D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 2
56
BIG DIE
UP 1
I DON'T KNOW, CLYDE - -
DO YOU EVER WORRY ABOUT UNRESTRICTED GRAZING? WHAT ABOUT millions of HOOVES DEGRADING THE
SOIL QUALITY? LOSS OF VEGETATION? GEE, CLYDE, YOU EVER THINK THAT ONE BAD WINTER COULD WIPE
OUT OUR WHOLE STOCK AND END THE ERA OF THE OPEN RANGE COWBOY FOREVER?
LOOK, MA! ALL THE
BIRDS ARE STARTING
THEIR MIGRATORY
FLIGHT SO MUCH
EARLIER THIS YEAR!
AND THE BEAVERS
BY THE CREEK ARE
COLLECTING MORE
WOOD THAN USUAL
IN THEIR LODGES!
WHOA, IT'S
AWFULLY COLD
AND SNOWY
FOR THIS TIME
OF YEAR!
BESSIE, I KNOW YOU'RE A LITTLE
WEAK AND UNDERNOURISHED
FROM THE HOT SUMMER, BUT I'M
SURE THIS IS ONLY A ONE-TIME
COLD SNAP, AND YOU'LL BE OKAY...
OH, BESSIE...!
WHO COULD HAVE
KNOWN IT WOULD
SNOW EVERY DAY THIS
MONTH, COVERING THE
MEAGER GRASS THAT'S
LEFT TO EAT?
AND BESSIE'S COAT IS
ALREADY GROWING SO
THICK AND FULL!
WHAT DOES IT
MEAN, MA?
...I'M SURE IT'S
NOTHING TO BE
CONCERNED ABOUT,
CHILDREN.
NOPE.
LATER,
AS
THE
LANDSCAPE
IS
COLORED
BY
AUTUMN'S
PALETTE...
MEANWHILE,
COWBOYS
OUT
ON
THE
PRAIRIE
CLAIM
TO
SEE
A
RARE
WHITE
SPOTTED
OWL
DOWN
FROM
CANADA
-
-
WELL
BEFORE
THEY
USUALLY
FLY
SOUTH...
THAT MUST BE
SOME SORT OF
TERRIBLE,
WEATHER-RELATED
OMEN !
IT
DOESN'T
TAKE
LONG
FOR
PORTENTS
TO
BECOME
REALITY
AS
A
TERRIBLE
EARLY
NOVEMBER
SNOWSTORM
HITS
THE
WEST...
BUT
SOON...
