Wanda's Blog From Billings, Montana

This past summer during my gym exercise, I overheard many local teachers discussing their plans to pull up roots and move to Uruguay in South America.  Sounded like an interesting migration; cheaper cost of living, practically free health care (touted to be better than USA) and just a relief from the "nightmare in School District 2".

Like many school systems around the country, the largest one in Montana, School District 2 in Billings, is facing budget troubles.  The leader of any school district, legislative district, State or Country can have a hard time keeping their job in a tough economy. 

The local school board for District 2 experienced a huge increase in public comment and input during the last few months leading up to the forced departure of the superintendent.  People were gathered together, carrying signs and chanting their cause. 

The school board members, an all volunteer force, were discussing how upset people were and what they could do about it.  It would be fair to say that there was not overall agreement in the school board group about what the cause of the dissent was among the teachers, administration and the public.  In fact, many feathers were being ruffled from several sides.  SD2 Trustees voted to terminate the Superintendent's contract and buy him out.

This whole time, during the public school board meetings, we never heard from the superintendent.  He was there, sitting, with his lips zipped.  He did bring an attorney, which is perfectly reasonable, but still, why so quiet?  Could this be part of the problem?  Communication skills, zip? 

I hope the job search for the next superintendent includes the criteria of "great communicator".  Maybe you need a couple of people to serve in this job, or at least a "press secretary" who can communicate to the public.

A skilled administrator cannot lead without being a good communicator.  People are much more willing to forgive shortfalls if they "feel" like their leader is driving them down the right road.  Sometimes you have to take a couple of turns, but if the pack doesn't know why you're going down that different road, they'll think you're on the wrong one!

Uruguay is a long way from Billings Montana.  We need seasoned teachers in our district, after all, we have some of the highest testing students in the country right here.  They didn't get that way without good teachers, administrators, board and public.

This is just my humble opinion :)

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

I found this home for sale in a golf course community that has the kind of charm and upscale finishes I would look to expect in a more upscale price range for the price of $395,000.  The Pryor Creek Golf course is pretty good sized, do you like to golf?

Over 4,100 square feet of open living space, with the backyard right on the fairway.  My favorite part of this home is the open kitchen dinning room, very Montana!  Huge eating bar to saddle up to with friends and family. 

The school system is excellent in this small town community.  You may have heard of Huntley Project School, lots of people want their kids to be a part of this class B school system.  The town of Huntley is actually closer to Billings than the rest of the Project Community, and you can hop on the Interstate and be downtown in about 20 minutes.

Here's a picture of the kitchen:  for more pictures and info follow this link to 1351 Florian.  I toured this home last week, listed by Kellie Saville, and just had to blog about it.  Call me if this is something you'd like more info about. 

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

Montana Hay Bale Trail Hobson, Montana, September 11, 2011

In Montana we have a way of just hanging out with the neighbors, especially on days when the neighbors clown around.  That will be happening again this next Sunday just a hundred miles or so north of me in the Hobson-Utica area.  We will be remembering the 10 year anniversary of a horrible event with the celebration of community spirit!  Our towers are made of hay.

One of my favorite things to do in my part of the country, is to hit the highway and go see all the small town fun in our Big Sky Country.  This Sunday will be especially fun, since there will be miles of special hay bale art up and down the road.  This is the 22nd consecutive event for this community, genius way for a fun fundraiser.  We even get to vote on our favorite hay bale design (we've heard some will be mechanically inclined).

Here is a map of the event, gates open Sunday morning at 8am.  Maybe I'll see you there?  I will be posting some pictures and add them to this post, just for fun.  I will be taking my 18 month old grandson on the adventure, he like to ride in the car.  For more info, visit their great website by clicking HERE

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

The Yellowstone County Extension Service helps to organize a 3 day event for Sewing and Crafty people who love to see and learn new things.

Quilting, Serging, Machine and Hand Embroidery, Jewelry Making and garment construction; all under one roof!

You get to hang out with like minded people!  You get to try skills you already have and learn a few new ones!

The cost is so affordable, I don't know how they do this, except for the great support of sponsors and teachers!

You can click this link to take you to our Yellowstone County Website onto the Extension Service page for the full brochure and some pictures of the finished products from some of the classes.  You'll need some basic sewing supplies, and some classes feature projects that you can do right in the class, but you need to purchase the kits in order to have the right stuff.

Have you thought about sewing up a few children's clothes lately?  I know we have rekindled a huge interest in sewing for children just because the things you can make are so darn cute and special!

Here's a couple of pictures of some fun skirts one of the teachers, Nancy Sasse, will have during class #54 on Saturday October 1 in the Dress Form Room of the Shrine Auditorium on Broadwater Avenue.

Lots of fun fabrics in this skirt, many more to choose from, and surprisingly easy to make! 

You can find the fabrics and the pattern at Nancy's website, some fabrics will be available for purchase right at the Rocky Mountain Sewing and Craft Festival in the vendor's section!

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

The first thing I think of is a worker, usually an hourly paid worker, who shows up and does the "stuff" that needs done.  The Labor Force usually works at the pleasure/need of the boss, who usually represents the best interest of either a for profit, or not for profit institution. 

The hourly worker, Laborer, works for a specified amount of money and hopefully benefit, (no benefits are not free, people actually have to work for them).  The hourly worker gets paid the same wage no matter what the company/institution makes the same day.  If the company has a really good year and makes a profit, that can sometimes be distributed to the Labor Force in a manner of a bonus or salary increase.  But basically, the profit benefits the company owner/owners/shareholders.

Now what about the word Labor?  After the hourly worker, I think about my "labor" when I gave birth to 4 children, I labored for hours, it was really hard work (no one better disagree with this, I dare you).

Then I think about "labored breathing", which can happen whenever you work really hard or suffer from some type of physical ailment, basically it's hard breathing.

Then I think about "laboring while I'm pulling weeds in my garden" which refers to the hard work I have to do to make things grow even though I know the same weeds will be back there in a couple weeks (repetitive labor).

Then I wonder about the Holiday I'm about to take over this Labor Day weekend

And I thank goodness for all of those who labor to make this world a better place and I'll be thinking about how hard it is to make a buck in this world, and how I hope we all have enough bucks to grill a hamburger and drink a beer with friends on the deck at Grandma's cabin.

Thank you all!

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

I'm very sad to hear this news, this kind of press just makes films like "The Night of the Grizzlies" run through my head.  I love Grizzly Bears, not up close, but I just love the fact that we have them still around.  Encounters with people are VERY RARE, but the headlines are huge!

More worry-some, for me, was to hear that the hiker who was killed was on the Mary Mountain Trail, ALONE AND WITHOUT ANY BEAR SPRAY.  Good grief, the Mary Mountain Trail is located in one of the most active areas of Yellowstone Park for Grizzly Bear activity.

I suppose solitude on the trail is a treasured experience for some people, I personally don't get it.  Never travel alone, but if you do, take precautions and protect yourself please.  When a Grizzly Bear attacks a human, for whatever reason, that Bear is as good as dead as well.

I would like to see Yellowstone Park institute a "group" hike meet up time at trail heads for those people who have the sense to travel together on these wonderful hikes.  Be a little friendly out there and you'll find that most people, foreign or otherwise, will enjoy being in a group.  You don't have to stay too close together, just be in a group.  Who knows, you might meet some like minded people and enjoy the hike even more!  You'll definitely feel safer and be safer.  Groups are so much less likely to have Grizzly Bear problems.

I have been hunting huckleberries in Grizzly Bear country for 40 years and even though Grizzlies love huckleberries, I've NEVER HAD AN ENCOUNTER.  Even with this great record (so far), I still carry bear spray, holler "hey Griz, I'm here" and frequently make some type of noise so I don't surprise a bear.  Lately we've been packing a little heat on the hip as well, at least since the bear population has increased over the years.  I don't plan to ever shot a bear unless it's absolutely necessary, but I'll pull the trigger on my bear spray in a split second.

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

Chivalry still obvious in Billings Montana.

Just driving up on top of the Rimrocks (high bench above the Yellowstone Valley) when low and behold I see a stranded motorist.  The strandies were two women and right behind them was parked a white dodge pickup, and I'm assuming that the nice looking bald headed fella with the tire iron in his hand stopped to help these ladies with a mechanical ailment!

I guess it just did my heart a little good to drive by and see this kind of helpful thing going on.  We have our a####le drivers around here too, and they usually get the most negative attention, at least from me, but I'm always struck with a smile when I see someone helping another.

Random acts of kindness beget random acts of kindness.

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

Yellowstone County, Number 7 of Yahoo's America's Best Affordable Places, 2011!  I didn't realize we had it this good around here!  Maybe that's why I never want to leave!

I'm not sure how this information is analyzed, but I do think that spreading the word about our town, you know, bragging a bit, is a really good thing.  We've had a bit of a hard winter and spring, more rain that we're used to, but all an all, we have it pretty good around here.

Our unemployment rate is all the way up to 6.3%, which is pretty high for us, we're usually under 5%.  We have seen more growth in business than many places.  Our construction for residential is chugging along, but at a much slower pace than the last 10 years. Our average home price is less than $200,000.

Our neighborhoods are pretty stable and walkable.  Most people have some connection with the outdoors, hiking, fishing, skiing, snowmobiling, 4 wheeling, horseback riding.  Our recreation is really right outside our front doors, or at least not that far from home.

Our medical community is very good, many seniors have moved to our area just for the best regional care for miles.  Some of the best physician's in the country live right here, it's a good place to raise families!

Montana is home to less than 1 million people, and we're a very large state.  Stop by and visit sometime!

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

First Big Camping Out Weekend Looks To Be On Hold!

This past week has been a wet one, so wet in fact that roads are closed all over Montana from swollen creeks, streams and rivers.  Lots of "I've never seen water in "Dry Creek" before, and I've been here 30 years!

Flat land that has just a minimal slope, is suffering from flooding as well, septic drainfields are flowing backwards, into homes, and basements are wet, if not flooded, just from the rain.

How much rain?  Over 6 inches for the month of May, and our yearly average is about 15 inches!  The snowpack in the mountains is over 200% of average, in many places, and this hasn't melted yet either!

Rumors, some which turn out to be true have been updated on the facebook pages, along with pictures of scenes of water inundated roads, (some parts missing). 

Just stay home this Memorial Day Weekend!  With a little bit of heat, the snow in the Mountains will melt and you could find yourself stranded, for days!  You may not be able to even get to your camping spots right now! 

Just put your camping trip on hold, for now, and let's see how the rest of this weather system goes over the next week.

I think my huckleberry picking trip the end of July may be delayed, hope there's still berries!

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link

When will I plant my garden?  I usually plant the middle of May, but I'm just a bit behind this year.  After about 15 years of drought/semi-drought, I'm not used to this rain!

The forecast for the next few days is for 2 to 4 inches of rain.  We normally only get about 15 to 18 inches all year, so this amount all at once makes rototilling a bit of a challenge.

I know for sure I'm not as far behind as I could be, since my neighbors, who've lived in this neighborhood for at least 20 years longer than I have, just rototilled their garden the day before yesterday.

My dandelions are even shriveled up today.  My husband is a horticulturist of natural and common weeds.  "Don't spray the dandelions, you'll kill the good clover", ok, he brings me coffee in bed, who am I to argue?

We also had to replace a riding lawn mower this year, after 18 years riding around on the old one!  What do you do with the old one?  Seems ashame to take it to the recycling center, it still works, kinda.

The farmers around here are happy for the rain, but some didn't get their crops in yet, may take another week after this next big storm.

At least I don't live in Wyoming, weather alert today was that the main north-south interstate I80 was closed for about 50 miles due to a snow storm.  We rarely close the interstate system, so this must be treacherous.

I could really use some homegrown green beans and tomatoes, so maybe I'll get out there in about a week or so and get something planted.

Happy Spring!

The Quilting Realtor

Many Dream Of Living In Montana I'm One of the Lucky One's That Already Do! Wanda Thomas 2wandathomas@gmail.com Call or Text 406-698-8640 for help with all things Montana. Local MLS Search Link