Tuesday, January 28, 2014

View From The Bridge 1/29/14

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
1/29/14

SOUND OF MUSIC
Were you able to spend the day on Saturday at the Fort Benton Elementary School?  There was every type of music, toe tapping, sing-a-long, humming, laughter, many memorable moments, and even some tears.  From 8:30 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. the day was filled with all of the above.

I am totally amazed at how these consortiums can be and are put together.  The schedule right down to the minutes is akin to a space shuttle taking off.  The set-ups between performances were a lesson in organization.

Now the most difficult part begins.  How to choose seven (7) great acts from the seventeen (17) that were showcased is mind boggling. I am happy it is not my choice because it will be a most difficult one. The Chouteau County Performing Arts committee is the choice maker and I wish them the best of time and finances.  I know that they will do a superb job as they have for many years.  It seems to me that it gets better and better every year.  I remember back some years ago when we only had four (4) or five (5) shows at the most.  The last few years there have been eight (8) shows.  It cannot get much better than that, as you can hardly go to a show in Great Falls for the $40.00 fee that is charged for the entire Chouteau County Performing Arts season.

And so, it is over for another year in Fort Benton and they move on next year to Great Falls.  “I do not know how long I will live but I will never have a finer day.”  I have a story about that quote that I will tell you below.

“And a good time was had by all.”  (A story for another time Lisa.)

THE CHRIS BALFOUR STORY
Many years ago, Wally’s daughter Darcy, her husband Glenn, and baby son Whitney, came to Fort Benton with a group of Eskimo children.  At that time they were teaching in Alaska.

One of the boys, Chris who was 12 years old, wanted desperately to see a rattlesnake.  It was arranged that Chris go with Wally on his rural mail route where Wally often saw rattlers on the road.  They went through most of the route and had not seen anything on the road.  Chris was very anxious and kept asking Wally if he thought they would see a snake.  Wally said that there was one more place that they would stop where there was a rock pile near the end of the route.

Sure enough, when they poked around the rocks, Chris said that he heard some rattling.  Wally lifted a rock and sure enough, there was a rattler.  Chris was beside himself and ran back to the mail truck for the BB gun.  Wally dispatched the token and at that point Chris said. “I don’t know how long I will live but I will never have a finer day.”

When they arrived back at the house, the snake was cleaned and stretched onto a board.  Chris was promised the snake skin that he wanted to use to make a belt.  Wally also gave Chris the BB gun.  Chris was never heard from again.  Darcy said that he came from a broken home.  All these years we have hoped that one day the doorbell would ring and there would stand Chris Balfour.  He would be about 40 years old and we wonder how his life turned out.  We tried finding him but to no avail.  You are out there somewhere Chris, and do you still have your rattlesnake belt?

WOLF MOON
I cannot believe that I found it on the internet my first try.  However, I did not find out the explanations.  Too much reading for my eyes.  January’s moon is indeed called the Wolf moon.  In addition it is called the Old Moon After Yule, Moon of Frost in the Frost in the Tepee, and Ice Moon  They all seem to be Native American names and rightly so.  I’ll keep you posted in February on other names given to that Moon.

BASKETBALL
We have not been able to attend very many games this season as in the past when we never missed one. However, we follow your ups and downs in the River Press   Thank you Bethany for keeping us so well informed.

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