I would love to hear comments especially from any nongenetic ladies at johnnail18@yahoo.com
Cindy was a writer for a western magazine telling the subscribers mostly in the cities about the people who lived in the western states. Her last article was about a town in Northwest Wyoming called Cody which is also just about 60 miles from the east gate of Yellowstone National Park. She got the true perspective from the residence of Cody.
She was called in by her editor Bruce Robertson and he said," That was great work you have done about Cody and absolutely stunning photos of the Cody area."
Cindy said," Thank you, Mr. Robertson."
Bruce said," I have another assignment for you and this one will take longer a year. Why I say that is because this story is so unique and I want you to get the full perspective from the man that this story is about."
Cindy said," One man this story can't be that interesting."
Bruce asked," What do you know about modern homesteaders?"
Cindy said," Very little."
Bruce said," This man is a homesteader at a place called the Bitterroot Mountain I believe north of Bozeman Montana. This man has had his place there for I believe 30 years."
Cindy asked," You think this will take a year?"
Bruce calmly said," First, you will have to gain his trust and go with him trapping and other things he does to live on the homestead. It has taken 3 years for him to even allow for an interview. I thought you were the best qualified to do this story. Oh, you will probably have to use a typewriter to write the story where he is at there is no internet access."
She said," Really, I didn't think there anybody who could live without internet."
She began to think this is 2003 and who would even conceive to live without the internet.
She went back to her apartment and she got the portable type writer she inherited from her dad and checked and the ribbons were in good shape.
She packed her bags went to LaGuardia airport and she went through the fairly new Transportation Security Agency that was implemented since 9/11.
Cindy was a good looking pre-op transgender lady standing at 5'9" and 135 lbs and breasts that were 30 C cup and she had blonde hair that went down to just above her waist and bright sparkling blue eyes. She boarded the Delta flight to Bozeman, Montana and sat down at her assigned seat. She saw on her ticket that she was making a connection to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
A man sat down beside her and said," Wow, my trip just got more pleasurable. Are you going to Minneapolis?"
She smiled at the man and she saw how handsome he was and said," Unfortunately, Minneapolis is just a connection, I am heading to Bozeman."
The man said," My brother lives out in that area. It is absolutely beautiful out there."
She said," You are right I was on assignment in Cody, Wyoming."
He said," Wonderful town and great people."
The plane took off and she watched as they got higher and higher.
When they reached cruising altitude the flight attendants wheeled the snack cart down the aisle and she got a Coke. They flew for about an hour and a half and they landed in Minneapolis and they started getting off the plane and she got a ride down the concourse and saw the gate. She saw she had a 2-hour layover so she decided to go to one of the restaurants in that area and she got a sandwich and some chips and tea.
She couldn't believe this assignment she was going to be there for a year.
She ate half of her sandwich and her chips and enjoyed her tea.
About an hour and forty-five minutes later she walked to the gate and saw people were getting ready to board the flight.
After she sat down a tall good looking man with a cowboy hat and cowboy boots sat down next to her.
He said," So are you flying to Bozeman?"
Cindy said," Yes, I am and so are you?"
He laughed quietly and said," Yes, I am I was on a business trip to meet with clients and now going home."
She said," So are you from Bozeman?"
He said," Lived there since I was 5."
She said," Wow, that is a long-time."
He chuckled and said," Yes it is all of the 25 years."
She said," So what were you doing on this trip."
He said," I just closed a $3 million dollar heavy equipment deal in New York."
She said," I flew from LaGuardia and I don't remember seeing you on that flight."
He said," Oh I flew from Kennedy."
She said," Oh ok now I understand."
He laughed and said," I got a good deal on the flight to Kennedy and back."
She said," Oh ok that makes sense we probably flew in at the same or maybe a few minutes apart and didn't know it."
He said," Yes I got to Minneapolis around 11:30."
She said," I flew in at 11:15."
He said," My name is Everett Thompson."
She said," My name is Cindy Edwards."
He said," You write in that magazine Western Life don't you."
She said," Yes, I am surprised you read that magazine."
He laughed and said," Well, I have traveled enough to see that magazine but I have to say I am impressed most people who write about us and is not from this part of the country will write us in almost a cartoonish manner."
She said," I am so glad you notice and appreciate it."
He said," For some idiotic reason I was presuming you were older and I am glad I am wrong on that presumption."
Cindy blushed and said," I thank you and you are too kind."
Before they knew it they were landing at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and she and Everett were talking all the way to the baggage claim area.
Everett said," There is my bag and I hope you enjoy your trip me I am going home."
She saw her bags and she went to Enterprise and rented a white Suburban.
When she found the Suburban she couldn't believe it she was wondering why she needed what she thought was a behemoth.
She started it up and she looked at the map and she drove west for about 20 miles then she started driving north and drove for about another 20 miles and then she saw the road it was gravel.
She drove the road and the further she drove the narrower it got until it got to being a 2 track road and then she noticed a bearded man with shoulder length hair and broad shoulders on an ATV.
The man said," Are you, Cindy Edwards from Western Life magazine?"
She said," Yes sir."
He said," I am CW Smyth spelled Smyth. I am the man you are to do the story on. The one thing I want you to remember is that I am allowing you as my guest to my homestead."
She said," I am not here to write a disrespectful story on you quite contrary."
He said," Well, you have time to prove it."
She said," I don't know if I can ride on that."
He said," This ATV or horseback is the only way to get to my house and during the winter it is the snowmobile." She reluctantly got on the back of the ATV and he presented the helmet to her and helped her put it on.
They rode for what felt like an eternity and then finally they got to his house and it was bigger than she was expecting and it was a log cabin.
As she stiffly got off the ATV he took the bag off the back and they walked up the steps and on the porch, she looked back and she drew a breath at the beauty of the wilderness and loving the sight of the Bitterroot Mountain range around them.
They walked into the house and she was amazed at the house. There was a bearskin rug on the floor and she looked to the right and saw a beautiful dining room with the beautiful heavy wooden table and matching chairs.
He turned on the light switch and the lights came on.
She asked," Aren't you off the grid? And if so how do you have electricity?"
CW said," I have solar and wind power."
Cindy said," Wow, I am impressed."
He took her upstairs and on the first door on the right he opened it and said," This is your bedroom."
She asked," Where is your bedroom."
He said," The room at the end. Now during this time of year I do have running water during the winter, there is no running water."
They went downstairs and he sat in one of the leather chairs and she sat on the heavy wood frame couch.
She asked," Can we get to know each other a little bit?"
He said," Ok."
She asked," So what made you decide to move out here and homestead?"
He said," I used to be a history professor at U.C. Berkeley and I wasn't happy. I remember what I believe was 1979 came out here to Bozeman and I loved it and the people especially the ranchers. In 1981 I said the heck with it moved out to this land. I remember I built my cabin which was 10x10 and did it in time before winter."
She said," Oh, really so you have been here for 22 years?'
He said," Yes 22 years,"
She asked," Do you know about the internet?"
He said," Yes, I do and that is just another device for people to get addicted to. I don't have a t.v. and you know what I don't miss it. My honest opinion there are too many devices for people to escape to and to stay out of reality."
She said," There is a whole new world through the internet."
He said," It isn't real it is on a computer screen. Look around you this is real. Having to depend on the land that is real. You and I sitting here having a conversation this is real, everything on the electronic devices it isn't real it is the world of ether."
She sat in silence for a few minutes to think about what he just said.
They talked a little more when C.W. said," It is time to go to bed and you are going with me in the morning to check the trapline."
She went into her room and she undressed and got in her nightgown and she brushed out her long blonde hair.
After brushing it out she looked in the mirror and she started thinking about the assignment and about being here away from civilization for a year. This man except the electricity is living like back in the 1800s and she was doing this assignment.
She climbed into bed and thought about it as she was falling asleep and she resolved that this story would be her best yet.