Hello Flathead Valley.

Glad to be back.

I am the new reporter at the Bigfork Eagle and West Shore News.

For those who don’t know or remember, I formerly worked at the Daily Inter Lake for a year (2010-11), although I lived in the Bigfork area at the time.

I have been trying to get back to the Flathead Valley for some time and have taken advantage of the opportunity afforded me.

I missed the beautiful mountains, pine trees, awesome lake views, low humidity and relatively low population that Flathead County offers. I am looking forward to many hikes and photos.

I grew up in rural eastern Ohio some 65 miles west of Pittsburgh in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, so the paper now has two employees with roots in the Mid-West (Editor Matt Naber hails from southeast Iowa).

I went to college at the University of Montana for two and one-half years (1989-91), so this will be my third stint in Big Sky Country.

There is nowhere else in the grand ole U.S. of A. that I would rather live than in northwest Montana and Bigfork in particular.

Sure, folks complain about the cold winters, but I often reply, “It keeps the population down.” A blessing in disguise I would say.

Bigfork has an eclectic mix of folks ranging from the more rough-hewn native Montanans to the more upscale and trendy crowd to everything in between. All have their pluses and minuses, but generally speaking, I enjoy the benefits offered by our wide range of folks. It helps keep life interesting. I believe that most have a common love for the beauty that surrounds us, and a desire to conserve what God has blessed us with.

Sports, politics and religion are some of my passions, and I will probably delve into some of these themes in future columns, which will likely rotate with those of my co-worker.

A traditionalist by nature and upbringing and a lover of history — that was my college major after all — I enjoy digging into the past, with its many lessons and tales.

I look forward to buildling memories in the valley as we walk forward in this endeavour called life.