Do These Pants Make My Butte Look Big?

        This evening Cynthia and I drove down to the Old Wild West mining mecca known as Butte (that's with a long "u" as in beautiful). The Woodford Gallery was hosting a fundraiser for the Montana Artist's Refuge called "Strawberry Moon Celebration 2008". For a $20 suggested donation you got your fill of strawberry desserts-- everything from chocolate covered strawberries to strawberry bread.
        Cynthia played a couple of songs and I read Hurricane Rain, an old crowd favorite, and two poems that I've written here in Montana. The audience was great: very attentive and responsive. On quite a few occasions I had to pause my reading of Hurricane Rain because the laughter was so loud.
        Later Cynthia and I went out to dinner with Jennifer, Karen and her husband Steve, who are all involved with the artist refuge. It was interesting to hear about their lives and artistic pursuits. Jennifer transforms old wool sweaters and other old articles of clothing into new wearable and non-wearable creations. Karen develops her own photos and weaves. Her and Steve have seven horses, two goats, and some dogs and cats.
        After dinner, I loaded up my take-out container with the dinner rolls that came in the basket, and Steve made a comment about "starving artists" before he declared he was treating us all to dinner. Very cool to be around such a positive, supportive group of people.

        Also, at the strawberry celebration a woman named Emma loaned me a book of William Stafford poetry called The Way It Is. I'm looking forward to reading it on the way up to Glacier National Park. I'm leaving Friday morning with the two Australians and an Iranian student named Ali who will be our driver. He'll also be filming and photographing the girls playing around in the snow for a multimedia project they are working on. Should be a great time.

        By the way, thanks to all who have been reading my blog. It's good to hear from everyone! :)