View From The Bridge 1/7/15

VIEW from the BRIDGE
by Muncie
1/7/15

WERE YOU WONDERING?
Conversations around town are centered on the question, “Is this winter going to be worse than last year?” The answer has been very obvious the past week or so. As I sit by my computer window, the same scene is as it was last Sunday, snow, snow and more snow.

My Snow Angel has cleared the walks more than enough times already and the interesting thing is about brushing off the vehicle  I have left the house only a couple of times last week. (I have cabin fever big time.) The truck doors were frozen shut several times and the windshield wipers as well. The snow was cleared from the windshield but each time I looked out it was covered again. I am telling those of you that do not have a garage because you understand. You also sympathize, I am sure.

Oh well, how many times I have said that I love the four seasons. Perhaps I love three more than the one other. It is great looking out the window as long as you do not have to go somewhere or be somewhere. Am I getting any projects updated? Not when I sit and stare out the window. Ah!  I think it just stopped snowing again. Oh, it just started again.

BASKETBALL
I reported the games as taking place on Friday last week but Tim caught the error and printed the correct day. If I had shown up on Friday at least I would have found a good parking space. As it was on Saturday, I jokingly told the ticket taker that I had to drive home, park in my driveway, and walk to the high school.

As I walked toward the school, my son Randy was walking toward me to walk me to the doorways. He saw a deer run behind me and when I turned another ran across the road.   I have heard many stories about deer in town. I have found droppings only once in my yard but my next door neighbor, Linda, said that one day when she let her dog out the back door; there was a 4-point deer by her deck. As the dog was barking at him, he jumped the fence into the yard next door. Her neighbor said that there were often 4 or 5 deer, which had jumped the fence, many times during the summer and fall months to raid their garden. They have beautiful flowers all around their yard and a veggie garden in the back. Is it time for another harvest?

I parked two blocks away and it was snowing going into the school and snowing when I came out. It was pleasant because the wind was not blowing.

As for the parking situation, everyone from Geraldine must have been at the game as well as a good crowd from Conrad. I am sure that the games will be covered in another section of the River Press and I just wanted to comment on the crowd. Many of the fans that surrounded us had been sitting there since 3:00 p.m. That is a whole lot of sitting but did give them a chance at half time and breaks between the games to hit the concession stands.

Because of the crowd, the concession lines were long but no one seemed to mind because they visited with friends they had not seen much of lately. (I tried my, “Age before Beauty,” line but no one seemed to pay attention. It was fun anyway and worth the wait for my long awaited hamburger. I always have taken my own onion but unfortunately since I do not cook anymore, I had to stop at the Price Rite to buy one.)

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.  Next week my “Destination Driver Angel,” is taking me to Box Elder. They won the State Championship last year so it will be a very interesting game. The Champions, Box Elder, lost their game to Highwood last Friday night. I phoned Box Elder for the information but the man that answered did not know the score. (I don’t think he wanted to tell me.) What an exciting game that must have been.) As in every sport, you really do not know the outcome until it is over.

The Longhorn Band did a great job. My other observance was…where are the Cheerleaders?

AROUND TOWN
There is so much going on as far as events and meetings are, so check the River Press Community Calendar so you do not miss anything. Take the time out to enjoy the entertainment events, Bingo, and enjoying a meal out. With the holidays being over, the high energy level may have been played out. You need a boost and Fort Benton has just enough to keep you occupied. I really appreciate the Community Calendar and I wish more organizations, businesses, and residents would take advantage and that we would not have two events on the same day or evening. That is a problem at times.

PIE DAY
I know that it doesn’t seem possible but yes, Pie Day is on Friday the 9th. The Golden Age Senior Center has moved Pie Day back to the regular schedule of the second Friday of the month. (Last month it was changed to the 3rd Friday of the month because the week before they had a Cookie Walk. Baking for the Cookie Walk and Pie Day in one week was a little much. As a result they changed it.) Because New Year’s Day was on Thursday, the following day  was the 1st Friday of the month and the 9th the second Friday  I am explaining this because I am trying to keep my own schedule straight and I am putting it on my calendar right now. Confusion reigns. See you there.

MONTANA
Here we go again with “The 50 Things You Didn’t Know About Montana.” I am lovin’ them.

25. Montana has more one room schoolhouses, about 90, than any other state in the country.

26. Montana has more than 29,000 family farms and rancher covering 68% of the state’s land mass.

27.  The town of Ismay, Montana unofficially changed its name to Joe, Montana as part of a well organized publicity stunt by the Kansas City Chiefs to honor quarterback Joe Montana. (Are you asking where Ismay is? I looked it up for you. It looks to be in Custer County about 50 or 60 miles east of Miles City. I would say that Ismay is in the boon-docks and however did Joe find his way out of there?)

HAVE TO SHARE
I received this email the other day and just have to share it.  Setting the scene…a Catholic school lunchroom. On a long table there is a basket at one end filled with apples. The Nun wrote a note saying, “Take one apple. God is watching.” At the other end of the table is a basket filled with chocolate chip cookies. A clever child wrote a note saying, “Take all the cookies you want…God is watching the apples.”

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