Opinion / Columnists

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Fishing for winter whitefish, then and now

It’s been a few years since I deliberately fished for winter whitefish. The last time, I joined some friends at a café in Darby for a late breakfast. The object was to fuel ourselves up with enough calories to withstand a chilly afternoon on the...

 

An afternoon remembrance and lesson from a master

Cal Bird stopped by my shop in northern California on a hot midsummer afternoon about 40 years ago. He was on his way to fish Hat Creek and wanted me to come along. If Cal wanted me to go fishing with him, I rarely refused. Cal was old enough to be...

 

Scratching the fly tying itch

Alvin looked like he could have stepped out of an old-country Weiner schnitzel or biergarten commercial: rotund body, big features, big frame, distinctly Germanic features set in a jolly countenance,...

 

January library news

As this new year begins so does a new Reading Challenge. The 2024 Missoula Reads reading logs are in, folks! Swing by your local library to pick up your copy. If you can’t wait, check out the new...

 

Yoga, mountain style

For the last five years of my surgical career in Billings I endured two or three sessions a week of “hot yoga.” Seriously hot, 104 degrees with added humidity. I had been experiencing the common occupational hazards of surgery--neck, back, and...

 

In the bleak midwinter

I'll take the stillness. I'll take the fact I don't have to shovel snow. I'll take streets that are mostly dry and fairly safe to drive on in the afternoons and the luxury of not having much of...

 
 By Tom Beers    Opinion    January 11, 2024

Gallop toward the sun: Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison's struggle for the destiny of a nation

WOW!! Peter Stark has brought to life a time and place in our young nation’s history that would forever shape the future of the United States. But I think, more so, it would shape the destiny of all Indigenous tribes. It is the story of the lengths...

 

Finding your definition of health

What is health? Ms Webster defines Health as: “a condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit … freedom from physical disease or pain.” A more colloquial standard may mean something different. Does it mean freedom from all disease? Not hav...

 

People from our past - Jasper Seely & his times

There have been many interesting and influential Seeley Lakers since our community began. Jasper Seely, from whom our town got its name, is among the more fascinating, and a look at his life is also a look at America during a period of robust growth...

 

A Christmas gift of life

Mack was flown to us at the university hospital nearly dead. He had contracted a vicious virus that had attacked his heart, and despite every available medication, a ventilator, and a cardiac assist pump, his heart failure was so severe that his...

 

Psychological Perspectives: Creativity

Creativity and human nature are almost synonymous. That’s because people are creative in almost every moment. We tend to think of creativity in terms of great painters, musicians, or outstanding...

 

High drama at the Frostbite Festival

A holiday bazaar, whether church or community, is deeply nostalgic for me. Memories of the green-tiled basement of the Methodist Church in Missoula in the 1960s evoke taste memories of butterscotch...

 

Missoula Aging Services warns against medicare scams

MISSOULA, MT - Missoula Aging Services (MAS) received information about an active scam targeting older adults in Missoula. In the report, several individuals received multiple calls last week from someone claiming to be from Medicare with what...

 

Winter midges, the serendipity, the $3 dip and Ross Merigold

For a long time I didn't bother with fishing the winter midges that typically occur in December. They were too small – and I didn't know much about them. That changed on those winter days when it...

 

December Seeley Lake Library news

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 brand...

 

Teddy Roosevelt was right - about a lot of things

I have a sign on the bulletin space above my desk that says, ‘Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” For me especially, and those who know me well would agree, that’s a good admonition. The quote is from Teddy Roosevelt. It’s...

 

Excited to Provide Prenatal and Primary Medical Care in Seeley Lake

My name is Dr. Jackie Ordemann and I am thrilled to share that I have joined Partnership Health Center’s Seeley Swan Medical Center team as a family medicine physician. I will provide primary medical care to patients of all ages, and I am...

 

Smashed liver for Sunday dinner

After I finished high school, I underwent 16 years of additional training—college, medical school, surgical residency, surgical fellowship—before I started a real job. I was 34 years old and deep red broke. Finally, I thought, I am done with the...

 

The world record snow goose and other stories

In a way I felt sorry for the guy and in another, thought he got what he deserved. The incident happened in a small café in Macdoel, California, a small town in northern California below the Oregon...

 

Preparing Patients for Changes in Dental Care

New medical research continually changes and adjusts the way physicians practice medicine and treat patients. Dentistry is no different. Evidence-based recommendations in dentistry are based on high-quality studies that undergo rigorous review. As...

 

A fly fisher's thanksgiving

Once again we'll be going to my friend Jim's place for Thanksgiving. Among other things, our camaraderie is rooted in flyfishing. And as is so often true of flyfishers, our commonality extends to...

 

Psychological Perspectives: Changing climate

The title of this column can be understood from several different points of view. For example, most often environmental changes that engulf the planet come to mind. There also is the environment that...

 

(Some of) the joys of fly tying

When I was a kid I was fascinated by trout flies. It seemed almost inborn. It started when I was about eight when my godfather showed me a box of flies that he tied. There was a sporting goods store...

 

Open enrollment continues through Dec. 7

MISSOULA, MT - Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to optimize your Medicare coverage. Whether you’re considering a Medicare Advantage plan or adjusting your Prescription Drug Plan, MAS is here to help you make the most of Medicare. Open Enr...

 

Preparing for the fly tying season

The past few snowy days have driven me indoors. And I'm at home here. I'm not house-bound, yet, but will be by the end of February. Until then there is plenty to do: on several sides I'm faced with...

 

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