A Montana Rainbow

They enchant us and symbolize hope. They spark memories of childhood fantasies.

This glowing rainbow delighted me on our way home to Kalispell from Lake Como in June of 2005.

We had taken a trip down to the Bitterroot Valley to see the campground where we had stayed a few months earlier as newbies to Montana.

Before moving to Kalispell, I thought we would live in the Bitterroot. It’s the region I had researched and it looked inviting. We planned on selling microdrilling attachments online. A company named Millmate of Corvallis had a nice ring to it. The Bitterroot Valley lies south of Missoula in what is known as the banana belt. It seemed a good place for Southerners to set down roots. The area’s natural beauty captivated Lewis and Clark; I wanted mountain scenery and to live in rural Montana.

Trapper Peak in the Bitterroot Range of Montana

I felt satisfied after our visit to the Bitterroot Valley. It was on our drive north to Kalispell that I saw the rainbow. It lit up the sky in vibrant western fashion. What did it mean? Was it a sign of good luck? I tried to capture its essence in a photograph.

I have read that we each see rainbows in a different way. Considering we each view the world through the lens of our experience, this comes as no surprise.

Perhaps there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, if only we open our eyes and see it.

My son-in-law turned me on to this video meme about one man’s overly emotional double rainbow experience. If you haven’t seen it, check it out.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day 

Marlene