Tuesday, September 15, 2015

View From The Bridge 9/16/15

VIEW from the BRIDGE
By Muncie
9/16/15

COMING SOON
The General Federation of Woman’s Clubs of Fort Benton have a fund raiser planned. It is “Braided Bread” and it sounds very exciting. There are three (3) flavors and those are Cinnamon, Cream Cheese and Raspberry. At the last Woman’s Club meeting the members were all given a sample. Trust my taste buds…all three were soooooo good. What I am afraid of is that I am going to eat the whole loaf.

You have to bake the bread or you can freeze it for a later holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas. I think it would be perfect for Christmas morning breakfast with hot cocoa while opening presents.

I like the baking part of it because first of all it makes the house smell so nice. Secondly, baking it yourself makes you feel like you are doing something. That is the reason cake mixes do not have eggs or dried milk/oil in them. When you have to add those ingredients, it makes you feel like you are doing something.

The orders for the Braided Bread will begin this week and the bread will be delivered November 12th. Call Connie Jenkins at 750-2918 to order if you are not contacted by a member of Woman’s Club first. Bon Appetite!

MUSEUM TOURS
Last Saturday, when I took my walk, I shared the Ag with a group of 12 women touring the Museum. They are members of Sorority Pi Beta Phi from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Our local resident, June Bough, owner of the Franklin Street Guest House here in Fort Benton was thrilled that her Sorority chose to make their yearly get-together in Fort Benton. They usually meet somewhere on the Pacific Coast and there were women from Georgia, Pennsylvania and Washington.

The awesome part of this story is that this was the 55 year anniversary of their pledge in 1960. They have met once a year since that day that bound them together as Sisters.  What I heard, and what I love to hear, was that this was the best vacation they had ever had. Thank you for making Fort Benton your destination.

GHOST TOWN HUNTERS
Later that same afternoon a group of sixty (60) members of The Montana Ghost Town Preservation Society toured Fort Benton’s Agriculture Museum, The Village, The Museum of the Upper Missouri (MUM,) The Old Fort, and The Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center. That group was also pleased with what they saw and as always they say they are going to return. That is what we like to hear.

LONGHORNS vs. CENTERVILLE
What a great Homecoming week it was. The Homecoming Parade was the first I have ever missed. I could not break away from a meeting I was attending but I could hear the fabulous Fort Benton High School Band.

Butterflies in my stomach were soon settled when the Longhorns completed their third touchdown. I can always relax when the team is that far ahead. I should not have been anxious at all should I?

Another high was when the Longhorns bus came into sight with the Girls Volleyball team. I always feel better when I know that teams are safely back in town because it is just like family.

How about our F.B.H.S. Band…aren’t they awesome! I had mentioned two weeks ago that I would try to arrange the words to the school song be printed on the program. The Boosters at the gate were handing out copies of the words. There was a lot more singing for that reason, because there were a lot of old folks there, and or because we sang it so many times, they memorized them. Also Eric Lenington, we loved “Sweet Caroline,” but do not know all the words to it. Perhaps the Booster Club could provide the fans with copies of it.

VISITORS CENTER
It has been definitely decided that the last day for the Visitors Information Center will be Sunday, the 27th of this month. That is in line with the Ag/MUM Museums and The Old Fort Benton. Check your River Press for the hours of the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center. They remain open a longer period and by appointment. (They have a very informative movie about the White Cliffs of the Missouri. The Kiddos would love it and learn a lot from it. Take them there on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.)

PARTY PLACE
Last week I had to change shifts with son Randy at the Visitors Information Center. My shift is on Tuesdays from 1:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Randy’s is on Wednesday at same time.  I had an eye exam on Tuesday that I have been waiting for 3 months and so we traded.  Now, Wednesday happened to be my birthday and Randy asked me if I wanted to spend that day at the Center.  I said yes because I had no other plans.

I had a few Visitors come in and around 3:00 p.m. I had a couple from Canada and a couple from Great Falls. His wife was chatting with the couple from Canada and he and I were chatting. He said, “Well, it looks as though you are going to have more visitors.”

In the door came a conga line of 9 people singing Happy Birthday, a cake, ice cream, lemonade, and all the paper items you need for a party. I was completely, totally surprised. I had thought it strange that, of all the phone calls I received in the morning, that Valerie and Randy had not called me. They had planned the party for weeks and had my friends sworn to secrecy. I always referred to my close friends as “My Gang.” We did many things together, including Pie Day, and since one couple is moving, it would be the last time we were all together. It was a memorable day and came and went as quickly as the other long list of birthdays.

The point of this story is not about my birthday but that if you are planning a surprise party for anyone, I will make arrangements to hold it in the Visitors Center. It is such a great location, along the Missouri, next to The Old Bridge, and in The Old Fire House.

One of the Visitors said to one of my friends, “Isn’t it wonderful to live in a small town.”  “Yes, it is for me.”

50’s HOME SCHOOLED
My mother taught me about ESP. “Put your sweater on, don’t you think I know when you are cold?”

GOD BLESS AMERICA, MONTANA, FORT BENTON, OUR TROOPS and WEAR RED on FRIDAYS.