sshhhh...

The following conversation is from our second week in Helena, at a community gathering/party in the Women's Park called "Live at Five." It is on a Wednesday night starting, obviously, at five when most people get off of work. Most businesses stay open late on Wednesdays. The local brewery is packed, the Pita Pit stays open until 3 a.m. No one seems to care that it takes place in the middle of the week. They actually seem to prefer it since all of the shops/restaurants downtown are closed on the weekends. Montanans love their mountains, their farmer's markets, their long Sunday drives, their families! Just living here makes them work harder most of days of the week, and the weekends are for actually taking the time to appreciate this "ah.....beautiful" place!


"You're from Arkansas? How do you like Montana so far?"
"It's.....ah......beautiful!"
Winking the lady responds to our awe-struck lack of a real description, "SShhhh, don't tell anyone."