View From The Bridge

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
12/26/13

HAPPY NEW YEAR
What challenges will 2014 bring?  Hopefully it will be solutions to not only our own problems but those of the country and the world.  A little bit of understanding and kindness would go a long way.  I used to write a long while ago, “Do a good deed a day.”  Let’s make it a New Year’s resolution.  Yes, it is difficult but if it makes one person smile, it is important.  Let’s give it a try.

MY FAVORITE DAY
It got past me last week to mention my favorite day.  The 22nd of December is a day to celebrate because from now on the days are getting longer.  We are in the dead of winter with its snow, ice, and low temperatures, so the thought of the sun being with us a little longer each day makes me happy.  I know that many of you feel the same because the subject comes up in conversion often.  Each morning it is enjoyable to see how many more minutes the day allows us.

I do realize that there are two more months of hard winter but thoughts of spring take over.  With time flying the way it is, I think we can handle whatever Mother Nature hands out.  Think Spring.

ROBINS
Thanksgiving week, Dottie Meehan was pulling into her driveway when she saw a robin on her Crabapple tree.  She believed her eyes when a second robin flew into the tree.  Then again on the coldest day of the year, she stepped onto her porch to retrieve her newspaper when, she heard a robin.  Sure enough, there it was in the Crabapple tree.  The tree is planted between the sidewalk and the street.  On December 19th Dottie saw four robins in the same tree.

The robins seem to be hanging around the 17th and 18th blocks of Franklin.  Beverly Grass, who lives a half block from Dottie, witnessed three robins on the ground enjoying bird seed cast off the feeders hanging on her front porch.  I also saw a single robin in my lilac tree recently in addition to a baby woodpecker that stayed in the lilac trees for several minutes.  I met John Cloepfil, who is a bird expert, and he said that he had not seen any robins.  Has anyone else out there seen any robins?  Let me know.

An article, I read recently, said that robins do stay in Montana during cold weather.  It seems they have adapted to the cold and like staying in our beautiful state.

KIDDO’S CHRISTMAS LETTERS
What fun reading all those Christmas letters from the children.  Our River Press does such a great job not only with those letters but the Veterans supplement, all sports coverage, City Council, County Commissioners meetings, and on and on.  It is one of our small town treasurers.  Kudos to you River Press.

Have you been by the new location yet?  I know that they would be happy to see you.  Their “new digs,” are so much like a newspaper office should look like.  Do drop in and say hello.

TRIVIA
Last week I chose a question about Makoshika State Park?  Several people asked me where the park is because they have never heard of it.  I checked my Montana map and found it is in a badlands area east of Glendive and consists of 8,834 acres.   (When I checked on the inter-net, it said that there were over 11,000 acres.)  There is a campground there and a dinosaur museum.  Sounds like a great place to check out if you are one of those persons who “Gets Lost in Montana.”

Today’s Q. “How many people visit Makoshika State Park every year?  A. Below.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS and WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS.


A.  40,000 people visit the park every year.  (That is a whole lot of people.  I’d like to invite them to Fort Benton.)