Cookie season begins

After the candy craze of Halloween, the more genteel cookie season takes off.

Today was the Big Timber Womens Bazaar, an annual event that draws crowds of vendors and customers from all over south central Montana . . . and where you can find plenty of cookies.

This bazaar is sponsored by and raises money for the Big Timber Womans Club, a group of energetic women who support the community in many practical ways, such as awarding scholarships, building (with their own hands) a playground, and helping beautify the town.

Other organizations take advantage of the crowds and use it as their own fundraiser. St. Josephs Catholic church, for example, makes a popular lunch, offering homemade soup and rolls and croissant sandwiches. Theres also pie!

Throughout the bazaar, which fills two buildings, youll see dozens of cookies: Norwegian, Russian tea cakes, ready for the freezer, made by kids, whimsical. I thought the most beautiful were a trayful that were available on the silent auction table. A local kindergarten teacher donated 12 dozen, to be made and delivered throughout the year. When I was there, the highest bid was $55. Im sure the final bid will be much higher.

Of course there were many other food items.

Tumbleweed Teas

Jolies Lollies

Windy Wheat Bakery

This being Montana, you could also find unique gifts such as painted shovels and Christmas trees formed out of barbed wire. And of
course . . . toys!

No doubt Santa found this bazaar a very useful place to shop today.

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Cozy in the snow

Today its snowing -- looks like 6 inches out there and still falling in great puffy flakes. The temperature will dip later tonight although probably not much below 15 degrees F. (Believe me, thats warm compared to what we can get here -- our low last winter was 10 below zero.)

We had a spell of cold weather in mid-October that brought snow and freezing temperatures, but since then its been mild and even warm during the day.

I had plenty of time to plant garlic and get it mulched with leaves and straw for its winter hibernation.

The cows, carrying calves that will arrive in February, are enjoying leisurely grazing despite the difficulty of finding anything without a topping of snow.

Cold weather does not seem to bother the little creature that has made a nest on my car battery, because it has already laid in a supply of tasty seeds. Although what it does when I zoom off to town, Im not sure. My neighbor checked the wires and said none has been chewed, but he recommended I place moth balls or sprinkle bleach on the area so the little mite doesnt settle in permanently. I hate to disturb it today, so Ill wait for better weather, perhaps tomorrow.

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