In Plains, Montana: pig food at the market, an old RV and Amish people

I passed through Plains, Montana the other day. 

There isn't much to Plains which is along Montana route 200. Its population was 1,048 in 2010. It was originally founded as Horse Plains and sometimes called Wild Horse Plains, as the local Indians would winter their horses there to feed on the grasses.

So that's the history. I drove around a bit to see what I could find of interest. Here are three things:

You seldom see "Pig Food" advertised at your local supermarket, but in Plains it is. I did not stop because I do not have a pig to feed. I have never owned a pig. I have never seen people and pig food sold in the same market. So this was definitely worth a picture.

This old GMC motorhome I spotted on a side street has seen its day. I don't know anything about it except it's old and is not going anywhere, at least on its own. If you know anything about this RV, please leave a comment. My guess is that it was from the late '60s before the sleek GMC motorhomes were introduced, many of which are still on the road.

 

I didn't know there were Amish in this area. But I guess there are based on this sign on a county road leading out of Plains.

Sit where the Beatles and Elvis sat in Missoula

There's a bit of show biz history in Missoula, Montana that few people know about.

It's in the lobby of the Missoula Children's Theater. Without knowing it, everyday people sit on this piece of history. They don't even know they are occupying the exact same place as the Beatles, Elvis, the Rolling Stones and hundreds of other entertainers, and not just musicians.

What they are sitting on is a long, blue, padded bench. For years it sat in the New York office (some say just outside the office) of Ed Sullivan, whose CBS-TV show was among the most popular on television between 1948 and 1971. Show guests would sit on the bench.

For many Americans, the show was where they first saw the Beatles, Elvis (with his shaking pelvis) and other up-and-coming entertainers.

The bench came to Missoula with Ed Sullivan's son-in-law Bob Precht, who donated it to the children's theater.

Periodically, people show up to sit on the bench and have their photo taken, but not very often. If you want to sit on it yourself, it's at 200 N Adams St, which is right downtown and easy to find. And while you are there, try to see one of the theater's productions: they're wonderful!

'I love you!' Well, sort of. . .

In Europe and increasingly in the United States, you see love locks or "love padlocks" attached to bridges. 

The Brooklyn Bridge in New York has thousands of them. You see them on the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Couples in love arrive at the bridges with a key and padlock. They then attach the padlock to the bridge, sometimes with their names engraved on it, and then toss the key into the water below to symbolize their unbreakable love. Ah, so sweet.

The idea has come to Missoula on the footbridge across Rattlesnake Creek that connects downtown with the University of Montana. Perhaps a couple hundred couples have pledged their everlasting love there.

But among the locks are a dozen or so combination locks. There's no keys with these, of course. So what then did the couples toss into the water to symbolize their everlasting love? The combination?

Hummm. . . that doesn't seem quite right. If my significant other showed up with a combination lock instead of one with a key, I might be a bit concerned about our future.

White crosses mark Montana highway fatalities

Two people died here.

On every highway in Montana except the interstates, you will see white crosses every so often alongside the road. Most often there will be a single cross, but sometimes two or three, even more.

They all mark the place where people died in a traffic accident. It breaks your heart to see a marker with four or five crosses attached. You know that some of them were families.

All of the markers are part of a program started in 1953 by an American Legion member who hoped small, simple white crosses would warn other motorists to slow down and sober up. The crosses are made by local machine shops from donated or recycled scrap iron. Metal posts are supplied by the state highway department. American Legion posts around the state erect new markers and maintain those already there. The crosses bear no names or dates unless added by family members or friends.

Many families place wreaths or other decorations on the white crosses. But most are plain.

Traveling on Montana highway 212 just north of tiny Charlo I passed six different sets of signs on one wide bend in the road — not more than a quarter mile from end to end. The old Jan and Dean song "Dead Man's Curve" came to mind.

It's sad to see all the crosses, mile after mile.

Small town crime: July 3, 2015

Interesting news reports from small town newspapers

Here are a few items from the police blotter in July 3 edition of the Western News of Libby, Montana:

•A man called to report that he just hit something in the parking lot. He thought it was a dumpster, but was unsure.

•A woman called to report that her ex keeps texting and calling her.

•A man called to report that he ran out of gas on Highway 2 and was hoping an officer could give him a ride to a gas station.

•An individual reported he had two domestic geese in his yard. His neighbor had one and they are unsure of what to do with three domestic geese or who they belong to.

•A man called to report that a raven in his yard is being picked on by others.

Beagle locks owners out of their RV!

The campground here at Montana's Thompson Falls State Park is abuzz over an amazing feat performed by a beagle named Bailey. What Bailey did is almost certainly something that no other beagle has ever done in history.

Bailey locked his owners out of their Minnie Winnie motorhome. Yes, you read that right — he locked them out!

The owners, a couple from San Diego, were preparing to drive to town to watch the finals of the women's World Cup Soccer competition. Before they left, the man of the house walked to the nearby comfort station for a little bladder relief while his wife waited outside the RV. Their keys were inside, which is where Bailey was, too.

Well, the dog did something unexpected and out of character while his owners were outside the RV: Somehow he pressed down a door lock on the Class C motorhome, which then automatically locked all the others. It's highly doubtful that Bailey did this intentionally. No beagle would do that.

The result was that the man and woman could not get into their RV!

AS THEY STOOD BY HELPLESSLY, wondering what to do, Bailey stared out a window with a puzzled look on his face, most likely thinking something like "Okay, open the door so I can go for a ride." 

Well, there was nothing to be done except call AAA. Forty-five minutes later, help arrived. Soon, the door was opened. Bailey, of course, was clueless about his misdeed. His owners, realizing that Bailey did not intentionally lock them out, simply patted him and said "good dog." And that was that.

Unfortunately, by then it was too late to drive to town to see the soccer game, which the American women won in a stunning, historic victory.

Eating bugs. Wedded bliss. Hair curling from the past

Here are a few things I found interesting in the last couple of days.

EAT SOME BUGS
First, if you would like to dine on some grasshoppers and other insects, then you may wish to scoot over to Republic, Wash., for its July 4th Grasshopper Festival. Chef David George Gorden from Seattle will cook up some of the creatures for your dining pleasure. Gorden is the author of the book "The Eat A Bug Cookbook," so I'd assume he knows what he's doing. He will also demonstrate how to prepare bugs once you get back home. Festival promoters promise, "This will be something you will never forget the rest of your lives."

WEDDED BLISS
Henry and Donna Odean of Spokane have celebrated their 65th anniversary as reported in the Omak/Okonogan Chronicle. They celebrated with their family which included eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. How wonderful to be together with someone you love for such a long time.

I was married once. I think we were together for about 12 years. If I get married again I would be in my 130s before I'd celebrate my 65th anniversary. I'm pretty sure that will not happen even though my current plan is to not die.

MAJOR HAIR JOB
This woman is not being electrocuted for a terrible crime! Nope, she is just getting a perm on an old-fashioned electric curling machine. I found this photo in the Stevens County Historical Museum in Colville, Wash. Nobody gets a perm like this anymore. But if you had gone into a beauty shop maybe 60 years ago, this would have been how you would get your hair curled. Of course, if one of the hot metal curlers touched your scalp, "Ouch!"

By the way, the Colville Museum told me that taking pictures is not allowed, which is a totally stupid thing considering Colville is not exactly on everybody's travel path and anyone who wants to take a pic and maybe post it Facebook or even show their friends might drum up a little traffic. The volunteer ladies at the desk told me that the museum bigwigs were afraid crooks would come and steal all the valuable stuff. Maybe they think their museum is the Smithsonian, which the last time I visited let me take all the photos I wanted. Oh well, this is a small town and sometimes people in charge of things in these places are not the most marketing-savvy.

I took this photo anyway, and the cops didn't show up to toss me in the slammer. The museum is okay, but not that great, considering it costs $5 to get in.