Owu, ndoda, ndinomona njengesihogo, utshilo lomfo, enikina intloko, xa ndimxelela ukuba andizukuchitha umhla wesine kaJulayi kwimpelaveki eFlathead Lake, emantla ntshona eMontana. SasiseHamilton, emazantsi eBitterroot Valley - hayi ilizwe elibi. Ibrowser enesithsaba sekhephu kwiiNtaba zeSapphire (apho ungazifaka khona isafire kulwakhiwo lwendawo kunye neeapos zemigodi emininzi) wajonga kuthi ngefestile yevenkile yekofu apho wayetsala i-mocha yam ebandayo. Le ndoda ngokwayo yayijongise kuMlambo iMadison, kufutshane neWest Yellowstone, indawo ekuyiwa kuyo kuloba iintlanzi.

Kodwa nakwimeko yokusikelelwa ngokwendalo njengeMontana, enamachibi angaphezu kwama-3 000, iFlathead inomahluko. Ayisiyiyo kuphela kuba ibaleka ixesha elide kunomgama wemarathon - lelona chibi likhulu lamanzi acocekileyo kwindalo yasentshona yeMississippi- kunye neempompo ezinamanzi aguqulwa njengegugu kodwa ngenxa yokuba ihlala ivakala ngathi bambalwa abantu abazi ngayo. Ewe, ukuba eli chibi lincinci nje ngaphandle kokuqhutywa ngabahambi abasendleleni eya eGlacier National Park kunye naseWhitefish, idolophu ephezulu yokuskiya kanye ukuya emantla, ezo zilungile kunye nabantu balapha. Xa ndisebenzisa i-rhapsodize malunga ne-Flathead, bayanqwala kwaye bancume ngomonde, emva koko bathi, 'Hayi, sukubaxelela abantu ngayo.'

Ndifumene indlela yam eya eFlathead kwiminyaka embalwa eyadlulayo, kungekudala emva kokuba ndipapashe inoveli yam yokuqala kwindawo yokwamkela abantu eyayinomdla ngokungalindelekanga njengoko yayitsala. Kwiinyanga ezimbini, bendisebenza phambi kwamagumbi amaninzi, kwaye bendifuna ukuthula - kunye nokufakwa kwamandla - kukhenketho lwencwadi olude nangakumbi ekwindla, kunye nokulungiswa kwinoveli yam yesibini. IMontana, endandiyityelele ngokuthe chu ukusukela ngo-2007, ineyona ndawo ithe cwaka endakhe ndayifumana, kwaye ndakwazi ukucenga umbhali ukuba andikhaphe. (Ambalwa amanye amakhondo emisebenzi anikezela ukubakho okuzenzekelayo kunye nokusetyenziswa kobungcali ukuthula.) I-Averill kunye neapos ye-Flathead Lake Lodge, indawo eneewalks edume kakhulu kumantla mpuma echibi, ibetha isikhwama sombhali kakhulu, kunye ne-Islander Inn , amagumbi asibhozo amahle ayilelwe ubuhle bommandla wonxweme, ebesalungiselela ukuvula. Sazama ke i-Airbnb, apho safumana indlu esefama eFinley Point, echibini naseapos kwintshona mpuma, namanzi akhazimlayo kwelinye icala neeNtaba zeMission zibalasele kwelinye.

Sifikile safumana, kwifriji yendlu yeendwendwe, isitya esamkelekileyo samacherry, nganye ilingana nobhontsi kwaye ixinene njengenyama eswiti. I-Flathead idume ngee-cherries zayo zeLambert, ke ngenxa yokuba zityebile ngejusi ziyayonakalisa iminwe yakho. Umninimzi wethu, u-Barry no-Anita Hansen, bakhulisa iihektare zazo, kunye nevenkile enkulu yevenkile kunye neepos; Ixabiso lemifuno kunye noojongilanga abali-8 ubude, iyelenqe elijikelezwe ngumxube ofunekayo waseMontana wokufuya iihagu, iinkukhu kunye neegusha. (Bona & apos; bashiye amaqanda kwisitya sethu sokwamkela, nabo, izikhupha zabo njengeorenji njengeetangerines.) UAnita, umongikazi odla umhlala-phantsi, ulawula isitiya esigqabhukileyo esiphambi kwekhaya labo - izimvo zaso zibalasele ngakumbi kunale yethu - ngelixa uBarry ejonga ifama. Emva kwentshayelelo, sazikhuhla iiHansens & apos; iikati, uSimon noMia, bashenxisile ishushu semoto yethu saza saya echibini.

I-Flathead yindida. Icala layo elingasempuma litsala iintaka zekhephu zityebe ngokwaneleyo ukugcina ubushushu nokuba bungekho (ukukhusela ubugcisa obusezindongeni), kodwa iilwandle ezincinci zibonelela kancinci ngaphaya kobuqaqawuli beli chibi, ukungathethi kwivenkile yokutya kunye neevenkile. Kwimeko apho ngamanye amaxesha kubuhlungu iidola eziza kunye nezinto eziluncedo kunye neendwendwe ezininzi, oku kuyothusa kwiNew Yorker. 'Uyijonge ngeliso lomntu,' utshilo uBarry kum kwakanye. 'Ndiyayijonga ngokwembono yentlanzi.'

Emva kokuba mna nomhlobo wam sifake iitawuli zethu elunxwemeni lolwandle, sakhawuleza safunda ukuba, nasekupheleni kuka-Agasti - xa amachibi abanda kakhulu kwiNtaba yeNtshona aphulukana nobunzima bawo - Amanzi eFlathead kunye neapos; aqinise ngokwaneleyo ukuvusa umntu ofileyo. Nokuba bendide ndadada kude kangakanani, bendizibona iinyawo zam zikhaba ngaphantsi komgangatho oqaqambileyo. Kodwa ndandingaboni nenye into. Ngolo suku lufezekileyo- iidigri ezingama-75, impepho epholileyo, ukufuma okunguziro- mna nomhlobo wam saphantse saba ngabantu kuphela apho.

Xa ilanga laqala ukuphuma malunga nexesha lesidlo sangokuhlwa, saqhuba saya emantla saya eWoods Bay, idolophu esechibini nase-apos; isiphelo esisemantla esihlala iivenkile neendawo zokutyela ezimbalwa, kubandakanya neRaven, i-shambolic, engacacanga tropical, evulekileyo ikakhulu- indawo yokutyela yomoya eneembono ezimangalisayo zeli chibi kunye nokutya okwanelisa kakhulu kule ndawo - sinee-tacos zentlanzi, i-braised shank yehagu, i-roulade yethanga, kunye nohlobo lwee-cocktails osela kuphela xa wena . Sibambe iiCreezes zethu zeCaribbean, sasibakhathalela njengabakhenkethi abamnandi kakhulu, besicela kaninzi ukuba iifoto zethu sithathwe kulomhambi owonwabileyo kunye nenkohliso eyaziwayo yokuba olu luvo lweli chibi luya kwahluka ngokupheleleyo kuleya. Iiposisi ziphezulu nje zokunikela ubungqina ngobuhle obumangalisayo.

Ngexesha lokufika kwethu ekhaya, kwakupholile ngokwaneleyo kwiijezi- ehlotyeni, ezi ntaba zinemozulu efana nentlango. Kuthe xa kurhatyela, isibhakabhaka sajika saba mnyama-jet, saza saphathwa njengeenkwenkwezi ezazibonakala zikhulu njenge-dimes. (Hayi, babebonakala nje….) Akukho sandi sivela naphina, gcina ukubethwa ngamanye amaxesha kwenye yeeHansens & apos; iigusha. Ndandisazi ukuba ndiza kulala njengelitye elinelisekileyo, kodwa ndandinexhala losuku olulandelayo. Ndinepasile yokubhala kwakhona kwinoveli yesibini ukuba ndijongane nayo, kodwa mna & apos; akukho nto ilungileyo ekuchaseni uhlobo lomtsalane welanga esidibene nalo. Abahlobo bam bahlala behlekiswa kukuba lo nyana waseBelarus onekhephu unqwenela ilanga; Andonwabisi ukuba abaziqondi.

Kodwa apha, kwakhona, uFlathead wayebonakala enenjongo yokuba serendipity. Sivuswe ngamafu nemvula encinci. (Kwaye uSimon noMia bakrwela emnyango wescreen.) Ixesha elithathiweyo lokuchithwa kuphela kwento ebendiyifuna kwidesika yokubhala. Emva koko saya echibini. Oku kuya kuba ngumzekelo wethu kwiiveki ezimbini ezizayo: savuka, salwa noSimon noMia emathangeni ethu njengoko sasibhala- 'zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,' USimon ukwazile ukufaka kwenye yemihlathi yam xa ndaye ndemka (wayengekho) - emva koko saya echibini. Ngorhatya, ndandiza kuthunyelwa kwivenkile enkulu kwidolophu ekufuphi yasePolson okanye kwenye yeefama zosapho ezininzi ezimile echibini ukuze zithenge ukutya. (Umhlobo wam, u-Iranian, upheka kuphela kwasekuqaleni, kwaye uAnita kuye kwafuneka axolele amabala ambalwa e-turmeric kwikhawuntara yekhitshi lendlu.) Ngorhatya, sasifunda, sincokola, sihamba kwaye sijonge ezinkwenkwezini ngewayini yethu. izandla. Sasifumana i-Intanethi kwindawo eshushu esiyibolekwe nguAnita, kodwa sayisebenzisa kusasa kuphela. Andikhange ndiye kumaphephandaba kwaye ndingenayo neendaba zosasazo. Amaphepha endiwabhalileyo ngelixa ndiseFlathead ahlala, engqondweni yam, amanye awona anamandla kwinoveli yam yesibini, ephume kunyaka ophelileyo. Isihloko Sukuvuma ukuba usana lwam lwenze iRodeo, phantse isiqingatha saso senzeka eMontana.

Ngaphambi kokuba utyelelo luphelile, ndibhukishe iiveki ezimbini kwihlobo elilandelayo. Okubuhlungu kukuba, umsebenzi wawuphazanyiswa, endaweni yoko ndathumela abazali bam. Kubo - abantu abafumene isibindi sokuza eMelika bevela kwiSoviet Union - iMontana inokuba yayiyiMars, ngoko ke ndandihamba ngenqwelomoya ukuya kubanceda bazinze. E-Raven, ndaphantse ndababamba izandla. ezinye izandla bezikwiCaribbean Breezes) njengoko ndibaqinisekisile ukuba bonke baya kuphila. Emva koko badibana noBarry noAnita, kwaye ndalibala ngokukhawuleza. AbakwaHansen babakhupha ngesikhephe sabo, babadla isidlo sangokuhlwa, konke kodwa babafumana izindlu kunye nemisebenzi. Abazali bam babefana nabantwana malunga nokushiya.

Emva koko ehlotyeni, emva kokuvolontiya kwifama eseBitterroot Valley, ndakwazi ukubuya, ngeli xesha ndinentombi. Ubungangamsha obabujikeleze thina bamshiya kwinto enye endandikhe ndayenza kwiminyaka emibini edlulileyo. Ngokufanayo, andicingi ukuba i-Flathead iyakuthetha ukuba yenze ntoni ngaphandle kukaBarry noAnita. Kolu tyelelo, indlu yeendwendwe yaqeshwa, ke basibeka nje ekhayeni labo. Sitye isidlo sangokuhlwa kunye (i-elk ebrukiweyo kunye nesaladi yemifuno evela egadini efakwe igalikhi) kwaye sathetha phakathi kobusuku malunga nayo yonke into-amalungelo emipu, ukujonga, kunye nePhilippines, apho unyana wabo kunye nomlingane wakhe babekhonza kwi-Peace Corps. UAnita wandenza ndacinga nge-gluten-free, i-milk-free diet-ene-loop for logs of butter-fed-and got Barry, ozinikeleyo kwiijenali zobugcisa, ndicinga ngokuvula inoveli okokuqala kwiminyaka.

Ngobunye ubusuku, ukubhiyozela ukubuya konyana wabo uWarren & apos, bevela kwiiPhilippines, saphuma saya kwenza i-ice cream, emva koko saya kwi-bar e-Columbia Falls, kwimizuzu engama-45, ukuya kwezinye iibhiya phakathi kwetaxidermy. Kamva, xa uWarren wayefuna ukusala nabahlobo bakhe, ndagodusa uBarry noAnita. Ngaba ubusuku bukhanya ngaphezu kobusuku baseMontana? Kodwa sidlulise uhambo olude ngokudlala umdlalo wegama elihlekisayo, kwaye ukuhleka kwethu okuhlekisayo kwenza ubumnyama obungqongileyo baziva bemangalisa kwaye bezolile.

Ushiya indawo efana neFlathead ufunga ukwenza izinto ngokwahlukileyo ekhaya - ukuvuka ngokukhanya, ukubona abahlobo rhoqo, ukupheka ngakumbi- kodwa ezi zicwangciso ziyajija. Iindawo ezixakekileyo ezidolophini azikunyamezeli ukuphindaphinda. Mhlawumbi akukho bume bangekho ekhefini abenziyo: Andibanga nakukwazi ukubeka i-hypothesis kuvavanyo olwaneleyo. Ndiyazi ukuba, ngenye imini, ndingathanda ukuzisa abantwana bam eFlathead. Ndingathanda ukuba babe nolwazi lokuthula kunye nokuzola njengakwizakhiwo ezikwizitrato nakwindlela ehamba ngaphantsi komhlaba.