“Happy Hippo” Prepares Us For Brewery Tour
©Bert Gildart: Last week Janie and I attended a writer’s convention in Polson, Montana, and though much of it (previously described) was spent attending seminars on writing, photography and current events that pertained to our local environment, part of the time was also spent touring area attractions.
Chicken Dance aboard the Happy Hippo
Polson has lots of attractions and several are shown here. Bob Ricketts, at Three Dog Down, provided us with various types of entertainment to include songs at one of our dinners and a boat ride on his “Happy Hippo.” Ricketts insisted that we all do the “Chicken Dance.” He said if we didn’t participate, we’d be “dowsed with a spray of water.”
Our hour-long tour on Flathead Lake was back dropped by the Rocky Mountains, and as you can tell, we all had fun. The dance primed us for the afternoon’s next attraction.
Shortly after the Chicken Dance we unloaded and visited a local micro brewery, which makes a number of excellent brands to include a Golden Grizzly Ale. I wanted to show this Montana enterprise that I appreciated their work, and to do so felt had had to “sample” several bottles of the excellent brands which they produce. I was thorough — so as not to insult.
L to R: Retired opera singer Bob Ricketts now owns Three Dog Down and the Happy Hippo, an amphibious craft he uses to show off the area’s spectacular landscape. Brewery employees were engaging and encouraged Janie and me to sample their products. I was partial to a “Golden Grizzly Ale” and worked hard to show a “thorough” appreciation.
Yet another benefit of attending the Outdoor Writer’s Convention was to pick up story assignments and I am delighted to report that next week Janie and I will be attending the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale. Over the years the rodeo has become an international attraction and photographers with assignments are allowed into the arena.
In about two weeks, expect to see lots of up close and personal images of cowboys and quality bucking horses. But you’ll certainly be seeing more from us before then. Please stay tuned.
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Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Often the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.
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Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
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Glacier Icons: What makes Glacier Park so special? In this book you can discover the story behind fifty of this park’s most amazing features. With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes and little known facts, Bert Gildart will be your backcountry guide. A former Glacier backcountry ranger turned writer/photographer, his hundreds of stories and images have appeared in literally dozens of periodicals including Time/Life, Smithsonian, and Field & Stream. Take a look at Glacier Icons
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