Storm clouds along Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front. Photo by Jeff Rice.
I am happy to announce that a proposal I led has been funded by Humanities Montana. “The Wind from Eden: Montana Weather Stories” is sponsored by Montana State University and will look at the influence of weather on the historic ranching culture of central Montana. It started as a series of recording trips I took several years ago and has blossomed into a full-blown podcast. The five-part series is inspired by the writings of Ivan Doig, who coined the phrase “the wind from Eden” to describe the warm Chinook winds that occasionally blow into the region, turning winter into shirtsleeve weather. We will focus on a time in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s before satellite weather forecasting, when ranching life meant a constant reckoning with natural forces. Production starts this month and the series is scheduled to air in February 2021.