Why hello there

It's been awhile...to say the least. So thanks for sticking with me!

Things have been humming right along since last spring and here were are mid March of 2014 already! Uffda!

I just returned from a week long trip to Washington, D.C. for Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE).  Every March our organization travels to D.C. for our Legislative Conference, where we meet with leaders in government agencies, Congressional men, women, and staff, and industry partners.  You can find out more about my trip to D.C. on the Montana WIFE Facebook page and website.

Linda Newman, National WIFE VP and Montana WIFE Pres., Me! Whitney Klasna, National WIFE Beef Committee Chair and Montana WIFE VP, and new WIFE Member Maggie Nutter in Washington, D.C.

After wearing business suits and dress shoes all last week (and having to wear makeup and curl my hair...), my jeans, insulated Carharrt bibs, and Muck boots felt heavenly! Montana also welcomed me home with a few inches of heavy wet snow!

From business suits in D.C. to Muck boots in Montana.

Right now I'm in the middle of washing and repacking all of my business suits as I get ready to fly back to Washington, D.C. for another 5 day adventure! This trip will be with a new and exciting two year long leadership class focusing on agriculture and natural resources called REAL Montana! I along with 19 other leaders from Montana were selected this last summer to be a part of this program.  We meet every other month for 3 days at different locations across Montana.  Our program also includes this trip to Washington, D.C. and an international trip next January! The purpose of this program is to build a network of informed and engaged leaders to advance the agriculture and natural resource industries in Montana.  You can follow along on our adventures via our REAL Montana Facebook page!

But that's not my last trip to D.C. this spring either! Come mid-April the Wankel-clan (that's my family) will be gearing up for a big ol' Griswold style vacation back to our nation's capitol via Bozeman, MT!  I'll give you a hint...it has something to do with this guy...

"Big Mike" bronze replica of the Wankel T. Rex located at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT.

If you don't already know, my awesome mama, Kathy Wankel, discovered this giant Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1988 on the CMR surrounding Fort Peck reservoir in Montana.  After being on display at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT, the T. Rex has gotten called up to big leagues and is heading to be put on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. this April! I promise I will tell you all about how my mom came to discover this amazing creature and more in a later post...