The Native Iowan

Sitting by the fire in the Filardi house. A short, few hours from departure. I head back south. From this magically frosted landscape of power and might, to the subtle and sultry southlands.

I am really impressed with Montana. It is truly a magnificent place on our jewel of a planet. It is wild. it is big. It is fun, and insanely dangerous.

Much like my love-affair with the tropics, the requirement here is wild-ness.

When I first arrived in Solomon Islands I was stunned that people still lived a subsistence/ natural life style. I was an instant convert. The fact that societies that were minimally dependant on the out-side world existed proved my green-ness.

Montana is wild, wild. People don’t specifically live off the land here. It is too harsh for the lighter skinned races to tame. But people here do use and interact with the land. A mule deer hangs in the garage where I have been staying. My host and friend, Chris, expects to “bag” a number of these large beasts before the season ends.

My “middle-youth” allows me certain latitudes. Of course I have the Solomons as a pretty much unlimited play ground. I have my bikes in Aus. And I will aim to have a high-lonesome place here in Montana.

My endeavors to secure a place here have not yet bore fruit. Yet much that is positive has transpired. And I am ready for my next season here in these sacred heights.

Our friends, no… Our family here is way, way cool. Wren and Leo keep the kids sounds happening. At 9 and 7 these two are essential in fulfilling my “kid-addiction”. Cath is a modern Super-Mom. Chris… well, he is a great father and he is a great man but he is not what one would consider a “normal” father. His kids are so, so lucky.

I will see my kids soon. I will get back into Honiara on a Thursday and will book all my Honiara kids for the first weekend there. I do look forward to it.

I leave with a profound feeling of being fortunate. It has been a fortunate trip. A comfortable trip… I leave here feeling better and healthier than when I arrived. This land is good for me. It makes me strong. I will be back.

As a contrast to where I am and how I feel today I reference the post I wrote when I left here in May…

 https://nativeiowan.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/trout-fishing-in-america/

It has been 5 months, when I left last time I was about dead… I feel so, so, so good right now. Should be a law against it, feeling this dern guuuud.

MONTANA MAGIC!!!!