A View From The Bridge 9/20/17

VIEW from the BRIDGE
By Muncie
9/20/17

FALL AT LAST
Driving down Main St. the last hot day of summer, (we hope,) everything seemed normal. The very next day many trees had started turning yellow. There were leaves all over the Old Fort Park ground. The leaves were old dead ones that blew off the trees. It was chilly and many people said that they turned on their heat.

Many gardeners came to pick their crops in the community garden. No cars are parked in front of the swimming pool any longer. The geese were flying in their V formation and taking off for the south. The parking lot across from the Old Fort Benton was filled to capacity every day. Some were fishermen and women while others were on the Missouri in their canoes. The Visitors Information Center looks very dark and the flags are not flying.

The sure sign of fall is the closing of the Freeze on Sunday the 24th. It was a busy gathering place this summer with the temperatures the way they were. One thing for sure is that they will be back in about six months. Will we then have to face another terribly hot summer after what may be a very cold and snowy winter? Only time will tell.

Hopefully the farmers planted their crops before the rain. We sure waited a long time for that blessing. I just went outside to check my rain gauge and somehow it was tipped over. I am disappointed because I was always able to know how much rain fell. I’ll have to wait now until the River Press comes out with that information.

CHOUTEAU COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS
Do you have nothing to do? Do you want to get out of the house for some good entertainment? Well, Chouteau County Performing Arts is about to start their season next Wednesday the 27th at 7:00 p.m. in the Fort Benton Elementary School’s beautiful auditorium.

The Twin Kennedy’s will knock your socks off. As I have said before, these twin sisters are so special. At Consortium in Great Falls last January, they were the hit of the whole show. All performing arts programs were trying to sign them up. Fort Benton’s performing arts board jumped right in and signed them up for the first show of the season.

It still isn’t too late to get your ticket at the discounted price from Randy Morger. He will be so willing to accommodate you. He thinks he is going to win the trip to Aruba for selling the most tickets. NOT! THIS IS JUST MY JOKE OF THE WEEK. All of the board members, as in every organization, are volunteers and give hours and hours of their time to serve the community. We have no way to thank them for what they do except to thank them when you see them. Also supporting them is a great way to let them know that you appreciate what they do.  Just be thankful that we have volunteers like that.

MONTHLY MEETINGS
Most of the organizations in town have started their monthly meetings that get them on their way to raise money for their many projects. If you do not belong to a least one non-profit organization, please volunteer today. Talk to your friends and neighbors to see what they like to do. With all that goes on in our small community, you ought to find something that would interest you. Most organizations run ads in the River Press so give them a call to see if you would fit into their projects.

Surely you have seen commercials on TV that further volunteerism. It is especially true today with what has happened to Texas and Florida in the last few weeks. Everyone pitched in to help in one way or other. It brought our country together in a “Love they Neighbor” way.

Our family was touched by the floods in Houston. Our granddaughter’s home filled with 4 ft. of water very quickly. She, her husband, and their 3 year old were rescued by a neighbor’s boat and taken to safety. Pictures were sent to me by their grandpa of their trip in the boat and their home. It was very scary and of course our concern goes out to all of those victims.

BIRDS
The tiny little birds that visit my feeder come and go but not on any sort of schedule. They come in the early morning and other times in the last afternoon. For about a week this summer when temperatures reached 100 plus, they did not feed.  I usually do not feed them during the summer but this year I did so to get them used to the new location. I expect that this winter they will be at the feeder all day long. I love watching them. They seem so carefree and content.

The stray cats cannot reach them where I live now as they could at the old place. The cats would get on the deck railing and jump into the lilacs to catch the birds. That was hard to handle but now there is no way the cats can reach the feeder.

I would like to hear from some other bird lovers to hear their stories. Everyone has a story.

25 DESSERTS
I know that I gained 10 pounds on Saturday evening after attending the 25 Desserts fund raiser. There was a very interesting story in the River Press last week about the purpose of this event. It was for a very interesting cause that Nancy L. holds dear to her heart. I gained more from this fund raiser than I contributed. I came home with a box of 25 desserts that I will very carefully monitor as to how many I eat a day. The problem is that it is difficult when they are all so tempting. I am saved a little by the fact that I am allergic to chocolate. (I do cheat once in a while when I simple cannot resist.)

BIG WEDDING
Did you see that huge tent in the Old Fort Park on Friday and Saturday? When we drove by on Friday evening we asked a woman going to her car, “What is going on?” A couple from Great Falls was to be married on the Old Bridge on Saturday with the reception in the park.

Those who saw the tent and talked about it at dinner today said that it was the biggest tent they had ever seen. On Saturday evening I could heard the band as the music floated along the river.  It was wonderful that the weather cleared on Saturday afternoon and the sun came out.

If anyone here in Fort Benton knows them, would you please give them our congratulations?

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR EMT’S and FIRE FIGHTERS.