View From The Bridge 3/26/14

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
3/26/14

WINTER and SPRING
I think that winter forgot that it was supposed to leave and spring forgot that it was supposed to arrive. What a Christmas snow surprise we had on the 20th.  It began after dark, snowed all night long and until about noon the next day.  I was up every hour during the night and watched it accumulating higher and higher.  The only plus part of the whole thing was how beautiful everything looked.

I had filled the bird feeders the day before and it was fun to watch them fly into the lilac trees and the snow would go drifting down to the ground.  Winter Wonderland.  The weather future doesn’t look much like a warm up soon but it is bound to happen.  We just have to be patient.

SEA OF RED
For quite a few years I have been interested in the Support the Troops-Wear Red on Fridays.  I saw a few people in town who wore red on Fridays but it never really caught on. This program was not my idea.  It is a National program and it was begun years ago.

Now the program in Fort Benton has taken off like Gang Busters thanks to two energetic, dedicated, fireballs who took it upon themselves to give a little push and shove to the program.  Diane Jones worked with me to get the Vietnam Wall here to Fort Benton.  If you remember that program fell through when the Mayor of Great Falls booked the Wall a week after us had it scheduled.  Great Falls received a $10,000.00 donation from the V.F.W. in Great Falls for the program.  Fort Benton would have had to raise the money ourselves. We could not compete.

B.J. Macintosh was a Veterans Photo program savior when I could no longer work on it.  She kept all the records, the hanging of pictures at the Sunrise Bluffs, the Bio books, and on and on.   I hope that you all have visited the Bluffs and have written your name in the journal book.

Diane and I decided that we would order 50 shirts to start with.  Diane came up with Support the Troops design on the front of the shirts. When Diane ordered the shirts, a deal was made.  We could get a better price if we ordered 144 shirts.  Diane went with that, wondering all the time if they would all sell.  Well, she made them sell with B. J’s help.  They went to the Missouri River Medical Center, the First Security Bank, and many businesses.  A week after the shirts were picked up, they were sold out and another 144 shirts are being ordered.  One family is having a family reunion and ordered 45 shirts.

So at last, I can see a Sea of Red around Fort Benton.  We will be showing our support for those men and women who are putting their lives on the line to keep us safe.

And last but not least is where the money is going from the sale of these t-shirts.  All the profits go to the program that sends Veterans to Washington, D.C.  There were three Vets from Fort Benton that recently who took advantage of that program.
GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, and WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS.

C.C.P.A. 
I knew that the Trio Voronezh was going to be the best because I saw them at the Consortium last year in Great Falls.  Well, they were everything that I remembered and it was a most entertaining evening.  Everyone that I spoke to said that they thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

So quickly the season has passed and the next performance will be the final of the year.  Wylie Gustafson is yodeler and I so love that and cowboy singing.  Do not miss this performance and I’ll see you there.

TRIVIA
As I do each category each week, I think that the one I am working on is my favorite.  This week is Science and Nature and I really enjoyed picking the question.  A.  What is the only other state whose average daily wind speed tops Montana’s wind speed of 12.7 mph.  A.  Below

FAREWELL
As you will read in the obituaries, my Sweetheart Wally went across the wide Missouri on Monday.  It was very quick and he did not suffer. We had a wonderful day on Sunday and the end began about 6:00 p.m. that evening.  Our amazing Hospice Nurse Nancy LaChapelle and son Randy stayed with me all night and into the next early afternoon when the end came.

Wally lived his entire life in Fort Benton except for a short time in Oregon and his time in the Marin Corps. He was asked by his 1941 Classmates why he never left Fort Benton.  His reply was because there won’t any better place in the world.

I probably won’t be writing the “View” for a couple of weeks.  I need to get my life adjusted.  I will miss you and hope that you will be missing me.  So long for now.


A.  Wyoming with 12.9 mph.