View From The Bridge

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
2/5/14

VALENTINES DAY
Next week is the big day.  Are you prepared?  It rolls around so quickly.  Be sure to tell everyone that you love how much you love them.  Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you and know that you are loved by all at The River Press.

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
Hey Tim!  What a great picture in last week’s edition right above the View and titled View from the Bridge. I have never seen so many deer across the river and that is a classic picture.  Now you can look forward to seeing eagles in their nests in the same area next spring and summer.  The Fort Benton Realty many times told me about the eagles.  I will be happy to see them as it looks as though the eagle numbers are going down.  We used to see eagles between Carter and the 20 mile marker where the large electrical poles come into sight. Last summer we did not see a single eagle.  Have any of you who drive daily to and from Great Falls, seen any eagles?  Please let me know.

VISITING BIRDS
For weeks flocks of birds have come to our feeders mostly for breakfast.  I filled the feeders every two days and there was not a scrap of seed left.  They would come 30 and 40 at a time.  Sometimes they would stay for 15 or 20 minutes and always fly away in a flock, to the south.  For several weeks I have not seen any sign of the birds and I check often during the day.  What I think happened was that a feral cat has taken residence under out deck.  One morning several weeks ago, the cat was hiding under the lilac trees.  (Our lilacs are not bushes, they are trees.)  When I knocked on the window it ran under the deck.  One morning when I went out to fill the feeders, the cat jumped from the lilac tree in front of me and scared the wits out of me.  Another time I spotted it up in the tree.

With the latest snow, there are cat tracks all over the yard and especially under the bird feeders.  We have no sightings of the birds or the cat lately.  I believe that the birds have some sort of signal to other birds that there is danger lurking.   (As I am writing this my Sweetheart called to me to come to the window and see the cat in the yard.)

One of my friends, who offers feed to the birds, said that she does not have any visitors anymore.  She also has a heated bird bath and that has not been visited.  (I have the 60# of bird seed still in the storage box.  I surely hope that the birds come back to visit and use up the seed before I stop feeding them in May.)

C.C.P.A.
Heads up for the next Chouteau County Performing Arts performance. It will take place next Tuesday, the 11th of February at the usual time and the usual place.  Joey Pipia’s show is one that the youngsters will love and so will the adults.  Anything magic is magic and that is what his performance is all about.  Include in your plans for next week to be at the Elementary School on Tuesday evening and enjoy an evening of fun and laughter.

It is time to unwind and not think about the weather, snow and ice. It is supposed to warm up over next weekend and let us hope that is the end of it.  That takes us to almost the middle of February.  Daylight Savings Time is about three weeks away and it is 6:00 p.m. before it gets dark.  How time flies when you are having fun!

PIE DAY UPDATE
By the time you get this River Press edition, it will be two weeks to Pie Day.  I am writing about this now because of a phone call that I received a couple of weeks ago.

The phone call was about a person who wanted to buy a couple of pies and by the time she stood in line at the pie table, the pies were gone. I checked this situation with Carol Larson who writes all the activities at the Senior Center on the back of the monthly menu.  Her response was that if you want to order a pie or pies from the Senior Center, please call a week ahead of time at 622-3601 and place an order for what kind of pie you want and how many..  This has always been the case, but actually who knew, except those who frequent the Center and pick up menus (Carol, please let everyone at the Center who answers the phone about the ordering of pies.  I know that you read the View.) This procedure will help in making sure there are enough pies for those who just come in for pie and coffee.  Often customers would come in early and buy a whole pie.  I am not sure because I didn’t check it out, but it seems that that would short all sales.

I just would like to say here, how I admire the pie baking women of the Golden Age Senior Center.  Most of them are widows and they use their own funds to purchase ingredients for the pies.  It is a labor of love for this fund raiser.  I really appreciate Pie Day because I am no longer able to bake and I really look forward to that piece of pie and unlimited cups of coffee once a month.  I like to call you women who bake, “Pie Angels.”  That surely fits the description.  Tell them a big thank-you the next time you go for pie on the 21st of February.

TRIVIA
Under Science and Nature there are many questions about cows. Questions like how many are there in the state, popular brands, cow capital of the world, largest steer, and on and on.  The one I thought was interesting follows.  Q.  “Approximately how much time does a cow spend eating each day?”  Women readers, compare the answer below with the time that you spend in the kitchen preparing meals.

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

A.  Six and one half hours, consuming 25# of hay and 10 gallons of water daily.