Leaving The Land

     I just finished the sequel to The Breaking Of Ezra Riley; it's called Leaving The Land. Once again John L. Moore got me all railed up. As the book started, I thought I got it all wrong. I began to think it was a PRE-quel. It turns out, John just thought you ought to get in on a little history about Ezra. True to form, you end up being caught off guard along with the star of the book. Moores' brilliant use of adjectives and deep seeded knowledge of living in Montana reel you in like a hungry spring brown chomping on a number 4 wooly bugger.  Chapter 15 ought to win an award all by itself. John takes you to church and introduces you to the Reverend of the century who is just getting started opening a can of Holy Whoop Ass and before you know it, your feet start to tappin', your shaking your palms up to the sky (Al Jolson Style) and before you can turn the page you shout AMEN BROTHER!  I got so fevered up I actually finished the chapter and immediately     e-mailed John to say simply, "chapter 15.......WOW".
     The book addresses getting older and realizing your past, good or bad, defines who you are now. What you choose to hold onto, out of hate or love , is up to you. Your past is a matter of geography only; it's simply where you've been. For Ezra, he spends his whole life dealing with his love, hate relationship with the land. He jousts his share of windmills and fights for all he is worth to make sure he never bows to the harsh labels bestowed upon him since childhood. The irony comes to light when we find this tough cowboy parked out on the prairie in his pickup. As the sun begins to set over the prairie, he pulls a giant box of crayons out from under his front seat and searches desperately through the box for the exact crayon that matches the color in the sky, that lasts only moments. He never colors, he just searches for the perfect color. God, I gotta get my own box of crayons.

Montana has so much to offer. That could be why they call it the Treasure State. It is, however, like a treasure hunt. You have to look for it. It's always there, but it won't come to you, you have to find it. If you find it in your heart first, it makes it that much easier to see with your eyes. At the end of the day, all I can say is, it ain't for everyone.