WELL, ART IS ART, ISN'T IT?

Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know. --Groucho MarxWest is west and we're headed West, young man! We have a short Southwest Montana tour coming up this week and it's gonna be a hootenanny. Here are the dates:Wednesday, 8/10--Livingston Farmer's Market 6pm.This is one of our favorite farmer's markets because they have BEER because the market is set up to not only include local music but make it a focused feature, which goes great with the tasty eats and drinks. Thursday, 8/11--Montana Land Reliance Fundraiser outside Columbia FallsFriday, 8/12--Bitter Root Brewery in Hamilton, MT, 6pmSaturday, 8/13--Bale of Hay Saloon in Virginia City, 9pm.James P. Miller walked 450 miles from Salt Lake City to Virginia City in 1865. Here's an excerpt from his diary: "Resolved on October 22, 1865, that from this date I do not spend a cent for foolish expenses such as Billiards, Drinking or Eating, Driving, Riding, Smoking, that I limit my monthly expenses for Dancing and Gifts to $10." Here's an except from the same diary, two days later: "Bought a 5 gallon keg of beer, which I propose to drink for my health. Cost $2 per gallon, resolution intact."Friday, 8/19--The Raven in Bigfork, 8pmThe Raven, on Flathead Lake, is a very, very special place to us and we encourage you to visit it immediately. Saturday, 8/20--The Raven in Bigfork, 8pmMonday, 8/22--The Red Bird in Missoula, 7pmLocated through the lobby of the historic Florence Building. The food and drink here are damn good.So there you have it. Buffalo Bill once said, "I felt only as a man can feel who is roaming over the prairies of the far West, well armed, and mounted on a fleet and gallant steed." We are well armed, too. With nutritious snacks and hideous sunglasses. We have a fleet and gallant steed that seems to be holding up just fine (she goes by "Shadowfax").We have several reading materials from which to read aloud and learn nothing. We over-pack and under-budget. We are covering only the basics in hygiene. We will need bear spray.We are heading WEST.-Gillian