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During times of stress when I struggle, when it appears there is no answer, I have always gone to the scriptures to find solace. The scriptures always give me comfort. These are challenging times. We have to wait and see, but it is my hope we can stop this virus before it rages the United States like it has other countries. The other day while reading my bible in the morning, I came across a simple scripture verse. “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus, our Lord.” 2 Timothy 1:2 Like most, I would typically move rig...
Note: I wrote this story in 2018, as an homage to the memory of Buster Dunlap, a longtime family friend who was a cowboy from Circle, Montana. It was originally published in an online literary magazine titled Literally Stories, in a slightly altered form. I respectfully dedicate this story to the memory of Buster Dunlap, and to the memory of my father, Dana Sibra (1918-1993). I also want to dedicate it to the people of and from Big Sandy, in hopes that they remember that, in troubled times, there are those who have gone before, and they just...
In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire wrecked the life of prominent lawyer Horatia Spafford. Spafford lost his four-year-old son in the blaze along with most of his property and his law practice. 2 years later, he had planned to tour Europe with his family, who traveled ahead of him by ship. The ship sank and his four daughters were killed. His wife notified him by telegram that simply read: “Saved alone.” Crushed by the loss of his children and financially destitute, Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife. On the journey, his ship passed the...
I attended college in South Chicago while in my early 20s. Chicago was a fun place for a young, irresponsible kid to explore and enjoy. I took full advantage of this truth, taking the train to the city at every opportunity. In my often aimless wanderings, I often lost track of where I was and found myself lost. This was a problem until I learned a simple trick for navigating the sprawling streets of the Chicagoland area. In the middle of the downtown area, there was a landmark that was easily visible for miles around: The Sears Tower (though...
It has already been a muddy Spring, which is unusual, with it still being February. For us, the moisture is a blessing as it is for most farmers and ranchers, but it can also be a curse when trying to haul hay or feed livestock on our county and ranch roads. Vehicles and tires are soon mud encrusted with our usual gumbo, and deep potholes take a toll, as well as the strain of getting through the mud where there is very little gravel. When we have appointments or meetings, we feed extra so we can spend a few days at our place near Big Sandy,...
The opening chapter of the Gospel of Mark tells the story of Jesus’ ministry work in the city of Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. These events are taking place very early in Jesus’ ministry, and he is just beginning to draw a large following. The chapter includes accounts of Jesus teaching to masses, casting out demons, and healing sick folks. Jesus ministers to the crowds all day and late into the night. When he goes to Peter’s home to rest for the night, people follow him. He continues until well after sundown. The next morni...
Well, the old proverb, "You never know what the weather is going to be like in Montana!" has been right on this year. It has lived up to the saying by being low negatives one week and 60-70 degrees the next week. This kind of change has substantial effects on the river. When it is in the low 30s, you start to see ice form on the river. It begins to flow down from the smaller tributaries like the Teton and Marias. Then after a week of 20-degree temperatures, the river has so much ice it is in...
My kids argue. Any parent will tell you that kids always find something silly to disagree about. They get angry and start yelling or freezing each other out because of some petty disagreement. I’ve discovered that one of the most frequent elements of these fights is the assumption that they know what the other child is thinking. They assume that some careless word or accidental slight or offense is inspired by anger or spite or mean intentions. They are almost always wrong. Kids usually grow out of the petty version of this habit, but people i...
A while back, I read a book on an army Colonel who took over a demoralized company during the Vietnam War. One of the first things he did as commander was to rename his company “Hardcore” and require the soldier to repeat the name constantly. The idea was that the troops assumed they were screw-ups. They didn’t see themselves as tough soldiers. He changed their identities while changing their habits and disciplines. The impact of changing how the troops saw themselves was enormous. They approached excellence with zeal because they were the ...
It’s been awhile since I’ve sent out my positive praises but I’m back with a long overdue one this week. I would like to send out praises to all of our bus drivers. We have one route for school that Trent Cline or Charlie Sipler drives and two contracted routes through Matthews Transportation that Pat and Dan Matthews and Clara Allderdice drive. So far they have made 168 trips on their routes which totals 61,992 miles! These same bus drivers, including Layne Taylor, Shaud Schwarzbach and Kelly Haaland have also driven over 6000 miles takin...
During a power outage a few weeks ago, my kids and I spent some time talking about how strange it was that we kept flipping light switches when we entered rooms. They weren’t going to do anything, and we knew it. Still, after laughing over flipping the switch in the kitchen, we’d walk into the next room and try to turn the lights on without even thinking about it. The habit of turning on lights has become so ingrained into each of us that it is simply automatic. There are thousands of these behaviors we have repeated so many times that we don...
Here on the river, it is always a benefit to get through January with decent weather; this year has been exceptionally nice, we are enjoying it. With the thawing and water running, then freezing, we have to deal with icy situations, still certainly better than the deep snows of 2018! Life is much more enjoyable when Mother Nature is being kind; we can do some catch up on remodeling projects that weren't finished when we planned. We continue the daily chores of feeding, keeping the waters...
I have, in the last six months, received several requests for the paper. I want to address these comments. People want more pictures. Legally I have the right to take a picture of anyone in a public arena, but I always ask. Some are wonderful; they don’t want their photo taken but allow me to anyway. For those of you who have graced the pages of the Mountaineer, I thank you very much. It is true; everyone wants pictures! However, if a person is reluctant, I don’t take their photograph, and I respect their decision. One of the most sig...
The planet earth is a being made of land, water, and air. We all know this. Every living thing has its own perspective on what the earth is like. How we define our environment depends on whether we walk on the land, swim in the sea, or fly in the sky. It is easy at times to forget this simple fact. Christmas has come and gone, and I think I am always introspective at this time of year. Living in Seattle, we see a lot of cloudy skies, and it makes me think about the nature of clouds. We all spend our lives trying to see what is beyond the clouds...
Over the last few weeks, I have been reading about New Year’s Resolutions. One of the most common suggestions for folks to apply in order to succeed in their life changes is that you find a group of people to associate with that are doing the same thing. This is a powerful idea because it is well supported by human behavior studies. We are influenced by our environment and peer group. For example, children are more likely to read regularly if they are raised in a household with parents who read. Kids raised in a household with parents who d...
We had friends from Pennsylvania visiting as we were making plans and preparing to market our 2019 calves at auction. They are also farmers and ranchers; they had brought their local Lancaster Farming paper with them to show us their markets and sales. What a difference from our auction yards in Montana where mostly cattle are sold, sometimes a horse, pigs, sheep, or goats. At their auctions, they sell the usual livestock; then, they sell alpacas, yaks, chickens, rabbits, parakeets, guineas,...
I was born in 1956, so somebody cut my hair before George Ament and his wife Penny moved to town and took over the barbershop. Somebody cut it, but I don't remember who it was. My first memory of a haircut is my first memory of George. For me, he was the Big Sandy barber. I could look it up somewhere, but since I am more about anecdotes than accuracy, I am not going to bother: I think George came to Big Sandy in about 1962. I believe he came from Minnesota. He probably thought he was going to... Full story
In 2001, a study was done in England that looked at motivation to exercise. A large group of subjects was divided into three groups. One was the control group, which was told to simply track how often they worked out. Another group was exposed to motivational talks about the benefits of exercise and told to track their exercising. The final group received the same motivational materials, but were instructed to make a plan for working out. Specifically they were to complete the following sentence: “I will exercise for 20 minutes on at in .” The...
The holiday seasons are here and going fast. Virgelle Christmas Sale was a blast. For me, the Virgelle Christmas weekend isn’t about what you buy; it’s about saying high. I get to greet all and hand out a little cheer in the snack nook. Friends old and new to meet. This is a great time to laugh, swap a recipe or two, and tell stories of the past. Everyone is excited because of the warm feeling in the air talking, and laughing with care. Virgelle Mercantile’s Christmas sale is my trigger to start my holiday decorating. Driving into my yard...
Christmas is more than a family gift-giving holiday. When my mother passed away from cancer close to Christmas, my fear was Christmas would never be magically again, but as I pondered the birth of Christ that Christmas was more powerful than any other. These lyrics by Andrew Peterson from Labor of Love tell the real story! "It was not a silent night. There was blood on the ground. You could hear a woman cry in the alleyways that night on the streets of David's town. The stable was not clean,...
In Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus, the reader is introduced to John the Baptist early in the story. John the Baptist was a popular preacher in ancient Israel whose messages prepared the ancient Jewish people for Jesus’ coming. In Luke’s gospel, John’s birth is an important part of the story of Christmas and includes some interesting elements. My favorite is a prophetic speech from John’s father that was probably adapted as a first century church hymn. In it, he describes the coming of God’s chosen deliverer in phrases and terminology that...
Peace It was like most days. I am driving to work never really at the same time. It de3pends on when I wake up and how do I want to move that day. Living 25 miles from town, or how we say it in Montana, "half an hour out." I live between the Missouri River and the Bears Paw Mountains. So there are a few hills. The shadows in the morning are beautiful, with the sun getting up. Usually, the sun is brilliant, with a wide variety of gold, pink, and orange. But some mornings, the sun is still...
Well, Hunting season is over, and the hills and roads have become settled once again. I can walk outside to watch the beautiful rising sun and hear the geese getting ready for their flight up to the fields for the day. I can listen to a car driving on the roads above the valley; I can hear this for miles. You can even tell if it is coming or going, with the end of hunting peace and quiet is reinstated. As I sit out drinking coffee greeting the morning, these sounds always give me comfort and joy...
Before coming to Big Sandy, I worked with kids in a mental health facility. Most of the kids were pretty ordinary but had abusive or difficult upbringings. The result of their terrible life experiences was often a great deal of anger and disfunction. It was a difficult job because we worked with kids lived at the facility. Their parents weren’t there to care for them, so we had to fill in the best we could. The hardest part of the job was that we had to deal with clients at their worst. It became very easy to shift our mindset from one where w...
Over the last few weeks, I have read a handful of articles in various publications on how to start an argument over politics with your family at Thanksgiving Dinner. The authors of these helpful guides included catchphrases and tricks you could play to bait your family into expressing a viewpoint about one side of the political spectrum or another just so you can argue about why they’re are wrong. This included such petty acts as changing the WiFi password to something they will hate so that they have to type in your opinion to go on the i...
