Today, I am Homesick

Today I heard that they were selling the old KPRK Radio building in my hometown of Livingston, Montana. The station itself is now broadcasting from Bozeman. That just seems so WRONG! At any rate, this strange little piece of architecture was such a huge part of my past! It was the first building you saw coming into town from the east and the last you saw going west. Every summer, as we traveled on the train to visit my grandparents in St. Paul, Minnesota - this was the touchstone for hellos and goodbyes. It was our towns only radio station, and I remember it being on at our house throughout the day - the soundtrack of our lives. When I was in high school, some of my friends worked there as D.J.s (yes, it was a small town). I still remember listening to it on my round transistor radio (do you remember those?). The songs, the football and basketball games, it is all there - tucked away in my thoughts. I know that change is usually inevitable, but I hate to see this icon pass away into memory.

Thinking about the radio station got me thinking about home - and I found myself feeling a wave of homesickness. I was fortunate to grow up there. It was a beautiful place and I had a wonderful childhood. I am so grateful for that! This photo of Livingston at night was taken from the hill where we lived. I saw this scene every day of my life. Dang, I was lucky.

What follows are some snippets from my memories. Special places that hold a place in my heart.

This is a photo of The Sleeping Giant that presided over Livingston. Locals said that the Giant resembled Christ. I can't think of anyone better to watch over us. Watching the snow melt at his heart was one of our summer traditions. We always wagered on whether or not the snow would still be there on the 4th of July.

This was taken at the 63 Ranch. It just doesn't get more breathtaking than this.

This little souvenir shop was a favorite when we were kids. They had the strangest stuff - from jack-o-lopes to rubber tomahawks!

My dad loved to fish, and Dan Bailey's was THE place to go if you were a fisherman. My high school shop teacher did the fish for the sign.

Mark's In-And-Out with its famous BEEFBURGERS sign was one of THE Livingston icons. My dad would walk over (when it was Mart's In-And-Out) and get my mom milkshakes from there when she was pregnant with me. After we graduated, my friend Mark purchased the business.

One of the big treats of our summer was when we got to go up to Chico to swim. It was great! Imagine swimming in a pool surrounded by mountains.

I spent a lot of time at Sacajawea Park with my friends. We'd walk along the river and the Lagoon (which is shown in the picture), play frisbee, and do all manner of teenagery things (like playing in the kiddie wading pool). This is also where I was first exposed to Shakespeare, thanks to the Shakespeare in the Park program.

This is the Depot, from which yearly vacations to Minnesota were launched. It is also where my Dad worked. He was a communications specialist for the Northern Pacific Railroad. We loved riding on the trains, because all the porters and conductors knew him and took great care of us. I was always so proud of my dad, the railroad man!

Downtown Livingston. Today they call it historic, but we called it Hicksville and Hooterville when we were in high school. We loved it though, despite its small size. Who else gets to shop in such surroundings?

This is just outside of Livingston, on the way to Yellowstone Park. The valley is called Paradise Valley. How appropriate. It was a favorite place for a Sunday drive.