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As a boy growing up on the edge of a southwestern desert I took an early - and seemingly out-of-place - interest in hunting and fishing. A friend who was similarly afflicted and I would take our Red Ryder BB guns out into a weedy field and shoot grasshoppers. When the hoppers wouldn't hold still, we took up wing shooting. Ever tried to shoot a grasshopper on the wing with a BB gun? We'd waste an afternoon and a dime's worth of BB's for two or three grasshoppers apiece. That first BB gun was...
The Planning Committee of the Swan Valley Community Council and the Missoula County Planning Department are seeking ideas and input on the future of the Swan Valley. This input from community members will assist us in our effort to update the 1996 Neighborhood Plan and clearly communicate our vision and preferences to our county commissioners. Why are we doing this now? First, it is a requirement of Missoula County’s rural communities to update their neighborhood plan every five years, and secondly, we want to learn from the POWDR/Save H...
Montana has weighed in with the national, state and local elections. The most important election results reflect concerns vocalized, right here, by our Montana residents. In the upcoming session, I’m looking forward to supporting the Governor’s “Path to Security and Prosperity,” promoting economic development and more good-paying jobs. Overall, we are prioritizing strengthened family success and prosperity. One of my key priorities in Senate District 38 is to support promoting student outcomes through educational options and funding transpa...
Our incredible newspaper designer, Jenny Wherley, had her last day with the Pathfinder this week. Jenny has worked in community news in Montana for over 20 years, formerly for the Kavanagh family, who owned a variety of local newspapers across the state before they retired from the business. Some of the papers Jenny worked for until recently, including a few that Ponderosa Publishing/Mullen Newspapers — the Pathfinder’s publishers — own were once Kavanagh family papers as well, like the Cut Bank Pioneer Press. The care and atten...
In a world where darkness is ever increasing, light will always continue to shine. That light, which brings our hope and happiness, comes because of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the source of the light which “proceeded forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space.” His light is “the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world… His example and his teachings illuminate the path we should walk....
In response to an increase in the recreational use of national forests in the early 20th century, Congress passed the 1915 Term Occupancy Act, which allowed permits for private use and development of forest lands. The growing interest in outdoor recreation and conservation also triggered the popularity of dude ranching and guided pack trips in the western United States. By 1920, early-day settlers, Roria "Babe" and Eva Wilhelm, moved to Swan Valley after trading a house they owned in Butte for H...
I got my first fly tying vise when I was about nine or 10 years old. It wasn't gift-wrapped, and it wasn't Christmas. It was handed to me by my Godfather, who with my dad was one of my heroes. A few weeks before he showed me a box of flies he tied and I was fascinated. I remember the warm half-smile on Paul's face when he gave me that vise. It had been his, and had fine jaws for tying small trout flies. I was awestruck. He knew, then, what would likely unfold, but he didn't know all of it. When...
A headline and a movement may have tipped the election but what does it mean for individuals and families? The U.S. population is not thriving and the numbers are not in our favor. According to the now touted American College of Cardiology and Tufts University study, 93% of Americans are considered metabolically unhealthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six Americans have a chronic disease. Inflammatory, autoimmune and chronic diseases continue to rise and the number of younger people diagnosed with cancer...
Is there anything more delectable than a Cheeto, save a whole bag of Cheetos? It is a perfect combination of salt, crunch (I prefer the fried Cheetos), cheesiness and a triumph of food chemistry. There are at least 30 ingredients, and likely more, as one of the ingredients is listed as “natural and artificial flavors.” Being a Cheetophile is much like being an oenophile (wine lover, for you peasants). There are 21 varieties of Cheetos in North America alone, many more globally (apparently a cream cheese variant in China). Like wine, you begin y...
Oral histories provide us with wonderful experiences from the past with those who actually lived them. Arnold “Smoke” Elser’s memoir, Hush of the Land, covers six decades of his life as an outfitter and a passionate champion of the wilderness. It’s a well-crafted look back, built upon hundreds of hours of interviews. Elser, and his co-author, Eva-Marie Maggie, will present this memoir on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Foundation Building as part of Alpine Artisans’ Open Book Club. Free. Everyone is welcome. Early on, Smoke kne...
Editor's note: We're revisiting some fall colors and sentiments this first week of December for the Fly Fishing Journal. We hope you enjoy a little throwback. This October I shall go fishing. I haven't done so yet, but I will soon. This is a statement of purpose, not the expression of an idle wish. There aren't many fishing days left. The changes in the weather as we enter October reminds me of that. While it is still a bit sunny, pleasantly chilly, or softly overcast but not too cold, there is...
Montana’s CI-128 constitutional amendment unfortunately passed enshrining “the right to abortion.” Consider the God-given right of life for the preborn whose lives are determined by the grave choices of others, misled mothers-to-be and misinformed voters. Elections have consequences. Jesus will judge us on the choices we made. Should we do evil so good may come of it? See Romans 3:8; 6:1. Legality does not equal morality. In the 1400-1500s, the Aztecs in Mexico were idol worshippers cutting out hearts, sacrificing humans to their gods. Not t...
The election is over, and preparations have begun for the 69th Montana Legislative session. Last week those serving in 2025 met in Helena to greet old friends and meet many new ones. Legislative staff prepared orientations and trainings. Each party elected leadership, and the important tasks of committee assignments, parking spots, seating and finalizing housing were completed. The Governor’s Budget for the 2025 session was released. As we prepare for the session, both of us look forward to working with all of you in the Seeley-Swan and s...
With colder temperatures upon us, perhaps it’s time to swing by your local library and find a cozy book to enlighten the mind or warm the heart. Your local Seeley Lake Public Library has many new popular titles in both nonfiction and fiction for adults. Your local library also regularly swaps out DVDs, books on CD, large print, adult fiction and nonfiction titles, holiday reads, and children’s books. We typically have a puzzle going in-house — which is another great winter activity — as well as free puzzles to take home, including plenty...
At Partnership Health Center (PHC), we are proud to provide primary medical, dental and telehealth behavioral health services in Seeley Lake. We are grateful for recent community feedback indicating some uncertainty about services available in our Seeley Lake clinic, so we are taking steps to provide more information. Primary Medical Care Also known as family medicine, primary care is available for patients of all ages. A primary care provider is your go-to source for questions or concerns about any aspect of your health including preventative...
Wondering how anyone could engage in outrage, sacrilege and indifference against God’s law offending Him in sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance, see Genesis 4:10, 18:20-21, 19:5-13; Jude 1:7; Exodus 2:23; and James 5:4, I sought answers: “Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good-willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are sub...
At the Clearwater Montana Properties office here in Seeley Lake, two specific questions have been very popular over the past few months. The first is a question we get regardless of the season, year, or current events: “How’s the market?” The second question is about the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) settlement that took effect this summer and its impact on buyers and sellers. Let’s dive in and get some answers. HOW’S THE MARKET? The real estate market in the Seeley-Swan Valley is continuing to stabilize after rapid price increases...
Thanksgiving is never complete without my hearing the old hymn that begins with ”for the beauty of the earth.” I’ll play it on my tin whistle if I don’t hear it anywhere else. For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies. While our Civil War was at its height of desolation and carnage in 1863, a young Englishman named Folliott Sandford Pierpoint walked to the top of a hill above his village and saw leaves turning color and wildflowers dotting the meadow between him and the...
A venerable log building, a blustery November day in a small country community, the Pledge of Allegiance, the tolling of a bell. A scene repeated hundreds of times across the nation, yet as each name was read the personal, local feel of loss hung in the air. We think of great wars with legions of soldiers, but they are composed of young men and women from Seeley and Condon with moms and dads. Last Monday, Nov. 11 was Condon's ceremony at the Community Center, followed by a lunch prepared by the...
If Alan Muskett’s boat doesn’t measure up, I have a 48’ trawler in Guatemala for sale. Fire sale price, way warmer and cheaper cruising than the east coast....
"We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:13 Common English Bible) When I was in grade school we’d play a game called, “Where in the World Is Carmen San Diego?” It was a game designed to teach us world geography and increase our appreciation for the world’s many peoples and cultures. Carmen San Diego could travel anywhere and do anything, and we had to use our knowledge of her and the world — aided by clues she’d leave for us — to f...
It's a good thing - more like a blessing - that the river is still fishable at this point in November. Especially this November. Maybe God knew we'd need a break, a time to refresh and restore our souls after this election, and so in His divine mercy he extended the days that are warm enough to fish for a couple of weeks after the polls closed. At least that's what I want to think. The river, which in past years has been iced over by now, is still in decent shape. The weather, some days, is surp...
I want to thank all voters and especially those that went above and beyond for our campaign for House District 92. It was an honor running to be your representative, and we truly enjoyed meeting many of you over the last year campaigning. Though gerrymandering made HD 92 less representative of our rural areas, our precinct results shined through. I thank the large majority of our communities from Condon to Potomac for favoring commonsense, and casting your vote for our campaign. I want to congratulate my opponent Rep. Connie Keogh. I hope she...
We're mental health therapists who work directly with students in Montana elementary and middle schools. We love working with kids to support their well-being and academic success. In Montana, making sure kids have access to the resources and services they need to succeed isn't just the right thing to do, it's also critical for the future of our state. One resource that many students need is help coping with stress, trauma, depression or anxiety. Sadly, many students struggle to access mental...
On Nov. 8, 2024, former Montana State House Representative and longtime publisher and editor Reilly Neill (D) officially filed with the Federal Election Commission to unseat Senator Steve Daines. “We need a Senator who cares about our access to healthcare, our agricultural economy, our Tribal neighbors, about our teachers and schools. We need someone who cares about the ongoing housing crisis in Montana as much as upholding the Constitution of the United States,” Neill said in a recent public announcement. “When I’m in the U.S. Senate, there w...
