Busco's Joy.....6 Days In Montana

 

 

 

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A trip of a lifetime to some, may mean a trip to the countryside of France, a week or two on a Caribbean Island, finding spiritual peace in India or eating your way through all of the pasta, bread and wine in Italy.  But to me, it simply meant flying on a plane to the other side of the country I live in and seeing for myself, the wide open spaces, majestic mountains, perfect Ponderosa Pines and beautiful Big Sky of Montana.  Montana is a state I have only dreamed about but have always hoped to call home someday.

 

My love affair with Montana began years ago when I was given the opportunity to move to the countryside of the Shenandoah Valley.  I instantly fell in love with the mountains, valleys, the cattle that surrounded me and the strong connection to the land.  It was then that I started wanting to only be home, working the land, planting seeds and plants and dreaming of animals I would someday have on my farm.  It wasn't long before I realized that I wanted even more and less.  More space, more mountains, more animals, less people, less cars and less houses.  Homesteading became an obsession of mine and I just wanted to learn more and more.  I had only seen pictures of Montana and heard wonderful stories of how beautiful and open it was.  The seasons, I had heard, were very different from our seasons in Virginia.  The idea of living somewhere without humidity and instead, really cold, snow filled winters sounded like a dream come true.  Now if only I could find a way to get there for a visit.

 

 

 

As fate would have it, my dear friend Anne, went to Montana last September for an all women's yoga and horseback riding retreat, called Women in the Wild, at the Blacktail Ranch. 

 

Entrance to the Ranch.  The object on the mailbox, is an eagle made of used horseshoes.
All over the Ranch are pieces of art, the owner, Tag  Rittel, has made of the re-purposed shoes.

 

Upon her return last year, she told me that I must find a way to go with her the next year, as it was something she knew I would LOVE!!!!  After a very short conversation with Robby about the trip, I found myself on-line, booking my reservation for 11 months down the road.   Robby was 100% supportive of my going on the trip, for he knew how much I wanted to go out to Montana and see the amazing beauty for myself.  Little did I know at that time how awful the next eleven months would be for me and how desperately my spirit and soul would need the trip to Montana in September of 2012.

 

 

Tomorrow, I will post about the first 2 days of my journey.  This trip was just too amazing for me to be able to post all at once.  Therefore, I am spreading this out over a few days so that I may revisit my trip in my mind and share every amazing moment with you.  I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoy sharing it with you.  I leave you with one more picture of the Big Sky Country I so very much fell in love with.