Unburdened by the pressures of society’s fast pace, Montanans cling to the charm of yesteryear, at times providing a touch of humor.  Pulling off the freeway in Lima, Montana (population 295), my husband, Scott, and I stretched our legs and searched for dinner.

            The screen door on the combination gas stop, restroom, gift shop and restaurant slammed shut, propelling us into a large, imitation-oak paneled room.

            Several tables with mismatched cloths sat on one side of the window-lit room beneath the head of a six-point buck, a wobbly ceiling fan and a decorative set of painted cow skulls.

            “Come on in, folks.  Take a load off,” a voice shouted from behind a counter.

            We obliged.

            A beer bottle holding wilting wildflowers decorated the center of our table, along with smudged salt and pepper shakers, mustard and ketchup squeeze bottles and a booklet entitled Even You can be a Country Person.

            “What’ll you have?” asked our waitress, who’d left burgers frying on the grill.

            Thirsty, Scott replied, “A large diet coke and a hamburger.”

            “Hamburger and a small diet coke.”  I remembered it was two hundred miles to the next rest stop.

            Our waitress returned with our order: two hamburgers, a large glass filled with ice for Scott, a small glass filled with ice for me and . . . two cans of diet coke.

Comments

This story illustrates one of the reasons we love Montana and its people.  The state also exhibits some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere, as witnessed by the accompanying picture taken in Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana.

  Home - Books - Stories - Looking Ahead - About Me - Contact Me