Often made of bentonite clay, this stuff turns slicker than goose poop after a rainstorm.
“Some Eastern Montanans use the term gumbo and bentonite interchangeably,” according to the Billings Gazette. “But bentonite is a specific slick, sticky form of clay with its own unique chemical makeup… Bentonite comes from volcanic ash that dates back 100 million years or more. The ash settled in a vast inland sea and underwent specific chemical changes.”
Teri Ness, of the June crew, recently sent in the following poems about life this season on the Reserve.
Crouching in a coulee
rain pouring down
hail mingling in
water trickling under your gators
filling up your socks
Lightning flashes
splitting the sky
You should be afraid
even crouching you’re still tall
But each flash of light
and beat of thunder
courses through your veins
Making you feel alive
Gumbo Man. Photo by Rachel Herring
Gumbo = rain + clay + bentonite
Gumbo = 20 extra pounds on your feet
Gumbo = slipping and sliding and fright
Gumbo = no driving
Gooey
Unpredictable
Mucky
Backseat
Oh, God!