Tuesday, March 31, 2015

VIEW from the BRIDGE
By Muncie
4/1/15

EASTER BUNNY SCHEDULE
Just as Santa has Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to deliver his packages, the Easter Bunny has gone on Facebook telling all youngsters that he needs Saturday to get to all the places he has to go.

Therefore, new rules have gone into effect and the Easter Bunny will be at Fort Park on SATURDAY the 4th of APRIL at NOON instead of Easter Sunday.

There was a notice in last week’s River Press and it will be repeated in this week’s edition. Someone in your family or the word getting around our small town will notify all families that if you wait until Sunday, you will miss the Easter Egg Hunt.

Since I do not do Facebook, I have been officially notified of the change and am charged with notifying all you egg hunters to the age of 10. There will be a special area for babies and little ones to age 3. Have fun and be sure and brush your teeth each time that you eat some of your hunt finds. Happy Easter.

JACK GLADSTONE
On Saturday, March 21st, Jack and his close friend/photographer Patti, visited Fort Benton. Jack is a Blackfeet Native American singer, song writer and entertainer. He has appeared at Chouteau County Performing Art programs and at Summer Celebrations.

When the Ship bronze was dedicated, he wrote a song about Shep. The purpose of Jack and Patti’s visit was to take photos to enhance the song and the Shep story. I walked the Levee from the Grand Union corner to the Old Bridge with them. Patti took pictures of the high water mark sign near the Old Bridge, as we walked the Old Bridge, and all the old buildings along Front Street.

Jack is also an historian and was impressed when I pointed out the Benton Pharmacy. The World Champion Girls Basketball of 1904 had played on the second floor of that building. When PBS made the documentary about the Fort Shaw Team, the producers visited Fort Benton and that building to see if they could film it. It was not possible because of the condition of the building and the size. How did they ever play a basketball game on that second floor?

Chris Halko had promised me a visit upstairs but it never happened. I assure you that I will get that visit before this edition of the River Press is printed.

(It is Monday morning I just phoned Chris about my tour of the second floor. He told me I could come over anytime but since this View has to be in by 3:00 p.m., I do not have time to make a trip to the Pharmacy. I’ll clue you in next week.)

APRIL MOON
This name came from the herb pink moss or the wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread wildflowers of the spring. Other names are Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Full Fish Moon, (because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

The full moon is on Saturday April 4th and they are rolling around quickly these days. “You Light up My Life” and I really enjoy the full moons each month.  (I am sure that you have noticed I use many song titles to express myself. My favorite is, “Funny How Time Slips Away.”)

WEATHER UPDATES
I did not realize until I started to write the View that I talked about Channel 3 last week and not realizing that there are different providers with different channel numbers. I will refer to them from now on as ABC, CBS, and NBC.

My CBS KRTV station had replaced Fort Benton on the weather map with Loma. The reason was that the weather station at the airport needed repair. It was completed a couple of weeks ago and I was told by Mike Rawlins, (the Weatherman at CBS,) that Fort Benton would soon be back on the map.

I have been watching every evening at 10:00 p.m. and as of Sunday the 30th we are still getting Loma weather. However; ABC KFBB is showing Fort Benton. Since it was not my regular watching station, I do not know when they changed. Several weeks ago their weather map showed Loma.

I also dislike it when the electricity goes out. All clocks, weather stations, and microwaves go crazy as I do when I have to reset all of them. Thank goodness for my cell phone so I know what the correct time is. I am sure that it was caused by the wind and wasn’t that some wind we had for a couple of days. It was a surprise after we were told that it was supposed to be a beautiful day on Saturday. Oh well, that is Montana. In Michigan we were told to wait around for 5 minutes and the weather would change. Well, in Montana we only have to wait a minute for it to change.

I was waiting for a visitor on Saturday and looking out my kitchen window. Right before my eyes, the branches on the trees literally began to move like a rumba. They swayed so much that I thought they were going to bend in half. It was amazing and it never let up. We know the reason for rain, snow, and rising and falling temperature. Do we know the reason for wind?  

I personally like the wind in the fall when it blows the falling leaves around and round. It also dries up after snow melts and a rainfall. I do not like it when I cannot get into the truck because it is blowing so hard against the door. I really do not like it when I drop something and have to chase after it.

SERVICE MEN and WOMEN
I asked a few weeks ago for the names of the Service personnel in Chouteau County. Several organizations wanted to remember them at the holidays.

I did not hear from anyone and was told that it is a privacy issue. Information about them is classified and not put out to the public. I see the logic of this. I hope that in some way, those in the military know that we thank them, know that they are in our thoughts every day, and that God blesses them. Their safety is most important and their return from wherever they are to be soon.

SENIOR MOMENTS
Old age is coming at a really bad time.

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