Distinctly Montana Magazine

Contributors OUR Valerie Harms has edited this magazine since 2005 and says it is like throwing a party every season. A writer as well as editor, she is the author of nine biooks and numerous articles. A graduate of Smith College, for seven years she was an editor at the National Audubon Society in New York City. She has taught writing and given workshops around the country, plus in Greece and Canada. In 1995 she moved to Montana to see wild animals in their habitats and explore the mountains and rivers. For more info see her Web site at www.valerie- harms.com. Email queries to valerie@distinctlymontana.com. THE PERFECT BIG SKY FISHING CAMP PAGE 14 JEFF ERICKSON has had hundreds of stories and photos published in periodicals covering fly fishing, travel, his- tory, and conservation. Jeff also spent two decades as a natural resource, land use, and outdoor recreation planner in Montana and Minnesota. He currently works at his Helena consulting business, Headwaters Policy/Planning Partnership. Jeff can be reached at Headwaters@q.com. THE YAAK: MONTANA'S WETTEST, WILDEST PLACE PAGE 19 RICK BASS lives with his family in the Yaak Valley, where he is a board member of the Yaak Valley Forest Council (www.yaakvalley. org). He's the author of 30 books and one album with the band Stel- larondo. The Road to the Ryman is forthcoming in September. SUMMER POEMS PAGE 26 B.J. BUCKLEY is a Montana poet and writer who has worked in Arts-in-Schools/Communities programs for over 30 years. Now living in Power, Montana, her poems have appeared widely in magazines. Her new letterpress chap- book, Spaces Both Infinite and Eternal, is available from Rick and Rosemary Ardinger's Limberlost Press, Boise, Idaho. A BRUSH WITH MAGIC PAGE 28 DOROTHY PATENT, who lives in Missoula, is the author of more than 130 nonfiction books for children as well as coauthor of three books for adults. She's written for many publications including the Missoulian, The Writer, Camas, Relish, and Organic Gardening. MASTERING THE MASHTINI PAGE 33 JANIS BARRETT has worked both as a professional and hobbyist with foods most of her adult life. Raised on a Montana ranch, she learned home cooking and the value of fresh ingredients at her mother's side. Janis studied cook- ing in San Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., Santa Fe, Tuscany, and Paris, including classes at Le Cordon Bleu, and has taught Chinese, French, and Italian cooking. Janis lives in Bozeman with her husband, two horses, and a wood-fired oven. 12 Robert Rath collects hyphens. Currently, he's an illustrator-designer-author-art director-dog walker living in Bozeman, Montana. He's illustrated many children's books, including the award-winning First Dog: Unleashed in the Montana Capitol, and Yel- lowstone's Hot Legends and Cool Myths. His clients include Lucasfilm, The History Channel, Scholastic Books, Farcountry Press and many others. He isn't allergic to anything, can't remember birthdays, likes to cook, can wiggle his ears and hates writing bios. MONTANA THEATRE ROUNDUP PAGE 35 VIRGINIA SCHMIDT, a native of Cody, Wyoming, gradu- ated with highest honors from Montana State University in May. During her time at MSU, she wrote for the university's student newspaper, the Exponent. In the future, she hopes to continue writing for a wide array of publications, travel as much as possible, and eventually attend graduate school. LITTLE HOUSE UNDER THE BIG SKY PAGE 50 ANIKA HANISCH is a freelance writer, ghostwriter, and memoir writing instructor. When she's not busy research- ing and wordsmithing in her own small home, she's outside exploring the big sky and high country of the Gallatin Valley. You can see more of her work at www.anikahanisch.com. STICKS AND STONES PAGE 54 REBECCA BALLOTTA is a freelance writer, speaker, and teacher who gets absolutely giddy about details! Her articles have appeared in Homeschooling Today magazine and niche publications of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. She is the cur- rent editor of the Gallatin Valley Home Educators Lifeline. R U RANCH HAPPY? PAGE 65 TOBY AND JODY DAHL operate Runamuk Guest Ranch, a ranch running yearling cattle and race-bred horses and hosting guests throughout the summer months. They have three children (Brigem, Colt, and Chyna). Top50 Ranches showcases the most breathtaking, authentic, and luxurious ranches worldwide as a leading resource for travelers seeking ranch and riding vacations. MONTANA REAL ESTATE REBOUND PAGE 70 ROBYN ERLENBUSH, of Bozeman, is a third generation Mon- tanan who was raised on a cattle ranch near Baker. She has a strong passion for the history, scenery and the people of Montana. Erlenbush is the broker/owner of ERA Landmark Real Estate (with offices in Bozeman, Livingston and Big Sky), NAI Landmark Commercial and Intermountain Property Management. She can be reached at robyn@eralandmark.com. DISTINCTLY MONTANA • SUMMER 2012

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