I had the day off on Halloween because I would have to work Saturday doing inventory.  Bill brought me to the Stillwater Mine and Custer National Forest.  We passed through towns that were so small that they read, “You are now entering and leaving Nye, Montana.”  They still had a phone booth in Nye because it’s impossible for any cell phone to work between the mountains.

Halloween night was not too exciting for me.  There was a Cowboy party at the local bar, but I already experience the whole Cowboy life already.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

I was looking forward to hunt all day long.  I started work at 4:30AM and went straight to the kitchen, where guys belong.  Around 5AM, a huge showing of miners from Stillwater Mining Company came into the store for breakfast and boxed lunch.  The mine is one of the world’s leading producers of platinum group metals and the only significant primary producer of palladium in the Western Hemisphere.  They work 12 hour shifts underground, which sounds pretty crazy to me.  I had to make breakfast burritos for 30 of the miners and they also love the cinnamon rolls too.

By the way, I was the only male working for Fishtail General Store.  I guess not too many guys have to skills that are necessary to work there.  Most of the guys go hunting instead.  I went out hunting with one of the locals, Rick and his son.  They showed me the best place for hunting, but they were too picky about what to shoot.  We waited and waited for the right buck until it got dark.  After dark, it is illegal to shoot anything.  There are so many rules to hunting.  The good thing about Montana is that it is the easy state to buy tags for each animal.  We didn’t catch anything, but I did understand why some may see hunting a thrill. 

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

They really have me working at the General Store.  I swear, I have been working overtime everyday.  Today, we drove to Billings to pick up supplies and wholesale items for the store rather than having providers deliver all the way to Fishtail.  Actually, most suppliers wouldn’t come to Fishtail anyways.  We picked up meat, dairy products, and several types of ingredients; all while being recognized around town because of the news.  It was the first time that I ran into Mennonites.  I don’t want to say they are similar to the Amish because they drive cars, but they are a Christian Anabaptist group.  They delivered eggs to Katie and I in downtown Billings from their farm.  We drove back to the store and I had to clean the tops of all the coolers in the store.  They are only cleaned twice a year and I had to be there just in time. 

Last night I went fly fishing which is a major hobby in Montana.  Of course with my luck, I caught a Rainbow Trout.  I had no idea how to fish using the proper technique, so the expert and I lost all hope for me to catch one.  I ended sitting down and casting, which is totally against the rules and snagged one while I was about to lay down.  I wasn’t supposed to catch any fish without a license, but we were in the backyard of the expert I was with.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

I had to go out for a run before work.  I am at the base of the Bear Tooth Mountains and in sight are the Crazies.  I guess everything is in sight here because you really could see forever; THE BIG SKIES.  Since it was Sunday, Katie let me go horseback riding up in the mountains before my shift.  I don’t know how a horseback ride could get anymore treacherous.  I had to walk my horse down the slopes because it was steep and slippery.  Most locals go out horseback riding whenever they are not working. 

Work was much more of a learning experience than ever.  I baked cinnamon rolls for the first time, made potato soup, and greeted hunters for opening day of the season.  I felt like I have adapted with the culture real fast.  It’s not hard to integrate with the locals because there are only 30 people in the town that you’re constantly around. 

Saturday, October 25, 2008

I I spent the night in Sheridan, Wyoming which is a city situated in prime location for motels.  It’s in Northern Wyoming along the Big Horn Mountains and is 20 miles from the Montana border.  I ended watching a couple Sheridan High School sport events.  Friday night, I watched the girl’s state volleyball championships because my host was one of the referees.  Then I watched one of the best football schools in Wyoming’s high school history; Sheridan High School.  The next morning, I watch the Cross Country State Championships. 

I headed to Montana for the first time after the race.  It should be called Mountaina.  Interstate-90 had the most rolling hills I have ever driven on.  The skies were endless, just like the state’s motto; The Big Sky.  I passed several Indian Reservations and then finally hit Billings, which is the largest city in Montana.  If I didn’t exit the interstate, I would’ve thought that Billings was a dump.  Off the interstate, Billings is nothing but industrial.  The only homes that I could see from the interstate were small trailers.  I drove into downtown, which wasn’t hard to find, but it was really small.  I had plenty of time to walk around, but I didn’t need much time to explore the entire downtown.  Unfortunately, I arrived on a Saturday afternoon because it was completely deserted. 

I drove another 1.5 hours to one of the smallest towns in Montana; Fishtail.  My final destination was Fishtail where I chose to work for a week.  I arrived around 5PM and was put to work immediately.  I didn’t get a chance to settle in, but then again working in a town of 30 doesn’t take much time to settle in.  The owners of the store are a married couple, Bill and Katie.  Before my Saturday night shift started, Bill showed me the cabin that I would stay for the week.  “This whole cabin is just for me?”  The cabin is huge and along two rivers.  I couldn’t complain about being in a small town like Fishtail.

My first duty was to cut meat for soup.  It took me about 3 hours to complete the job, but that’s all I had to do that night.  Oh and vacuum, sweep, make pizza, sandwiches, and learn how to work the register.