Northwest Montana: Lifestyle

It's life or death

the chips are down

you have just found out that you have
one year to live

what do you do ?

where do you live ?

who would you talk to and why ?

what words would you get down on paper?

what photos would you take?

what would you want me to know on this page

Long after you are gone

The other day I was giving advice
away freely, as I often do.

I told somebody who was pondering major life decisions
and considering what the next step would bring.
That a good thing to think about,
to put it all into clear perspective
would be to consider

" what if You truly had only one year to live "

Where would you live ?
What would you say to those around You?
what than would Really, Truly Become
the Most Important thing ???

If you can be honest with yourself on this
than that is your only choice
for what you Should be living Today.

"Your Dying"

It is as if someone telling you, your dying gives
you permission to finally be Yourself,
no longer do you care who judges the pictures on your wall
or the pendant around your neck,
no Longer do you care whose eyes will critisize
the hair style you choose or the shirt you wear.

Who cares right, who really cares what they think
now that your dying. As if the act of telling you
Your Dying gives you
Some sort of a free pass to live.

we Oftentimes find ourselves giving advice
that we cannot possibly stand to actually practice ourselves.

I am not sure if I am strong enough
to allow myself to do what I truly love,
not strong enough to face the glances and the undertones,
not strong enough to rise above that in which
has been ingrained in me as what I should be doing today.

I fancy myself as someone who could be different,
who could be anything I choose and I walk around
as if I make that choice everyday to do what I really want.
But the truth is I don't live in that kind of inner freedom.

I DO NOT give myself permission to be me
in every second of everyday.
Possibly I feel the Real Me will offend someone.
the Big secret I keep from myself is
That no matter,if I walk an altered version of me
to make others comfortable or not,

I will still offend the senses of many.
so why not just be me ?
Is their glance or glare
really something I cannot take.

Come on, I have certainly known worse.

Today, I am setting out to live everyday
as if this is the last spring, the last new growth of
grass of will ever see, the last time I will see the snow melt
off the rocky mountain peaks, the last time I will watch the
ice on the lakes, thaw into a delightful array of blue.

the Last spring I will awaken to the songbirds
and feel the excitement of anticipating Summer Days.

If this truly was my last spring,
I would want to see as many flowers burst to life as I could,
to see all the babies of the woodlands and the fields.
I would want to breath as much mountain air as I could stand
and eat a rich, mesmerizing chocolate cake on the top of
the Highest Mountain Peak.

I would feel the waters of the Spring
to my core and let the cold crisp waters
remind me I am still Alive...

I would call you up and say
Come On Were going to the Mountain Top today.

and The dream I would leave You
would be Not how to Get Rich, not how to Make Friends
or cure the diseases of Man.

I would leave you photos of the wilderness,
I would leave you words to make you crave to know
the powerful mountain waters and deep mystical blue lakes.

I would tell you to know at least one mountain destination,
so that the peaks and streams tatoo you on
the inside of your soul and no matter where you go
you can recall the feeling of that place
and you can close your eyes and go there
to get in touch with you and to remember
what is Truly Real.

I would give you quiet mountain moments,
watching fawn play in the underbrush
and bear cubs jump into their favorits swimming hole.
The kind of things one can only find alone in the wilderness.

I would give you the gift of knowing the wilderness...
I would leave the mountain air for you
and the sounds of gentle streams
making their way into the valley floor.

I would tell you to help who you can,
and the ones you cannot, do not spend
one minute in guilt for it.
Move on to those you can smile to,
laugh with and create a better world
meandering among those who can hear you
and do not spend a lifetime beating on a closed door,
when so many others are OPEN...

Find your Open Door and Walk through it TODAY>>>>

the Wilderness
thats Where You Will Find Me.

In a Cabin on water that is free
and gracefully connected to everything.
Where Canoes of colorful array and
wooden boats site gently on glassy water.
And Mountain storms startle you with their power.

Where you will find a stillness like none other you have known.
A place where you know you are a better person,
just for having been there.

I will be there, and if they come to me
I will be kind, compassionate,
non judging and open to them.
And if they do not find me here in my wilderness
I will not weep
I will Simply be at home among the magical waters,
mystical peaks and secrets of the Rockies,
and the Wilderness will be Family to me....

Montana Eagles

Northwest Montana Guardian the Eagle of Northwest Montana are a sight to see,

the are calm, graceful and mesmerizing.

Nature Hikes

Almost time to get to those lakes

and favorite spots to watch

Nature come Out to Play

local Dragonfly on an Alkaline Lake
with white trees sticking out of the waters edge,

rich green douglas fir all around and peaceful, calm

waters to quiet you mind chatter.

Northwest Montana Hikes

Ross Creek Cedars Montana Northwest Montana Ross Creek Cedars.

this Is a great hike among wonderful large cedars.

for Northwest Montana, these are VERY large trees.

though THey are not redwoods and you cannot

drive a car through them but they are magical,

you can stand inside them and feel a definate difference in

your body; it is quite nice. a Must See fo r
Northwest Montana.

Northwest Montana Wilderness

Northwest Montana Backcountry Cabinet Mountains in the Libby, Northwest Montana Area.

Insider Information, Real Estate Listings

Using the Internet to Market Individual Listings by Jim Crawford
When an agent goes on a listing presentation, it is opportunity time in many different ways!
For one, it is a chance to display one's innovative marketing skills that sets the successful Internet savvy agent apart from the mediocre competition. Most agents belong to the second group; they just want to list a home. They are real happy if they can walk away from the listing with a signed agreement and a sign in the ground. It doesn't matter that the house may never sell. Their conquest was the signed listing. This is not the way it should be at all.
The listing presentation is a time when the moment can be seized to sell your abilities. It is a demonstration of worth based upon your experience and abilities. It is a display of talents, and that you deserve a normal or higher commission fee instead of wholesale or discount services. It is a statement that you are not into passive marketing that will not offer much in the way of hope in selling a home. You are making an announcement that you alone are the person to hire!
This listing presentation is the one chance at bat that will determine whether or not you can generate enough income in real estate to survive or leave the industry without ever making enough money to pay the bills. This is the moment that separates doers from dreamers. There is more to real estate than listing a home, placing a sign in the ground, and entering it into the MLS. Closure only comes when the home or property you listed successfully sells, everyone receives their money, and you obtain bragging rights! This is the moment that you differentiate yourself from licensed mediocre competition! This is an Internet moment.

The Internet offers the Internet savvy real estate agent, home seller, and avid home buyer a whole new world of possibilities. Internet home marketing displays more than just Sunday real estate classifieds online … it offers world wide exposure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and global exposure.


It takes a real estate listing from the dark ages of black and white text ad that is almost impossible to read in blurry newsprint and allows full interior shots, and jumps off the virtual page with vibrant exterior color views of a home that invites and beckons new owners. It is an engraved invitation to become the new person on the block in a neighborhood you wish to live. Or its a virtual tour or video that moves you beyond the fantasy of owning to the reality of sensing what it would be like to own a particular home.

All in all, the internet is also a perfect fit for today's busy techno lifestyles. It is the right fit for the profile of the average home buyer in the mid 20's that has grown up with today's technologies. For today's buyers, it's second nature for them to find their needs fulfilled online, rather than by searching through inked up black and white pages of a newspaper or looking at a stale color homes magazine.

The Internet is a tool that allows a home buyer and seller the opportunity to exchange places in life. It allows a focused homebuyer to find and view focused real estate marketing. It is a meeting of the minds that only the techno savvy can really participate in, because they understand the fundamentals that are in play. The Internet is appreciated by all that have used it to buy or sell real estate online. Some in our real estate industry may view this as the future in real estate, while others have already seized the moment as an opportunity, and demonstrates that he/she has the skills, and tools in place right now to assist both buyer and sellers needs today … in real time.

GRI Graduate Realtor Institute

What is GRI

" Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made a commitment to providing a superior level of professional services by earning the GRI designation. REALTORS® with the GRI designation are highly trained in many areas of real estate to better serve and protect their clients. "

I went to a GRI class in Montana, I got food poisening, they let rookie agents into all of the classes and so it was real estate 101 and in no way a Graduate Program or advanced training of any kind. And the evenings were focused on alcohol and dancing when people's spouses were at home. I know of at least one marriage lost that week. I suppose some folks get information out of the classes they can put to use. I did not. In a later post I will tell you some of the things we were taught at the class. I mean no disrespect I just want honor, honesty and integrity to walk among Realtors and I see no real public protection, I see codes of ethics but from my vantage point I don't see many Realtors Following these ethics or accountible to do so. I see an industry riddled with deceit and the kind of money Realtors make, I see no end in sight. sounds Synical, sorry - but True. I do not speak from lack of experience in being lied to, backstabbed, and walked right into horrible situations because of lies of other Realtors.

Real Estate Construction Fraud

Recently I was affected by Faulty Construction in a million dollar home I purchased. After 6 months I was told to move out Because the sructure was unsafe and could collaps. In Montana we are fortunate enough to be subject to the Implied Warranty of Habitability Laws. (10 yrs.) I will keep you all posted on what happens next. In the mean time here is a recent news article on the subject.

Dark side of the housing boom: Shoddy construction

Less than a year after moving into her new 2,100-square-foot house in Lenexa, Kans., Susan Sabin has strung up lemon lights in her front window.
The lemons, she says, go perfectly with the home's most prominent features: jammed doors, warped windows, bent pipes and cracked walls. "The house is essentially splitting in two," says Sabin.

At the peak of the recent housing boom, home buyers scooped up a million newly built homes every year while homeowners poured more than $200 billion into renovations. But now stories of shifting soil, leaky roofs, damaged stucco and other construction defects abound.

Though many builders have worked to improve the quality of their houses over the past decade, says Alan Mooney, president of Criterium Engineers, a national engineering firm, the building frenzy also opened the door for unskilled labor, unscrupulous contractors and untested products.
"When everyone is out there building as fast as they can, that does result in more defects," he says.

Contractor problems rank among the most common consumer complaints, according to the Better Business Bureau, and a recent Criterium Engineers study found that 17 percent of new residential construction projects inspected by the firm in 2006 had at least two significant problems.

If you've been gnashing your teeth over defects in your new or recently renovated home (and complaining to the builder hasn't solved them), it's probably cold comfort that you're not alone.
What do you do? A lawsuit is bound to be expensive and messy, if you can even get in front of a jury at all; many builder's contracts nowadays include a binding-arbitration clause that essentially waives your right to a jury trial.

Of course, your best bet is to catch the problem early, before you've paid for the work. But even after the job is long done, you still have a powerful tool on your side: the builder's need to protect his reputation.

Here's how to evaluate the likelihood that you'll be able to get your home repaired at minimal cost, and your plan of action.

Check your warranty
Your builder or remodeler likely gave you what's called an "express" warranty, which typically covers everything from cosmetic flaws to serious defects for a year (most common) to 10 years (pretty rare).

If the warranty names the defect you're complaining about, gather your documentation and ask your contractor to repair the damage at no additional charge. If your warranty has expired, you aren't necessarily out of luck.

Depending on the state you live in and the nature of the defect, your house may still be covered by a so-called implied warranty of habitability for another seven to 10 years. But it will be up to you to prove that the defects are so severe that they are a health or safety hazard.

Learn how to spot a real defect
Your next step is to figure out whether your problem is a bona fide defect under the terms of the warranty (or in the eyes of an arbitrator) or what home builders define as an acceptable imperfection.

"There is no such thing as a perfect house," says Mooney. "A lot of what people consider defects are really not defects."

According to the National Association of Home Builders' performance guidelines, small cracks in the interior concrete slab are normal; only those exceeding 3/16 of an inch should be repaired. Hammer marks or nail pops visible within six feet are acceptable, but marks you can see farther away are not.

You may not agree with these definitions, but it's tough to fight them. (You can order a copy of the NAHB's "Residential Construction Performance Guidelines" for $39.95 at BuilderBooks.com.)

Gather the evidence
Document problems with photos and detailed notes. Record everything from conversations with your builder or contractor to the exact time - and the weather conditions - on the day, say, your basement flooded.

"Make the assumption that this will end up in a significant dispute," says Mooney.
To bolster your case, you may need to pay for expert advice. An independent inspector or structural engineer will charge about $250 to $500 to give your house a full examination, along with a detailed report of the problems at the heart of your dispute.

After Ann and David Richardson's contractor put a two-story addition on their Kansas City house last year, it failed city inspections twice. The couple then hired an engineer who found that, among other problems, inadequate roof support was putting pressure on the walls and forcing them to bow.

"He said the walls were life-threateningly out of plumb," says David. Faced with this assessment, the contractor agreed to do the repair (though he later declared bankruptcy before he finished).

Find greater strength in numbers
If your housing development was constructed by a single builder, see if your neighbors are having similar complaints. "You'll often find that their houses are having the same problems as you," says Nancy Seats, president of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, a group that helps homeowners fight back against construction defects.

After Pam and Jeff Cobbs noticed that the windows on their new home in Bend, Ore. leaked during rain storms, they teamed up with other neighbors who were having similar problems.
As it turned out, the windows and siding on more than 20 houses on the block had been installed improperly, causing water damage and, in some cases, mold.

Just a few months after the group complained, the builder sent in crews to remove all of the siding and trim, reinstall the windows, wrap the houses, put on brand new siding and repaint everything.

Know your state rules
If you aren't bound by a binding-arbitration agreement and you think you might have a case for a lawsuit, be aware that in recent years, 30 states have adopted "notice and opportunity to repair" laws, which require homeowners to give builders a chance to assess and remedy the problem before they go to court.

Typically, you have to submit a written complaint to the builder or contractor, who then has a certain amount of time to inspect the property and make repairs - usually up to 90 days.
Unfortunately, these laws, designed to protect builders, says Janet Ahmad, president of Home Owners for Better Building, don't obligate the builder to fix your problem (after an inspection, they may tell you that the fault is unrelated to their construction).

But your builder may patch up your home to avoid a lawsuit. If not, you are probably free to sue. To find out about your local "fix it" laws, start by calling your state attorney general's office.

If all else fails, get creative
When the first cracks began appearing in Susan Sabin's home shortly after she moved in last June, she contacted Pulte Homes, which sent in engineers and contractors to repair minor problems. But Sabin still believes they're ignoring major defects.

"They keep fixing the symptoms," she says. "I want them to fix the source of the problem."
So Sabin has strung up lemons and opened her house to anyone who wants to see the cracks. Soon after, her story made the local news.

Pulte, which says the problems with the home are a result of soil expansion underneath, has so far not agreed to rebuild Sabin's home from scratch. But it certainly is not ignoring her complaints.

"Structurally her home is as sound as any other home we've built in the city," says Todd Lipschutz, Pulte's division president in Kansas City. "We will make the necessary repairs."

Flathead Lake

Flathead Lake Montana Montana's flathead Lake is seeing an influx of luxury condominiums,
housing development and real estate changing hands.
My hope is that this body of water is developed with
grace and dignity. Northwest Montana deserves respect.
speaking of Development, a Good friend
commented to me today " it seems that a
lot of people are concerned about the ranches and
open spaces being developed and build up and so many
people are coming in, but think about how the native
americans must have felt when the white man came
and started owning land and parceling up what they had
known as their home" I loved that comment
it is quite profound and though I whine about over developed
Montana, I can feel a small taste of what the Indians and Tribes
of Northwest Montana must have felt.

I honor you, Humbly.

Eureka Montana

Eureka Montana is seeing major changes, Industry has

changed here, real estate prices are all over the map

and we really could use some good restaurants.

Montana Nature Hike

Montana Critters get Out into the woods
witness the WOW

of the Life that is absolutely everywhere.

Montana Ranch Land Conservation Easement

Conservation Easements can be a great way to save
habitat for grizzley, elk, moose, and other magnificant
montana. Montana Conservation Easements on ranches
can also give you a great tax break. Montana Real Estate
is changing fast and development is taking over. If you are
reading this and have an opportunity to keep your ranch
whole Please DO IT. if you need money, you may get
payed for the easement. some Realtors may lead you
to believe that there is more money in developing the land.
This may not be TRUE, its more money for them, not you.

Wildlife-rich ranch protected on the Front
Conservation easement resolves complex family estate issue
DUPUYER, MONTANA — 02-02-2007 — A working ranch with some of the best grizzly bear grizzly bear habitat on the Rocky Mountain Front has now been protected from future development by a Nature Conservancy conservation easement.
The agreement covers the 4,354-acre Hager Ranch west of Dupuyer, Montana. With the transaction, the owners of the property – the Swanson and Field families – were able to work out an ownership arrangement agreeable to all.

The property, leased by cattle operators Mark and Joy Hitchcock, is a 8 miles miles north of the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area and close to other conservation-easement protected private properties, including the Boone and Crockett Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch.
The voluntary conservation easement, which paid the owners the development value of the land, resolves a complex estate issue for the family. With the proceeds from the easement, the Swanson side of the family was able to buy out the Field family members who had little interest in continued ownership of the ranch. The whole family wanted to see the property stay in ranching and not be subdivided, said Scott Swanson, an attorney in Pendroy, Montana. His parents, Marjorie and J.A. Swanson, now own the property after buying it from J.A.’s sister’s children, the Fields.

"My grandfather was proud to have put this property together and he once said to me ‘don’t let go of this place. It’s one of the most beautiful there is,’" said Scott Swanson.
Steve Akre, a Great Falls physician and husband of Sharman Field Akre, said the agreement took a lot of effort, but it is a "wonderful" resolution for both sides of the family.
"This is exactly what a conservation easement should do. I’m glad that Sharman and her siblings (Christie Rogers, Rachel Field and Carl Field) made the decision to deal with such wonderful land in this way," he said.

The property includes native grassland and rich wetlands straddling Dupuyer Creek, an area used extensively by grizzly and black bear, mountain lions, white tail deer and other wildlife. The creek bottoms are full of cottonwood, river birch and willows, including Autumn willow, a rare species in Montana – all offering security for the bruins and other wildllife.
"I’ve sat on the banks above the creek and seen up to five grizzlies all at one time," said Mike Madel, grizzly bear biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "This is an amazing property and was the last best unprotected segment of Dupuyer Creek." A female grizzly bear accidentally shot by a big game hunter a few years ago spent a lot of time on this property with her three cubs, said Madel.

Akre and Swanson said they have, over the years, seen extensive grizzly sign when visiting the ranch. Both mentioned "Kathy," the wounded sow grizzly who frequented the ranch with her cubs. Madel said the this female recuperated from her wound and has re-established her territory ranging from the ranch south to the Blackleaf area. "We’re no longer able to monitor her," he said, "because she dropped her radio collar." About a year after the accident, Madel said he saw this female with one yearling along the mountain front, but he believes another was the victim of a larger bear. He’s not seen the third cub.

"We were delighted that we could work with the Swanson-Field family to resolve an important issue for them, keep the land in ranching and protect it from future development," said Dave Carr, the Conservancy’s Rocky Mountain Front program director who negotiated the easement.
"I think people are starting to understand how conservation easements might benefit them, because landowner demand for them is very high right now," he said.

A new federal law provides extensive tax breaks for landowners who donate conservation easements. For full-time ranchers and farmers, the deduction is 100 percent and can be used over 16 years. To receive these benefits, the easement must be completed by the end of 2007. "Every situation is different and we’re glad to work with landowners and their advisors on the best option for them," said Carr.

Montana Ranch Land in the Movies

Montana has had its share of Oscar glory

The Academy Awards will be doled out next Sunday night. With Oscar hogging the limelight, it's not a bad time to consider Montanans who have struck Oscar gold in the past, as well as actors honored for their work on films shot in and around Great Falls.

For instance, actor Jeff Bridges was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1974 for "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot," a well-done action film shot almost entirely in Great Falls. Bridges, nominated four times, has yet to win. Clint Eastwood also starred in the movie.

The quintessential James Bond, actor Sean Connery, finally won his Oscar as tough Irish cop Jimmy Malone in "The Untouchables," one of the best films ever shot in Montana. A scene from the movie was shot on and near the Hardy Bridge south of Cascade. Connery, who won his Best Supporting Actor statuette in 1987, did a Tribune interview while he was here.
Montana natives also have won Oscars. Gerald Molen, who co-produced "Schindler's List" with director Steven Spielberg and Branko Lustig, collected an Oscar when that haunting film won Best Picture in 1993. Molen, a Great Falls native who grew up in North Hollywood, still has Montana relatives.

Character actor Gary Cooper won a pair of Best Actor Oscars, in 1941 for "Sergeant York," and in 1952 for portraying harried Marshal Will Kane in "High Noon." A strong and silent type, "Coop" was born in Helena and spent part of his time growing up on a Craig Montana-area ranch between Great Falls and Helena. Cooper, who may have been Hollywood's top box-office male draw in the 1930s, also won an honorary Oscar in 1960.

Actress Myrna Loy, born in Radersburg, near Helena, herself won an honorary Oscar in 1990 for a fine acting career. Loy, daughter of a rancher, moved to California as a teenager. One of her top roles came as actor William Powell's wife in "The Thin Man" detective film series. Another was a part in "The Best Years of Our Lives," which won Best Picture and seven other prizes in 1946. Montanans have also won technical Oscars over the years, for sound mixing and other work. It may not be commonplace for Montanans to gain a slice of Oscar glory. But with plenty of Montanans in Hollywood plying their trade these days, there's bound to be an Oscar in the future for one of them.

Montana, the Land where Legends are made.

Lets keep the legends rolling on with large tracts of land in Montana.

Montana Ranch for Sale

a Neat Story follows.. if you love Montana, come here,

love the land keep it whole, ride your

horse along the banks of the

Clark Fork River in Northwest Montana
and bring your Fly Fishing rod to catch some lunch.

Its Not to Late to Do what you LOVE !!!

Home on the Range: Woman's Montana dream

evolves into real-life love The Gazette Staff

It's true what they say: Reading a book can change your life.In Elaine Schwend's case, it was Nicholas Evans' "The Horse Whisperer," set on a Montana ranch overlooking the Clarks Fork River. Reading the book 10 years ago set in motion a chain of events that resulted in the Scottish woman's marriage to a fifth-generation Montana rancher."That's what led me to Montana," she said of the novel. "Nicholas Evans has got a lot to answer for."Elaine is from Gordon, a tiny village in an area of Scotland known as the Borders, a land of rolling, heather-covered hills just south of Edinburgh. She grew up riding horses at her aunt's horse-racing yard, which was also in the Borders.

Evans' novel made Elaine want to ride a horse in the wide-open spaces of Montana, and when her father died shortly after she finished reading the book, Elaine thought the time was ripe. It was a stressful time, what with having to attend to family business while working full time and completing some college finals. "I just decided I needed a timeout, time to get away," she said. Her travel agent had a surprise for her. She told Elaine that she could do better than merely book her a spell on a Montana ranch. She told her there was a particular ranch in southwestern Montana where Evans had spent a week doing research for the book that would become "The Horse Whisperer."It was the Lonesome Spur Guest Ranch a few miles south of Bridger, owned by Lonnie Schwend, whom Evans thanks in the foreword to his novel. Elaine went for a weeklong holiday and fell in love with the Clarks Fork Valley. What she really liked about the Lonesome Spur was that it was not a dude ranch. It was a working ranch where guests got to take part in moving cattle, branding, calving, foaling and other chores."It was not in a tourist area," Elaine said. "It was just real life." She liked it so much that she returned the next year with her husband and two sons. The whole family was so taken with Montana that they bought 16 acres of land near the Lonesome Spur and built what was going to be their "holiday house."Elaine, a mental health assessor, was able to save up a lot of vacation time, which meant she and her sons could come to Montana for trips as long as three to five weeks, and they came at least once a year. By the time she returned in May 2004, however, she had separated from her husband, and by then Lonnie was also separated from his wife.Elaine had come to Montana for three months that year to think about what she was going to do with the rest of her life. She and Lonnie, who had become her good friend over the years, grew closer during those months, until, to their surprise, they realized there was something else between them. They started going out as a couple."Which is really weird, to be dating a really, really good friend," she said. "It's a whole different gambit, isn't it?" When Elaine went back to Scotland, she had company. Lonnie's sister, Michelle, and several of Michelle's friends flew back with her to see Scotland. Toward the end of their trip, Elaine heard from Lonnie. "He called me from Montana and told me maybe I should just come back with the girls," she said.Elaine missed Lonnie, but she wanted time to think. After another long conversation, she said, "we decided I should come back, and that was that."They were married, on horseback, on July 14, 2005, on the George and Nelvette Siemion ranch in the Bighorn Mountains. The ceremony was attended by only a handful of close friends and family, after which Elaine and Lonnie spent the day quietly together. Things were a little more lively the next day, when 300 guests came to the Lonesome Spur for a party that featured square dancing. Elaine said her marriage to a rancher halfway around the world came as a shock to some people."When I told my mother I was going to marry a cowboy, there was a big silence on the other end of the phone. But she's getting used to Lonnie," she said. A year and a half later, Elaine is settled into her new life as a ranch wife. One big change was in her wardrobe. When she went back to Scotland for her belongings, she said, a lot of her clothes, including a ball dress, "went to the charity shop." During this winter's cold snap, she said, "I discovered insulated pants."She still can't bear the sight of rattlesnakes and she has plenty to learn about roping cows. She laments the difficulty of raising a garden - what the heat doesn't kill the deer eat, she said - but after all the rain in her native country she loves the high, dry climate. And as Lonnie, sitting behind the wheel of his pickup, pointed out with a slight grimace, "she still calls this a car."There have been other adjustments. "I sometimes find a calf in my bathtub," she said. "It's a bit of a surprise in the morning." Also, Elaine conceded, "I'm a little wobbly about the pig." Each year, the family raises one pig "for the freezer," and since she's the one who feeds the pig every day, she tends to grow attached to it and feels a considerable pang when it is slaughtered."But that's ranch life," she said bravely. "I'm getting used to it." She certainly doesn't lack for cosmopolitan company. Visitors to the Lonesome Spur Guest Ranch - which Lonnie said he started in 1993 to give his college-age children summer employment - come from all over the world. It's safe to say that guests calling to book a vacation for the first time don't expect to hear Elaine's lilting Scottish accent."Sometimes I think they're a bit surprised when I answer the phone," she said. "It takes them just a few seconds to recover." Elaine's 18-year-old son, Bruce, is living on the ranch and attending the Montana State University-Billings College of Technology. He commutes to Billings with a couple of other ranch kids from the Clarks Fork Valley who also go to school there. Her other son, 21-year-old Andrew, still lives in Scotland and is planning to visit in July.Lonnie is a former rodeo cowboy, a bareback and bull-riding champ on the NRA circuit. He turns 59 in a few days, but he looks as though he could still wrestle a steer without too much trouble. Elaine, 45, is also fit, and she looks as comfortable on a horse as Lonnie does. She is still amazed at her good fortune. "To come out here and be on the ranch all day every day is just wonderful - and to have somebody to share it with," she said. She was asked if her husband is a horse whisperer. "No," she said. "Lonnie is a cowboy. I think it's safe to say he's a cowboy."

Lakeside Northwest Montana

Northwest Montana Flathead Lake get on the waters of Flathead Lake this season.

do it for your Sanity and for the Health of your Soul.

Flathead Lake Map

Flathead Lake Northwest Montana when Your planning your Montana vacation be sure

and put Flathead Lake on your destination list.

Montana Real Estate

Montana Real Estate News Post

Montana is changing fast. Big City is here.
and it is sometimes Sad at how fast the vallye floors
are filling up. Whitefish Real Estate has taken a turn
to upscale even more. Eureka real Estate
is a complete transformation from the
Life and Times of the Tobacco Valley.
Kalispell Real Estate is in transition and flux
with so much over building leading to foreclosures.
ther Seems to be lots of Jobs, and major houses going up.

Montana Backcountry

There is Nothing quite like the high country of Northwest Montana There is NO feeling like being in the high country.
the Air is sweet and pure and fills your lungs in

an unmistakable pure capacity fuller than you have ever known.

the sound of the gentle roaring waters drown out the

chaos and blunder of daily life. the Crisp cool air makes

my cheeks feel so alive and brings my whole body to life.

out Of the calm, on top of the whispering wind,
over shadowing the creek beds comes a call so distinct,

so touching, it will take you back to a place in time you may

never have really known, it a sound that is ancient and mesmerizing

and awakens all your senses; It is the cry in the forest when you are

alone and can hear every sound: it is the Red Tailed Hawk.

a beautiful Gift of sound breaking silence and

awakening you like an alarm to
wake and begin to LIVE to truly LIVE.

when You hear this, stop in your tracks, sit down and ponder

what is the most important thing, what do you love, what do you

hold dear above all else. And when you walk again among

the human busy-ness of days remember this moment

and BEGIN. Begin to live what you love, say what you mean,

eat what you know makes you feel good, smile at everyone,

listen to the voice inside of you that knows what you need to do

to live the life you were meant to live.

walk Into your day to day world with new eyes.

Eyes that are Truly Awake

and looking at everything differently.

Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen. Listen.

Eureka Montana

Sunday Falls Eureka, Northwest Montana a Short hike. Listen to the birds on the way.
Be sure that you hear the sway of every bough

on every Tree. don't Yap on the way to the falls

and if its Summer ignore the yapping tourists along the way.
i Know, not all of them Yap. But a lot of them do.

If you catch a time at Sunday Falls when your alone
sit awhile and listen. Pay attention to your thoughts

and take this time to JUST BE.

Relax and Enjoy Northwest Montana.

Rocky Mountains over Lake Koocanusa

The shores of Lake Koocanusa are ever changing with
the wind, water and erosions.

There are Days that it feels like no one will ever be on the shores

of the lake i grew up on and there are days where noise,

guns, four wheelers disgrace the silence. It is an odd mix

of tranquility and chaos.

With so much advertising now with the Wilderness Club,
Lake Koocanusa is being promoted in new light,
we always called it the "reservoir" . Some feel it is a giant

body of water that consumed their farms, homes, life and legacy.
When the dam came in an TOOk the land.

i grew up in what they call "new Rexford" and I spent
any free time I had walking the shores of the reservoir.
To me it was a sanctuary from the chaos life can bring.
this Lake Koocanusa was my REAL home. it was where i came

to know myself without any influences of what the Adults in

my life thought i should be.

I love Lake Koocanusa for what i know it to be.

it Is my Ocean, my ever changing tide, my calm

It is my memories, my wishes and all that could ever be.

a Promise of Pure waters, clean fish, mountain views,

deer, eagles and elegance. My Prayer today, to YOU

is that Lake Koocanusa stay this way.

i Ask you, YOU
if your are considering moving to Eureka Montana
please Love Lake Koocanusa. It is the begining of all thing,
from here stems the purity that the tobacco valley has

and the dream that it will stay that way.

Therriault Pass and Snowy Mountain Peaks

Therriault Pass Views

Fresh snow lightly dusting the foothills, forest and Mountain Peaks
of Eureka Northwest Montana. This is looking up at Therriault Pass

from about 3 miles up grave creek road. The Peak you see is the Northwest

side of the Pass, and is all Rock. Further left you see an old burn from

a forest fire in the late 90's. Be sure and climb up through the pass

on your Montana Vacation. If you want to live in the area check out

www.TherriaultPassViews.com for a Cabin with creek and Pond frontage

just below the pass. Eureka Real Estate is changing fast. Get yours now.

I really want people to move here that love Therriault Pass, Elk, Moose,

clean air and clean waters, hiking, boating and things that honor Mother Earth.

Northwest Montana Real Estate

Northwest Montana Real Estate educate yourself on the ins and outs of rural real estate
before you dive in to your search for your dream home.
When you are looking at real estate in Northwest Montana
you had better know a little about a lot. Find your boundaries,
research area well depths and drillers, ask around, know
a bit about electrical and plumbing, at least enough to
spot a Red Flag. If you want to sell your
Northwest Montana Real Estate on your own than DO IT.

Make sure you have all your disclosures in place
(no big deal - just tell the truth) and it would be nice
if you built a website with photos and information on your
home and contact numbers to reach YOU. If you do this
don't let Realtors push you around. I feel it is best to allow Real
Estate agents to bring buyers for a set commission,
however if they give no notice or are disrespectful in anyway,
call their Broker and local MLS board and make sure they
never call you again. If you build a website (which is not as
hard as most webmaster may lead you to think) you will
than have a place to send potential buyers and the more
information you have on the sight, the less "looky lous" you
will get that do not really want to buy. Put everything you
can on the site, the more photos the better. And than to get
the sight found you can run local ads in newspapers or
flashy real estate wish books. However, i spent thousands there
and get NO results. I find buyers from Internet Marketing
and Yard Signs. To get your website found quickly you could
list you website on an established real estate network targeted
to your area or property description such as www.NorthwestMontana.com
or www.MontanaWaterProperty.com a location
description or an actual property description such as
www.IdahoHorseProperty.com
We offer Real Estate Marketing on our Websites
for For Sale by Owners. I do not feel that the real estate
industry should convince you that you can not sell your home yourself.

Most of the time the real estate Broker walks away with more cash
out of the deal than you do. We offer to put your description, photo and links
for a set fee on our websites until SOLD. We work with you.
We will also to list your property the traditional way in several MLS systems,

yahoo and thousands of networked websites (our owned network) to get

you noticed. This would be a case by case negotiated commission and

if you find your own buyer we GET NOTHING. We will cancel

your listing and you can take it from there. Really you get

the best of both worlds. Our List249 Program allows you to

pay $249 one time and we will list your property on

www.TenLakesRealty.com as a Real Estate Internet Marketing

Service and one specialty site included in the price. We will also

build websites for your listings for a negotiated rate. If

you are interested in our Real Estate Marketing plans

eMail us at SavvyBroker@yahoo.com
We want you to WIN. May not sound like a real estate broker,
but it is. I NEED to have a way to do real estate that is
a win-win situation and strive for an honest living from the industry.

Not an easy task. Real Estate is a nasty business at times.
Real Estate Marketing online uses my expertise without the Drama.
We also offer Real Estate Consultanting and for you Folks
who have vacation rentals in the northwest we offer a lifetime listing
for a onetime FEE, click here and check it OUT.

Check Out some of Our Specialty Real Estate Websites

www.StClairRanch.com
www.MontanaRanchForSale.net
www.TherriaultPassViews.com
www.Montana-Cabins.com
www.CarpenterLake.com

Whitefish Range

the Road to Mt. Marston between Eureka and Whitefish Views from the Mt. marston lookout are
absolutely stunning. You can see the Whitefish Range,

parts of Glacier National Park, The Flathead Valley,

the Tobbaco Valley, Glen Lake, Dickey Lake,
the beautiful backcountry of British Columbia and

endless layers of greens and blues.

Whitefish Montana

Whitefish Northwest MontanaWhitefish Historical Train Depot. I was born in Whitefish Montana

and it certainly is changing a lot. In the last 6 months we have seen several

buildings and businesses just disappear as if they never existed.

They say, the billionaires are moving into Whitefish and pushing the Millionairs up to

Eureka Montana. The battles are heating up in whitefish with lake frontage

being disrespected by people who think that money is all they need and that

rules are for other people. they are chopping down trees on on whitefish lake

that they are not suppose to remove.

Who cares they say, it is worth the fine to have more room.
The real estate under the tree is worth an emmense amount more than the fine that the City of Whitefish emposes. Whitefish Real Estate has been higher on average than Kalispell real Estate and Eureka Real Estate for quite some time, however it is taking yet another turn with big money getting even BIGGER.

If your looking for a unique place to stay while vacation in Whitefish Montana, Click Here.

Ten Lakes Scenic Area

Northwest Montana High Country

Ten Lakes Scenic Area Northwest Montana

The Ten Lakes Scenic are is a Northwest Montana

wilderness destination, with endless hiking trails,

horse riding trails and fly fishing opportunities.
To get to the Ten Lakes Scenic Area, you head North

from Whitefish Northwest Montana and travel for approx.

35 minutes to Grave Creek Road, take a right and head 2o plus
miles up into the mountains. Be respectful of the wildlife, other

hikers, campers and fishermen and woman and by all means

PACK IT IN; PACK IT OUT
Leave No Trace that you have been there
Expect for the beautiful prisine memories

impressed into your Minds Eye.

Rocky Mountain Reflection

Eureka Montana Rocky Mountain View

the Canadian Rockies reflecting in Lake Koocanusa
Northwest Montana. taken in feb 2006 on a very chilly
winter's day. Lake Koocanusa is in the Eureka Montana
area and is an ever changing canvas of nature's expression.

Lake Koocanusa Northwest Montana

Lake Koocanusa Northwest Montana

Lake Koocanusa is located in Eureka Montana.
this Lake is a gorgeous torquoise water flowing
from British Columbia to Libby Dam.

Northwest Montana

Ten Lakes Realty is an Online Real Estate Advertising service. We live in and love Northwest Montana and Market real estate globally from the beautiful bliss of the Montana Mountains. Enjoy our photos and love of Northwest Montana.

Costich Lake View from Parcel Below

Northwest Montana is very beautiful year round.

The Above photo is taken in Eureka Montana of
the mountains around Therriault Pass. This is taken
from a gorgeous 20 acre parcel for sale just outside
of the town of Eureka, Northwest Montana.