Somewhere in the middle of Montana,
And gimme all I got comin' to me;
And you can keep your retirement
And your so-called social security,
Big city turn me loose and set me free..."
- 'Big City',
Merle Haggard
We're leaving the big city for the Big Sky Country. Endless rolling plains butting up against snow-covered peaks and not a soul for miles. We'll need a sturdy vehicle and an independent heart if we are going to make it in Montana.
There may not be grand cities or sophisticated shopping here. Montana is a state for those who like their outdoors great (with a side order of wild and majestic). On the northern border is Canada is Glacier National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, from the images I've seen, one of the most stunning places in the world. And down on the southern border with Wyoming you can find another World Heritage Site - Yellowstone National Park. So hide your pick-a-nick basket from Yogi Bear and ask Mr Ranger for directions if you get lost.
It is an epic landscape down here. Just the state's nickname 'Big Sky Country' conjures up images of men on horseback, mere specks in the scenery, beneath an endless expanse of blue, the horizon stretching away until tomorrow. Man is dwarfed by the splendour here. Man shouldn't be here. It demands hardiness to live this rugged life.
So I'm switching my TV to widescreen before I sit down for this week's three films. They are:
- The Horse Whisperer (1998)
- Legends of the Fall (1994)
- Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Saddle up partner!
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