As a young girl, Claire Murnin had lofty dreams. She wanted to show cattle and be a princess. When she met Sally Yon, a former American Angus Queen, an everlasting goal was fostered.    

“She was like a Disney princess to me,” Claire said. “But she also showed cattle and I wanted to be like her. I wanted to show cattle and be a princess of Angus cattle too!” 

For as long as I can remember, the bright orange Farmers‘ Almanac has been part of my family’s life. My dad picked up a copy every year at Gamauf’s Hardware, and it was always kept at hand.   

“It’s a great day for preg testing,” Dr. Katie Rein said recently on a cloudy, 40-degree afternoon. “Cows do better when there are no shadows, so, it should go well.” 

Katie was pregnancy testing around 200 cows for one of her many clients. She’d driven from her clinic in Harlowton to the Sargent Ranch south of Shawmut. Everything was ready when she arrived.  

COLD!!  I knew it was going to be a cold day.  It was February. The house was cold, so I burrowed deeper under my quilts and thought about the day to come and the separation from my warm nest.   

My family was at our “Red Lodge House” for the weekend to take advantage of a fresh dump of snow on the Mountain…

As the orange and yellows colors of autumn transition to white blankets of snow, it's time to cozy in by the wood stove and let the warmth shake the cold from our bones. In our home, most evenings, our kitchen is filled with smells of baking bread, simmering soups, smoked meats, savory potatoes and sweet treats.

It’s the New Year and seed catalogues are beckoning us to look ahead to spring. Winter is the perfect time to plan summer gardens to be ready to go once the weather is warm enough for planting.  

Abraham Lincoln once said, “It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.” 

As 2025 wound down, we visited the Producer Partnership facility near Livingston and met with rancher and founder, Matt Pierson. Matt started the non-profit just five years ago and has donated over 350,000 pounds of meat to schools and food banks across Montana.  

In 2006, the USDA coined the term “food insecurity,” as an official designation of not only hunger but also the lack of access to nutritious food. Fast forward to 2020 when food insecurity was running rampant because of the pandemic. Grocery stores, unable to keep stock on their shelves due to unstable food chains, forced many to turn to food banks to tide them over, causing extra strain on the system.  

Alli Allen, Miss Rodeo Montana 2025, recently returned from nine intense, activity-filled days at the Miss America Rodeo pageant in Las Vegas. She ended her year-long reign as a top ten finalist in the pageant and made her last public appearance at the Montana Circuit Finals in January.  

“Chase Hawks was a tough little guy,” Don Cooper recalled. “I met the little tyke when he was about two or three. He was sitting on top of a big ‘ole horse at a branding and wanted down. ‘Help me off this horse,’ he said to me. I was busy and I didn’t know him, so I ignored him. ‘Hey you SOB, help me off this horse!’ I looked around, ‘You talking to me?’ I asked him. ‘Yes, dammit, help me down!’” 

As the west end of Billings continues devouring farm ground and open spaces with commerce, pavement and apartment buildings, Action Toys serves as a reminder that not all progress requires the erasure of the past.  

As a  Hungarian descendent, we jokingly refer to garlic as part of the “Holy Trinity” of cooking:  garlic, onions, and paprika. It is used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and a recipe calling for one clove of garlic usually means that amount is quadrupled.  

Gusts of Big Timber has been a community anchor on main street for over 75 years. Located on the corner of 2^nd Ave and McLeod Street in Big Timber, the brick building is as familiar to customers as Sweet Grass County High School’s Sheepherder mascot.  

As the orange and yellows colors of autumn transition to white blankets of snow, it's time to cozy in by the wood stove and let the warmth shake the cold from our bones. In our home, most evenings, our kitchen is filled with smells of baking bread, simmering soups, smoked meats, savory potatoes and sweet treats.

Mary Ellen Mangus remembers looking over at her rosy-cheeked, youngest daughter Marci as she stood on the boardwalk at Old Faithful and thinking, ‘there’s got to be a better way to keep her warm than her hand-me-down wool knicker socks.’  

As the last notes of an 80’s rock song faded, Les King’s smooth voice surfed out across the airwaves. He greeted his listeners, announced the time, talked about the weather, and followed up with a short synopsis of the latest news before moving to the promotion of a local business.  

A life of many occupations and diversions… learning to sew while growing up on a North Dakota ranch, earning a master’s degree, serving in corporate America, and owning a small business… Barbara Wells says the winding road her life has followed prepared her for where she is today.

As Christmas and the New Year draw near, we’re determined to do what we can to remind shoppers of the importance of spending their shopping dollars with local businesses. Studies say that for every dollar spent locally, it is turned over seven times in the local economy. When you support a small, local business; that money continues to support families, jobs, schools and the local economy.

With all its flamboyant pageantry, and horsemanship, trick riding is the stuff of little cowgirls’ dreams. At age five, Madison MacDonald-Thomas was smitten by the spotlight, fast horses, and jaw-dropping stunts. 

Thousands of camo-clad archery shooters traversed the snowless slopes at Red Lodge Mountain, shooting their way through 3D courses set up to hone their skills and test their marksmanship. Dozens of archery enthusiasts carrying bows and quivers filled with arrows, packs and harnesses strapped to their torsos, were visible from the chairlift.