For the second year in a row, Flathead Lake Lodge is working with HopeKids to welcome critically ill children and their families to the ranch to experience what life is like the way its meant to be — soaking up Montana, running free on our 2,000 acres and creating family memories that will last forever. To help bring this year’s Week of Hope event to life, we’re utilizing one of our most-loved ranch traditions: MOUSE RACES.
To support a Week of Hope, vote for Mouse of the Year.
Without further ado, meet the mice.
1. Julius Cheeser. Don’t confuse him with the mouse who has a salad named after him–that’s his biggest pet peeve and that guy didn’t single-pawedly build the Bigfork Empire. Grab your bowl of white cheddar popcorn because his story is one of tragedy, but he doesn’t know that yet. There are whispers of conspiracy amongst the BigFork Mouse-ators to end Cheeser’s life. He’s participating in the Mouse Race to bring honor to BigFork and prove his power over the Empire. Given the magnitude of the race, some believe he is focusing on the wrong things and it will ultimately be his downfall, akin to fiddling while Bigfork burns.
2. Fievel. Much like his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather in 1885, Fievel came West in search of a place with more room to roam and space to explore. He hitched a ride as a stowaway on the Nor’Easter, one of Flathead Lake Lodge’s 51-foot Q-class racing sloops, and has been here ever since. He lives a quiet life and spends much of his time tidying up the boat barn, helping Chef Rob weed the herb gardens and has even been known to help Captain Scott with boat maintenance. With steady legs on land and sea, Fievel just may be the mouse to beat.
3. Mouserella. You know the story, it’s a tail as old as time. Mouserella is always cleaning up after her evil step-mouse-sisters. Her fairy godhamster grants Mouserella’s wish of attending the prince’s ball and transforms her plain hamster ball into a sparkly one fit for a princess mouse! When the clock strikes midnight, Mouserella scurries down the steps leaving behind one tiny glass mouse slipper on the steps to be found by her one true prince. Little does the prince know that he will have to make his way to the beautiful shores of Flathead Lake to find his princess as she trains for the big race! You have seen her speed as she tries to beat the clock, Mouserella is looked upon as the dark-mouse of the race.
4. Bugsy. Found in cabin one, Bugsy was appropriately named for one of the ranch’s first guests, Bugsy Siegel. One of the founders of modern-day Las Vegas, Bugsy (and his girlfriend Virginia Hill) stayed in cabin one in the mid 1940s when he was on the run from the FBI. Living up to his namesake, Bugsy can be found at the barn hustling the horses and placing bets on which lodge guest team will win the team penning activity on Friday nights in the arena. He’s scrappy, smart and handsome, and the odds always seem to be in his favor.
5. Boba Feta. Tired of fighting Galactic civil wars and feeling like he was stuck on the bounty hunter hamster wheel, Boba has churned his focus to mentoring the next generation of bounty hunters in the mountains of Montana. Feta is a loner so not much is known about him but some with inside knowledge say he has a sharp turn of speed and was even seen participating in the Spartan race as a warm up for the great mouse race. If you can muenster enough courage he might be a gouda bet and worth putting a few dollars on for the big race.
From our extended Flathead Lake Lodge family to you, thank you for being part of a Week of Hope.
Please join us by voting on Mouse of the Year. Voting ends Thursday, August 19.
Happy voting and bidding,
-Chase