View From The Bridge 9/4/13

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
9/4/13

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
I had seen the Longhorns practicing many times as I passed by the football field.  Although the weather was not football weather, it still seemed time to get started.  Did I get to see my favorite high school team play their first game?  No!  Blood is thicker than water and I went to Spokane, WA for my grandson Bryan’s first Carroll College game of the season.  The rest of my family did go to the Longhorn game and actually called me when the game ended.  My positive thoughts go out to the team and think about how tough it was to play a powerful team like Power, Dutton, Brady your first game of the year.  Better luck next week.  Good job to the Cheerleaders and the Band.  You make the game so much more exciting.  All of you…keep up the good work and do the best your can do.

My guys also enjoyed their first “great hamburger” of the season.  That particular item is one that is high on the priority list.  (Note:  by the time football and basketball season’s are over, I do not want to see another hamburger or nacho until the next season in September of 2014.  (Just a joke Longhorns, Chefs and Fans.)

WHO KNEW?
An interesting item came from the Visitors Information Center on my shift Tuesday, August 27th.  There was a note on the desk that read something like this, “Does anyone know of someone in Geraldine who would take a photo of a certain gravesite?”  I called Hank Armstrong because he lives in Geraldine and he is very knowledgeable about his town, but he was out of town.  I then was told to call Kim Owen who said she would be happy to take care of the matter.
 
Hank returned my call this morning (Monday,) and I told him that the phone request had been taken care of.  During our conversation came up the, “Who Knew?”  Hank said that there is a web-site that has the cemeteries listed and you can find any grave site with photos.  These photos were taken by volunteers and they have covered most of the cemeteries in the United States.  I did not go any further with it and there may be much more material to be found.

You all must know that my computer and I do not get along.  Perhaps because I was out of town for those few days, I gave it a rest.  Anyway, it was very good to me today.  I put into Search, gravelocatoringeraldine,mt and lo and behold…up it came as clear as a bell.  I than dared to go a bit further and did another search.  I typed in gravelocatorinriversidecemetery,fortbenton,mt and up it came.  A picture of the Gazebo with the sites listed by name alphabetically was on the first page.   When you reach the web site, you can put in the name of a loved one and a photo of that gravesite will come up. 

This is hear-say but I was told that you can join, (for free,) and be able to get a photo of the site.  Sounds like a wonderful deal to me for those who are not fortunate enough to live in Montana.   I hope that this is all news to you and that you are not all bored by reading about cemetery sites.  Now I know everything I wanted to know about how many boards there on The Old Bridge and how to find a cemetery site on the inter-net.  What next?


HOBBIES & COLLECTIONS
This week I would like to write about a man who has a fascinating hobby.  We all know about Wayne Hampton and his crafting musical instruments.  Have you all seen the PBS Backroads of Montana segment about him?  If not, it is aired often on PBS.
 
However:  the person I know is a carpenter.  It was brought to my attention because he recently crafted several items for The Old Fort Benton.  I went to visit The Old Fort Benton twice a couple of weeks ago, (with a grandchild and then again with two great-grandchildren,) to check out the items he had just completed.  Both items are not your modern rake or wheelbarrow.  No, you have to go way back to the 1880”s.  The rake is wooden and large.  It is being kept in The Blacksmith Shop.  The wheelbarrow sits just outside of The Trading Post building and is also made of wood.  It is unlike any wheelbarrow you have ever seen.  It is very large and is flat in the back but curves up in the front. Those pioneers had to be very strong to maneuver those barrows around.

Make a trip to The Old Fort Benton to see these two pieces that were the work of Cal Nelson, a true craftsman.  He not only creates treasures out of wood but his hobby is collecting old woodworking tools.  Wally and I enjoy seeing most of the old tools he has collected from everywhere…garage sales, antique stores, and E-Bay.  I admire a carpenter.  My grandfather was a master carpenter in Hungary.  I have always loved wood and loved my grandfather’s work shop.  As a small child, I used to use the curls of wood he planed off, as curls in my hair.  What fun and a happy memory.

The River and Plains appreciated Cal’s new editions to The Old Fort Benton.  Wonder what the next thing will be?  Perhaps it would be one of those wooden things that they put people’s heads in for punishment.  Know anyone you would like to put in one of those?  If you know of someone with an interesting hobby or collection, let me know.  I have several in mind, but can always use more information.

MT – LOVE IT OR LEAVE
#6.  We open doors for women…all women…regardless of age.
GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, and WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS.