Rounding 3rd & Heading Toward Home

We are about two thirds of the way through our book at the Tuesday evening Montana History at the Marias Heritage Center here in Shelby. Today's Tuesday & I'll be heading toward the Heritage at 6 tonight for more Montana History reading. As many of you Puffman Blog readers already know, we're currently enjoying the Nancy Russell story these days at the Heritage. "Behind Every Man-The Story of Nancy Cooper Russell" by Joan Stauffer is our current read. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading & learning about the old western painter, Charlie Russell & his headstrong, business oriented, no fun allowed, stern but loving (I guess) wife in early day Great Falls. With Nancy's full steam ahead attitude, I'm surprised the guy didn't end up becoming governor of the state or perhaps even president of the country. Charlie comes across as a good happy fellow who really didn't like to climb mountains, but was reasonably content just painting & story telling, leaving the "hard stuff" to Nancy. I guess it worked, looked at the body of work he left, plus they made a ton of money & appeared to live in fine fashion. I'll see you this evening at the Heritage. Check out the book at the C.M. Russell Museum next time you're in the Electric City. Now that we are close to being done with Charlie & his fun, I need to pick out our next Montana History book. I've given it some thought & decided that the last couple of books have been too happy, too pleasant, too mild. I mean, what is this...the Waltons?! I've come up with a solution. I've come across a book on the old Montana State Prison (the old slammer) at Deer Lodge. It looks like a dose of reality that will hit you between the eyes, assault your senses, & blow your mind! Give this one an "F" for frightening! I figure it will make the residents in my Tuesday evening Montana History reading group thankful that they're at the beautiful Marias Heritage Center & not in one of those old rusty cells in the Montana Big House!