View From The Bridge 9/25/19

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
By Muncie
9/25/19

GOODBYE SUMMER
By the time you read this it will be fall. The days are getting shorter, the nights are cooler, the trees are beginning to turn colors and some leaves are falling. In general we know that it is no longer summer.

It is time to wear heavier jackets, coats, possibly gloves and scarfs. However, I refuse to get my boots out of storage. I do not even want to think about that.

I have been told that the Almanac says if we thought last winter was bad, it is going to be even worse this coming season. Woe is me! There will be weeks at a time when I am confined to the apartment. Cabin fever will be at a high point.

I think all of my family and friends know that I celebrate the day in December when the days began to get longer. I am unhappiest in June when the days began getting shorter. (You can’t please everyone all the time.) Oh well, that’s what makes the world go round.

KEEP BUSY
Through this time of season change there is much going on to keep you busy and amused. We have Halloween, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas to celebrate. It is only 3 months left to do your Christmas shopping.

There is also Chouteau County Performing Arts almost every month. Be sure to get your seasons tickets and do not miss the first show on October 8th. It is a tribute to Abba from the 60’s and 70’s. Even today’s kids will enjoy songs like Dancing Queen and Honey, Honey. See you there.

In addition, the annual Chouteau County Country Christmas event is being planned so save some shopping until you see what they have to offer. I love those homemade items and they make such wonderful gifts. I am really looking forward to this event. See you here, there and everywhere!

C.I.A. AND BAKER HOUSE
Have you seen the new roof on the Baker House? The tin roof is shiny and bright and will keep the leaks at bay inside the house. (More on this next week.)

I attended the C.I.A. (Community Improvement Association) meeting last week. It was the meeting when all applicants for the Lippard-Clawiter grants were being discussed. The applicants come to the meeting to request their grants. They relate what they need funds for, how much they need, how much they have ever been awarded before, and what they did with the money.

The results of the L & C grants will be listed in the River Press in a few months. Read it carefully because many of the requests involve every town in Chouteau County.

All the volunteer hours and hard work are little known to the residents of the county. Without these volunteers there never would be any improvements ever started or finished.

The C.I.A. has been in existence for many years. They are non-profit and most of the time are never acknowledged or thanked for their work. C.I.A. is a community organization and your support is what keeps them existing. Be supportive and pat them on the back for what they do.

HELLO “WHO”
I have been waiting, since I took down the red, white, and blue decorations from the Hollow Tree, for you to decorate for Halloween and the Fall season.

In the meanwhile, another “Who” (that I know,) has put up some decorations. (It was not me.) I hope this does not discourage you from adding your wonderful touches.

Please try to get it done by the end of the month or the beginning of October. The tree told me the other day that it is lonely and would really like to get dressier. (This is a true story as I do not lie. I learned early in life that you always get caught when you do not tell the truth.) However, that is too long a story to tell here since I have a story about the Hollow Tree to tell.

HOLLOW TREE STORY
I was told this story from a reliable contact who lived at the corner of 21st and Franklin over 50 years ago. The tree was then alive and did already have a small hole in it. It was thought that owls made a home in it.

As the years went by the Hollow Tree grew very old and began to show its age and the hole became larger and larger. The rest of the story comes from Judy and Herb Hazen who lived in the apartment I am now in, across the street from the Tree. There was a severe rain storm one summer and the tree came crashing down all the way across 21st St. to take out a tree and bushes in front of the apartment.

That was about 10 years ago and soon there will be nothing left. If anyone out there has more to add to this story, please call me.

I love that old tree and I really enjoy seeing it decorated. End of story.

FRIDAY THE 27th
There will be a presentation on Medicare at the Sunrise Bluffs from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. by Jill from Humana. This is a great opportunity to get all your questions answered.

CINNAMON ROLLS 
Friday the 27th is also Cinnamon Roll Day at the Senior Center. Lunch is always breakfast that day with two kinds of eggs, bacon, sausage, has browns, toast, and of course cinnamon rolls.

So, come on down and have lunch with family and friends. I heard from a little bird that there were many Meals on Wheels delivered last month. Frankly, I do not know how the above meal would taste warmed over but do know for sure that it is very difficult for many to get a ride downtown. Forgive me if I said something I shouldn’t have.

VISITORS CENTER THANK YOU
Last week the Chamber of Commerce had a very welcome get-together at the Center. The weather was as kind as Montana can give us and we all sat on the beautiful deck in back of the Center. We were served a very tasteful and filling food and dessert. It was a social hour and most of the volunteers showed up.

I was not able to volunteer for the first time in 20 years but was invited anyway. I enjoyed seeing people whose names were all I saw for many years because of the different schedules.

Every volunteer there talked about how much they loved the Center because of the Visitors who came in from all over the United States, Canada, and the world. We heard many great stories, and a good time was had by all. Thank you, Chamber of Commerce and especially Stacey who does a tremendous job of coordinating.

LIONS CLUB
Look for the View next week when I will give a report on the Lions Club. At our meeting last week, we were asked what we did with the donations we collected. I do not have enough space left this week so be sure to tune in next week.

SO LONG, SKIP
I and everyone else in the City of Fort Benton will miss you Skip. You are an Icon because you were here, there, and everywhere around town. The years that you gave our City were often not recognized because they were behind the scenes. Much of it was unnoticed. We hope that you enjoy your retirement fishing and playing golf, although talking with you I sense that it will be awhile.

Don’t be a stranger and Happy Retirement.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR
I saw on a TV newscast this past week to Love Thy Neighbor. Go knock on their door to say hello or if you have never met them say hello. Give it a try and let me know what happens.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS (WEAR RED ON FRIDAY FOR THAT REASON,) POLICE OFFICERS, FIREMEN AND WOMEN FIRE FIGHTERS, AND EMT’S.

View From The Bridge 7/31/19

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
By Muncie
7-31-19

THE CROSSING CHOIR
Two-time Grammy Award winning Choir “The Crossing Choir” from Philadelphia, PA will be performing in the lobby of the Grand Union Hotel on Wednesday July 31, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. You won’t want to miss this fantastic performance.

SUMMERTIME
It is here at last with huge heat waves. Are you finding that “the livin’ is easy”? Several folks said to me that they would like to bottle up the heat for next winter. (I’ll buy some stock in that if you come up with the solution.) There is not much moving around in town. Readers must be holed up with their air conditioning, if you are lucky enough to have it.

For several weeks I could not figure out why my Weather Stations were reading the same temperature outside as inside. I finally realized that the outside gadgets were inside because I brought them in to install new batteries and hadn’t taken them back outside. They were immediately up to par when I returned them outside and they now read the same as the weather on the Fort Benton web site. I have a difficult time keeping up with this modern day tech stuff. (I enjoyed my new computer until we came to odds about spell check. Did we older folks spell words differently than today? I always end up in my old dictionary. I also have trouble with words like apps and, download, and help. I can never find the help that I need. Oh well, I am so fortunate that I have Bethany, Conlee, Zack, and Sharalee who edit for me. (Keep up the good work with my sincere gratitude. 

CINNAMON ROLLS
Last Friday was the best turnout for Cinnamon Rolls at the Golden Age Senior Center ever. Betty baked 3 huge baking sheets of the rolls and there was only one left. You are Queen of the Cinnamon Rolls Betty and we all love you. I am not taking any credit but several people did tell me that they were there because I wrote about it the week before. Thank you Bill for showing up because of the View. I will remind you readers next month

WHAT I DISCOVERED
I have five bird feeders but I only fill one of them.  It is located in the front of my living room window. The others four are off the deck in the back of the apartment. I stopped filling those a long time ago because large black birds would come to feed and chase the little birds away. For several months this past spring I did not have any birds at all. Then all of a sudden they began visiting the feeder every day.

Again the same problem arose where the big black birds would chase the little ones away. I finally realized what was happening. I was filling the feeder with a pint of sunflower seeds and a pint of regular bird seed. One day I forgot to put in the sunflower seeds and no big birds came to feed.  The little finches, sparrows, and barn swallows fed easily. I really enjoy watching them fly in and out. I just wish that I was able to hear their songs like I used to hear the meadowlarks while on the mail route.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
This yearly entertainment in the Fort Benton Park is on its way. On Thursday August 8th at 6:00 p.m. the performance will begin. At 5:00 p.m. Farmer’s Market and a Taste of Chouteau County, with lots of food to enjoy, will also be in the park. You can enjoy all the great food while you enjoy the actors and actresses do their thing.
             
So, come on along with your lawn chairs and a good appetite. If I remember correctly there are wonderful pieces of pie available amongst other good food to please everyone’s menu choice.
             
Do you realize how fortunate we are here in the small town of Fort Benton to have events going on all the time?  I hope that you are taking advantage of the work that goes into getting these events together. It is all volunteer work and many hours are put into the planning. A huge thanks  to all those events planners because without you no events would be happening.

VISITORS CENTER
I checked with one of the regular volunteers at the Visitors Center and he seemed to think that Visitors (some call them tourists,) have increased this year. If you did not know, the Visitors come from all over the world. I miss my time at the Center because of that reason. (I retired this season.) I miss their stories and adventures. I still have the pleasure of talking to Visitors when I am downtown. If they have the museum tags on I engage them in conversation. I spoke to a lovely young woman, now from California, but born and raised in Shelby, Mt.
She had a Montana Map and said she plans to visit every little city in Montana. She had always wanted to visit Fort Benton but had never had the opportunity. She was so interesting and I wish we had a longer time to visit.
             
She like so many people went by us on Highway 87 but never dropped down to the best kept secret in Montana, that being Fort Benton. I hope that our new signs on the highway interest Visitors to drove down a few miles to see how beautiful the “Birthplace of Montana” offers. However, the best way to get the word out is by word of mouth so talk it up readers…loud and clear.

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