Don’t you just love summer?
I know, I’ve been starting posts lately talking about the weather. But for the first time in a long time (it seems) we are dealing with a real, honest-to-goodness SUMMER, something that is occasionally tough to come by in Montana.
And what a summer it’s turning into! Where I live, in Great Falls, we are surrounded by dozens of smaller rural communities, many of which have their own town festival of sorts on a different weekend from June through August. So many in fact that it’s hard to get to them all. And when you do, running into people you know is inevitable. The feeling of “home” follows you here, wherever you go.
I loved this about growing up in Montana. While Great Falls was a planet of its own in my youth, those of us from small towns, amid our rivalries and our own real-life Dawson’s Creek dramas, we stuck together. We were at every graduation in a 50-mile radius for all four years we were in high school, and at least the three years after. We went to each other’s proms, and we carpooled to the night shows at the fair. And while many of us have scattered across the country and even the world, there are very few people I would be surprised to run into at any one of these events, even all these (mumbles an undiscernable number) years later.
A couple of weekends ago, I was able to make it to a street dance in Fort Benton as well as an end-of-rodeo celebration in Augusta. A band called The Alleged played on the street outside the Grand Union Hotel, and a break-dancing circle broke out when they started in to “Billie Jean.” I ran into an old karaoke buddy (from my adult years) who always brings his dog out with him to “pick up chicks.” Some friends and I had a few drinks and sang karaoke into the wee hours of the morning, and then it was back to another week at work. This is what I love about summer in Montana–there’s always a good time to be had, anywhere you go, and wherever you end up, you know everybody. 🙂
This summer, I have some serious work to do. I’m getting ready to put my house on the market, and packing up for a big move. But we’ll talk about that later. 🙂 In the meantime, I hope that whatever any of us may have going on, we can find the time to have some beers on a patio, barbecue some burgers, and sing a couple of songs at an open mic. Summer is fleeting, good times are bountiful, and this is why we work so hard for the rest of the year.
Hugs and High Fives,
-Dana Jo
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