By Muncie
3/13/19
HAPPY SPRING
It will be March 20th, the 1st day of Spring, by the time you get next week’s River Press. I would like to pass along a couple of sayings that were given to me by a friend.
“In Spring at the end of the day, you should smell dirt” and “Spring is nature’s way of saying, “LETS PARTY.” Just do it!
ST. PATRICK’S DAY
I admire the way that the Irish through the years have continued to honor St. Patrick. I remember the story of how he rid Ireland of snakes and that is why islands today have no snakes. (If that is a true story, I would like St. Patrick to come to Montana to help us out with just the rattler problems.)
Whatever the case, we all become Irish on St. Patty’s Day and enjoy the corned beef and cabbage to our hearts content. Amy at the Square Butte County Club does such a tremendous job of doing so much to celebrate. Thanks Amy and I miss seeing you for many reasons the first of all is I’m not driving any longer. I think it would take me most of the day to GoGo from Fort Benton to Square Butte.
Have a great day Folks and wear green on that day.
PIANOS ALONG THE MISSOURI
What a terrific performance it was last week when Professor Steven Hesla brought his classical show to Fort Benton. This is at a time when classical music is dying out as I learned from a PBS TV show. With all the variety of music that has developed over the years since Chopin and Beethoven it is no wonder that the basics of music would be fading out.
It would be a tragedy if that would happen but after the performance last week, I do not think it will happen. Young and old people loved the show saying that they had never thought much about classical music.
Professor Hesla has taught music for forty years at the University of Montana. He began Pianos along the Missouri to promote classical music. Lori Benjamin and Amanda Robertson worked diligently to bring this program to Fort Benton. Amanda is the music teacher in Big Sandy and played a duet with the Professor.
There were four brave young women who were part of the program. Emmy Carrier, Halley LaBuda, Lexi Bahnmiller, and Sienna Stone are all musical artists. (I wonder how many hours of practice went into those performances.)
I know that there are many more piano students and want all of them to know that they are all keeping the piano and classical music alive.
Professor Hesla also brought a violinist and a cellist as part of the journey along the Missouri. Margaret Nichols on violin and Adam Collins on cello played several pieces. (People often say in conversation that they wished they had studied piano or violin. I am now adding the cello. What a great sound comes out of that large instrument.)
Whatever you felt about classical music before, I hope that you now love it thanks to Professor Hesla. He is a charming and humorous gentleman that added to the show.
BINGO
There will be NO BINGO GAME on next Monday, March 18th. There is something going on at the Club House called the Calcutta, whatever that is. Just joking.
I was not able to verify this with the VFW but I did get the news from the Club House. See the addicted players on Monday, April 1st, Fools Day, and I am not kidding about the date.
HUMANA
The agent, Jill, has made arrangements to come to Fort Benton on Friday the 29th with the monthly birthday cake. She will have a table at the Senior Center from 11:00 a.m. to about 2:00 p.m. to answer questions about insurance. Her last two visits were not held because of the weather. (So what else is new?)
It is also cinnamon roll day at lunch that day so plan on lunch along with your visit with Jill. The cake is for the last Sunday of the month when the Seniors celebrate birthdays and anniversaries of the month. See you there.
AVALANCHE
On Friday evening, about 5:30 p.m., I was watching the world news when I heard a strange sound. I cannot describe it. I had the front door open all day because the sun was so warm. It travels from east to west in front of our duplex apartment building.
Soon after hearing that noise, there was what I called an avalanche. The snow that was piled high on the roof came down onto the driveway and trapped Norma and I in our apartments. I later tried to measure how deep it was but it had fallen hard as a rock. I could not put the yardstick into it. I judged it was from 2 ft. to 3 ft. deep.
The maintenance man, Mike May, only works until noon. I was able to get in touch with him through Connie and Tonya. He came to evaluate the situation in his vehicle. He retrieved the snow blower from Sunrise Bluffs and began working on clearing this lengthy snow pack but because it had fallen so hard it was like a glacier. I asked him to just clear enough so that Norma and I could get out of our apartments in case of an emergency. He did that but it was a difficult effort.
If anyone else had an experience such as ours, please tell me your story. (I’m in the phone book.) I see that snow falling off the roof over and over again. It was surreal. I am so grateful that no one was in the driveway because I would have hated trying to dig them out with my bare hands. (Can you picture that?)
Hopefully we do not have any more accumulation of snow this year. I think we have had enough to last for a while.
Now all we have to contend with is flooding. Where can all that snow melt go? It will be interesting to watch the next few weeks.
GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, POLICE OFFICERS, FIREMEN AND WOMEN, VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS, AND EMT’s.
