I do not own Big Eden.

I do love revisiting it every so often. :)

The Perfect Powder Day

The second Henry Hart wakes up, he knows it.

He feels it.

One look out the window of Sampa's, uh, his, house, confirms it.

It is the perfect Montana Powder Day.

"Pike, Pike, wake up. You gotta see this."

". . . ook at that, it's just perfect, I mean, honestly-"

Pike Dexter would be perfectly content to sit on the porch with Frances, cup of cappuccino in one hand, maybe hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Bundled up and cozy.

Watch the snow-blanketed world slowly turn.

Or maybe even enjoying the warmth and caress of the man he loves against the deep winter's chill.

On another day, so would Henry Hart.

But apparently, . . ..

". . . rockhounding . . . but that's really more of a summer thing . . ."

. .. the spirit of boyishness has taken over him.

". . . shed hunting . . . but it's really better around March . . ."

And he's ready and rarin'.

To get out in this winter wonderland.

And . . .

". . . oh oh oh, Pike, Pike, I've got it, I've got it!"

. . . play.

Uh, Henry?

A bunch of hicks from Big Eden aren't going to spend money on fancy ski gear.

Maybe snow shoes for traipsing out ice fishing.

Most of them only bust out their snowmobiles for real emergencies.

But everybody's got . . .

". . . truck!"

"It's, uh, it needs an oil change."

"I don't remember the light being on the last time we went driving . . . oh, I know!"

Leave it to the powder day-exuberant Henry Hart . . .

"Uh, Henry-"

"- it easy, Pike."

. . . to round up the Seven Dwarves so quickly.

"Uh, Henry-"

"Just hold on tight-"

"Uh, Henry-"

"-and don't let go!"

"I don't-"

"Fullbright, you ready?"

Even Lloyd's . . .

"Yep, just give the signal!"

. . . put down his book.

And they've drawn quite a crowd . . .

"- laugh, Grace Cornwell, you're next!"

"Oh, no, don't mind me, Henry Hart. I'm just fine right here. Somebody has to watch after the children."

. . . there in front of the General Store.

"What children? The students are at lunch."

"Those aren't the children I'm talking about."

Of course, it is a small town.

"Uh, Henry?"

And schoolteachers know when to just observe.

"Alright, Fullbright,-"

"Henry-"

"-step on it!"

And mind the chaos.

Hooky-bobbing is a uniquely monikered Montana pasttime.

"Ouch-"

Engaged in by daredevils, innocents.

"Does it hurt, Pike?"

And idiots.

"A'course it hurts, Byrd! Why'd you ask him that for, obviously it hurts-"

It goes by other names as well.

"Well, ya dont have to be so mean about it, Jim, I's just asking after my friend-"

And is played anywhere snow and ice and dunderheads . . .

"Ouch-"

. . . and the people who love them . . .

"I'm sorry, Pike. I thought you had a good grip on it. And that hill's not usually that slippery-"

. . . can be found.

"Here, rub this onion on his arm!"

"Widow Thayer, why in the world would we rub an onion on his arm?"

"It'll take down the swelling!"

They wrap his arm tight, secure it to his chest.

"- okay?"

"Yes."

"Good, because we're out of bandages. Henry, he's such a big boy-"

"Dick-"

"What'd I say?"

And then Henry and Jim drive him to the urgent care in the next town over.

"We don't need the whole gang, there ain't enough room in the truck-"

"Well, I'm not hanging on to the back, that's just silly, sorry, Pike-"

And the nurse has to stop . . .

"-no animals allowed in the ER, sir-"

"Please, she's very well trained, ma'am, she's his emotional support animal . . ."

. . . Frances from worredly licking his face.

And on the way home, . . .

"You know what'll fix him up real nice and tidy? Make him feel all better?"

. . . a mischievous Jim Soames tries to find Pike Dexter's . . .

"Some good old Rocky Mountain Oysters!"

. . . hooky-bobbing, Montana . . .

"Henry-"

. . . appetite.

They're going to sleep that night, cuddled all comfortable and warm together.

Well, as comfortable as Pike Dexter can be with his sprained wrist propped up on a pillow for elevation, scrapes and scratches all disinfected and medicated and band-aided.

He's gonna be sore in the morning.

May have to move slow around the store for a few days.

Take some aspirin here and there.

But . . .

Henry was right.

. . . it had been the perfect Montana powder day.

This inspiration comes from, of course, our beloved Big Eden gang.

And a YouTuber named Ben Brainard and his "Montana Joins The Table" video. One of many hilarious, informative videos he produces.

No, he's not paying me to say this. I just love his vids.

So to clarify, in case you're interested, hooky-bobbing is when you hold on to the back of a truck or other vehicle and they pull you.

Pretty sure everyone does this stuff everywhere. My crush in college did it down a hill in the summer on rollerblades without any pads or anything. Then I drove him to the ER where they dug gravel and glass out of his knee without painkillers.

Fun.

Anyway, shed hunting is hunting for antlers shed by elk, moose, etc in the spring.

And rockhounding is searching for rocks.

Widow Thayer was sort of right, rubbing onions will take sweeling down, usually on insect stings.

So she tried.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this lil bit of fluff and sorry for the lengthy exposition.

Thanks for reading!

Everyone appreciates feedback. Leave a review if you like.

:)