Bittersweet feelings in the Bitterroot

We've had two days of fall fun in Montana before a trip back to St. Louis to wrangle the house there. But that fun may come at a cost...

A rainbow and low clouds yesterday, at Victor, MT.

...I'm beginning to wonder if we're suffering, in our own different ways, from some psychosomatic illness, such as Stendhal syndrome, wherein dizziness, rapid heartbeat, even fainting may occur when a person is exposed to "particularly beautiful or a large amount of art in a single place," say the Internets. This syndrome has been most frequently attributed to art in Florence, Italy. "The term can also be used to describe a similar reaction to a surfeit of choice in other circumstances, e.g. when confronted with immense beauty in the natural world."

Could Montana be too beautiful?

Yesterday in Victor, we volunteered on a crew that helped build the small centerpiece -- native plants inside a circle of pathways -- to a huge new community garden for that small town. It was a cold, blustery day, alternately very sunny and very overcast, a storm moving in one moment, sun and an exquisite rainbow (see above) the next. I grew incredibly tired after the first few hours of work, my heart fluttering at times. Alex had some dizziness this morning. We just may be a bit old for all of this house remodeling, volunteering and changing of addresses. Or... we may be getting overwhelmed by the beauty all around us all of the time! The latter should be easiest to treat.

Victor's new start to a community garden, with plants provided by Hamilton's own Great Bear Restoration
310 North 4th Street
Hamilton, Montana 59840
406.363.5410 x 118
http://www.great-bear.biz/

We drive home on back roads to get a real taste of the season and the countryside.

We see a white-peaked barn that mimics white peaks above the turning trees.

We zip past harvested hay in bales, lining the valley floor.

We climb a bit to see the sweet pale yellow of deciduous leaves against evergreens.

Boo! Back in the valley, we stop in at the family-owned Moeller's Nursery. And we peak at a few of many scary pumpkins.

Blue! We see the Hubbard squash at Moeller's, too -- as pale and gnarly as ever.

Orange you glad there's so much yummy orange squash (Kabocha?) this year? We are. Yum.

And we view more pumpkins, acorn squash and other unique varieties that will keep the valley well-supplied all winter long...

From Moeller's Nursery, 946 Eastside Highway in Corvallis I want to visit other garden centers. But we run out of time. Next spring I know I'll go back to Moeller's but also go to Bitterroot Nursery 521 Eastside Highway, Hamilton. And to Cooks' Gardens, 177 Golf Course Road, Hamilton. And to what's already a favorite, Sam's Spade Garden Tools, 111 South 4th Street near downtown Hamilton.

There's so much gardening going on in this part of the country. We head home to plan.

The sun comes out on our little leaf-strewn street in Hamilton.

 "There is a lot going on in Missoula," advises our architect, Angie Lipski. Indeed, there's an Ansel Adams exhibit that we'll catch in December, and loads of interesting bookstores, shops and cafés. "Folks who move from urban areas," she says, "are always pleasantly surprised at the offerings in cultural activities, food, etc." In honor of the St. Louis Cardinals' World Series efforts, we want to try Red Bird Restaurant & Wine Bar on our way to the airport the next day. But our Open Table-Internet search turns up "No availability within 2.5 hours of requested time in next 8 weeks." Wow. We must plan far, far ahead next time (http://www.redbirdrestaurant.com/).  

We do take Angie's suggestion of Caffe Dolce, on Brooks at Beckwith near downtown…"great terrace, weather permitting" (http://www.caffedolcemissoula.com/) and have a superb meal of short-ribs on pappardelle plus a kick-ass fresh salmon-and-spinach omelette and the best lattes we've had in awhile.

Missoula's Caffe Dolce, inside...

Caffe Dolce, out.

In the coming months, we'll sample others of Angie's suggestions, including Scotty’s Table (http://scottystable.net/);  Pearl Café (http://pearlcafe.us/);  Sapore (http://www.missoulasapore.com/) ; and The Silk Road, "wonderful tapas restaurant, on the south end of the Higgins Street Bridge" (http://www.silkroadcatering.com/); and, The Oxford Saloon (http://www.the-oxford.com/) for the "best chicken fried steak," says Liz Milner;  as well as Zimorino's Red Pies Over Montana (http://www.zimorinos.com/Zimorinos/Home.html),  for "the best pie under the big sky," says Pat Corrigan.

And we'll try very hard not to let the beauty of it all get to us.