SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY

Tomorrow, south of Billings, Montana and not far from the Custer Battle Field, the Crow Fair will begin and continue until the 23rd. It attracts around 50,000 visitors plus contestants, is the largest Northern Native American gathering and now includes all tribes.

This photograph was taken there quite a few years ago when Himself and I were not even good friends, just traveling companions to two other people. Crow Agency was an old haunt of mine and I had taken the others there so that I could visit with some old friends.

During a night dance, one of these friends, Mickey Old Coyote to be precise, asked me if I'd like to join him in the Buffalo Dance. The dancers stand side by side and move in a circle to the beat of the flat Plains drums and the chant of the drummers. As we stood, waiting to begin, Mickey turned to me and asked, "Eh, Djin, where'd you get the dude?"

You can see from the photograph that Himself was very much the dude in his baggy tan trousers, new western shirt and straw hat. Another of the dancers that night was an older chap, Joe Medicine Crow, an anthropologist who provided me with much information about tribal history, who is now in his 90s and quite recently received the Medal of Honor from President Obama.

The picture frame is tiny and once belonged to Himself's mother. And the turtle? My friends at Crow Agency were mostly of the turtle clan but this turquoise one is a recent wedding anniversary gift from the dude, Himself.

Always, at this time of year, I would like to be under broad Montana skies and in crackling dry heat. I would like it even more than ever today because we have low clouds, smog and cool temperatures.