MSU: Heating Plant

MSU: Heating Plant
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Constructed in 1922. I like this building's exterior design very much.

MSU: Romney Gym

MSU: Romney Gym
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

MSU has several neat buildings that were constructed around 1920.

A potential tourist attraction

I've been to Singapore twice, but never did visit Haw Par Villa. Maybe some enterprising town in Montana could replicate the theme park ;-) (via BoingBoing.net)

Got a spare silo?

seed_silo_apartments (via BoingBoing.net)

Wake up to makeup ?

So a student appears in my doorway the other day and asks "Is the Psychology recitation meeting across the hall? There's nobody there." Always eager to help a student (really), I let him borrow my phone to call the Psych Department.

Then I noticed - he was wearing black fingernail polish. I've seen goth high school girls wearing black nail polish, but never a male college student. I guess I'm behind on the trends.

Similar story several years in Taco Bell. I was trying to figure out why this high school girl looked different. Then I figured it out - she was wearing white lipstick.

Whatever - more power to them, I say. It certainly got my attention in both cases.

Tuesday kitchen blogging

pantry
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

My pantry is almost bare. I'm trying to empty it out before winter. Then I'll restock with new stuff. Looks like I'll be eating a lot of soup over the next month...

(Did you notice that almost all of the labels are facing the front?)

No Canadian money

No Canadian money accepted
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Every place on the MSU campus that accepts cash has a sign that says "No Canadian money." I've tried to pass Canadian coins (unwittingly, of course), but the clerks usually catch me.

Octagonal windows

octagonal windows
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Windows on a house near MSU. I'm not an architect, but I know what I dislike: round or octagonal windows.

Site of new Vann's

Site of new Vann's
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Since Best Buy is trying to build a store here (south of Home Depot), Vann's needs to expand into a more visible location.

73 acres

73 acres
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

This plot of land south of Huffine will be developed into retail shops. My understanding is that it will be somewhat similar to downtown-type retail.

Hammett's Red Harvest

Several of Dashiell Hammett's stories are set in Montana. Apropos Labor Day, his violent novel Red Harvest was said to have been inspired by the labor troubles that plagued Butte, Montana. Here's a Butte website with a different take, though.

Meta: spam comments

FYI, I have been deleting spam comments. If you see that a comment has been deleted, rest assured that it wasn't anything interesting (unless you are reading this blog for information about broadband services, immigration opportunites, or cheap Viagra...).

10,000 miles

Subaru Forester
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

It took me 19 months to accumulate 10,000 miles on my Subaru Forester (that averages to about 526 miles/month).

Here are the reasons I chose to buy a Subaru Forester: plenty of headroom, all wheel drive, car-like ride, excellent rating from Consumer Reports, and Subarus are very popular in Bozeman (which indicates they are good cars for skiers and winter-driving).

Dilapidated shed

dilapidated shed
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Located in NE Bozeman. This shed was probably a carriage house back in the old days.

Most of the houses in NE Bozeman are much nicer than this! the NE is an older section of town and it has plenty of small, modest cottages.

Trailer park

trailer park
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Bozeman has several trailer parks. I think that all of them are actually on land that has not been annexed by the City (e.g., the trailer parks are under Gallatin County zoning).

This small trailer park is located in NE Bozeman. It is clean and looks well-maintained.

Gutter flowers

gutter flowers
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

In NE Bozeman.

Junker on junker

car on truck
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Heh.

[Note: I posted several more photos of old cars on my flickr photoblog. Simply click on the photo above.]

Old shepherd's wagon

Old shepherd's wagon
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

In the old days, shepherds would stay in the fields for weeks on end to tend the flocks.

This old wagon is at Moose Creek Manor Antiques. A restored wagon can be viewed at the Museuam of the Rockies.

"Not a VW"

"Not a VW"
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Old car at Moose Creek Manor Antiques on Huffine. If you like old cars, you had better visit quick. The owner got in trouble with the City Commission and will probably move the old cars within several months.

Outhouse

Outhouse
Originally uploaded by big mike - montana.

Not very fancy, but some folks currently lack even this level of plumbing.