Distinctly Montana Magazine

P ublisher a note from the Delicious autumn! " My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." ~ George Eliot W e have been asked on more than one occasion why our quarterly issues are tied to the seasons, rather than roped to a more common-sense "month," or the more prosaic "Volume and Issue such-and-such." The answer is not as easy, the seasons, introducing all sorts of opportunities for great Montanaphile features and articles. For lovers of winter, we offer Jackson Hot Springs, a welcoming refuge from that next seasonal domino, and Montana Movies, both a reflection and invitation for those daysbest-to-stay-indoors. For spring and fall, Driving the Pintler Highway and viewing Montana's wildlife, especially that other road-racer, the Pronghorn, should then remind you that next summer will come, after all, when The Big Dry reaches into its glory and Bigfoot may prowl yet again. While I do love all the seasons I must confess that fall is certainly my personal favorite, and I look forward to its weather as I imagine all the possibilities of Montana, from snowshoeing to hiking, Bill Muhlenfeld, Publisher from biking to rafting, bill@distinctlymontana.com and all in-between. Fall for Montana? I already have. nor as straightforward as you might think. Montana has not the endless summer of Hawaii, nor the deep, black winter of Alaska. It seems to teeter always on the brink of (now worrisome) climate, yet still collapses its seasonal dominoes in an unpredictable tumble, always ready to surprise with a snowstorm in June or a perfect fishing day in November. Montana seasons are, in fact, a hurly-burly of nature's often fickle demand for attention, its wild roil of changing air, light, color, and temperature all conspiring to rein in and redirect both our activities and our attitudes. For Distinctly Montana the four seasons are a handy bellwether to guide us in shaping the pages of our magazine with topics that capture your attention in successive "lifestyle" frameworks of blowing snow, moist green, intense sun and, for fall, what is often a special mix of all furniture • (406) 587-0342 www.bozemantv.com rugs • Lamps • home decor Mon - Fri 9 - 6 sat 9 - 5:30 Corner of 7th & Durston Bozeman Furniture Made in America. Buy local, buy American, and save money with affordable, quality brands from Bozeman TV, Furniture & Appliance. w w w. d i s t i n c t ly mo nt a na .co m 9

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