Small Talk

Anniston's Lisa Gardner recently spent eight days with her son, Zane Wheeler, his girlfriend, Meridy Farmer, and Lisa's "precious grand-dog" Maska. Zane and Meridy are wildlife biology majors-turned-ski instructors (bums) at Big Sky Resort in Montana. The ski season ended on April 13, so Lisa visited while the young couple had time off work before their move to Oregon to begin graduate school.

Upon Lisa's arrival in Belgrade, it was 77 degrees; the following morning, the group awoke to eight inches of snow outside their bungalow in Kelly Canyon (in Bozeman.) Since Maska is a Siberian Husky, he thrives in the snow and cold weather (and surely appreciates not having to tolerate the triple-digit temps of the South anymore.) Doggie nirvana.

Zane and Meridy took their hosting responsibilities seriously, pampering Lisa with shopping and dining in the quaint downtown area of Bozeman. The abundance of locally owned businesses provided a unique shopping experience and "very yummy" cuisine, from western cafes and soup shops to wonderful tapas restaurants and chocolate boutiques.

Luckily, a few roads through Yellowstone had opened the week prior to Lisa's arrival, so the trio trekked through West Yellowstone to Cooke City in the northeastern section of Yellowstone. Cooke City has a winter population of 100 and reminds one of the '90s TV series Northern Exposure.

After a hearty soup lunch (to warm them up before starting the trip back to Bozeman) at the Grizzly Pad Grill, they took advantage of the fact that it was the perfect season for sightseeing through Yellowstone. With an abundance of buffalo, elk, moose and deer, the area provided plenty of wildlife photo ops, but the tourists were not able to spot a single bear. Maybe next time…

Chico Hot Springs, which offers rustic lodging, gourmet dining, horseback riding, hiking and natural thermal baths (especially blissful after a day of traveling) was the group's last stop and a rewarding end to a fulfilling day.

Another evening, the group met Meridy's friend Amy to attend a play at the Black Box Theater at Montana State University to see Five Women Wearing The Same Dress by Alan Ball (quite comical, according to Lisa.)

Prior to her departure on Sunday, Lisa, Zane and Meridy were treated to a lovely Montana family dinner by Zane and Meridy's friends, Dr. Tim Visscher, his wife Tina, sons Gus and Noah, Tim's mother, Wendy and his uncle Edzert. Tim (formerly an ER physician) has had a private practice as a general practitioner in Dillon, Mont., and also served as a physician on Indian reservations in the Northwest.

Wendy and her brother, Edzert, are in their mid-80s. Wendy finally had to stop skiing last year, so she took up snowshoeing. Uncle Edzert lives in Germany during the brutal winter months, and visits Wendy in Montana during the spring and summer.

Finally, despite Lisa's attempts NOT to cry when Zane left her at the airport for her flight to Alabama, her tears prompted an empathetic ticket agent to bump Lisa from the back of the plane up to first class — a move that made parting a bit less sorrowful and definitely sweeter.