Montana
Pondering bringing the family together in Montana
Two years ago when I heard the words tumbling from my mouth, they seemed like a great idea.
All of my cool, out-of-state cousins could come to the ranch for a long weekend and enjoy some Montana-style fun.
Of course, back then I had plenty of time to repaint the peeling trim on the house, repair the crumbling rock wall, clear the clogged septic system, and plant an abundant garden next to a verdant lawn.
This idea sparked from an uncle’s birthday party. My cousin, Brent, managed to bring all of us together for an afternoon, despite long distances and threadbare family fabric. At the impromptu after-party, cousins who had not seen each other for years discovered we all liked one another. Even better, we wanted to see each other again.
My ranch seemed like a perfect place for a reunion.
They would have to make more of an effort than I – it isn’t easy to get to Conrad, Montana, even if it is the true epicenter of the universe.
Still, I wanted my cousins to be impressed, not live my reality.
By last week, I could flush the toilet.
The rest of my vision was fading fast.
The hot sun and wind sucked the grass dry, my tomatoes were still recovering from a late frost and I could pick peeling paint from the house trim as I walked past the windows.
So much for putting my best foot forward.
So I shifted my goals from appearing to embrace conventional societal standards to refraining from poisoning people I love with my potato salad.
Fortunately, my brother brought the potato salad.
The thermometer in the shade pointed to the 90s.
My guard dogs growled sometimes.
People said it was too far to walk to the tepee I set up inside an old tepee ring far from the house so they could enjoy the isolated beauty of the prairie — although the kids managed to skip and jog the entire three-quarters of a mile.
I realized that other people choose convenience over isolation and shade over sweat.
Oh.
Right.
That meant I needed to modify my plan to set up a shooting range a half mile from the house.
Instead, my shop became the shady visitors center from which to fire at targets.
Their rifles came out one day, pistols the next.
Despite these blips in my interpretation of cultural norms and expectations, we all had a good time.
The kids swam in the creek while adults sat under a few shady chokecherry bushes.
The wagon ride to the sheepherder’s monument compressed a few passengers’ vertebrae, but they comprehended the scope of the landscape.
Some of us reviewed progress on my building remodeling project.
Others fed the orphan lambs.
We took turns playing cornhole, trash-talking when necessary.
We learned that a competitive spirit just might be a shared dominant gene.
We relived childhood stories and recounted successes and failures of adulthood.
Nobody mentioned the peeling paint.
We all ate too much.
People made supper and even cleaned up my kitchen.
Everyone contributed.
Best of all, we talked about our plans for the future.
Those plans included seeing one another again.
We wove the threads of our various lives into our family fabric again – fabric not quite yellow twine strong, but definitely as tough as wool yarn.
Our next family reunion is now scheduled for next August, at a family tree farm in Oregon. All I need to do is show up, wash a few dishes and weave threads into an even stronger family fabric.
I can do that.
Meanwhile, I give it 50-50 odds on whether my house trim will be painted and the rock wall repaired by then.
Lisa Schmidt raises grass-fed beef and lamb at the Graham Ranch near Conrad. Lisa can be reached at L.Schmidt@a-land-of-grass-ranch.com.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 13, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 13 drawing
22-31-52-56-67, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 13 drawing
17-18-28-37-42, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 13 drawing
02-06-10-16, Bonus: 16
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 13 drawing
08-13-39-63-66, Powerball: 02
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 13 drawing
02-04-13-17-32
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 13 drawing
21-24-29-42-49, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Montana
Public Meeting at Hub on Smith Concerning Montana Water Call Prompting Priority Administration in Tongue Basin
Wyoming State Engineer Brandon Gebhart announced that on May 5, 2026, the State of Montana placed a call under Article V(A) of the Yellowstone River Compact to fill Tongue River Reservoir in Montana. As a result, priority administration is in effect on post-1950 water rights in Wyoming that divert water from the Tongue River and its tributaries and are not excluded from the compact.
A public meeting will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, in the dining room of The Hub on Smith. Attendees are asked to enter on the north side of the building.
The Tongue River Basin has been experiencing drought conditions over the past year with historically low winter snowpack and streamflow conditions. According to the release, those conditions led to Montana’s interstate call and prompted the administration of the Tongue River Basin in Wyoming.
The priority administration will affect post-1950 water rights within the Tongue River Basin, including reservoir storage, stream diversions and groundwater withdrawals, all of which affect river flows. Post-1950 water rights will be regulated off or prevented from turning on. Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners will continue to administer reservoir storage and post-1950 diversions throughout the spring and work with affected water users until the administration is lifted.
As provided in the compact, domestic uses less than one-half acre in area and livestock uses, including stock reservoirs less than 20 acre-feet in capacity, are excluded from this administration. The release noted these excluded rights could be subject to future regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.
Beginning May 5, 2026, Wyoming hydrographer-commissioners have worked to record the current storage levels of reservoirs with post-1950 water rights. Going forward, those reservoirs can continue to accrue storage so long as post-1950 storage gained after the interstate call on May 5 remains in storage until either the water is released to satisfy the Montana call or Montana lifts the call because Tongue River Reservoir will fill.
Reservoirs with unfulfilled pre-1950 water rights can continue to store water and that storage will not be subject to release to satisfy Montana’s call. However, that storage and other direct flow rights could be subject to regulation to satisfy priority calls by senior Wyoming water rights.
The priority administration will be carried out pursuant to state law by hydrographer-commissioners assigned to various portions of the Tongue River Basin, working under the direction of Division II Superintendent David Schroeder.
The Wyoming State Engineer’s Office can be contacted at:
Jack Morey, deputy state engineer, 307-777-5032, jack.morey2@wyo.gov
David Schroeder, Division II superintendent, 307-674-7012, d.schroeder@wyo.gov
Jeff Cowley, interstate streams administrator, 307-777-1942, jeff.cowley@wyo.gov
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 12, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 12 drawing
17-32-35-40-47, Mega Ball: 17
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 12 drawing
04-12-17-24, Bonus: 11
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 12 drawing
19-21-35-38-53, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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