderness. He earned a bachelors

degree in biology at the University of Central Missouri, a secondary teaching credential from the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in science education and cultural geography at Kansas State University. His career has included teaching high school science in West Yellowstone, science courses at Miami University, and environmental studies at Humboldt State University. The Best of Glacier National Park is his third book with Farcountry Press; his other titles are Glacier Day Hikes and Going to Glacier. So, make the most of your visit to one of Americas most stunning parks with the help of a seasoned Glacier veteran. The Best of Glacier National Park is available at local bookstores and gift shops, through online retailers, or from Farcountry Press at (800) 821-3874 or www.farcountrypress.com. March 2014

Opinion

Little darling, its been a long, cold, lonely winter George Harrison was definitely not in Montana when he wrote that line in the Beatles tune, Here Comes the Sun, but he might as well have been. The winter of 2013-14 has certainly been the winter of our discontent to quote another Britisher, good old Bill Shakespeare. Its been an old-fashioned, bone-crunching, snow-dumping, carbreaking, heat-bill-busting winter, the likes of which we havent seen around Montana for a while. As long as were in a waxing poetic here, I feel like Im living in a stanza of John Greenleaf Whittiers 1866 epic poem, SnowBound, where a family is isolated in their home for a solid week, but find solace and good company around their hearth. By the way, should you find yourself similarly trapped this winter, check out the heart-warming tale by one of Americas beloved fireside poets a warm moniker that seems appropriate for this winter. But I digress. The fact is, weve all had enough of winter. Of this winter. Were starting to get a little buggy cooped up every day. The Associated Press recently even dedicated a feature to people getting cabin fever across the country. Were fed up with the bitter cold, and scraping ice off car windows, and windshield wipers stuck as if with Gorilla Glue, and dead car batteries, and tracking snow in the house, and getting up March 2014 4

Its been a long, cold, lonely winter

in the cold and dark, and garage doors not opening or shutting, and shoveling the driveway over and over and over again, and if youre traveling by car, the harrowing journeys, and if by plane, the cancelled flights and deicing of wings, over and over again, and most of all, the freezing, stinking cold. Begone, Old Man Winter! Bring back the sun! Sing it, George! Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting Little darling, It seems like years since its been clear Here comes the sun, here comes the sun And I say its all right Dwight Harriman Montana Best Times Editor
MONTANA

P.O. Box 2000, 401 S. Main St., Livingston MT 59047 Tel. (406) 222-2000 or toll-free (800) 345-8412 Fax: (406) 222-8580 E-mail: montanabesttimes@livent.net Subscription rate: $25/yr. Published monthly by Yellowstone Newspapers, Livingston, Montana
Dwight Harriman, Editor Tom Parisella, Designer

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and Better

Jim Miller, creator of the syndicated Savvy Senior information column, is a longtime advocate of senior issues. He has been featured in Time magazine; is author of The Savvy Senior: The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family and Finances for Senior Citizens; and is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show.

How to Guard Against Robocall Scams

Dear Savvy Senior, Is there anything that can be done to stop the annoying robocalls my husband and I keep getting? It seems like we get two or three a day offering lower credit card interest rates, medical alert devices, home alarm systems and more. What can you recommend? Frustrated Seniors Dear Frustrated, Theres been a huge spike in robocall scams in the U.S. over the past few years. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gets more then 200,000 complaints every month about this widespread problem. Heres what you should know, along with some tips that can help you protect yourself.

Robocall scams

Whenever you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, its a robocall. Youve probably gotten robocalls about candidates running for office, or charities asking for donations. These robocalls are legal and allowed. But if the recording is a sales message and you havent given your written permission to get calls from the company on the other end, the call is illegal. In addition to the phone calls being illegal, their pitch most likely is a scam. Some common robocall scams that are making the rounds these days are offering lower credit card interest rates, mortgage relief, free vacations, medical alert devices or home security systems, or they falsely notify you about changes in your health benefits or bank account. But be aware that new scams are constantly evolving, and they all have only one goal in mind to get your personal and financial information. The reason for the spike in robocalls is technology. Fraudulent robocallers are using autodialers that can send out thousands of phone calls every minute for an incredibly low cost, and are very difficult to trace. When these kinds of calls come in, your caller ID usually displays spoofed (fake) numbers, or just says unknown.

Hi, Im a phone scam ... Nice to meet you.

Protect yourself

Your first step to limiting at least some unwanted calls is to make sure your phone number is registered with the National Do Not Call Registry(seedonotcall.govor call 888-382-1222). This, however, will not stop telemarketing scams or illegal robocalls. Another tip, if you have a caller ID, is to simply not answer the phone unless you recognize the number. But if you do answer and its a robocall, you should just hang up the phone. Dont press 1 to speak to a live operator and dont press any other number to complain about the call or get your number off the list. If you respond

by pressing any number, youre signaling that the autodialer has reached a live number and will probably lead to more robocalls. You should also consider contacting your phone provider to ask them to block the number, and whether they charge for that service. But keep in mind that telemarketers change caller ID information easily and often, so it might not be worth paying a fee to block a number that will change. Another call blocking option you should check into is Nomorobo. This is a free new service and works only for people who have an Internet-based VoIP phone service. Anyone with phone service from Comcast and Time Warner Cable can use it too. Nomorobo uses a simultaneous ring service that detects and blocks robocalls on a black list of known offender numbers. It isnt 100 percent foolproof, but it is an extra layer of protection. To sign up, or see if Nomorobo works with your phone service provider, visitNomorobo.com. Its also important that you report illegal robocalls you receive to the FTC atftccomplaintassistant.govor call 888-382-1222. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visitSavvySenior.org. March 2014 5

Railroad speeders
Dillon couple hits the rails in restored motorized cars
DILLON Ann Reynolds spent a lot of time on the road during her long career, though her work rarely took her far from Pony, Montana, where she grew up on five acres of land her family has owned for over a century. But since retiring at the end of 2013 after more than two decades as the Dillon city bus driver and more than a half century of hard work dating back to her early childhood, Reynolds has set off on a busy travel itinerary that has already taken her more than 1,500 miles from Pony. And she plans to keep traveling for much of the year, back and forth from home, as she dedicates more of her time to hobbies, family and friendship. As long as youve got your health, youve got to do these things, asserted Reynolds, who began helping out her father, a ranch hand, with herding along the Boulder River when she was just 6 years old, and in her teens prepared food for men stacking hay to earn money for school clothes and college tuition. Im not gonna be bored, I can tell you that, insisted Reynolds, by phone from Tuscon, Ariz.,, where she and her husband, Harvey, are currently staying while on a trip in their motor home through the American Southwest, where they will visit friends they met while on speeder excursions.

By M.P. Regan Montana Best Times

What are speeders?

Above and on the cover: Ann and Harvey Reynolds climb the grade from Sappington to Harrison along Antelope Creek on their way to Harrison during an excursion in their speeder car. March 2014 6

Photo by Sue Taulbee

Also known as railway motor cars, jiggers and putt-putts, speeders are restored motorized rail cars formerly used by railroad inspectors and maintenance personnel. Railroads quit using the speeders, as we call them, in the late 1980s, when they moved to HyRail vehicles, which are standard road vehicles, like pickup trucks, equipped with retractable guide wheels that can operate on rail, said Bill Taylor, a retired high school English teacher from Missoula and railroad historian. So, the railroads began selling off their speeders. You could pick one up for a pretty reasonable price, Taylor said. But the people who bought them had to find places to use them. So, a group was formed called the North American Railcar Operators Association, added Taylor, a longtime speeder enthusiast

who serves as NARCOAs Pacific Northwest area director. Out of that came a $10 million dollar insurance policy that allowed us to talk to railroads and protect them from their liability concerns with speeders. And eventually, that evolved into the modern speeder hobby that sees NARCOA with a membership of over 2,000 people, with about a thousand of them having access to the insurance that lets them travel on over 200 railroads in the United States, said Taylor, who estimated he has travelled on about 40 railroads in the U.S. on a speeder, though he prefers to stick mostly to railroads in Montana and the Northern Rockies. We are lucky to have quite a few railroads in this area we can travel on through some really beautiful country, he said.

Gotta have one!

The Reynolds didnt buy their speeder until 2004, but their $5,000 dollar purchase came just a short time after they got their first look at the vehicles. We saw a group of speeders roll into Harrison one day, recalled Reynolds, who used to own and operate, along with her husband, a Harrison grain elevator now owned and operated by their son Gary DeFrance and his wife, Leanne. Next thing we know, were sending Travis to Bremerton, Washington, to pick one up, said Reynolds of her youngest son, who owns a hay stacking and fertilizing business in Harrison with his wife, Melinda. That group of speeders was led into Harrison by Taylor, who serves as an excursion coordinator for speeder trips. The Reynolds took one look at the speeders and said, Hey, we gotta have one! And they bought one the next year and got it refurbished and started going on trips with us, said Taylor, who recalled getting hooked on speeders in 1980 after traveling just a few miles in one along some abandoned railroad track owned by the Milwaukee Road railroad.

Ann Reynolds is pictured shortly before retiring at the end of last year after more than two decades as the city bus driver for Dillon. that most speeders can go no faster than 30 to 35 mph. They are not the easiest things in the world to ride in, so after a hundred miles on the railroad, you know youve been somewhere, he said. Taylor said that with speeders, you also know youve been somewhere that you otherwise probably never would have gotten to. Railroads tend to follow rivers and go through the bottom of canyons instead of over mountain passes, said Taylor, who has co-authored, with his wife, Jan, five books on railroad history. In a speeder, you get to see the world from a different point of view, he said. Reynolds said the way you get to experience those remote landscapes also lends to the unique experience of riding in a speeder. Its not like being in a car. Youre basically riding in the back country where there are no people, and you get to see so much more of whats around you, said Reynolds, who lets her husband take care of the speeder operating duties. The operator has to pay attention to make sure you dont get too close to the car in front of you, but for the most part youre able to just relax and enjoy the scenery, added Reynolds, who said she and Harvey plan to follow their Montana excursion in June with a 10-day, 1,100-mile round trip to polar bear country in Canada as part of an excursion featuring 30 speeders later in the month. Taylor said that while riding in speeders can be relaxing, trip preparations by excursion coordinators involve a lot of time and work. You have to find an agreeable time for the railroad for you to operate over their tracks, and make those arrangements, and then you have to advertise it, and collect the money for the run, and make sure you get the fee deposited, and organize food and motels, said Taylor, who coordinates six to eight speeder excursions per year. So, yes, there is a bit to it not the least of which is negotiating with the railroads, he said. They all have different personalities and concerns. But Taylor and Reynolds agree that getting to interact with new people in new ways in new places may be the most appealing part of the speeder hobby. Theres a real social aspect to it you meet a lot of people on speeder excursions you become friends with. They are usually retired, and very nice folks, said Taylor, who estimated he has met and made friends with about 200 people during his years riding speeders. Its getting to be more and more husband-and-wife teams, instead of like the old days when it was just guys in greasy coveralls, laughed Taylor, who embarked on the hobby almost 35 years ago in a speeder he built. The hobby now is well-regulated and

Photo by M.P. Regan/courtesy of The Dillon Tribune

What its like to go on a speeder tour

Taylor will lead a group of speeder owners, including the Reynolds, on a Montana excursion in June that will travel 350 miles in five days along several segments of railroad, starting in Whitehall, and continuing on a segment through the Bitterroot Valley, and then another segment through northwestern Montana. We usually travel about a hundred miles per day, said Taylor, who noted

See Speeders, Page 10 March 2014 7

Baseball super fan

What Glendive man has done in 60 years of pursuing his obsession is nothing short of remarkable
Story and photos by Jason Stuart Montana Best Times
GLENDIVE March marks the beginning of a new Major League Baseball season, and as 30 teams gear up to chase a spot in the 2014 Fall Classic, one die-hard baseball fan from Glendive is ready for one last season in the sun. To use the common shorthand fan for Glendive resident Jim Waddell is probably a disservice. Waddell is a true baseball fanatic. Waddell is one of two fans known to have achieved the feat of seeing every team in each league play every other league team both home and away (prior to the Houston Astros switching to the American League last season, anyway). And he got there first. Waddell hit the mark on Sept. 17, 2008, when he saw the Astros take on the Florida Marlins in Miami. A host of friends and family joined him to mark the occasion. According to Waddell, a reporter from the Miami Herald got wind of what he was about to accomplish and helped arrange VIP treatment for him, including a tour of the stadium, getting taken down to the field to meet the players and being recognized on the stadiums jumbotron. But he said all the special treatment wasnt as meaningful to him as his friends and family being there to witness it. I thought (the VIP treatment) was pretty neat, but the neatest part was that 27 of my friends and family got to go with me, Waddell said. The only other person to match Waddells feat is John Salvo, of Mount Pleasant, Wisc. Salvo did it the next season, on Oct. 2, 2009. Waddell met Salvo at an Astros game in

Jim Waddell shows off his personalized license plates from over the years that reflect his baseball passion. Each plate bears the team name and uniform number that Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux played with during his illustrious career. Maddux is Waddells favorite all-time pitcher. March 2014 8

Waddell sits at his home with his dog, Garcia, beside the throw rug his family had specially made to commemorate his achieving the feat of seeing every MLB team in each league play every other league team both at home and away. Waddells wife, children and a host of friends and family joined him at that game in Miami on Sept. 17, 2008, where he watched the Houston Astros then in the National League take on the Florida Marlins. Houston in 2001, and Waddell said the two became instant friends. Waddell was with Salvo at Citi Field in New York when Salvo matched his achievement. In a bit of symmetry, that game featured the Astros taking on the New York Mets. did so gladly, given that for the second day in a row, he didnt have to pay to watch the game. His efforts earned him an even greater reward when he was taken down to the field to get players autographs. That was his last free ride, however. The third day, we finally had to buy tickets, Waddell said. in 2002. Waddell saw 81 games that season. I decided I wanted to see as many games as an average season ticket holder, he said. Of course, my 81 games were scattered across 25 different stadiums. Waddells pace has slowed in recent years. He broke his back in 2011 and now limits his trips to driving excursions to the closest MLB cities namely Denver, Minneapolis and Seattle. He has plans to attend seven games this season, and then intends to hang em up.

Baseball love affair begins

Waddells lifelong love affair with baseball began back in 1951. Then 14 and growing up on the family ranch east of Miles City, he asked his father to take him to a MLB game. Waddells father wasnt interested, but told him that if he would agree to take his younger brother along, he would buy them bus tickets to Chicago, then the closest city to Montana with a MLB team. The boy jumped at the opportunity. That first game Waddell attended pitted the Boston Red Sox against the Chicago White Sox in Old Comiskey Park. But he didnt pay for the privilege. We basically snuck in the first day, Waddell said. He and his brother arrived at the stadium late, and unsure where to go to buy tickets, snuck in through a fence. They were accosted by an usher, but the man took pity on them and let them go in anyway. The White Sox game the next day was against the Washington Senators (now the Minnesota Twins). Waddell and his brother got to the park on time that day, but as they stood in line to get tickets, he caught another stroke of good fortune. A policeman comes along and takes me by the arm and said, Come here son, Ill take you into the game for free, Waddell said. He was asked to carry press photographers camera equipment for them. Waddell

An idea strikes

It was another five years, in 1956, before Waddell saw another MLB game. That was the year he married his wife, Dianna. Naturally, on my honeymoon, I had to go again, he said. Over the next couple of decades, Waddell attended MLB games sporadically, making it to a few games some years and some years not at all. I didnt go to that many games early, because I had to work for a living, he said. That changed when he retired from the Burlington Northern Railway in 1996. By that time, he had seen over 300 MLB games, and Waddell said it was then the idea struck him that if he tried, he could see every team in both leagues play every other league team at home and away. And so began a flurry of baseball attendance.

Amazing feats

Chasing the dream

Waddell spent great chunks of each summer on the road, traveling from city to city chasing his dream. Sometimes he flew, but mostly he drove, putting untold thousands of miles on his vehicles over the years. The fact that the closest MLB stadium to Glendive is Coors Field in Denver, more than 590 miles away, makes his devotion all the more remarkable. The pinnacle of his baseball travels came

What he has seen in his over 60 years of pursuing his obsession is nothing short of remarkable, however. Waddell has attended 1,235 MLB games in his life. Those games include trips to five World Series and the 1985 MLB All-Star Game in Minnesota. He has been to every MLB park used in the last 60 years at least 21 times and some over 100, with the exception of the new Yankee Stadium and Marlins Park. He has also seen four no-hitters. He witnessed the longest game, by time, in MLB history a 25-inning, 8-hour-and 6-minute marathon played between the White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers in 1984. He saw Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Shawn Green become one of the few players in MLB history to hit four home runs in one game. Waddell was also there when Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller became the only player in MLB history to hit a grand slam from both sides of the plate in a single game. Waddell has also seen his favorite pitcher, newly-elected Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, pitch 32 times. Waddell may have been something of a good luck charm for March 2014 9

Maddux, as he went 19-4 with nine nodecisions in games in which Waddell was in attendance. Ive pretty well covered it all, Waddell said of everything he has seen in baseball. But when it comes to the games hes attended, he doesnt pick favorites. My favorite game is the one Im at the present time, he said.

Ultimate players

But he does have favorite players. Waddell lists Maddux and Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson as his favorites. He admires not just their physical ability but their mental acumen, and how any youngster can look up to them. The reason I like those two guys are they were the ultimate athletes, Waddell said. They werent just great hitters or pitchers, they did the whole game. And they really were what you would call role models. Like many baseball fans, Waddell has been forced to draw a sharp distinction between players like Robinson and Maddux and the beefed-up behemoths of baseballs Steroid Era. He feels betrayed by players

who have been tied to performance enhancing drugs, or PEDs, and doesnt shirk from sharing his opinion on the matter. Theres a lot of players I used to admire until I found out they used, Waddell said. That changed the whole perspective for me. I hate druggies; I hate cheaters. He said he kind of understands why players used PEDs, with the pressure to excel and the fat contracts to be had mixed with unchecked egos. But Waddell would prefer such players be kept out of the Hall of Fame. He is of the camp that believes what Pete Rose did to earn a lifetime ban from the game pales in comparison. (Pete Rose) didnt cheat, he said. As far as I can tell, he was just a liar with a gambling addiction. (PED users) actually cheated.

What? Theres more?

The stain of the Steroid Era hasnt diminished Waddells love of the game, however. What dont I love about baseball, he said in summing up his feelings for the game. Of course, you could also ask Waddell

what he doesnt love about any number of sports. His resume outside of baseball would make any sports fan drool with envy. He has seen at least one game in every NFL stadium. He has seen at least one game in every NHL arena. He has seen at least one game in every NBA arena. Hes seen at least one NASCAR race at every track on the Sprint Cup circuit. And Waddell has been to three Super Bowls, two Indianapolis 500s and a couple of Kentucky Derbies. But his first love, since sneaking through that fence at Comiskey Park in 1951, has been baseball. Now, as he prepares to say farewell to the game he adores, though it is bittersweet, he can look back with pride at a baseball fans life well-lived. Its going to be real hard for me not to be able to go anymore, Waddell said. But I have no complaints, Ive been blessed. I got to do more, see more, than almost anybody. Jason Stuart may be reached at rrreporter @rangerreview.com or (406) 377-3303.

Speeders, from Page 7 insured, so it tends to involve very nice people like the Reynolds, added Taylor, a member of the board of directors for Pacific Railcar Operators, one of the 29 NARCOA affiliates. With speeders, you really get close to a lot of new people, all kinds of people doctors, lawyers, bus drivers, even big musicians, said Reynolds, who met and befriended fellow speeder enthusiast Bernie Leadon, one of the founding members of the band The Eagles, during a speeder excursion. A lot of them are older and retired. And seniors are just the most rewarding people to be around, Reynolds said. They tend to be so friendly and relaxed. with Taya and Fern, granddaughters she has introduced to doll collecting and expects to take up the hobby with an enthusiasm that matches her own. Even as she pursues her hobbies in a more vigorous and widerranging manner than she could while she worked full time, Reynolds said family will remain the central focus of her life, and pull her back on a regular basis to Pony, where she and Harvey maintain a home, as well as a caboose, teepee and refurbished sheep wagon that their grandkids can camp in during visits. Grandkids come first for me now, she said. Im planning on spoiling them rotten. M.P. Regan may be reached at news@dillontribune.com or (406) 683-2331.

Friendships, hobbies, families

March 2014

Reynolds said speeder excursions also provide a good social outlet for her cocker spaniel, Lily Lou, who rides with her and her husband in their speeder while wearing a reflector vest. She loves it. She gets to meet all kinds of people and beg everybody for food and makes friends. A lot of times, I think people would rather see Lily than us, said Reynolds, who used to breed cocker spaniels. Speeders are just a really joyful hobby with all the friendships you make. Its a lot like the way it is with doll shows. Both are just great hobbies, friendly hobbies, said Reynolds, who has collected antique dolls for more than 30 years and is a member-at-large in the United Federation of Doll Clubs. I always loved dolls, and then a friend of mine in Dillon gave me a doll dating back to 1898. It just kind of mushroomed from there for me, said Reynolds, who estimated she now owns more than 100 antique dolls, most dating back to at least the 1920s. Reynolds plans to attend a UFCD doll show in Texas in July 10

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Apsaalooke Nation Editor Ben Cloud prepares the February edition of his newspaper. Cloud was placed in charge of the paper by former Crow Secretary Scott Russell in late 2007 and has operated it ever since.

MT Best Times photo by Andrew Turck

Apsaalooke Nation editor uses experience to expand tribal newspaper

By Andrew Turck Montana Best Times
CROW AGENCY Ben Cloud, former speaker of the House for the Crow Tribe, has been the driving force behind the creation, and now expansion, of the Apsaalooke Nation newspaper. Apsaalooke Nation is tribally owned and operated, and given away monthly, predominantly on the Crow Reservation. Beneath the shadowed title of the paper reads Teepee Capitol of the World (Baawaalaapuuchi), hearkening back to the Crow language and culture. Cloud has been involved in virtually every facet of Apsaalooke Nation early into its conception. Although he started creating the paper on a quarterly basis often by himself, he now has a news team that allows him to print an issue each month. I wear many hats, Cloud said. Sometimes Im a little bit of a spiritual leader, sometimes Im an adviser. The paper has included stories on multimillion-dollar coal deals involving the reservation, tribal water rights negotiations and effects of the 2013 federal government budget sequestration on Native American tribes. First on the sequestration effects, the Apsaalooke Nation faces and feels that the United States are sidestepping their trust responsibility by not protecting the treaties, Cloud wrote in a January article on the White House Tribal Nations Conference, and Native Nations shouldnt be forced into the cutbacks. The article sports a full-length photo by Cloud of U.S. President Barack Obama speaking atthe event,followed by a photo of Crow Chairman Darrin Old Coyote in brightly-colored regalia and a headdress sitting amid a sea of people in business suits. I try to look at national news that will affect the Tribe, pretty much all over Indian Country, Cloud said. Along with national news, the paper also includes local events, personal stories and a humorous column called awusuu kokoon iikukkuk (I heard it in the sweat lodge). Cloud said more than 90 percent of the sweat lodge-related stories were true, though people are more careful of what they say around March 2014 11

him during those events nowadays.

Cloud started editing Apsaalooke Nation in late 2007 under the direction of former Crow Secretary Scott Russell. Political involvement Its something that the Crow Tribe needed, because Ive always been asked, Whats going on? Whats happening? and it But being a newspaper man is only a part of who Ben Cloud is. was a good outlet, Russell said. I wanted it to be a free paper ... He has also been heavily involved in Crow Tribe political life. the reason being that I wanted it accessible to everybody, Cloud was elected in January 2002 as the and I felt it was a service we needed to Legislative Branchs first speaker of the House, a t i o n representing the Arrow Creek District. e RLDN provide. k o o l a a s p WO A ITAL OF THE Russell turned the newspaper over to Though Cloud chose not to run again for the TEEPEE CAP u u c h i a l a a t p B a a w a for Cloud after founding it earlier in the position of speaker in 2003, he continued on as ministration rules d a a m a b O ent s on Daines call amaging coal developm year, because his Crow Executive a senator up to 2005. He decided not to pursue d n o s r e w s n a Branch duties were becoming too a second four-year term, since he had moved numerous to continue operating the outside the Arrow Creek District. paper. He said Cloud was a natural fit Cloud said in his exit speech that although for the position, since Cloud has had the new constitutional system that had recentnearly three decades worth of experience ly been instituted was moving slowly, the in the news business, some of which had Crow Tribe would be a force to reckon with previously involved showing Russell the in all levels of government: tribal, state and ropes. national within 10 to 15 years. Since he used to be my teacher, RusThese past four years, we learned to action on s ge ed pl r ste e accepts Te Program ck Ba yCharles Decran sell said, I thought it would be good to crawl as a nation under a new form of govBu an Land Congressm invitation by es attend turn to him. ernment, Cloud wrote in an email paraSteve Dain toState of Obamas 2014 dress Ad Cloud first became interested in writing phrasing a portion of his speech. ion Un the while attending Flandreau Indian Boarding Future of Apsaalooke Nation School in Flandreau, S.D., where he studied journalism for three years, won several Apsaalooke Nation has gone through high school writing contests and was selecttwo administration changes from the late ed in 1975 South Dakota Boys State as a former Chairman Carl Venne to former journalist. He graduated in 1976. Chairman Cedric Black Eagle in April Two years later, he became a local recruit 2009, and then from the Black Eagle for the VISTA program on the Crow Reseradministration to that of Chairman Old vation in 1978. Later, while attending Little Coyote in December 2012. Bighorn College, he took its multimedia When Chairman Old Coyote was inauoffice printing course and began publishing a gurated, he decided to continue on with Shown is the February edition of weekly newsletter as part of the VISTA proApsaalooke Nation, citing its importance in Apsaalooke Nation. gram, which he called The Notes. disseminating correct information. Old I did everything, Cloud wrote in an email Coyote had served an editor for the paper about the newsletter. Reporting, photograduring his time as vice secretary under Vennes administration. phy, layout and design, and the printing. Old Coyote said the paper is increasing in popularity and he After finishing the course, he became an instructor for the probelieves there are enough resources to eventually turn it into a gram and helped temporarily revive another newsletter, called weekly paper. Koo Taa Hilik, which involved college students in every aspect of Cloud said Apsaalooke Nation, though tribally-owned, has thus writing, editing and printing the news. far been able to fund its cost of printing through advertising and a Cloud first began working with Russell in 1980 at the Bilingual limited subscription base. They have also benefited from new Development Center, where they printed books and other educamultimedia options, including new cameras and other electronic tional material to teach students to read and write in the Crow equipment. language. The news team began recording government meetings and He was my assistant back then, Cloud said. He was still a events during the middle of 2013, and they have also been placed high school student doing youth work, so I had a chance to teach in charge of updating and maintaining the tribal website. him how to print and things like that. The goal of this department is to eventually turn it into maybe Cloud then moved on in late 1980 to work as an apprentice a business under the Tribe, maybe an LLC, Cloud said. Were pressman at the Billings Gazette, the largest press in Montana. By looking into different avenues where this newspaper can actually his fifth year, he was supervisor for commercial print. go. Later, Cloud was press room manager for the Missoulian, from He said the people working at his paper were young, but they 1995 to 1996. He then returned to the Gazette and continued were skilled in their jobs. working there as commercial print supervisor until 2000. This first year was getting to know each other, and Im Russell, who worked as a pressman at the Gazette, and Cloud encouraging them to write more stories, Cloud said. I want used their knowledge gained at the paper in the founding Apsaathem to get more involved in this before we make the transition
FEBRUARY 2014
COPYRIGHT

Building a foundation

looke Nation. It gave us good insight into all the things that happen within the newspaper, Russell said, and how its able to survive and function.

FREE COPY
@ CROW TRIBE 2007 ALL RIGHTS

R2 VOLUME 8, NUMBE RESERVED

EDITION

Repres ON, D.C. to stop WASH INGT continued his fight on Coal by Steve Daines today istrations War the Obama Admin ment of Interior Office Depart pressing a top officia l for Gener al (OIG) to of Inspec tor istrations efforts Admin the ions that answers about ing coal regulat nas coal implem ent damag threat to Monta stand as a direct it supports. jobs l recentl y industry and the Inspec tor Genera istraThe Office of Admin Obama on the released a report well-vetted coal mining of a tions rewrite Buffer Zone 2008 Stream ns costly regula tion, the the Administratio Rule, revealing king process. t of the rulema Natura l mismanagemen morni ngs House on Durin g this oversight hearing ittee Comm Resources on Coal: The strations War Inspector Obama Admini the of by the Office A. Knox, Recent Report questioned Robert gations Daines , l Genera Investi or General for Assistant Inspect , about why Interior of ment s of dolat the U.S. Depart lly he n has spent million or overCredit mandat Indian Coal Tax jacket during his visit and branches. Eventua demanding answers on the Administratio input on , as well as the with little public Resources hearing tailored Pendlet such as housing lars rewriting

r OIG official about ons Dept. of Interio g, Daines questi Resources hearin During Natural entativ e

jobs to Montana coal not process and its threat Montana, coal costly rulemaking In my state of our 50 percent of only powers over coal but esses, homes and busin needed jobs much s create mining on ations, in additi reserv tribal on reservation, to mining off the I was On Saturday, Daines stated. Cheyenne at the Northern well as the Crow Reservation as I asked the Reservation, and Tribe, Crow the of chairman e What are your Darrin Old Coyot top priorities? jobs, jobs, and He said to me a 50 percent jobsas they face rate on the unemployment reservation. this: A war on Legislative Executive and And then he added members of the Nations during a Natural Crow families. ne ls. on to concerns with minera Cheyen war listen N a to is coal makes a stop up for the Apsaalooke and hinder development of tribal . Steve Daines -Steve Dainesstood es that that has expired

a taxpayers. issues were raised presented Daines with by Ben Cloud jobs, and its hurting under the Obama Coyote Photo d by the Other stated. hurting sight. Chairman Oldsupporting tribal concerns. Interior recent report releasethe Obal litigants, Daines since Department of According to a thanked him for 2010 a ments with habitua particu lar situati on just The istration has spent $8.6 million exerOIG office, in king ishing the Obam I think this Dept. of Interior a closed-door with this Admin ame for establ 2010 on the rulema spent for n entered into rushed, pre- And strates a broade r theme to late Spring of groups timefr new rule was ma Administratio time demon of which has been agency agrees with environmental time Administrations nwhere the having enough and cise, $6 million al Impac t Statem ent and from istratio y court agreement evable tors Admin arbitrar unachi contrac the by nment also agreed to rule in an and venting analysis. Knox and then is bound ations. the Enviro to rewrite the is, but has failed s of taxpayer dollarsfired to complete a full Impact Analys between the settle stic demands of these organiz the tory million ent ison, spent Regula ; settlem see compar frame; door rewrite l unreali litigation. We draft rule. By tors to do the that the closed$5 mil n and enviro nmentaa We see the same with ESA y. The process even publish a hired new contrac that the revipreviously spent Admin istratio rule was when it leaked Administration timber industr page 3 ide; and Obama who challenged the 2008 the contractors rulemak- Bush the same in the Continued on me. 7,000 jobs nationw and its not how l the groups in the rushed timefra sion would cost is not transparent, conducted. And its late data to concea predominant factor to be here, that OSMs attempted to manipu . ing is supposed very troubling it settle find I court impact confirmed determined by true economic actions are being questioning, Knox Under Daines (OSM) of Surface Mining that the Office

na Senator hears Monta

se delays erns over land purcha Indian leadersconc

the Stiffarm Senato Indian Bum are eligible for (U.S. SENATE) r of the Senate seven reservations tanas only membe pledge d to push U.S. tanas ck Program. than a ittee, Affairs Comm to work with Buy-Ba ana tribes have waited more now ment officials forward Mont lands, and we Interior Depart reclaim their Country to move ners fair Pro- decade to members of Indian place to give landow pment, in Land Buy-Back plan ents a have new develo with the departm nsation and spur . We from the compe clock is ticking gram. ed ck Program stems said. But the rency and unneed provides Tester The Land Buy-Ba Settlement, which to pur- cant let a lack of transpa progress in Indian of historic Cobell ment stand in the way Interior Depart funding for the Indians who delays from individual the Interio r to tribal Country. chase trust lands Settlem ent gives and transfer them Land to being escorted Cobell the prior The sellers te office to comple are willing help consoli Daines in his Photo courtesy Alee Lockman ment ten years process would Baucu s Congressman Senato r Max ts in tribal Depart ownership. This gets to visit with Hill. Presim. d interes (left) e Progra watche ent s of divided DeCrane Charlie DeCranUnion Address on Capital control Buy-B ack in helping finalize a settlem of the Union date million the As Daines guest, tribes to have greater to the State of r classRepjoined Tester entativ e dent Obam as 2014 State lands and enable of the House of Cobell v. Salaza N, D.C. Repres DeCrane, a address from the gallery January 28, 2014. the decades-old WASH INGTO lands. Blackfeet Tribal e tribal eco- in welcomed Charles of Pryor, of their t, brought by ooke tribal resentatives onTuesday, Steve Daines long residen t gton, D.C. The initiative intends to improv has action lawsui Cobell against the U.S. govveteran and Apsaal DeCra ne, a life the department Washin World War IIWashin gton, D.C. as Daines Union Montana, will be joined inDeCrane. DeCrane nomic development, but d member Elouise of Indian trust the of ent receive it membe r, to State nagem n for the n Sampso last year as part of purcha ses since ernment for misma guest of honor by his grandso not made any be able to visited Washington, D.C. program. as ber 2012. ts. address. Flight s and privilege to authority in Novem Affairs Committee hear- accoun a long-time advocate for Montan an Big Sky Honor an Old Coyote was Daines Its my honor War II vetera n Charle is . as my the At a Senate Indian Last year Chairm 2013 address by Obama testimony on Tester bringin g Indian Affair s Chairm welco me World r of the CrowTribe, ber and gton, Tester heard Daines stat- guest of honor at the strong advocate for MonDeCrane, a membe of the Union, a leaders Alvin tribes,Cantwell to Montana in Septem e the in ing in Washin tribal members Daines has been s since being in office Montana tribal guest for the State improv (Fort Maria 2500 Montana they have not the issue from g legislation to Native Nation entatives. Grant Stafne ed. More than unfortunately, and thanks tanaHouse of Repres a bid to run as Mon- Not Afraid (Crow) and , Tester met with recently backin Native American children. ition are veterans, and the recogn for of the life d hearing making of quality to have Charles Before the He will be to Washinton DC as a result always receive r . Its an honor and being Peck). Union, and as they deserve to tanas Senato Baucus retirement the State of the Not Afraid, China. its a privilege for Senator Max an joining me for Ambassador to U.S. Marine, work the son of aMontan nominated as as veterans and serve all of day. them every

pose with the and Loren Stiffarm Dan Malessa Senator Tester Photo courtesy . , AJ Not Afraid, w Plain Feather y at a congressional hearing ) and Loren L to R- Woodro eather (Crow providing testimon Woodr ow PlainF Six of Monsenator prior to (Fort Belknap). r Jon Tester, Mon-

March 2014

12

Apsaalooke Nation employee Coe Half gestures toward some of his paintings. Half started working for the paper this year drawing cartoons and is looking to start a health column. into maybe, say, a bi-weekly. Lets see what we do. During a recent interview, newspaper staffer Coe Half, gesturing with a riding cropused by jockeys in horse races (he was writing a story on horse culture), said he was originally appointed

MT Best Times photo by Andrew Turck

by Old Coyote to draw cartoons for Apsaalooke Nation. One of his drawings adorns the top of the aforementioned I heard it in the sweat lodge column. He now takes pictures and writes articles. Half, who comes from a ranching background, currently alternates between journalism during the fall and winter, and serving with Helitack firefighting crews during the summer. I had to learn a lot really quickly, and I had to adapt really quickly, Half said. Its way different than anything Ive ever done. Im very fortunate to have someone like Ben to guide me along (in) baby steps through the entire thing. Half said hed be starting a health column and wants to begin covering some of the smaller towns in Big Horn County. Cloud said that although he doesnt plan on retiring anytime soon, he eventually hopes to build a strong enough base that Apsaalooke Nation will be able to continue once he leaves. Ive been very fortunate. I enjoy what I do and I hope to continue as long as I can here, Cloud said. Weve set a foundation that now, theyre still working, theyre growing on that. What we set back then, theyre growing and growing and getting better. Copies of Apsaalooke Nation are currently archived at Little Big Horn College going back to 2007. Andrew Turck may be reached atnews@bighorncountynews. comor(406) 665-1008.

Walk this way to extra strength and endurance

By Wina Sturgeon Adventure Sports Weekly/MCT
We all slow down as we get older, but that certainly doesnt mean we should let ourselves waste away. If youve hit the midcentury mark, theres a way you can keep, or even build, your strength and endurance without stepping outside your own door. It involves a lot of walking; walking in place for endurance, against resistance for strength. Yes, it sounds simple. It is simple, but you have to put together a simple device to let you do it. All you need is a sturdy belt and some rubber tubing. If you dont already have a strong and sturdy belt, get one from a thrift shop. Looks arent an issue with this device. The rubber tubing can be found at outdoor shops and some hardware stores, or it can be ordered online by the foot. Get the strongest kind, which is usually black in color. Youll need about 30 feet of the stretchy tubing. Tie a tight triple knot at each end. Drape it over the belt, and put the belt on. Fasten it loosely; you want the belt to be saggy, not tight. Put on supportive shoes with flat heels. Choose your most sturdy door for the next part. Place the knotted ends of the tubing on the other side of the door, just above the doorknob. Shut the door firmly. Pull on the tubing to make sure its shut securely on the other side of the door. You should have a doubled length of the stuff, going through the belt and fastened inside the restraining door. Next, pull it around to the back of the belt, turn your back to the door and walk out until you can feel the tubing pulling against the belt. This is where you start walking. As you walk, the tubing will hold you in place. The time will pass more quickly if you listen to music or watch television while you do this workout for at least 15 minutes every day. Check the tubing every day to make sure its not developing any cracks or splits, especially the part thats being shut inside the door. If youre concerned about scuffing up the carpet, buy an inexpensive length of the runner carpet sold by home stores. Again, remember that how it looks doesnt matter; you can roll it up and stash it out of sight when your workout is done. Heres the best part: Even if you walk slow and lazy, youll lose weight, get a bit stronger and build your endurance so you wont puff and pant just from walking up a flight of stairs. But if you walk out further, to make the resistance of the tubing more intense, that will increase the build up of your strength and burn even more calories. If you pick up the pace so that youre actually jogging, youll get a great aerobic workout that will vastly improve your endurance. Even if you alternate walking and jogging, and go from heavy to light resistance from the tubing, youll still burn more than a hundred calories with each 15-minute session. Youll burn off more than a pound of fat each month. Youll be stronger and have much more energy as well. Thats quite a good return for a small investment of some rubber tubing and 15 minutes a day. Wina Sturgeon is an active boomer based in Salt Lake City who offers news on the science of anti-aging and staying youthful at: adventuresportsweekly.com. March 2014 13

Montana songwriter Gale Drewery looks back on a great ride

Drewry sings An Old Dying Breed from his songbook at his apartment in Lewistown. The sticker on his guitar was designed by his late wife, Pam. Behind him you can see a picture of the two of them on their wedding day.

Story and photos by Charlie Denison Montana Best Times

Im the last, dont you see, of an old dying breed Cause old mustangs and old cowboys in these days they dont need. Gale Drewery, An Old Dying Breed LEWISTOWN Gale Drewery, 78, is the real deal: a Montana cowboy, a western singer/songwriter and a part of his home states history. Originally from northwest of Circle, Drewery experienced a Montana that few remember, one he shares often through his picturesque country songs. As a child, he attended a one-room schoolhouse and lived in a home with no electricity or running water during the Dust Bowl days of the dirty 30s, Drewery said. I grew up 100 years ago, you know, Drewery joked. The March 2014 14

toilet was out back. Drewery loved to play outside like the other children in town, but he had another hobby that began early and has stayed with him all his life: music. As long as he can remember, Drewery was surrounded by music. His father, Ray Drewery, played fiddle at dances all over eastern Montana, and hed play it most nights at home. My dad was the best fiddle player there was, Drewery said. People would always gather at Drewerys house after supper. Wed get our instruments out and people would dance. My greatgrandmother was a fiddle player, too. Its in our blood; its in our genes. Our family is that way. This paved the way for Drewery, who literally took his show on the road.

Touring around the country

Drewery left Montana as a teenager and went to Texas to pursue a career in country music.

Gale Drewery performs one of his latest original country songs with fiddle player Kathryn Holman at a cowboy church event in Lewistown, in January. If you dont have a fiddle, it aint country, Drewery said.

In 1948, he joined the Saddle Tramps as a guitarist and vocalist, and started touring. I never stood still. I was traveling all the time, Drewery said. I didnt even know who I was. While playing with the Saddle Tramps, Drewery met legendary country music songwriter and performer T Texas Tyler, who was best known for his hit song, Deck of Cards, at the time. Tyler offered me a job playing with him, Drewery said. I got $15 a night, and that was the big times. These were the 1950s, Drewery said, and he was everywhere, touring all around the United States. Life happened fast on the road, Drewery said, too fast, and trouble was everywhere. Elvis wasnt the only person those women were throwing their bras at, Drewery said. That happened to me, too. I remember one night a girl jumped at me and grabbed the back of my head and kissed me right on the lips. The bouncer grabbed her and threw her out. I was shellshocked. Touring with T Texas Tyler, Drewery said, was a little too rough around the edges, and a little too dangerous. I couldnt play with him anymore. He was an alcoholic. For a sagebrush Montana kid, it was pretty hard to see all of that stuff, all the women. I just didnt want to be around it.

I moved to the Hi-Line and lived where I worked, hopping around from Williston to Wolf Point to the Flathead to Havre, Drewery said. The more we played, the more people we picked up in the band. The next year, Drewery married his first wife, and they had four children together two girls and two boys. This made it difficult for Drewery to continue playing out all the time. Ironically, however, it was T Texas Tyler who convinced him to retire from living life playing in the clubs. It was 1960 and Tyler had become a pastor. He had totally changed his life around after a near-death experience, and he came to Montana to speak, Drewery said. He told me, If I hear you are playing in those clubs, I am going to come back here and wrap that guitar around your neck. Tyler never had to come back, Drewery said, since he never played a club again. I was gettin tired of it, anyway, Drewery said. Kids and night clubs dont go well together. Drewery became a family man, devoting his life to his wife, his children and the Lord. They moved to Lambert, where he found a job working as a custodian at a school. There he began raising his children, but after a few years he and his first wife decided to get a divorce.

said. I wrote a song for her and played it for her right there during the wedding. The best man handed me the guitar and I started playing. You could see tears running down her face. She really got shook up. He was always writing songs about her, even when she became terminally ill in the last year of their marriage. Three days before she died, she inspired the song that was to become Montana Girl, Drewery said. The nurse came in. She was heavily sedated and would drift in and out, he said. I was standing there beside her bed holding her hand. The nurse said, You know, thats the toughest woman Ive ever met. She is in terrific pain but she doesnt complain a bit. Never has since day one. The nurse thought she was sleeping, then Pam replied, Well Im a Montana girl, arent I? And I said, Pam, you just spun off another one. Drewery wrote the song and sang it to her the next day. He said it was the last thing she remembered. The nurses all gathered around but left before the song was over, Drewery said. I asked them why they did, and they said they couldnt handle a guy singing to his dying wife. It has been six years since Pam passed and he still thinks of her every day, Drewery said. They were married 20 years.

Going back home

Love songs

A part of history

Drewery went back to Montana and stopped touring all over the country; instead, he chose to play around his home state.

Although many of Drewerys songs are about Montana and the West, Drewery had another muse: his second wife, Pam. We got married on a ranch, Drewery

Heres to Montana, the state that I love With the wide open spaces and the stars up above The moon casts its shadows it seems with love March 2014 15

The moon casts its shadows it seems with love Yes, I love Montana, the big sky above. - Gale Drewery, I Love Montana In 1989, Drewerys song I Love Montana was chosen as the state song for the Montana Centennial. The song was sanctioned as a special tribute to Montanas centennial by Lt. Gov. Gordon McCumber, Drewery said. Drewery traveled to Helena for the occasion. While there, officials placed a cassette album titled From Heaven to You, which contained I Love Montana, into a time capsule. When they open it ... it really will be from heaven to you. Ill be dead and gone, Drewery commented.

bow Records and covered by country artists in Montana and Nashville, Tenn. It is also Drewerys favorite song to sing. This song has quite an impact on a lot of people, Drewery said. I have never sang that song in the Badlands or on a trail ride where I didnt have people sittin there with tears runnin down their face.

All in the family

Last of a dying breed

Drewerys children have followed in the family footsteps, picking up instruments and singing. They are all great singers, Drewery said, Plus Jay plays rock n roll and Wade plays country and gospel. His daughters Jennifer and Cindie have even recorded his original songs A Montanans Prayer and What About the Free?

The song Drewery is perhaps the proudest of is An Old Dying Breed, which he wrote about being one of the last of the cowboys. I was in town one day and this mechanic was working on my car, Drewery recounted. The air-conditioner went out. I was waiting for him and I was sitting on the corner, talking to a guy. The mechanic comes out and says, Hey, cowboy. That angered Drewery. It wasnt that he called me a cowboy, because I am. There is no question about that. It was just the way he said. Its not like I call him a hippie. (I told him),You can call me sir like I called you sir a little while ago. I wont again. Then I went home and whooped up one of my best songs. I wrote the sucker in nothin flat. And, its true. I am. I rode with those old-timers when I was a kid. An Old Dying Breed was recorded and produced by Rain-

Still at it

Drewery moved to Lewistown a few months ago, where he lives in an apartment in the Meadows and spends time with Jennifer, who has spent much of her adult life in central Montana. He continues to write songs and get involved in the community, performing at the Empire Caf, the Rising Trout open mic and cowboy poetry events such as cowboy church. I dont know how many songs Ive written, Drewery said. Its been quite a ride for an old hillbilly, and I dont see any signs of stoppin anytime soon. As he proclaims in I Love Montana: Yes, I love Montana, and Ill die in this land. Charlie Denison may be reached at reporter@lewistownnews. com or (406) 535-3401.

Health
MCT

Here are five surprising signs your immunity needs a boost

3. Youve got weight to lose. You know excess weight is unhealthy for your heart, brain, and other organs. But its also bad for your immune system. In fact, those who become the most seriously ill with swine flu tend to share the same characteristic: a body mass index over 40, meaning they are morbidly obese. Excess weight can cause hormonal imbalances and inflammation that impairs the immune systems ability to fight infection. 4. Your nose is dry. As uncomfortable as it may be, a runny nose is actually a good defense against colds and the flu. Sounds gross, but mucus traps viruses and clears them from the body. If your nasal passages are too dry, germ invaders have an easier time. If the dryness is a temporary problem, irrigate your nasal passages with a squeeze bottle or neti pot of saline solution. A humidifier can also help. If dryness is chronic, see your doctor to determine the underlying cause. 5. Youre seriously stressed. Its no coincidence that you tend to catch a cold after a big work deadline. According to a report by the American Psychological Association, long-term stress weakens the responses of your immune system. In addition, if you become stressed while you have the flu, your symptoms can get worse. For more great health tips, visit www.prevention.com.

Some people seem to survive cold and flu season with nary a sniffle. And yet plenty others seem to catch cold after cold; sidelined with a perpetually stuffed-up nose and hacking cough that lasts all winter. So whats different between these two groups? Research shows your cold and flu vulnerability may come down to a few important and unexpected habits, like how much sugar you eat or how dry your nose is. Assess your risk with these five signs of impaired immunity, and learn what you can do to stay healthy. 1. You have a sweet tooth. Eating too much sugar doesnt just pack on pounds. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating 100 g of sugar (think three cans of soda) significantly hampered the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria for up to five hours afterward. 2. You dont drink enough. Theres a reason moms and doctors always push fluids on you when youre sick. Your body needs plenty of water to flush out toxins and yes, coffee and tea are acceptable sources. How much fluid you should drink daily varies from person to person. Youre drinking the right amount if your urine is pale yellow. March 2014 16

y k S g Bi Birding
Terry McEneaney is ornithologist emeritus for Yellowstone National Park, and is the author of three books: Birding Montana, Birds of Yellowstone, and The Uncommon Loon. He has been watching birds for 50 years and is one of Montanas most experienced birders.

Dont Mess With Ravens

EDITORS NOTE: Montana Best Times has been featuring some of the fascinating adventures Terry McEneaney had when he was Yellowstone National Parks ornithologist. Following is another excerpt from a new book he is writing, Lucky Feathers: Adventures and Experiences of a Yellowstone Ornithologist. Throughout the years as a Yellowstone ornithologist, I learned many lessons from my field experience working with Common Ravens (Corvus corax). But the most important take-home message was a simple slogan I developed: Dont mess with ravens. If every picture tells a story, then a memorable event still embedded in my mind today is what brought me to this rather odd but convincing conclusion. The story starts one summer day, when I decided to break for lunch while in the Old Faithful area. I decided to have lunch somewhere near Firehole Lake, located on the Firehole Lake Drive six miles north of Old Faithful, since I hadnt been there in a while. It was unseasonably cold outside that day, so there were not many visitors around. As I drove to the Firehole Lake parking lot in my government vehicle, I noticed a peculiar scene of a dozen ravens hanging around a parked maroon pickup truck with a low camper bed. I decided to eat lunch in my vehicle by backing into a parking space across the road to see what was up with this maroon vehicle parked head firstrear facing. I was in my ranger uniform and watched with interest as a dozen or so begging ravens entertained me through my front windshield.

Above: A raven inspects the fare at a picnic table in Yellowstone National Park. Left: A raven nuzzles a companion at a visitors stop in Yellowstone.
Photos by Terry McEneaney

But something was rotten-smelling in Yellowstone, and it wasnt the hot springs. It was the ravens. I have learned ravens are rotten rotten to the core. They wreak with havoc. As I took the first bite of my lunch sandwich, I watched to my surprise many pieces of bread fly out the window of the maroon pickup in front of me. In the maroon pickup was an older couple in

their late 80s. Before the man would throw out the bread, he would check in his side view mirror to make sure the coast was clear, and out flew the bread on the ground. The begging ravens perched on the pavement loved it, and the more they begged, the more bread he threw out the window. The ravens formed a very interesting feeding frenzy semicircle around the left side of the truck. March 2014 17

Feeding wildlife is illegal in Yellowstone, and it was my duty to make sure visitors abided by the law. So I quickly finished my lunch, straightened my hat and uniform and walked to within 10 feet of the maroon pickup as pieces of bread flew out the window of the pickup. I identified myself and approached the driver, viewing him through the drivers side mirror, only to find him whispering and scurrying to hide what was left of the loaf of bread he used to feed the ravens. He handed the bread quickly over to his wife and she hid it under her purse. I said in an authoritative voice, Sir, I hope you realize it is illegal to feed wildlife in Yellowstone. Next I said, You are not feeding ravens are you? I elaborated, Do you realize it is a $25 fine for feeding wildlife in the park? even though deep inside I had no intention of giving him a fine it was

just meant as a visitor contact warning. His response to my questions were of a nervous nature while comical at the same time, but I held a straight face as he said, No ranger, I wasnt feeding the ravens, they just showed up. So I replied by saying, That is a good thing, for if you were feeding ravens you would regret it. And I elaborated by mentioning how ravens can turn fun play into destructive tendencies quite quickly. I explained how I recently watched a visitor feeding ravens, and in a short period of time the ravens jumped on the hood of this car and then the windshield, and stole the two windshield wipers and ripped the rubber gasket surrounding the windshield. The man assured me, No sir, I was not feeding ravens. I was just having lunch, minding my own business and they showed up. I replied OK, great! Have a wonderful

day in Yellowstone. Then I walked back to my government vehicle with a big smile on my face, knowing quite well what transpired. I got into my vehicle and arranged some things slowly before leaving, and immediately the ravens flew in and returned to the maroon vehicle in the parking lot. Only this time, the ravens were landing on the hood and roof of the pickup. I watched and slowly pulled away as the ravens began treating the mans pickup like a playground. Two ravens were pulling out the pickups wiper blades, and three others were ripping out his rubber gasket to the windshield. The man was watching me through his side mirror as I drove away. I smiled as I left the Firehole Lake parking lot, and thought of the personal proverb I have always maintained: Dont mess with ravens.

More short stories from Lucky Feathers: Adventures and Experiences of a Yellowstone Ornithologist, will be featured in forthcoming issues of Montana Best Times. In the meantime, enjoy Montana birds! And the Best of Big Sky Birding to you! Bird watching questions may be sent to Terry McEneaney by writing to 1215 Lolo St., Missoula, MT 59802; emailing terry@ravenidiot.com; or visiting www.yellowstonewildlifeguides.com or www.ravenidiot.com. If questions are mailed, include a phone number at which you can be reached.

News Lite
FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) An orange cat that got a lot of attention when it was rescued after spending days in an Ohio drainpipe during severely cold weather has recovered and been adopted. The Hancock County Humane Societys animal control officer tells The Courier in Findlay the new owners promised that the male cat, dubbed Piper, would be kept indoors. The cat initially refused attempts to lure it out of the pipe with tuna, the classic call of here, kitty, kitty and even a cellphone app that meowed. Groundskeepers at a school in Findlay cut through the pipe Jan. 10 to free the cat, which was muddy, emaciated and hypothermic. A veterinarian says Piper turned out to be a pleasant, happy creature despite the health problems.

heard the smack and discovered the fractured bedroom wall. The student whose dorm was damaged has not had to move.

Cat rescued in Ohio pipe gets adopted

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Dr. Tom Scarborough

Big, runaway snowball slams into dorm

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Two math majors at Reed College lost control of a massive snowball that rolled into a dorm, knocking in part of a bedroom wall. There were no injuries, but college spokesman Kevin Myers said it will cost $2,000 to $3,000 to repair the building. The incident happened in mid-February following a rare trio of snowstorms in Portland. Students started building the giant snowball on a campus quad near the dorm. Urged by a crowd, the math majors tried to make the snowball as big as possible by rolling it down the sidewalk that goes past the dorm. And the ball just got away from them, Myers said. After escaping their control, the boulder-sized snowball rolled about 15 yards before slamming into Unit #7. Three students March 2014 18

Call for an Appointment Today

Billings: 406-237-5500 Toll Free: 800-308-3719

On The Menu

With Jim Durfey

Spring for some spears

The price of asparagus can be $4 per pound or even more in the winter. But closer to spring, the spears can be had for less than half that much. Every home chef should grace the dining table with asparagus when the price is that reasonable. The problem with the vegetable is the waste. When a spear is bent until it breaks, the unpalatable stringy bottom portion is separated from the tender upper part. Usually, a third or a half of the spear is discarded. That part is either put in the compost pail or tossed in the trash bin. Thats too bad, because lots of great flavor is wasted when that happens. The recipe below will provide you with a way to use those tough bottom parts of the asparagus plant. You should be warned, though. If you peruse the recipe below, the kitchen police will pay you a visit if you ever waste the butts of asparagus again. If youre not familiar with the kitchen police, you may be in for a rude awakening. To punish those who commit kitchen sins, such as food waste, they may take your favorite spatula or even your favorite measuring cup. So proceed with caution. The soup recipe makes a very light and tasty soup. But dont skimp on the seasoning. The bottom recipe was in Montana Best Times about 10 years ago. Its repeated here because your Best Times recipe contributor received so many compliments about it. One woman was so excited about it, she almost kissed me in the grocery store. It might seem that a method of food preparation thats so easy cant possibly result in anything worthwhile. But the sauce thats poured over the spears compliments the flavor superbly. Transfer contents to saucepan. Simmer for several minutes. Strain with sieve. Push contents toward bottom of sieve frequently. When most of liquid has drained, discard asparagus mixture. Put soup in medium saucepan. Add asparagus tips. Bring to boil. Simmer until tips are crisp/tender. Readjust seasonings. Serve hot.

Creamed Asparagus Soup

12 to 14 medium asparagus spear bottoms 1/2 c. dinner quality white wine 1 rib celery, diced 1/2 medium onion, diced 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 tbsp. butter 1/4 c. flour 3/4 c. milk 2 to 3 shakes green Tabasco sauce 6 asparagus tips Salt and pepper to taste

Baked Asparagus

Put asparagus in medium saucepan. Add water to just barely cover spears. Bring to boil. Simmer 15 minutes. Saute onions and celery in olive oil over medium heat four to five minutes. Stir frequently. In small saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add flour to make a roux. Stir with whisk. Add milk and Tabasco sauce. Whisk vigorously until no lumps appear. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer for about four minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add asparagus and water to food processor. Add onion mixture. Add white wine. Process for three minutes.

One bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed so tough bottom parts are removed 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar Cooking spray

Heat oven to 400. Spray cookie sheet with vegetable cooking spray. Place asparagus spears on sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of spears. Melt butter in small saute pan. Add soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Stir until well combined. Place spears in serving bowl. Pour sauce over spears. Serve warm.

News Lite
Cleanup crew returns discarded Ohio birthday card
MEDINA, Ohio (AP) A birthday card containing a $50 bill is back with the intended recipient thanks to northern Ohio sanitation workers who spotted the unopened purple envelope in the trash and drove it to the home where it was mistakenly discarded. Lucy Hamer tells The Medina County Gazette she was stunned and impressed when the workers showed up at her home with the card her sister-in-law had sent her. Worker Josh Kerns remembered noticing the card in the trash can and says he held onto it and eventually opened it to make sure it wasnt something important. He said $50 is a lot, and it needed to be returned. Hamer jokes that she may have been spared an awkward encounter with her sister-in-law if she never thanked her for the gift. March 2014 19

RSVP
Gallatin County

Below is a list of volunteer openings available through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) in communities across southern Montana. To learn more about RSVP, call (800) 424-8867 or TTY (800) 833-3722; or log on to www. seniorcorps.org. reassurance, check on safety and wellbeing, and access to up-to-date referral information to vulnerable individuals. - Hyalite Elementarys Reading with Friends: Needs volunteers Monday-Friday, 8-8:30 a.m., to listen to a child read. - MSU Foundation: Individuals needed to show projects that can be completed at home. - Museum of the Rockies: Variety of opportunities available. - RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to quilt, knit, crochet and embroider hats for chemo patients, baby blankets and other handmade goods once a week (can work from home). Handcrafters are in need of 3-ply sports yarn, and baby yarn. - Senior Nutrition Volunteers:Volunteers needed to help seniors with grocery shopping, meal and menu planning, and companionship, 1-2 hours a week, days and times are flexible. - Thrive Child Advancement Project (CAP): Seeking mentors to students in grades K-12, one hour commitment a week. - Warming Center: Needs a volunteer during the week to help with laundry. - Your unique skills and interests are needed, without making a long-term commitment, in a variety of ongoing, special, one-time events. Contact: Deb Downs, RSVP Program Coordinator, 807 N. Tracy, Bozeman, MT 59715; phone (406) 587-5444; fax (406) 582-8499; email: debdowns@rsvpmt.org. including several mailings coming up. Help your community and enjoy and afternoon with friends. Contact: Shannon Burke, RSVP Program Coordinator, 206 So. Main St., Livingston, MT 59047; phone (406) 222-2281; email: livingston@rsvpmt.org. - America Reads Program: Needs volunteers, especially in the rural schools, to help student improve their reading skills. - Community Cupboard: Needs volunteers to help any week mornings as well as with deliveries. - Council on Aging: Needs volunteers to help at the Community Center with Grub Steaks and other various programs. - Head Start and grade schools: Volunteers needed to assist students. - Library and Art Center: Volunteer help always appreciated. - ROWL (Recycle Our Waste Lewistown): Recruiting volunteers for the 3rd Saturday of the month to help with greeting, traffic directing, sorting, baling and loading recyclables working to keep plastic wastes from our landfills. - Treasure Depot: Needs volunteers at their thrift stores. - Always have various needs for your skills and volunteer services in our community. Contact: Dianne Rous, RSVP Volunteer Coordinator, 404 W. Broadway, Wells Fargo Bank building, (upstairs), Lewistown, MT 59457; phone (406) 535-0077; email: rsvplew@midrivers.com.

- American Red Cross Blood Drive: Two volunteer opportunities available: an ambassador needed to welcome, greet, thank and provide overview for blood donors; and phone team volunteers needed to remind, recruit or thank blood donors. Excellent customer service skills needed, training will be provided, flexible schedule. - Befrienders: Befriend a senior; visit on a regular weekly basis. - Belgrade Senior Center: Meals on Wheels needs regular and substitute drivers, Monday-Friday, to deliver meals to seniors. - Big Brothers Big Sisters: Be a positive role model for only a few hours each week. - Bozeman and Belgrade Sacks Thrift Stores: Need volunteers 2-3 hour shifts on any day, Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. - Bozeman Deaconess Hospital: Volunteers needed for the information desk in the atrium, variety of other positions need filled as well. - Bozeman Senior Center Foot Clinic: Retired or nearly retired nurses are urgently needed, 2 days a month, either 4 or 8 hour shifts. - Childrens Museum of Bozeman - Welcome desk volunteer(s) needed for 2-hour shifts, Mondays-Saturdays. - The Emerson Cultural Center:Volunteers needed for front office, greeter/reception, Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Galavan: Volunteer drivers needed Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CDL required and Galavan will assist you in obtaining one. - Gallatin Valley Food Bank: Volunteers needed to deliver commodities to seniors in their homes once a month. Deliveries in Belgrade are especially needed. - Governors Conference on Aging: Will need volunteers on May 8-9 at the Holiday Inn. - HRDE VITA: Providing free tax service, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 1-4 p.m., Community Cafe on No. 7th Ave. - HRDC Senior Programs: Seniors looking for help with meal planning, meal preparation and companionship call RSVP. - Heart of The Valley: Compassionate volunteers especially needed to love, play with and cuddle cats, do carpentry work, be an animal bank collector (asking local businesses to display an animal bank for donation collection) or birthday party leader. - Help Center Telecare: Volunteers needed 3-4 mornings a week 8:30-11 a.m. to make calls to homebound seniors, providing March 2014 20

Fergus & Judith Basin counties

Park County

- Loaves and Fishes, and Food Pantry: Need volunteers for new projects. - Mainstreeter and Community Closet: Need volunteers to help sort and put donated items on the shelves. - Park County Senior Center: Volunteers needed in a variety of ways in new activities and services. - RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to help with knitting or crocheting, or share your special talent, Thursdays at 1 p.m. at the Park County Senior Center. Share ideas and projects, laugh and socialize. - Stafford Animal Shelter: Always in need of loving volunteers to care for animals waiting for adoption, pet and play with the cats and play and walk with the dogs. - Yellowstone Gateway Museum: Volunteers needed with ongoing projects exploring local history on Fridays, help at the front desk, join those working with genealogy, flexible times. - Various agencies are in need of your unique skills and interests in a variety of ongoing and one-time special events,

Musselshell, Golden Valley & Petroleum counties

- Food Bank: Distribute food commodities to seniors and others in the community; help unload the truck as needed. - Meals on Wheels Program: Deliver meals to the housebound in the community, just one day a week, an hour and a half, meal provided. - Nursing Home: Assist with activities for residents to enrich supported lifestyle. - Roundup School Lunches: Help clean tables and serve the kids during lunch. - Senior Center: Volunteers are needed to provide meals, clean up in the dining room and/or keep records; meal provided. - RSVP offers maximum flexibility and choice to its volunteers as it matches the personal interests and skills of older Americans with opportunities to serve their communities. You choose how and where to serve. Volunteering is an opportunity to See RSVP, Page 21

March 2014 Calendar

 Monday, March 3
Federation of Fly Fishers Museum, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 Montana Early Music Festival, 7:30 p.m.Immaculate Conception,

 Thursday, March 6
Yellowstone Gateway Museum, Thursdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5

p.m., Livingston

p.m., Livingston
MSU Spring Rodeo, through March 9, Brick Breeden Fieldhouse,

 Sunday, March 16 St. Patricks Day events, through March 17, Butte Spring Fling Trade and Craft Show, Fergus County Fairgrounds, Lewistown  Wednesday, March 19  Thursday, March 20
23, Holiday Inn, Great Falls
Western Heritage Artists Association Art Show, through March

Butte

 Friday, March 7
Billings Home Improvement Show, through March 9, Expo

Bozeman

Center and Montana Pavilion, Metra Park, Billings

 Saturday, March 8  Sunday, March 9

Anaconda

March in Montana dealer show and auction, through March 22,

TownHouse Inn, Great Falls

C.M. Russell Museum exhibition and sale, through March 23,

Annual St. Patricks Race, 10:30 a.m., begins at Locker Room Bar,

 Friday, March 21
Made in Montana Trade Show, thorugh March 22, Lewis and

Great Falls

Warren Miller Performing Arts Center: David Mason and Tami Haaland, 6:30 p.m., Ophir School, Gallatin Gateway Glide and Gorge Cross Country Ski or Snowshoe, Lone

Mountain Ranch, Big Sky

 Saturday, March 22

Clark Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, Helena

 Thursday, March 13  Friday, March 14

Peters Episcopal Cathedral, Helena

Easter Extravaganzoo Egg Hunt, ZooMontana, Billings Southwest Montana Building Industry Association Home Expo,

Montana Early Music Festival, 7:30 p.m. through March 14, St.

through March 23, Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, Bozeman

Livingston Dance Club, country western dancing, 7-11 p.m.,

Montana Early Music Festival, 4 p.m. , St. Marys Catholic

 Monday, March 24
Theater, Missoula

American Legion, 112 N. B St., Livingston,

Community, Helena Montana Snowmobile Expo, through March 16, West Yellowstone

Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival, through March 29, University

 Saturday, March 15

Quick Draw and Art Auction, Absarokee High School gymnasium,

 Friday, March 28  Friday, April 4

Absarokee Dirtbag Day, parade and ball, Cinnamon Lodge, Big Sky Billings Symphony: Russion Days and Arabian Nights, 7:30 p.m., Alberta Bair Theater, Billings
RSVP, from Page 20 learn new skills, make friends and connect with your community. Contact: Volunteer Coordinator, South Central MT RSVP, 315 1/2 Main St., Ste. #1, Roundup, MT 59072; phone (406) 323-1403; fax (406) 323-4403; email: rdprsvp2@midrivers.com; Facebook: South Central MT RSVP. - Clinic Ambassador: New volunteer position starting soon. - Custer County Food Bank: Volunteers needed for food distribution Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. - Historic Miles City Academy: Volunteers needed to assist in thrift store with sorting and cleaning donated merchandise. - Holy Rosary Health Care: Volunteers needed Mondays and Thursdays in the gift shop. - Kircher School: Volunteer needed for lunch delivery from Miles City to the school. Free lunch and mileage is reimbursed. - Spirit Riders: Volunteer to assist with traffic control at funerals.

Great Rockies Sportshow, through March 30, Brick Breedan

Fieldhouse, Campus of Montana State University, Bozeman.

PBR Nile Invitational, through April 6, MetraPark Arena, Billings - St. Vincent DePaul: Volunteers to assist in thrift store with sorting, pricing, cashier and stocking. - WaterWorks Art Museum: Volunteer receptionists needed, 2 hour shifts Tuesdays-Sundays. If you are interested in these or other volunteer opportunities please contact: Betty Vail, RSVP Director; 210 Winchester Ave. #225, MT 59301; phone (406) 234-0505; email: rsvp05@midrivers.com

Custer & Rosebud counties

Dawson County

- Senior shut-ins: Volunteers needed to deliver monthly commodities, once a month, to elderly, flexible schedule. - If you have a need for or a special interest or desire to volunteer somewhere in the community, please contact: Patty Atwell, RSVP Director, P.O. Box 1324, Glendive, MT 59330; phone (406) 377-4716; email: rsvp@midrivers.com. March 2014 21

Does ying east or west use less fuel?

A. A flight east from Boston to London will use less fuel than the return trip because the jet stream blows roughly toward the east, says Mark Levi in Why Cats Land on Their Feet and 76 Other Physical Paradoxes and Puzzles. But even in the absence of any winds, an eastern trip from Point A to Point B along the equator will take less fuel because of the Earths rotation. Traveling east, the plane goes WITH the rotation of the Earth, thus enhancing its orbiting speed around Earths center. The increased centrifugal force makes the plane a little lighter. And a lighter plane uses less fuel. Specifically, for the travel speed of 250 meters per second, the weight difference is about 2/3 of 1 percent. For a loaded Boeing 747, which can easily weigh about 300 tons, the difference going east vs. west can be about 2 tons lighter or the weight of about 30 passengers. Thats an equatorial nicety though, Levi says, since the jet stream has a much greater economic impact than does centrifugal force. Q. How do you open a wine bottle with a book? Please be sure youre sober before trying this one. Q. Is it cheaper to fly west or east? hitting the cork from the inside, using wine as the hammer. A. As the term concoct might suggest, the business of deception is hard work for the human brain, says Adam Hadhazy in Discover magazine. Brain imaging studies show that lying takes greater mental effort, and that childrens ability to fib has to wait for their overall cognitive development. As Northwestern University psychology doctoral candidate Xiaoqing Hu put it, Honesty is our default mode. When telling a lie, you have to inhibit the honest response and activate a dishonest one. Yet when people rehearse how to tell better fibs, they get better at it. When test subjects were told to answer personal questions such as their birth date, they were slower to respond when they were lying. But after they were told the purpose of the experiment, they learned how to lie faster and to fake their identity quite well. Soon, they were as quick to lie as to tell the truth. Q. Even if your Mom didnt go in much for profanity, on what occasion might she have dropped her guard and let er rip? Q. Truth be told, isnt it more work to concoct a lie than to tell the honest truth? Intrigued, Stephens asked some undergraduates to take part in an ice water test, where they had to hold one hand in freezing cold water while reciting either polite descriptive words or rude obscenities. Those shouting obscenities held their hands in the icy water longer and reported experiencing less pain, suggesting that swear words trigger the bodys fight-or-flight response and its accompanying pain tolerance. Q. Hundreds of animal species including apes and monkeys, birds, even insects are known to use naturally available materials as tools to aid their survival. However, reptiles have been excluded from this savvy group until very recently, that is. Whats in a gators toolbox and where is it likely to be used?

Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at strangetrue@cs.com

By Bill Sones and Rich Sones, Ph.D.

A. This method actually works, insists Mark Levi in Why Cats Land on Their Feet and 76 Other Physical Paradoxes and Puzzles. I tried this myself, having been stimulated by a combination of scientific curiosity and the lack of a corkscrew, not necessarily in that order. Start by pressing a book against a wall, then strike the bottom of the bottle against the book while holding the bottle with a towel and wearing protective glasses in case of breakage. With repeated strikes, the cork will inch out bit by bit to the point that you can pull it out by hand. What drives the cork out of the bottle, Levi explains, is wine hammer, similar to water hammer in plumbing, or hydraulic shock. The bottle accelerating into the wall causes compression of air inside the bottle that acts as a spring to slow the wine and drive it back into the cork. In effect, we are March 2014 22

A. When she was giving birth to you, says psychologist Richard Stephens of Keele University, UK, as reported by Tiffany OCallaghan in New Scientist magazine. The brain processes swear words differently from more genteel vocabulary, and when an expletive is fired at us, it can feel like a slap to the face. Its almost like a physical act, adds psychologist Timothy Jay at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, and that visceral feeling might explain why we swear when were in pain. This insight came to Stephens in the maternity ward where his wife was giving birth to their child: She was in agony, and she was swearing her head off. Yet each time the contractions eased, she apologized to the doctors and nurses, Stephens recalls. But she neednt have. Swearing is a completely normal part of giving birth, the hospital staff told them.

A. Occasionally a partially submerged American alligator will sit perfectly still for long periods with a stick balanced across its snout, report zoologist Vladimir Dinets and colleagues in the journal Ethology Ecology & Evolution. They eventually realized that such behavior occurs only near bird rookeries and during nesting season, when nest builders, desperate for scarce materials, now and then mistake the stick for a windfall and end up as the gators meal. Using objects as hunting lures is very rare in nature, having been observed in just a handful of species. As the authors note, many water birds actually prefer nesting near gators, apparently using the crocodilians as protection against treeclimbing nest predators such as snakes, monkeys and raccoons. The protection comes at a cost, however. Q. Whats the baby illusion and how does it make things even tougher for some youngest family members to avoid being overshadowed by their siblings?

A. When Jordy Kaufman of Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, asked 77 mothers to mark on a wall how tall their children were, the mums underestimated the height of their youngest child by 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) on average but were

almost spot on for the height of any older children defining the baby illusion, from Current Biology as reported in New Science magazine. If mothers and perhaps fathers tend to see their youngest as shorter than they really are, they may treat them differently than elder siblings, which may help explain the existence of birth order effects. Birth order difference is one of the great mysteries of child development, adds Andrew Whitehouse of the University of Western Australia in Perth. Perhaps we tend to see our youngest child as the baby and that never changes, just another example of how our perception of the world is different from the way the world really is.

Q. If you suffer a serious health problem while on a commercial flight, how might telephone booth syncope enter into play here? A. Lets say you wind up passing out on the plane, but the narrow seats keep you from falling, so you are without sufficient blood flow to the brain, a situation that can lead to cardiac arrest, says Dena Rifkin, M.D., in Discover magazine. This potentially lethal combination was known as telephone booth syncope, where passing out in an old-style telephone booth kept the body upright and caused the central nervous system to shut down especially breathing controlled by the brain stem. Falling over is the bodys way of protecting itself from low blood pres-

sure because it allows whatever blood pressure remains to work with gravity in getting blood to the brain. Confronting just such a medical emergency, Dr. Rifkin realized it was vital to get as much blood as possible to the mans brain, applying chest compressions and lifting his legs up to help restore central circulation. Despite this low-tech intervention, he began to move weakly. The survival rate for cardiac arrests in an airplane is remarkably low 1 in 7. But, as Dr. Rifkin explains, long-term survival depends on the cause of the event. If the problem described here was in fact telephone booth syncope, chances are good that the passenger survived.

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Crossword

Across

1 Honolulu memorial 11 Stroked 15 Approached 16 Quite 17 What c might mean 18 Cold War capital 19 Befogged 20 Beginning for metric 22 Hipster 23 Rat 26 Do maintenance on, as a roof 28 Inlet 31 Adopted greatnephew of Claudius 33 Self-titled 1991 debut album 34 Fashionable 40s garb 37 Jumbles 38 Nervous 39 Honored, in a way 41 8 for O, e.g. 42 Lively dances 44 Apple Store tech support station 46 Cram

48 Cheer 49 One wearing a Y shirt, perhaps 50 Formal talk 52 Messenger molecules 54 SS supplement 55 Deputy __: old toon 57 The King and I group 61 Nonsense 63 Dont bother 66 2013 Zipcar acquirer 67 Pinocchio, for one 68 Composer Rorem and others 69 Pronunciation aid

8 Spoiler of a perfect semester 9 Musical deficiency 10 Tenor Bocelli 11 Sound of distress 12 Response to a knock 13 Amer. citizen, e.g. 14 Education innovator 21 __ Accords: 1993 agreement 24 Huit follower

25 Composer who incorporated Norwegian folk music into his work 27 Singing syllables 28 Caspian Sea republic 29 Haute couture shopping area 30 Hexagram on the Israeli flag 32 River player 35 Harrisons successor

Down

1 Pauley Pavilion team 2 Fine cut 3 Soaks, in British dialect 4 Fire proof 5 Hires to handle the case 6 Names 7 Letter number

36 Toledo title 40 I Wonder Why lead singer 43 Took to court 45 St. George residents 47 Job follow-up? 51 Part of Churchills offer 53 Capital on the Willamette 56 Mr. Mom actress 58 Personnel list 59 Start of an intermission? 60 Yielding 62 Winding path 64 Contend 65 Aurora, to the Greeks

March 2014

23

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