View From The Bridge 2/5/20

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
By Muncie
2/5/20

FEBRUARY MOON
February is the Full Snow Moon, since the heaviest snow falls during this month. This morning, Sunday the 2nd, I watched Face the State. A panel of four mentioned the terrible weather we had last February. Do you remember last February’s terrible weather?

It is also called the Full Hunger Moon because the bad weather made hunting more difficult. The full moon is on Sunday the 9th.

LIGHTS OUT
The loss of electricity this weekend made me appreciate how grateful I am to Thomas Edison and to wonder where the two lanterns with batteries are now. I did have three huge flashlights but did not have anything in my pantry to make a sandwich. I was already hungry.

In a few hours I became chilled. I had my front door open all morning until the lights went out, because the sun was shining and warmth came into the apartment. When the lights went out, I decided to take a nap because there was nothing I could do. When I woke an hour later, I had to put on a heavy jacket to warm up. I would have given any one of my treasurers for a cup of hot soup.

I was getting very concerned about how I was going to handle my routine when it was completely dark. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk because I had skipped lunch earlier. It was not very satisfactory and I sat looking out the living room window as it got darker and darker.

I began thinking about what I could do that involved batteries. I cannot read and my Talking Books need electricity. I could not do the filing I had put off for weeks because I could not see. I lamented because I was not going to be able to watch “Backroads of Montana” or the 8:00 p.m. movie on PBS.

As I sat there feeling sorry for myself the lights came on. I then enjoyed a very thankful and happy evening after about four hours of darkness. Now all I had to do was to reset all the clocks. I have three weather stations and the plugs have to be pulled out and reinserted. I cannot reach one of them and had to switch one of the working ones so I could have one in the living room. Not much work involved.

I have not yet heard why the electricity went out but I would like to thank Northwest Energy for the fast service considering how hard the wind was blowing. I am guessing that power lines were damaged by perhaps branches from branches falling over them. 

Another advantage was my cell phone that I do not use often because the numbers are too small for me to see and I cannot hear well on it. However, in an emergency it was good because the land phone did not work. Also, my Alert does not work well. It does work on a battery but unless you have a cell phone to call 911 my Alert is useless.

CABIN FEVER
Not last week, but the week before, I had some where to go every day. Last week there was nothing going on for me except Friday when I went to Cinnamon Roll Day Lunch at the Senior Center and the Basketball game that evening. It was a welcome break.

This week there are many sporting events and Bingo will have taken place on Monday evening. The next week’s edition of the River Press will be on the 12th and February will be almost half over. Hurray! I am so ready for spring and the days getting longer.

VALENTINE’S DAY
Do not forget to remember your loved one on Friday the 14th. You never can say enough “I Love You” to your very special person. A hand written letter or card means a lot. Being a female, I always enjoyed a love note and perhaps a rose. I have done some inquiries to males and they were easy to please. A special dinner or dessert is all they ask for.

One of the most requested Valentine gifts was going out for dinner. Use this special day to renew how much you mean to each other. It only takes a few minutes but lasts a lifetime.

PLAY IN GERALDINE
Here it is again. The annual play written by JoAlice and directed by Lila will be presented Valentine weekend. A little bird told me that this is the best play ever. I have no doubt because they have always been the best.

Check your River Press for days, times, and get your reservations in. Our sister-city is so hospitable when we visit for presentations such as this yearly play. Let’s hope for decent weather and a very enjoyable day or evening depending on when you get your tickets. Enjoy!

CCPA
The next Chouteau County Performing Arts presentation will be on Tuesday the 25th, same time and place. The piano playing artist is Jason Farnam. Jason has appeared in Fort Benton before and was very much loved. If you remember, he plays the little piano while sitting on the floor.

We welcome back those artists we’ve enjoyed so much over the years. Jason is also happy to return to Fort Benton. Fort Benton has the reputation of being a favorite place for artists to perform. They express love for our town and enjoy it even in the winter weather. So, come on over to the Elementary School at 7:00 p.m. to enjoy an evening or beautiful music.

CELEBRATION DAYS
Wednesday the 5th is GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY.

Fort Benton certainly has a lot to celebrate these days with our fantastic Girls Basketball team. As I said earlier, I was able to attend the game last Friday and to say I was impressed is putting it mildly. They are such fun to watch and even though I do not see well, I can see their colors racing up and down the court. They won, of course, as they have not lost yet this season. I do not expect that they will. I admire every single girl on the Lady Longhorns team. Please know how much you are loved and no matter what occurs, we will always love you.

Thursday the 6th is FROZEN YOGURT DAY. (Oh, how I love frozen yogurt.)
Friday the 7th has two celebrations that I want to share with you. The first is FETTUCCINE ALFREDO DAY. (I love Fettuccine Alfredo even though I am not Italian.) The second celebration is Send a CARD to a FRIEND. (Have the friends of Norma Shaw sent her a card yet?)

Saturday the 8th is BOY SCOUTS DAY.

Sunday the 9th is PIZZA DAY. (Woe is me! I love Pizza more than Fettuccine Alfredo. Do I have to choose?

Monday the 10th is CLEAN OUT YOUR COMPUTER DAY. (Get busy!)
Tuesday the 11th is MAKE a FRIEND DAY.

Be kind and respect is of the highest priority. Wear red on Fridays to honor our troops.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, POLICE OFFICERS, FIREMEN AND WOMEN FIRE FIGHTERS, AND EMT’S.