I enjoy summers in Montana immensely.  Thanks to vastly improved technology - think internet, FedEx, better insulated homes and vehicles, food from everywhere all the time -and global warming, winters are great too.  Further, in the Gallatin Valley civility, community, and culture remain intact and indeed flourish.  Bozeman must be the mother lode of non-profits: environmental, social welfare, and cultural.  (Today Ramona and I are hosting a fund raising performance by the Muir String Quartet for the 25th anniversary of the Montana Chamber Music Society.)

In late spring, summer and early autumn, it is highly satisfying to share the trout-rich waters of our ranch with deserving people. This is enhanced by opportunities to continually improve the fishery.  It's really fun to operate earth-moving machines, especially when it's toward unambiguously good ends. 

fishing platform pic for 7-10-13 FI.jpg

We occasionally change the contours of the stream and texture of the bottoms to improve habitat for fish and wildlife.  We also improve fishing access for people with handicaps.  Last week we installed ton-and-a-half stones, some 3,000+ pounds of flat rocks, as fishing platforms for handicapped individuals. Operating machines with this lifting capacity and placing stones within an inch or two is a real treat.

Biking to Bozeman, burning diesel, shooting steel targets, watching fish and waterfowl, hosting events for good causes, and reading during evenings are all highly enjoyable.  (Summer reading recommend: Charles Murray's In Pursuit: Of Happiness and Good Government.  Second edition of 1988 book just released by the Liberty Fund of Indianapolis.) Some year I'll relax and learn to fly-fish in a proper manner--but not yet. 

I also enjoy teaching and orchestrating the presentation of political economy to people deeply concerned with ethics and ecology.  I have the great good fortune to soon have two such opportunities.  Both are with seminary professors, other religious leaders, and federal judges.  The first, "A Stewardship Challenge: Harmonizing Ecology, Prosperity, and Liberty", is July 15-19^th.  This includes a field trip through Yellowstone with a former superintendent and a chief scientist of the Park. 

We designed FREE's August 19-23^rd conference for a similar audience: seminary professors, other religious leaders, and federal judges.   It is entitled "Boom and Bust in America: Parables from Butte".  Once called "the richest hill on earth", Butte is now known as America's largest Super Fund site and the home of deceased motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel.

I'm delighted that this conference will include a day trip to Butte.  Butte peaked in 1917 and has a sad history of corruption, violence, and pollution.  Still it retains loyalty and local pride.  Not by accident its residents refer to the town as "Butte, America", a conscious disassociation from the rest of Montana. 

It's a pleasure to visit Butte. There is much to learn from its demise and failed efforts to recover, nearly all based on political favors.  And still, with mining and union power gone, it just might have a good amenity based future.  Other former mining towns suggest a path.  Also, Butte retains an odd charm in a beautiful setting.  Here lies its promise.