Got curious mules?
To Paradise and back
Like the best horses, mules, wranglers, guests and students, the best readings start with curiosity. Just a few days after “Hush of the Land” was published in March, I got a curious email from Paradise, MT, asking if we would consider doing a reading at the old school house. “We have a really active community here that would love to see you,” John Errecart, the President of the Wild Horse Plains Back Country Horsemen wrote. We immediately said yes because we knew it would be special, and last Wednesday 75 people and two mules came to our fireside chat on a beautiful summer evening at the The Paradise Center.
The 1 1/2 h drive from Missoula was full of stories of the land. An an old farmer friend here, a guest that fell in love with Montana on a trip and stayed there, and too many good restaurants long closed. We drove along the Flathead River, unusually high after the June winter storm and the golden hills of the old winter range in Perma where first the Salish Kootenai Tribes grazed their horses, then the U.S. Forest their mules and now maybe somebody else. Charcoaled earth and black trees reminded us of a wildfire burning hot and close to town last year. A lot of people were already waiting when we arrived and the mules loaded with light packs. Home made cookies, lemonade and coffee waited inside the old, lovingly restored school house that now serves as the community center. Thelma met a friend she had not seen for 20 years, Smoke a few wranglers, many guests and others he met for the first time. Many had taken Smoke’s mule and horse packing class not once, but twice.
Over the past year, Smoke and I spent a lot of time talking about how curiosity begins. The best horses and mules, for example, are curios. Every horse Smoke buys gets a curiosity test. He lays a cowboy hat or a vest in the middle of the corral, steps out of sight and observes how the horse reacts. Some horses run away, others snort, step closer, stomp on it a couple of times, maybe pick it up and carry it around. Those are the ones he buys. They show him curiosity and a willingness to learn.
Curious people are pretty easy to spot too. And most of the time you don’t have to ruin your nice hat. They write an email inviting you to their town, call to see if they can stop by the barn to talk and pet the mules, come to a reading, read a newsletter (thank you!) and sign up to go an adventure in the mountains with you without ever having been on a horse. Tomorrow, I am honored to ride into the Bob Marshall Wilderness with a unique group of curious people: four University of Montana students, my daughter Edda, and the wonderful Rich family of Seeley Lake. This will be my fourth time teaching Wilderness Policy and Packing, two special college classes combining my passion for wild places, packing, and policy. Supported by the Youth Program of the Montana Back Country Horsemen and Grizzly Rider International, I can take these students on a trip of a lifetime. The weather looks good, and like typical late June in Montana, maybe some snow toward the end of the week. We will leave our watches and phones at the trailhead. You never know what the “Hush of the Land” will teach you.
Auf bald,
Eva
NEWS and upcoming EVENTS
“Hush of the Land” is sold out again in Missoula! Thank you for all your support. Supply should be back in stock by the end of the week.
Get in touch to pick up a “Hush of the Land” sticker at Smoke’s barn and help us spread the word about “Hush of the Land” by writing a review (Amazon) here or (Goodreads) here.
EVENTS
Lincoln, MT, July 27, Sculpture in the Wild
Kalispell, MT, September 3, Flathead Valley Community College, 6-7:30pm (60th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act!)
2 x Bozeman, MT (!) - September & October, dates to follow soon
Seeley Lake, MT, December 6, Community Foundation Bldg, 2pm, hosted by Alpine Artisans
Virtual HUSH OF THE LAND Storytelling & Reading with book signing!
We are currently working on offering a virtual HUSH OF THE LAND Storytelling & Reading with book signing event. Please get in touch (info@evamaggi.com) if you would be interested in having us talk to your community or join your book club via zoom!
You can also find HUSH OF THE LAND on Facebook and Instagram.