Search Results

Nick and Nora love huckelberry ice cream, a roadie treat in Julian, California which they visit twice a year. "Charley is a mind-reading dog. There have been many trips in his lifetime.....he knows we are going long before the suitcase comes out, and he paces and worries and whines, and goes into a state of mild hysteria. -- John Steinbeck,'"Travels with Charley." STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER WE CAN'T  imagine a road trip without Nick and Nora. John Steinbeck's famous "Travels with Charley" has inspired many journeys and many other travelogues. Our smart, loving Yorkshire terriers are as much a part of the package as a picnic, a room with a view, a fun new hotel, a new restaurant and a play to cap the day. Like John Steinbeck and his faithful poodle Charley, we find each journey enhanced by the Yorkies' company. The doggies introduce us to people. They give us new perspective.  They make us laugh. They're just plain good company. If the airlines awarded miles for doggie travel, Nick and Nora would be flying even higher -- for they've logged over 65,000 miles each in their action-packed near 11 years. Nick and Nora seem comfy in their regulation airline sherpa carrier. MOSTLY, THEY  go where we go, by plane or car. They're happy little road-trippers. Because we so often take them along, we've started keeping track of the best of the "dog friendly" hotels we've visited. Savvy dog lovers also rely upon Eileen Barish's wonderful dog friendly books, including "Doin' California with your Pooch." (She features other states, too. And if you simple google pet-friendly travel, you can narrow your own field.) You'll find that some hotels have designated areas and rooms for pups. In other properties, dogs have greater freedom. It is also common practice to walk your pup frequently and not leave him unattended in the room for long. Some hotels give  goodies Sunburned Cookie holds Nick and  Nora off the hot sand near Las Vegas.  OUR DOGGIE  carry-along bag includes their toys, treats, sweaters, food and water bowl. Nick and Nora have bedded down with us in at least 65 hotels, motels and inns, besides their relatives' homes in California and Georgia. Nick and Nora take to the beach of Lake Tahoe. Here are some pup-friendly places we endorse and recommend, for their personality, charm, dog welcoming spirit and proximity to fun events, scenery and history. Nick and Nora give them paws up! At these diverse and pet-welcoming venues, it goes without saying to leash your pet while promenading, and bring a stash of "doggie bags" just in case. *Western Heritage Inn of Bozeman, Montana. westernheritageinn.com Keller & Nora head for the Catalina Boat House. *The Murray Hotel of Livingston, Montana. murrayhotel.com * Vagabond's House Inn, Carmel by the Sea, Calif.   vagabondshouseinn.com * Ashland Springs Hotel, Ashland, Oregon. AshlandSpringshotel.com *Catalina Boat House Hotel, Avalon, Calif. catalinaboathouse.com * Omni Los Angeles Hotel, Los Angeles, Calif.   omnilosangeles.com Cookie and Keller, with Nick and Nora, find that the Yorkies  are a conduit for meeting new friends wherever they go.  Here, they're having a boat ride on Hornblower Cruises out  of San Diego, which has a special "Pet Day on the Bay." *Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort, Santa Barbara. fessparkersantabarbarahotel.com doubletreehotels.com . * Ocean Villa Inn, San Diego, Calif. oceanvillainn.com *Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. caesars.com/flamingohotel lasvegas *Beach House Inn, Santa Barbara, Calif. beachhouseinn.com *Inn By The Lake, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.   innbythelake.com The beautiful lazuli bunting is named for the gemstone, lapis lazuli. NEXT UP:  We pay homage to birds, their haunting and magical songs, their delicacy at the feeder, their strength in flight. Join us to celebrate the myriad delights they give us, especially here in the northern Rockies in summertime's prime. We'll be in Montana's Stillwater County for a photo essay on the pleasures of sharing the landscape with hawks, hummingbirds, wrens, woodpeckers and the stunning lazuli bunting. Remember to explore, learn and live and remember we post each Friday.

You're sure to find a wilderness preserve or wildlife and bird refuge near you. Check it out for a relaxing, cheap diversion.   STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS            CLICK HERE ==>>    TO DANCE WITH LILIAN PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER IF THE CALL  of the wild lures you to commune with nature, you probably have beautiful wildlife and birds within an hour or two's drive of you. Think wildlife refuges, which dot the country from top to bottom, east to west. This happy seal is enjoying life at Moss Landing, near San Jose, California. We've explored a half-dozen of them in the past few weeks, and look forward to more in 2015. CALIFORNIA  alone has 20, and Montana has 15, giving me 35 refuges to explore in the pair of states I call home. Wildlife preserves welcome visitors to view their conservation methods and enjoy boating, hiking and photography. I love visiting the refuges and preserves.  During my 15 years in Arizona, I spent time watching the desert bighorn sheep, cousins of the bighorns in my backyard of rural Montana in the Beartooth Mountains. Cookie and Yorkie Nora hit the trail in southern California near Julian. I've viewed the pronghorns in Oregon, tundra swans on the Upper Mississippi, wild ponies on a press trip to Virginia's Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, and recently, gorgeous waterfowl in Wyoming's National Elk Refuge. MOST OF  the refuges and preserves offer abundant bird life. At Moss Landing Wildlife Area near San Jose, California, we shared a splendid kayaking experience with friends, enjoying birds, seals and otters for free! Whale watching expeditions -- which we also enjoy and partake of -- were charging $35 and $40 nearby, but with our friends' kind loan of a kayak, we spent only time, gasoline and a little elbow grease enjoying this California State wildlife preserve on the shore of Elkhorn Slough. Bighorn sheep -- here in Montana-- may be viewed in several other U.S. states in wildlife preserves. THIS LOVELY  spot near the Monterey Submarine Canyon is also a favorite site for shoreline whale watchers.  As with many preserves and refuges, parking is free and plentiful -- and traffic is seldom bumper to bumper as it is in some of our national parks. At Moss Landing, the beach is cool and pleasantly windy. We enjoyed paddling past a group of noisy seals as we headed toward pelican and otter sightings in the marshes. You can usually find a place to stay, a restaurant, and sporting opportunities near a preserve. This is true at Lake Henshaw,Ca. Regulars know when to watch for whales offshore, breaching and gliding by. Josiah Diallo has what it takes to win an audience. NOT FAR  from Julian, Calif., the 5,312 acre Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve, located in the scenic mountains between Santa Yasbel and Julian about 40 miles northeast of San Diego, is one of the prettiest preserves in the county we've seen. Nearby Lake Henshaw offers places to stay and the hiking is superb -- acres of rolling grasslands and native California oaks. The forests are almost as dense as in Northern California -- minus the redwoods. COMING UP : A brilliant San Diego musician rings in Christmas with a beautiful voice and stellar guitar stylings.  You can book Josiah Diallo for a party, celebration or education event.  He is at home in the classroom or an outdoor eatery, a church or private function, or anywhere calling for gorgeous music and enlightening commentary. Remember, carpe diem: so explore, learn and live and catch us Wednesdays and weekends at www.whereiscookie.com

Child born with Down Syndrome sparks  love, unity, courage in Cosgriffe family Christena's auntie Misha bestowed a pretty new dress! STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER, MISHA  MINESINGER, PATRICK COSGRIFFE SOMETIMES  we're tested in ways we don't understand. Our family has met many challenges. We rise to the occasion, doing the best we can. So it is with the Cosgriffes as we deal with a first:  raising a handicapped child. Christena Lynn Cosgriffe was born June 30, 2010, with Down Syndrome. MONTHS BEFORE  her birth, my brother Patrick left a voice message at my Arizona home, telling me "I'm going to be a papa," I was floored -- speechless -- a rarity for me. Christena likes music, and is happy to sing and clap with her musical family. Patrick was approaching 50.  He was single. He was planning to quit his job at Sears and return to college. He was overweight, with heart problems. For all these reasons, I asked my beloved brother: "A BABY?  Seriously? It isn't  April Fool's Day. Are you sure?" The baby's mother refused to take the test which would have determined a possible birth defect. She was in her mid-40s and the chance of a baby having Down Syndrome increases with its mother's age. We all crossed our fingers, meditated, prayed. The day the child was born, the doctor confirmed that Christena indeed was a "special needs" baby. She has Down Syndrome, an extra copy of chromosome 21. We feared "trisomy 21," is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21.We'd done the homework. Now we had work to do. Christena's birthday party attracted family and friends, caregivers, and her physical and speech therapists.   HER FIRST  months were complicated and after an emotional, expensive and difficult legal battle, my brother Patrick H. Cosgriffe, obtained custody. Christena came "home" to our care. She's named after three strong women -- myself, her great-great grandmother Christena Wilson Pittendrigh, and another auntie, the late Robbie Lynn Cosgriffe Townsley, her first and finest advocate. The child adds joy to our lives, just as cliches about special needs children predict. But as Hillary Clinton famously said, "It takes a village." CHRISTENA'S  "village" is our Cosgriffe family -- strong, loving, loyal and, thank goodness, large. Her support includes a network of savvy and supportive speech and physical therapists, a fine pediatrician, excellent cardiologist, devoted daycare personnel and many others who love her, including Patrick's partner, Diane Moen, who loves Christena "like my own flesh and blood." Christena turns three at a party with friends and family. WEE CHRISTENA  had her first lung surgery in Denver when she was just weeks old.  She is beset with physical woes, relating to the birth defect: a tendency for ear infections, trouble chewing and sometimes swallowing because of compromised jaw muscles, a hole in her tiny heart which will likely require open-heart surgery down the road.  Her kidneys, eyes, thyroid and other organs are monitored and not those of a "normal" child. SHE COULD develop skeletal problems, so her posture is carefully observed.  She has worn leg braces and supports in her shoes, to boost her ankle function and walking. At her third birthday, she was walking with spirit and confidence. Patrick walks with her every day. Christena and her father, Patrick Harry Cosgriffe, enjoy their back yard. She is cheerful and loving, laughs and mimics others, and is an observant quick study. SHE QUICKLY learned my Yorkies' names, and says, "Oh, puppies. Hi, Nick and Nora."  She knows her colors and brings me the pups' kibble bowls -- blue for Nick, red for Nora. "OK, puppies. Eat now," she says, clapping her hands. WHEN SHE  was just days old, I touched my pointer finger to hers and whispered, "Sistine Chapel." That quickly became our greeting, one which others in "the village" have adopted. Michelangelo's magnificent painting of God and Adam touching hands has always inspired me, heretic that I claim to be. Christena and the writer, Christene, indulge in silliness, at play with zucchini.   When Christena sees me, she extends her "ET" finger to meet mine. I hope this is always our special greeting.  She calls me "Ween" -- her version of "Queen," my nickname from her, based on her tiny "Princess" t-shirt. "There are many princesses in a court," I told her when she was just one. "There is but one Queen! It is I!" "Q" IS A   tough letter to pronounce, but I know she'll master it. Christena and I have a special connection, which includes laughing and abundant silliness. My brother loves this late-in-life only child dearly.  He keeps her immaculate and beautifully groomed.  Her dark hair glistens, often in a pony tail.  Her face is always shiny clean.  She smells like a spring valley after rain. When she slops pea soup or smears frosting on her dress, she is quickly changed. Christena recently met cousins in the "Cosgriffe Village" at her great uncle Harry Cosgriffe's memorial. Auntie Olivia holds her at the Harlowton Cemetery. PATRICK HAS  returned to college, with plans to be a drug and alcohol counselor. He is losing weight, walking, getting fit. He busy day is long and complicated: study and classes, childcare and seeing to Christena's complex medical needs, exercising, support groups, laundry, meal preparation. Meanwhile, "The Village" fills in the cracks. Sister Olivia walks and dances with Christena. Brother Rick and his partner Jane watch her and read to her.  Sister Misha dotes on her, too, sending her adorable dresses from Atlanta.  I pick out books for her, sing to her and hope she'll be a piano player. She has nice, long fingers! Patrick's good friend, Ginger, loves her dearly and contributes to her care. Christena had a new birthday gown as she turned three. COUSINS, FRIENDS  and caretakers lavish love and attention upon her.  Her speech therapist Vicki Andre and her physical therapist Linda Malloy came to her birthday party.  They sing her praises, and believe she will be able to attend regular school, so well is she doing in day care and pre-school. The early attention paid is making all the difference in her handicap, needs and personal potential. MY LATE mother Ellen would have loved this child, a granddaughter younger than her great grandchildren. Her grandfather Richard would be smitten with her sweet smile and air kisses. YES, CHRISTENE  Lynn was born with difficulties to overcome. Down Syndrome is not for sissies. But luckily, she was born into a family willing to share the challenge and joys. Christena in the writer's arms, with her uncle Rick (in blue) and from left, her auntie Olivia, father Patrick, auntie Misha. Early treatment --  including speech, physical and occupational thearapy -- is essential to improving a Down Syndrome child's chances. Christena's therapists commend Patrick for seeking support and treatment the week of her birth, giving Christena a good chance at a happy, productive "normal" life. Sometimes, I hear Patrick reading her to sleep when I'm overnighting at the Billings house family members share. HE READS  with expression and I hear him answering Christena's questions:  "What's that?"  "That's a deer." "What's that?" "It's a rabbit." A bird. A cat.  A tree. A puppy. "Nick and Nora?" she asks.  Christena Lynn Cosgriffe on her way to sweet dreams.  PATRICK IS  old enough to be her grandfather. He knows that as she ages, her problems may multiply. But for now, she's thriving. Each Down Syndrome child is different. So is each parent. Patrick has devotion and discipline in spades. I WITNESS  that as he tucks her in at night, and wishes her "sweet dreams." We accept that Christena has Down Syndrome. She also has love, love, love. The Beatles song tells us that's all we need. Patrick and Christena have that in abundance. And they have the Cosgriffe "Village" staunchly in place behind them. The Bair Museum is one of the enticements in Martinsdale. COMING UP : With Pope Francis visiting Brazil and Egypt in turmoil, we examine the cultures and speculate on the excitement and challenge of change sweeping this pair of intriguing countries, both recently visited by the writer and photographer. And we look at a small Montana town in  summertime splendor as we visit Martinsdale's Crazy Mountain Inn and Bair Museum. Remember to explore, learn and live, and check us out Wednesdays and Saturdays at: www.whereiscookie.com .

Pansies are perennial favorites in Ashland, Oregon, and this one was part of a shop windowbox display.    STORY by Christene Meyers     PHOTOS by Bruce Keller          Acres of ice plant are creeping down the hillsides of southern California, turning the countryside lavender, pink, yellow and purple just in time for Easter.      During a frenetic 22-lane freeway foray from Los Angeles back to San Diego yesterday, we admired section after section of brilliant, budding erosion-controlling color. It was the drive's saving grace. California's ice plant is abloom now!      Ice plant is hardy and easy to grow. Certain varieties even look pretty in bouquets.  I love watching it frame the freeways and creep toward the beaches. My state of near iceplant hypnosis prompted my wondering who first had the inspiration to "harvest" flowers and bring them inside.     The art of flower cultivation is time honored.  Uses of floral beauty are as many and varied as the petals on posies.      Greeks staged banquets featuring a floor covered with a foot of flower petals on which honored guests entered the feasting room.        The monks of the middle ages were the doctors of their day, growing and harvesting flowering herbs to treat whatever ailed the multitudes or their fellows.       Egypt, China, Japan and India have rich flower-loving traditions.       Paintings of exaggerated floral arrangements have been popular in Europe for centuries and the Italian Renaissance helped give flower arranging extra spark. By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, floral displays were commonplace among the upper classes.  A wide variety of materials were used to make containers -- marble, heavy Venetian glass, and bronze, many gracing the world's museums today. This bouquet was delivered to our cruise stateroom, fashioned from flowers grown in the Canary Islands.   It was also during the Renaissance that tropical fruit began to emerge on vases and even in some floral bouquets.  In art, fruit was often paired with popular flowers such as narcissus, pinks, iris, jasmine, pansies, French marigolds, cornflowers and rosemary.       In England, fruits blossoms and leaves were woven into garlands to decorate walls and vaulted ceilings. On festive occasions, petals were piled into baskets to sprinkle on the floors, a custom which probably spawned our present-day "flower girl" wedding tradition. A hike in Stillwater County in Montana's Beartooth Mountains shows a stubborn little wildflower growing from rock.       While flowers were used by the gentry for centuries, large numbers of average people began to appreciate, grow, pick and arrange flowers in the 18th Century.  This was when flowers began to be fashionable around the globe. The Victorians loved color and relied on flowers to help counteract the unfortunate odors of the horrible hygiene of the day.  "Tuzzy-muzzy" bouquets were used to eliminate odors and many believed the aptly named "nosegay" helped counteract disease. (Also spelled tussie mussie, it has some vulgar connotations..... but that's another posting!)   Today's millions of gardeners worldwide enjoy flowers.  They range from ranchers and farmers in my native Montana, whose iris and peony will be shooting up soon, to my neighbors here in San Diego, whose pots of tomatoes, lemons, basil, rosemary and even figs are lovingly tended on tiny townhouse patios. A California poppy brightens up a La Jolla garden.         Whether flowers are in your world to attract birds and bees, provide shade or color, or simply because gardening relaxes, we salute these faithful floral friends.  Their presence provides soothing beauty and often fragrance.      Flowers announce the arrival of spring and the presence of love.  Flowers are food, medicine and peace of mind! Flowers say "forgive me, I love you, be my friend, in sympathy and thanks." They are also inspiration for this humble writer and her photographer partner, whose favorite pictures of posies appear here! Enjoy! A dahlia blooms in a garden at High Chaparral in Montana.     COMING SATURDAY:        In a few days, we plan a little unorthodox fun -- maybe hit the road on  our Harleys, get a tatoo or two, haul out the saxophone, dust off the fishing pole, and say good-bye to our decorous past!        In the spirit of carpe diem, watch for the revels  Saturday, March 30.       whereiscookie.com       Fighting middle age, raging against the dying of the light, Keller and Cookie plan a little fun!     We are happy to be hearing from readers Singapore to Sidney (both Sidney, Montana, and Sydney, Australia!). Today, we received a message from South Korea and heard from a man in Miles City, born in Baghdad. We post Wednesdays and Saturdays at: whereiscookie.com     Please tell those persons who might enjoy.

COOKIE RECALLS MISS AMERICA, PROTESTS, PLAYBOY AND HER FEMINIST GROUNDING STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS THE SUMMER of 1968 was a memorable one for this reporter. Cookie poses at the Playboy Club, September 1968. She was a Playboy Bunny for a day, and also covered the protests at the Miss America  Pageant, interviewing Gloria Steinem and Flo Kennedy.      I was not yet 20, but that year I fell in love with my writing professor, traveled to Europe with a girlfriend, covered the Miss America pageant, joined a women's rights protest, interviewed Playboy Bunnies and danced with Diane Keaton on the stage of "Hair."    In Atlantic City, I knew that joining a protest against the pageant I was covering was an unorthodox undertaking.  Could I both cover the pageant objectively and raise my poster and shed my bra in protest of what the pageant represented?    Yes! I could, I reasoned.  I would, I did.    I WROTE  an unbiased trio of pieces on the pageant, interviewed Miss Montana for the hometown folks, met Bert Parks at a reception (he was charming) then put down my reporter's notebook to join Gloria Steinem and Flo Kennedy during the protests. My meeting with Steinem led to my writing several pieces for Ms. Magazine in its early years. We tossed our bras in this can on the Boardwalk. We didn't burn them. That September weekend was the beginning of something big for me and the world. I would be an avowed feminist the rest of my life, hoping I'd live long enough to see a woman elected president of the U.S. What a wonder that will be for millions of us whose grandmothers were born before women could vote. I SMILE  when I think of that summer and the juxtaposition of events. I was a Playboy Bunny in Chicago, interviewed Hugh Heffner (also charming) and although I did not personally burn a bra at the pageant demonstrations (none of us did), I was part of the day which included trashing a collection of "girl stuff" -- mops, false eyelashes, high heels and lingerie, and, ironically, copies of "Playboy." After I filed my Miss America story, I joined the group of several hundred women The Miss America pageant of 1968 provoked protests in which Cookie  took part.  She also covered the pageant for three days.  for our symbolic "tossing" into a "freedom trash can" on the famed Atlantic City boardwalk. THE EVENT  brought international attention to the Women's Liberation Movement.  I can assure you there weren't many "women's libbers," as we were called, back home in Montana. (Montana does have a proud heritage of independent women thinkers, though, including Jeannette Pickering Rankin, the first woman in U.S. history to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.)   WHILE IN  New York City, I made news myself when I judo-chopped a world-be mugger at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Times Square. He dropped my purse and ran. Always a theater maven, I saw several new Broadway plays, including a memorable performance of "Hair" at the Biltmore Theater.  Diane Keaton was among the emerging stars, mostly unknowns. Diane Keaton, above top in "Hair," part of Cookie's memorable summer of 1968.  I danced in the aisles with the performers and was beckoned on stage afterwards during the standing ovation. When I interviewed Keaton later for "Annie Hall," we both giggled about those days. Hugh Heffner welcomed Cookie at the Playboy Club in Chicago, where she learned the bunny dip and wrote about the bunnies. Her byline was Chris Cosgriffe, but an editor insisted on changing it when she married. AT A STOP  in Chicago to visit friends, I spent a day in the Playboy Club learning the bunny dip and interviewing bunnies, while taking a turn as a bunny myself.  The women made wonderful stories, because they were interesting, educated people in a well-paying club.  It was a thought-provoking counterpoint to the Pageant activities.   The dip, which I perfected, involves a curtsy, knees bending together,  back straight, rear down, serving up cocktails with a smile.  Should the dip provoke a pinch or squeeze, the offending patron was removed from the club.  MY SUMMER of 1968 was formative. I took a month's trip to Europe, but I didn't really want to be gone from my sweetheart.  I knew Bruce Kemp Meyers was "the one."  Our romance was set against the murders of Martin Luther King Jr. and RFK, the Vietnam War's end and the planned moon landing, which we watched on separate TVs in July the next year -- he from his parents' home in North Olmsted, Ohio, and I at my family home in Columbus, Montana.    What a summer.  It shaped so many elements of my life:  my interest in the opposite sex and decision to marry Bruce, my continuing love of contemporary poetry and women's literature, my writing style (Bruce was a marvelous editor), my political and musical preferences.  Bruce played fabulous country and folk guitar, and was a jazz lover.  "BB" -- before Bruce -- I'd eschewed anything but classical music, jazz and Broadway scores. I was missing a world of tremendous tunes. Bert Parks posed with Miss America contestants during the swimsuit competition in Atlantic City, which "Chris Cosgriffe" covered for the AP.    Raised by a liberated grandmother and unorthodox mum, both musicians, both educated, I grew up thinking women could do anything.  That summer sealed my feminist proclivities.    THE EMOTIONAL  cocktail of such diverse experiences -- falling in love, the beauty pageant and demonstrations, seeing a ground-breaking musical, the Playboy bunny time -- all encouraged introspection and evaluation.    Growing up in rural Montana, with an adventuresome family, I always knew I'd forge a career.  As my relationship with Bruce deepened, he told me of his congenital heart defect, the possibility that he might need a valve replacement, and his lack of interest in having children. It paralleled mine!    By the fates' luck, I shared his affections for literature, theater, travel, nature, dogs and other peoples' progeny. We decided that theater, travel and pursuit of our careers would be our children.    We had nearly 24 years together -- 22 l/2 married, the other 18 months living in sin, or as my beloved gran said, "sharing one another's favors."     THAT 1968  Europe trip was liberating and glorious.  At each port, I opened a three-page typewritten letter from Bruce. Each was rich with detail: his appreciation for Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, his reading of Dylan Thomas and Emily Dickinson, his preparation for his writing classes, reports on the Civil Rights movement, bulletins on our cats and the art center's foreign film series. How he missed me!  I've kept those  letters -- sent to Oslo, Copenhagen, Munich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Florence, Salzburg, Paris and London. Cookie, Nick and Nora stop to smell the flowers.  You should, too!                                                                                       - -Photo by Robbie Townsley    In return, long before e-mail, I wrote him daily, and sent my Kodak film back home to him --   slides taken with his favorite Canon camera.  As the trip progressed -- with concerts, hikes, plays and museums -- he paired the slides with my letter descriptions.    We decided to marry.  Through the next months, we danced, romanced, cavorted, and planned our own trip to Europe for summer of 1970, a pre-wedding honeymoon, we coined it.   FROM THE  summer of 1968 to the autumn of 1970, I read Germaine Greer, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Flo Kennedy and Bella Abzug.  I delved into the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay, reveled in the writings of Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath, thrilled at my first bylines in national publications.  The first story I pitched to Steinem was about a young Cookie and Keller on a recent trip to Europe, here Provence. Miles City horsewoman who broke into an all-male rodeo competition and changed the guidelines for future horsewomen.    I HAD NO  criticism of the beauty queens I interviewed.  They were pleasant, well meaning people.  Some crafted careers. Some, I'm certain, were influenced by the protests.  That turbulent summer shaped the pageant.  Within the next couple years, contestants were tottering out on controversial limbs to defend the equal rights amendment and proclaim pro-choice leanings.  That would not have happened in the 1950s or even the mid-1960s.    I had a wonderful time as a Playboy Bunny.  I read a biography on Eleanor Roosevelt that same week, found a first edition of "A Room of One's Own" and received a copy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift from the Sea" from my future mother-in-law. As my late nephew Eric said, "It's all good, Auntie."   Today, on the 23rd anniversary of Bruce's death, I thank those smiling gods and goddesses of fate for finding a way to put us together. I thank them, too, for letting me share part of Bill Jones' life, and after his death, for leading me to Bruce Keller for as long as we might have together.     THE SUMMER  of 1968, I pondered my future and polished my belief system. While man would soon land on the moon, I was finding my place on planet Earth. What I learned then was complex and has shaped my life.  Chiefly, that it is possible, even advisable, to inhabit many worlds.  That we are all creatures of intricacy and contradiction. A few other Cookie pointers, to adapt, toss or share:    * Don't be quick to generalize (a playboy Bunny might be working on her doctorate).    * Most issues are complex. Ditto, people.    * Forge your personal philosophy of life by borrowing from many influences and cultures. Hillary Clinton, 1968. History in the making.    * Avoid being predictable.  Follow your instincts. Taste of all foods, imagine, drink a bit if you can.    * Don't fall into the trap of grudge-holding. Be kind. Forgive others. Take the high road and pick your battles.    * Develop friends of all viewpoints. Listen to them, consider their opinions. Use what works.    * Don't be rigid.  Be open to change or the spontaneous dinner, movie or weekend jaunt.    * Read, read, read.  See as many plays and concerts as your budget allows.  Get a library card. Travel.    * Don't let technology leave you in the dust.    * Step outside for at least a half-hour every day, even when it's cold. Breathe deeply. Pet a dog or a child.    * Pick a flower, write a letter, paint a picture, fall in love. Or stay there if you've already tumbled!    * Laugh about something. Even yourself. Deep in life's challenges, there is much to smile about.   * Consider voting for a woman for U.S. President, following suit of other countries in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East. Remember, we are excellent at multi-tasking.      UP NEXT: Cookie shares a photo essay with tips on some of the sunny spots she's discovered with Keller in his native San Diego.

Wild turkeys cavort and forage at our Montana place, High Chaparral, in Stillwater County on the river. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER This proud turkey is commercially grown, and much plumper than our Montana wild ones. WE'RE TALKING  turkey here. Through year's end, most of us will enjoy a meal or two of the critter that Ben Franklin suggested be our national bird. Turkey dinner.  Turkey curry.  Turkey and dumplings. Turkey casserole. How about my grandmum's weekend turkey wiggle. I'll share the recipe.  My favorite edible part of the holidays is left-overs. Nothing like a sandwich with cranberry sauce and mayo, maybe a little chutney. But do try the "wiggle." If your Thanksgiving table featured turkey you are among 46 million Americans; 33 million more of us will eat turkey  on either Christmas or New Year's. If you didn't have turkey dinner on Thursday, don't worry. The bird shows up in stores and on menus and dining tables through Chanukah, Christmas and into New Year's and even Easter. SO HOW  did the tradition of eating turkey during the holidays develop? Historians tell us it probably did not  derive from the Pilgrims who may or may not have eaten turkey for their "Thanksgiving."  They probably ate venison, and they'd have used their fingers. After Scrooge sees the light, in "A Christmas Carol," he has a turkey delivered to the Cratchit home. Turkey's top ranking as preferred holiday fare also stems from the fact that Turkeys are easy to raise, fresh, fairly cheap and can feed a crowd. In the U.S., 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving, 22 million on Christmas, 11 million on New Year's and 19 million on Easter. In 2014, U.S. diners ate 736 million pounds of turkey. AMERICA'S PREFERENCE for poultry at celebrations dates back to frontier days. A bird could be slaughtered without serious economic sacrifice, while butchering a cow was a serious decision for a rancher or farmer.  Since commercial beef wasn't widely available until the late 19th century, a chicken or turkey made more sense for a holiday meal. The classic menu of turkey with gravy, stuffing, and plum pudding was popularized by Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," published in 1843 and widely read in the U.S. Some culinary historians believe Scrooge's gift of a Christmas turkey to the Cratchit family cemented the turkey's place at the center of the holiday meal.The Victorians also enjoyed turkey, and lobbied Abe Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. Olive Nystul's turkey wiggle was a family treat, served the  weekend after Thanksgiving. IF YOU LIKE turkey, you'll enjoy my grandmother Olive's "Weekend turkey wiggle." Why did she call it that? Because you could rely upon having it the weekend after Thanksgiving, and because the noodles wiggle and wave as the ingredients are mixed! GRAN NYSTUL'S WEEKEND TURKEY WIGGLE 2 lb (4 cups) leftover turkey meat, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 c turkey or chicken stock 1 l/2 c uncooked white, brown or wild rice or 3 cups uncooked noodles 1 can (14 oz) chopped tomatoes or three fresh ones, diced 2 medium onions, chopped (add two cloves of diced garlic if desired) 1 green pepper, chopped 1 c green olives and 1 c black olives, chopped ¼ c pimentos, chopped 8 oz mushrooms, sliced and sautéed in butter or olive oil (if using canned, drain juice but hold to moisten casserole if needed) 16 oz package frozen peas, mixed veggies or corn -- your choice 1 can of mushroom soup or cup or so of leftover turkey gravy Gran Nystul's Weekend Turkey Wiggle  delights with its flavor -- and memories. (Gran improvised with the ingredients; use what you have. That's the beauty of "wiggle.")  PREHEAT  oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients in a large saucepan, bring to brief boil. Transfer to buttered casserole pan, cover with foil, and bake 30-40 minutes until liquid is mostly absorbed but casserole is still moist. Top with croutons or crumbled leftover stuffing. Sprinkle with grated or shaker cheese-- gouda, gruyere, parmesan and sharp cheddar are all good choices.   UP NEXT:  While we're on the subject of food, Hornblower's the way to go  for fine food and ambiance if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion or holiday on the water. We'll visit a recent birthday celebration aboard Hornblower in New York. Hornblower also offers specialty cruising, dinner and cocktail celebrations in San Diego, San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Newport Beach, Marina del Rey  and Long Beach. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekends for fun travel tips and adventure worldwide.

YORKIES WILL TURN TEN THIS YEAR! PAWS UP FOR OUR FAITHFUL COMPANIONS AND ROAD WARRIORS Nick and Nora enjoy a recent trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. The Dancing Bear Inn is dog friendly. Nick and Nora Charles, after whom Nick and Nora, the Yorkies, are named. Here they are (Myrna Loy and William Powell)  with their dog Asta. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER NICK AND NORA are our children. No, we're not deluded. We're fully aware that they are dogs and we are humans. We know that I did not give birth to these two adorable Yorkshire terriers.  We realize they're canines -- and, dear to us as they are -- we face the fact that they will likely not live as long as we will.  Still, I call them "our final dogs," hoping they will coast gently into their dotage as we do ours. THEY ARE  not my physical offspring, but I have nurtured, raised and coddled them. Nick and Nora on a Montana ranch patio -- all eyes and ears. Nick and Nora on the desert in Phoenix. Nick and Nora are a part of our personal and professional lives, here at a writing workshop on a ranch near Harlowton. I've nursed them from the jaws of death (rattlesnake bites, grizzly bear encounters, run-ins with the gravel truck, a near fatal pit bull attack, a wheelchair run-over, a half-dozen illnesses, plus sprained legs and collapsing trachea, both common ailments of the Yorkie breed). I'VE SPENT  far more on vet bills than I have on my own medical care, and Nick and Nora have every shot and vaccination they could possibly need. Nick's awake but Nora's napping at the Omni in Los Angeles.  The hotel welcomes well behaved doggies, and offers amenities for them.  I named them after that dapper couple invented by Dashiell Hammett, of "The Thin Man," fame.  I've long admired that 1934 portrait of the elegant, crime-solving couple who tackeled mystery with martinis and wisecracks. Myrna Loy's Nora was always gorgeous and William Powell's Nick suave and debonair, even in the haze of one martini too many.  The fact that Loy was born in Helena, Montana, added to the charm. So Nick and Nora it would be. Since 2005, they've traveled the California coast with us on road trips.  They've flown back and forth between our Beartooth place in Montana and our San Diego town house.  They've visited Atlanta, Las Vegas, New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco with us, staying in dog friendly hotels, delighting other guests. Nick and Nora with Keller, here Oceanside Harbor, California. They've also sailed Mission Bay, San Diego, and elsewhere. Nick and Nora at the dog friendly Vagabond Bed and Breakfast in Carmel, California. IF THE AIRLINES  awarded miles for doggie travel, Nick and Nora would have logged over 50,000 miles each in their action-packed near decade. Except for Europe, Asia or South America, they go where we go, by plane or car. They're happy little road-trippers. We've kept track of the best of the "dog friendly" hotels we've visited and estimate that Nick and Nora have bedded down in at least 75 hotels, motels and inns, besides many relatives' homes.   They've sailed Mission Bay and San Francisco Bay with us.  When they were tiny, we smuggled them into movies. Nick, Nora (Nora's on the left) with Cookie sailing in San Diego. THEIR LOYALTY  and love are worth the weight of gold-plated Yorkie kibbles. We brush their teeth, comb their hair, talk gently to them, hoping they'll grace us with another decade of devotion. They truly are "the children" and we are humbled by their presence. Nick and Nora Charles were fabulously wealthy. Our Nick and Nora give us far more than money can ever hope to buy. Keller inspects the groundwork for a bedroom addition at friends' home. COMING UP : We're off to Cody, Wyo., to teach another workshop and sign "Lilian's Last Dance." Then we're back to rural south-central Montana for a remodeling project, one that taxes the brain and the body equally. It's a hectic, happening summer here in the Beartooths. Coming up, a "Cody connection" and construction woes and wonders at www.whereiscookie.com Remember to explore, learn and live, and visit us weekends and Wednesdays for fun travel tips and more on cruising, hotels, dining, living well and the arts.

Contented cows, here near Jacksonville, are a must for good cheese! Blue cheese and red wine -- say ahhh! WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN CHEESES -- AND WHAT A NOBLE, INTERESTING, INTERNATIONAL HISTORY HAS CHEESE Oregon's Rogue Creamery cheese has won many awards, dating to 1933. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER THE CHEESE makers were hard at work, delivering some of the best blue cheese we've ever sampled to a small tasting table. We were at the famous Rogue Creamery in Central Point, Oregon.  This pastoral part of southern Oregon boasts blossoming fruit trees, great grazing land and contented cows who share their milk with cheese lovers worldwide. Pretty cheddar wheels await packaging and enjoyment!  The Creamery is known by everyone who's lived in Oregon for any amount of time. It has the feel of a family run place and Rogue Creamery proudly draws from the beauty and flavors of Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley, from which it takes its name. THE CREAMERY  is a smoothly run, successful business, creating gourmet, hand-crafted blue cheese, cheddar and TouVelle.  The company uses certified, sustainable whole milk to make prize-winning. internationally acclaimed blue cheese. We took a drive from nearby Ashland, Oregon, where we were seeing plays.  Our visit to the creamery got us thinking about cheese and how it was "invented." YOU'VE HEARD  the story of the shepherd boy who left his milk in a cave as he hurried to escape a winter storm. When he returned the following spring, the milk in his sheep-skin flask had turned to   creamy, delicious cheese! No one knows for sure just when or where cheese making originated. The practice is related to the history of the domestication of milk-producing animals (particularly sheep) which began a mere 10,000 years ago.  The stories of the origins of cheese are as varied and rich as an array of the softest bries. Early Egyptians enjoyed cheese. Cheese making calls for sterile conditions. ALTHOUGH SHROUDED  in mystery, cheese dates to the time of the Roman Empire. Cheese making became widespread throughout Europe and the Middle East as those traveling Romans spread cheese techniques across their vast empire. Cheese is mentioned in ancient Greek mythology, and on our recent trip to Egypt, we saw Egyptian tomb murals featuring cheese makers, dating back 4,000 years. IN CHINA , yellowish chunks of the world's oldest "cheese" were discovered on the bodies of mummies buried in the Taklamakan Desert. The 3,800-year old mummies were buried with jewelry and food, as was the custom. The funereal edibles included dairy treats to enjoy in the afterlife. Scientists have deduced that the Chinese cheese was easy to make, nutritious and easily digestible. A Chinese mummy was found with cheese bits, above, and the Romans brought cheese to their vast empire.  SOME OF OUR  favorite cheeses today, though, -- cheddar, parmesan and gouda -- are the new kids on the cheese block, appearing only in the last 500 years or so. What makes good cheese? Early American cheese makers looked for fine grazing land for their cattle, places with mild climates and green grass year-round.  Thus, Oregon is a natural and several of its famous valleys feature delicious cheeses -- Tillamook has been a favorite of my Oregon family  for years, along with Rogue Creamery's offerings! SINCE THE  early 1700s, New England Puritans have been farming and making cheese. Paintings show Puritan women as artisans of cheese making, as they had been in their homeland of East Anglia in England. From the early 19th Century, cheese making in America was connected to farming. On farms along the East Coast, it was the role of farm wives to make cheese and carry on the tradition. Mild winters and early springs mean good grazing for cows. Rogue Creamery, a star in Oregon. BEFORE THE industrialization of the cheese industry, milk on the farm had to be consumed quickly or processed in some way just to help preserve it. Early settlers used the cream which floats to the top, to make butter, leaving the rest of the milk. Credit goes to the women, who did much of that work -- hauling milk, churning butter and processing of the cheese -- pioneers enormously responsible for the evolution of cheese making in America. Cheese makers keep a meticulous shop at Rogue Creamery in Central Point. Locals and tourists love visiting. Curds and whey! IF THE  shepherd boy story is true -- that cheese was discovered accidentally from storing milk in containers made from the stomachs of animals -- the enzyme rennin comes into play. Rennin is found in stomach lining and causes milk to separate into little Miss Muffet's curds and whey. The curds at Rogue Creamery are delicious, and a popular seller! Cookie pauses to meditate outside Jerusalem's  Western Wall. Three major world religions inhabit the city. COMING UP:   Easter is just around the corner, and we're taking readers with us to Jerusalem.  In this magnificent, historic and cohesive city, three major world religions exist mostly peacefully. Tell us where you'd like us to take you next! Remember to explore, learn and live.  Please share our blog with friends: www.whereiscookie.com

Economize, pack light, think layers, develop a color theme STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER You'll want clothes that look stylish but don't weigh a ton. TELLING SOMEONE  what to pack is like telling college kids what they should take for first semester. They'll wear what they want, thank you very much. The point is to take clothes that make you comfortable,  that allow you to have fun, relax and feel properly turned out -- whether for fancy occasion or casual time. THERE ARE many styles, many methods of packing. Invent your own, remembering that it's important to be able to carry your stuff. You can't always get help at the train station, the car rental, or maneuvering out of the airport. Misha Minesinger looks "picture perfect" on the West Fork of the Stillwater River, fishing for trout in "smart casual." MY SVELTE  Atlanta sister Misha travels large. She dresses up to go fishing, and she always looks like a million bucks.  She checks a big bag and hoists a large carry-on.  She's also an inveterate shopper, and has been known to buy an extra empty bag to schlep stuff home. She likes her clothes and accoutrements. Once on a trip to Europe right after my husband Bruce, died, I packed so badly it was comical.  No worries. Misha had wardrobes for both of us -- including a beach day and a formal night at the Lido! ON THE OTHER  end, my exercise pal Laurie travels light. She and her husband, John, put what they need in a pair of backpacks and have adequate clothes for a week in San Francisco or a couple weeks abroad. By Laurie's own admission, she doesn't pack baubles and silks. And she'd have to borrow opera togs. Nora is sleeping inside the carrier, but Nick is having a look around. I'M SOMEWHERE  between these two opposite examples.  I like my clothes, but I limit myself to one large check-through Pullman, and a loosely packed carry-on. When I travel with the Yorkies, Nick and Nora are my carry-on, so I've learned to economize on "stuff." For a cruise, I pack a nice formal top but I no longer haul long formal gowns and sequined shoes, and Keller doesn't take tuxedo gear anymore.  (Those formal guy tux shoes and glittery girl heels are space hogs, and the black-tie gear gets worn only two or three times on a trip.) MOST CRUISE lines and even the opera houses in Prague, Milan and Vienna no longer insist on black tie.  Ladies can blend in shipboard or at the Bolshoi with a nice little classic black dress or skirt and top with fake jewelry. My grandmother called that her "drinking and praying" outfit. For the guys, a dark blazer or sport coat and one dress shirt and tie will work for "fancy." You're set. No one cares about your shoes. True story. Add caption * BASIC THEME.  Deciding on your attire really depends on what you do when you're there. Develop a theme before you go.  Do you consider yourself  "outdoorsy, active, casual" or "formal, fancy, elaborate" -- or like me, somewhere in between.  This little self-imposed categorization will help you craft a wardrobe that won't waste precious suitcase space. If you're hiking in Scotland, Spain or Switzerland, or sunning in the Caribbean or Greek Isles, you'll need little more than casual -- cottons, denims, wash-and-wear. Throw in a pretty top and shawl for dinners out. The "layer up" edict is time honored. Start a cruise or tour morning with slacks, shirt, sweater and light jacket tossed over your arm. Strip away the lawyers as the sun warms the Earth. * GET A  color scheme going, too -- blues and greens, beiges and fall colors, etc.  Mix and match your clothing within loose color guidelines -- including scarves, jewelry, hats, sweaters and other accents. You'll save on space and economize on volume. Keller is dressed for sailing, ready to lend a hand on deck.  * I INCLUDE  a pair of jeans, a turtleneck, two capri slacks, two or three lightweight tops or blouses, a dress jacket and nice skirt as part of my "uniform."  Keller packs five or six shirts and tops for a long trip: two short sleeve, two long, a Polo and sweat shirt.   Don't forget a rain coat and hat. Add a light sweater or wrap -- crucial on ships, trains and in theaters.  And we both like pockets. * SHOES, FOOTWEAR. As mentioned, these are space hogs, so I've pared myself down to three pair.  A sturdy pair of comfy walking shoes is essential for city tours, hikes, shore excursions or a sail or boat trip.  Add a basic black pair for "fancy" or "resort casual" for dinners or brunches, theater outings, receptions. A pair of sandals, comfy loafers or slippers suffice for lounging, going to the beach, hanging out. Guys can sometimes get by with two pair -- casual for day and dressier for evening. Next Wednesday's travel tips continue with shopping hints. * UNDERWEAR, ETC.  Take just enough underwear and socks for a week and plan to find a laundry once. If you're staying with friends or family, keeping clean clothes is easy. Ships have self-wash laundries and hotels and cruises offer laundry send-out. If you can afford it, let them to do the work. On a month-long Asia tour years ago with 11 other delegates from International Women for Understanding, an attorney friend taught me to wash out blouses and undies and squeeze them inside a towel before hanging them up. They'll be dry by morning. COMING UP : What else to pack?  Copy special documents,  get rid of the non-essentials, remember vitamins and plan to buy one unique gift for yourself -- so leave room for that!  Then dining well without doubling your dress size.  Remember to explore, learn, live, and check us out Wednesdays and Saturdays at:   www.whereiscookie.com

FOX RENOVATION TOOK A LONG AND WINDING ROAD WITH A NAME CHANGE TO HONOR ALBERTA BAIR STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS from archives and BRUCE KELLER THE ALBERTA BAIR  Theater site was almost a parking lot. Or yet another bank. And Billings, Montana, did not need another bank when we set our renovation plan in motion on a cold day back in 1976. The "movers and shakers" who helped create the fund- raising effort for ABT,right. It was winter, and the heat was turned low so we met in our coats beside the silent soft-drink machine in the once grand Fox Theatre lobby. Because of the stalwart efforts of volunteers and activists -- including (full disclosure!) myself -- the 1931 building reigns as the largest performing arts center between Spokane and Minneapolis, Denver and Calgary. In the late 1970s, when we were struggling to save the building, we approach rancher-philanthropist, world traveler Alberta Bair, hoping she would contribute a large sum "Sleeping Beauty" was a big Fox hit. to an endowment with the thought that changing the theater's name might entice her. Businessman Ray Hart, surgeon Hewes Agnew, rancher Earl Rosell, hotelier Con Carter, art directors, librarians and many others helped convince Alberta that the theater should be saved -- and  carry the Bair name into its future. We volunteers successfully lobbied the Billings City Council to help us with a renovation effort. How proud  I was when the building opened with much fanfare in 1987.  Alberta contributed nearly a million dollars toward the nearly $6 million project. The late director William Ball brought his famed San Francisco acting company to Billings. Skip Lundby, actor and director, played a key role. THE BUILDING  serves an arts minded community of more than 400,000 and  was saved by the blood, sweat and tears of activists and actors and, yes, even some of those bankers who originally wanted the land for their own endeavors!  Actor Skip Lundby, who acted as the "Save the Fox" managing director for years, cooked hotdogs on the stage lights and slept in one of the dressing rooms -- a la "Phantom of the Opera," a fitting reference.  Skip directed many of the plays which raised seed money for matching funds and grants:  "I Do! I Do!", "The Fantasticks," "Promises, Promises," and a raft of others.  We produced local shows and imported many big name talents. ONE OF MY  many treasured memories of the performances I reviewed was when the late jazz pianist Dave Brubeck sold out the house in summer of 1979, urging the standing-ovation audience to "save this Marian McPartland, the late,  great jazz pianist, played the Fox. The late jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, helped turn the corner for the Fox/ABT. wonderful building." That same summer, William Ball and his recent Tony winning American Conservatory Theater did three sold-out performances in Billings.  We hosted the actors to a pitchfork fondue and became fast friends with the actors and stage hands.  We also made $20,000 profit which added momentum to our effort and encouraged donations. Bernadette Peters headlined one of the ABT's sold-out galas. Jazz pianist Marian McPartland endorsed the effort, as did Judy Collins, below, and a string of "ABT Gala" performers praised the building and preservation effort right from the stage: Bernadette Peters, Harry Belafonte,  Burt Bacharch and many others. Harry  Bela- fonte and Bair had fun.  The conversion of the 1931 building, the last of the great Fox Theaters built in the country, presented challenges, but a crack architectural effort resulted in a theater that pleases people on both sides of the curtain. Performers praise the lighting control booth, which was relocated at the rear of the main floor, and the sound control booth, which sits at the front of the balcony.   THE FRONT APRON  of the stage has its own hydraulic lift, and the orchestra pit can hold 40 musicians and their instruments.  For private events and receptions, a custom designed orchestra shell and large vinyl dance floor provide versatility. Burt Bacharach loved the venue. I remember that first fundraising production of "I Do! I Do!" and the shabby dressing rooms, paint peeling and no adequate heating for a cold winter's night of costume changing. Now, two large chorus dressing rooms and two star dressing rooms can accommodate more than 40 performers. BECAUSE OF AN  enlarged lobby space, the main staircase to the loge and balcony was moved, and is now visible beyond the main shell of the building adding style and function with via an eye-catching glass stairwell. I'm proud of my  part in the effort, and I hope Alberta is smiling down on us with pride, too! COMING UP : The Greek Isles are a magnificent get-away any time of the year! Come with us, remembering to explore, learn and live. Check us out Wednesdays and Saturdays at: www.whereiscookie.com

Corby Skinner and the writer, aka Cookie, were instrumental in the  saving and resurrection of the programming at the "old Fox", now ABT. Fox Theater's renovation to the Alberta Bair Theater is told  Egyptian and Art Deco touches marked the 1931 Fox. STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS from archives and BRUCE KELLER 'ALBERTA  dozens of venues are named after the Bair family," I pleaded. "You're the theater lover. Let's name this one after you!" It was 1980, and the "Save the Fox" campaign had been underway since 1976. This is a first-person story, because I was a "first person," if you will. One of the first to suggest, publicly, through lectures and newspaper stories, that the building be saved.  I was also the first one to write about the possibility of its name change. The 1986 renovated Fox:  the ABT.  THE FOX  Theater, built in 1931, had been a much loved movie house and performing arts center. Community Concerts used it as a forum for their world class acts: famed singers, musicians and symphony orchestras, ballet troupes and other entertainments made up a five-or six-part season. The theater was a gorgeous, Art Deco building with ornate carpets, chandeliers, curtains and adornments. People dressed up to go to the concerts, which were cultural highlights for many of us living in small towns surrounding Billings -- Roundup, Red Lodge, Big Timber, Laurel, Absarokee and more. The former Fox opened as the Alberta Bair Theater with much fanfare in 1986.  At right, famed cellist Gregor Piatagorsky, who played the Fox, and below, in 1931.  Each town had a membership chairman who sold tickets. In my hometown of Columbus, my parents,Richard and Ellen Cosgriffe, bought season tickets to Community Concerts for the family. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Cosgriffes drove the pre-freeway highway -- rain or shine, sleet or snow -- for concerts at our beloved Fox. SO WHEN I , as a young reporter, heard rumblings that the building might close, that it could be chopped up for a multi-movie complex, be razed for a banking endeavor or, worse, be leveled for a parking lot, I sprang into action. The Billings Gazette encouraged me to write editorials and news stories explaining the plight of the building, whose film clientele had dwindled with the spread of suburban movie theaters. I RESARCHED,  and reported, the building's rich history.  It hosted the famed cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, violinist Jascha Heifetz, singers Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson, trumpeter Harry Rancher, philanthropist Alberta Bair was born on the Fox site. James, Metropolitan opera stars and many jazz and classical greats. I learned that Martinsdale based traveler Alberta Bair had been born in 1895 in a brick home on the site that would host the Fox. In 1976, I organized the Fox Committee for the Performing Arts, a group of The entrance to the Fox in the 1930s. civic minded folks from the arts and culture community. Building owner Carisch Theaters had considered expanding the longtime movie house into a three-movie-theater complex, but many of us believed that the downtown needed a live performing arts hall more. WE WERE  long on ideas and enthusiasm but short on money.  We sold $500 patronships to keep the building afloat, put on plays such as "I Do! I Do!," our first Fox Committee production, in the autumn of 1977. The 1931 Billings Fox was one of the  last Fox theaters built in the nation. In the leading roles of the married couple were my late husband, Bruce Meyers, and Cathy Hansen Brown.  We made enough money to keep the utilities paid another year, and by 1978 we were producing a string of popular fundraisers -- "Grease," "The Fantasticks," "Promises, Promises," "Anthing Goes" and many more.  In 1979, the "save the Fox" endeavor attracted some movers and shakers, along with our faithful arts patrons from the museums and other music and performing groups. Jazz great Dave Brubeck helped save the Fox. COMING NEXT:   The fund-raising effort includes sell-outs for Dave Brubeck and many other big names. A corner is turned, the renovation begins and the Fox is saved -- although with a new name! What went on behind the scenes?  Remember to explore, learn and live, and check us out Wednesdays and Saturdays at: www.whereiscookie.com

This booby has his eye on the seas below, looking for a meal.  He also eyes the female booby, vying for her graces. This booby is at least as interesting as the female breast to many.   Boobies often fly in pairs, or quartets, forming little groups as they hunt. We watched these two for hours off the coast of Costa Rica. A SALUTE TO THE FUN-LOVING BOOBY:DANCER, FLYER, FISHERMAN, FAST DIVER, LOYAL FRIEND OF CRUISERS STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER WE WATCHED them for hours. No, not female-breast boobies, as a joke-cracking neighbors surmised at my e-mail proclamation: "You won't believe the boobies." His retort:  "When you mentioned boobies, I got all excited.  Then I realized you were talking about birds." But what birds.  Maybe my friend wasn't so far afield with his suggestive wisecrack because, Chuck,  boobies are sexy! They dance, they prance, they snuggle and nuzzle.  They do it all without snapping their garters, donning sleazy corsets or fancy lingerie.  They don't send roses or ply their girlfriend with expensive liquor. THEY HAVE  elaborate courtships, mate for life and some believe they enjoy sex. My kind of birds. They also soar over the seas, darting, diving, riding the drafts of cruise ships such as ours, the Legend of the Seas, a dowager of the fleet of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. The blue footed booby is light on his feet, and those famous feet move to attract a mate. Boobies were our faithful escorts through much of our journey down the western coast of Mexico and into Central and South America. This daring seabird is comfortable and abundant in many of the world's tropical waters. The perfect symmetry and grace of the booby may have inspired early day flyers, including the Wright Brothers. The brown booby, our friends in this story, is cousin to the more famous blue-footed booby known in the Galapagos and "Down Under." Our brown friend ranges as far north as the Gulf of California, and even on both coasts of the United States. Like other boobies, it feeds with spectacular plunges into the sea. "Come look at this," Keller cried one morning. He'd been watching them for nearly an hour, he said, both bird and man looking for flying fish. The first booby appeared out of nowhere, he said,  descended expertly, then boom --  plunged deep into the waters after his catch. Sometimes he devoured it -- sometimes not. Some believe the booby's soaring and diving is part of the attraction of a mate. DESPITE ITS  unfortunate name, the booby is one smart birdie. Some believe the Wright Brothers studied him! This master of the sky is patient and strong. Red-footed boobies get the booby endurance award, traveling up to 93 miles, but the brown boobies we saw followed our ship for more than 65 miles one day. The silly sounding name derives from a Spanish slang term bobo, meaning "stupid." Hungry sailors noticed these tame birds landing on board ships. Hmmmmmm.  Could they be eaten?  Indeed they were, as they're easily captured. In fact, ship-wrecked sailors, including William Bligh of the famous Bounty, caught and ate boobies to stay alive after being set adrift. DURING MATING season, boobies are are among the thousands of species of critters who gather to pair up, engage in their own special breed of flying, dancing and romancing. For my money, they're one of the most fascinating -- and sexy -- birds.  I loved being Clever writing, strong acting and interesting characters await in "Mud Blue Sky" by Moxie. in their presence for a few days. I may borrow from the booby romance ritual.  I'm practicing my footwork! DON'T MISS:   Moxie Theatre's "Mud Blue Sky" is a lively new comedy in a lively theater town.  The story is about aging flight attendants, friendship and a pot dealer who misses his prom. Witty dialogue, fine acting and sharp direction unfold with humor, pathos and insight into the human condition. All for an enriching  time at the theater. The production runs through June 8 in Cygnet's old space near UCSD in San Diego. Call 858 598-7620, www.moxietheatre.com Greece's Suda Bay War Cemetery attracts tourists worldwide.  Crete's excellent harbors played a key role in World War II.   COMING SOON:   Before we dip over to sunny Fort Lauderdale with its romantic water taxis, hip eateries and exciting nightlife, we pay homage to a Greek war cemetery, which houses the remains of thousands of Americans, Aussies, Brits and Kiwis. Our annual homage to Memorial Day, next. We're about travel advice and adventure tips, always with a sense of fun! Remember to explore, learn and live and check us out Wednesdays, weekends and as the muse dictates, at: www.whereiscookie.com