Bear Paw Meanderings

We have come a long way in the celebrating of the Fourth of July in this neck of the woods.

It used to be that homesteaders would fire a gun out the front door of their houses early in the morning of the 4th and that would be their celebration of the Independence of the United States.

After that was the time of the grand rodeos, some of which linger to this day. For years and years the Fourth of July Rodeo at Warrick, on the south side of the Bear Paw Mountains was the place to be. I have talked to many old time cowboys who went on to do great things in rodeo and to a person, they said that they got their start at Warrick.

It was a busy place. I know. We had a cabin on the Clear Creek road and on the Fourth of July, that road became a traffic laden road with people first going to Warrick, then going home. The strangest site I ever did see was one Fourth of July, there was a group of nuns, each one riding a tiny motorcycle to Warrick with their black cape like garments stretched out in the back, flowing with the wind.

I thought the Warrick rodeo would go on forever. I was wrong.

Then came a time in my life when my family and I had a cabin in the Bear Paw Mountains and another one on Flathead Lake near Lakeside.

It was my idea that we should always spend Memorial Day in the Bear Paw Mountains and the Fourth of July at Flathead Lake.

Boy, was I wrong. Memorial Day picnics in the Bear Paws were always most memorable because they got snowed out. And the Flathead was such a zoo at the Fourth of July that a person could get no sleep at all. Too much going on.

Not only that but when Lakeside had fireworks set off on a barge in the lake, I think twice they blew up the barge and the fireworks ended with one pathetic bang and that was all there was to it.

So, we switched things around and went to the Flathead for Memorial Day and stayed in the Bear Paws for the Fourth of July. That worked better.

It seemed that wherever we were and even when we just stayed home and had a picnic in the back yard, we always took time to thank the Good Lord for this grand Union called the United States and further thanked the Good Lord that we were able to live in the best part of these United States, Montana!

Whether we are on the endless green prairies stretching east from the Rockies like they are this year or at Lake McDonald looking up the lake at those magnificent mountains that lead to the Garden Wall, we know and love living here and much as we complain about our government, we would not trade with anyone!

So, from me and mine to you and yours, the very best Fourth of July anytime!