It was 8 pm on a Friday night, when a young man boarded a Greyhound bus from Oklahoma City to Billings-Montana. After a long ride that composed of chattering with strangers, listening to music from around the world, taking quick stops to energize the body with junk food and liquids, it was time to say Hello to the "Treasure State." Arriving on a Sunday afternoon of blue skies and warm weather, he was glad to step out of the bus and breathe the air of a new State--a State he is visiting for the first time.
Without delay, he claimed his luggage, made a phone call to arrange for his ride and then engaged in a short conversation with a young and hip couple from Orlando-Florida, about the benefits of raising American children in small towns. The couple had their young baby with them. He was the cutest thing ever. His smiling face was even more brilliant when he slept peacefully in his bluish cradle tucked in with soft baby cushions. In his restful sleep, little did he know his parents had decided to raise him in the small town of Missoula-Monatana.
It wasn't long when the glass doors aligned by metal sheets of the bus station slowly opened to reveal the face of the young traveller's ride (Aunty Sharon). Followed by a hug and the greetings "Welcome to Billings..." from Aunty Sharon, was an excited hop into the Dodge van. As the van made its way uphill through a corner, bringing a spectacular view of the rimrocks into clearer focus, the young man noted in his heart, "Three weeks here will be just fantastic... look at that view..." Making things even better, the house where the car pulled into, made his heart pound with fascination.
A gorgeous three levels red wooden house by the rimrocks with well-laid out gardens and a little river (constructed by the owners) flowing in the back yard into a ravine not only enhances the beauty of the surroundings, it also blends with it. The strategically placed living areas with gas fireplaces, rock walls, selected trees and grasses, pathways of concrete, step-ways of alligned rocks that flow out on both sides of the river, creates a breathtaking terrace for the lovers of natural outdoor living, and an inviting retreat that will inspire the minds of both connoisseurs and avid horticulturists.
He was ushered into the house, showed his room and welcomed by friendly faces and a curious dog. In no time he started enjoying the camaraderie of his host family. A good swim and delicous BBQ at the pool of a neighbour, plus the restful sleep he got to rest his tired bones was just a prelude to all the fascinating and enjoyable time he'd be having in the "Treasure State".
