One day at the Bismarck Farmers market, maybe two years ago, someone stopped by with a tee shirt that read, “Don’t make me go Beth Dutton on you.”
“Who’s Beth Dutton?” I said.
Simultaneously, my daughter and the customer both said, “Yellowstone.”
Okay, I bit. I love westerns, and they don’t make them as often as they used to. I also love Kevin Costner—always have. I love his award-winning movies, too, but I especially love apocalyptic ones like Water World and The Postman. Then there’s Dances with Wolves. Be still my heart.
When the first four seasons were available on Peacock, I decided to see what I was missing. The series showed a modern-day ranch with a big smack of violence—i.e., the train station. I was astonished at the number of murders that no one seemed to investigate or get in trouble for.
Then there’s Beth Dutton. Wow. The first two seasons led me to believe she was a troubled woman who desperately needed to stop drinking and get help. Watching Beth Dutton in action made me question the tee shirts and other swag from the show promoting her bad behavior. She’s an intelligent businesswoman, but I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of that tough lady.
The plot revolves around the impending loss of a ranch in Montana that Costner (John Dutton) holds with stubborn determination in his possession and heart. He staves off development and cherishes what Montana offers in its natural beauty. He promised his father never to sell the land and continues to find creative ways out of the rancher’s debt experienced by many today.
Development happens, and I, too, hate to see the farmland around me turned into housing developments, which brings me to two endearing statements made by Beth Dutton. As some of you know, I am still Swedish Death Cleaning, or at least thinking about it. It’s been immensely satisfying, and I don’t know why I kept most of the things I am now distributing to the outside world and the fire pit. Of course, my children do not want anything.
That brings me to the first thing Beth said that struck a chord in my soul. “Dad, people don’t value what you value anymore.”
Sad, but true. And the realization has finally set in. Again, my children do not want anything more to clutter up their lives.
Along the lines of what I value. I am fortunate to live with wildlife. In addition to the beauty of ocean-like waves of snow drifts in the surrounding fields, we walk to the mailbox daily with turkeys, deer, pheasant, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, and whatever birds decide to stay behind. These things enrich my life beyond everything except my children and grandchildren.
This thought brings me to Beth’s second statement, “The things I love and find most beautiful I like to keep to myself.”
These days, with the C word ever on my mind, walking outdoors or standing in front of a window, I drink in the beauty, observe the nature of the wildlife, and count my blessings. Beth’s statement made me feel not selfish about NOT taking photos and sharing them on social media. I have words to share, but stopped looking at life through the camera lens about three years ago.
Words and photos cannot express the feelings I share with the Duttons as they try to hold on to what they value in the land, of the land.
The land, as far as my eyes can see, has so many new lights on the horizon that it makes me sad. I mourn for the days of my youth and the simplistic life we led—the darkness, the quiet, no screens.
In the final season of Yellowstone, the Duttons lost the ranch. It fulfilled the prophecy of the character Spotted Eagle in 1883, who said the land would return to the tribe in seven generations. So it did.
(CONTINUED NEXT WEEK)
INDYchildrendotme 
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