by Beth Britton, Great Falls Tribune

UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT — Just minutes after slipping our canoe into the Missouri River at Coal Banks Landing last week, my brother and I were treated to a cacophony of Mother Nature's best music.

Cottonwood trees sang in the light breeze, an occasional fish splashed near the boat and birds quacked and chirped from nearby trees and coulees.

Dragonflies of all sizes and colors landed buzzing on the bow, hitching a ride for a while and giving me the opportunity to study them up close.

Especially surprising to me, however, were the rhythmic, almost motor-like sounds produced by pelican wings as the great birds soared directly over our heads. There was no other sound to muffle the creatures, and I felt privileged to sit quietly on the water, close my eyes briefly and listen to the light "vroom vroom vroom" as they flew by.

These are the kinds of sounds we in the modern world so rarely get to hear, and it's one of the reasons for choosing to travel to the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.