View From The Bridge 8/14/19

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
By Muncie
8/14/19

LAST THURSDAY
I missed the Farmers Market, Taste of Fort Benton, and Shakespeare in the Park because company arrived at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday for a happy reunion.

I hear that it was a great success and a good time was had by all. Finally, I would have eaten supper in Old Fort Park. I also missed getting any cherries from the Young’s orchard. I now have to be satisfied with the hundreds of Sweet 100 tomatoes that I have been picking for two weeks from my plants.

The very hot weather helped ripen the tomatoes and I will still have hundreds more when it warms up again.

If you want to know why my tomatoes did so well, I have a secret. If you stop by and visit, I will tell you what it is. It really is quite simple.

FARMERS MARKET
Two weeks ago, I was able to go to the Farmer’s Market. I can take the Walking Trail from my apartment to the Market. I always enjoy seeing families picnicking on the Memorial Tables. I passed two such families and at the third one a man sat talking to a woman. I stopped to chat and the man said he was from Denver. The woman also said she was from Denver and then she continued her walk. I asked if they were together and he said no. She was just walking by and stopped to chat with him. What a happening that two strangers who were from the same city, would stop and talk to each other. Strange!

I told him that I would love to chat with him a while longer but I was already late for the market.

I parked myself by Randy’s table and very soon the man from Denver showed up. He came right over to the table and I was told that he had met Randy the day before at the Visitor’s Center.

I do not know the man’s name but I want to pass on what he said about Fort Benton. He loved our town and had purchased a pass to the museums and Old Fort Benton. He covered them thoroughly. His comments about them were that they were in a class with the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.

This man is very well traveled according to the conversations Randy had with him the day before. He is 80 years old, travels in his SUV, stays in hotels/motels and of course eats out all the time. His goal is to visit as many places as he can. I envy his lifestyle but have reached the point that “there is no place like home”.

I asked him when he was going to move to Fort Benton and he said that was not a far-fetched idea. As I parted, he said he would be back soon. (Can you imagine that he compared our museums to the Smithsonian? Awesome!) 

SUMMER TIME AND THE FAIR
Here we are in the middle of August and it is Chouteau County Fair time. I love the fair as much as Summer Celebration because it is a little more confined and you see more friends and neighbors. Be sure to have lunch or dinner with them.

I love the Fair because I can eat all the good junk food without feeling guilty. Yes, hamburgers, hot dogs, French tries, and fry bread are soooo good. Now I do not mean to demean these foods because there is a lot of protein and veggies to make it worthwhile. It is just that those foods are not always available so I take advantage of the time and place.

Be sure to check out all the buildings to see the great items put together by your friends, neighbors and family. Many hours are put into these projects and they deserve to be checked out and even voted on in many places. Just do it! It will be a year before it comes around again. See you there and be sure to say hello.

TAKE NOTE OF THURSDAY AT THE FAIR

A reminder that the Catholic Booth at the Fair will be open at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. It offers an opportunity for persons entering items for the Fair that also begins on Thursday. Bon Appetite.

FORT BENTON ROCKS
I did not get out much last week because of the hot weather. However, I did find the most beautiful rock on my driveway between my tomato plants. It is gold with the word “SMILE” on it. What a great way to start the day.

I had my nephew, David, and his wife, Karon, visit me on Thursday and Friday. I mention this because they walked all over town looking for a Fort Benton Rock. I had hoped that they would find one to take back to Florida. They did collect some rocks and intend to paint and hide them when they get back home. What fun!

Thank you little 5 -year old Olivia for starting this awesome project. It is amazing what comes from the mouths and minds of children.

The other purpose of this project is to spread “KINDNESS”. It is so much easier to be kind than to be mean. It is so much easier to love than to hate. So, join up with the Fort Benton Rocks and get frustrations out by painting and hiding. It will do wonders for you and for the one finding your rock.

CHOUTEAU COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS
A reminder that Randy Morger will be at the Farmers Market every Thursday at 5:00 p.m. He will be selling season tickets.

So, drop by his table to hot only to purchase your ticket but to support the CCPA. The program his year is outstanding and you won’t want to miss out. See you there!

ANOTHER REMINDER
The Lions Club would like the View to remind you again about their September the 15th (from 9:0 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) huge Garage Sale. I am sure that you have been saving up all your good stuff. After the Fair this coming weekend it will be a good time to do pickups.

Those Lions who do pick-ups are Don Foreman, Henry Shnackerberg, and Brian Evans.

Please check out the Lions ad in the River Press this week for all the proceeds are distributed. GO LIONS because you do so much for our community.

To those who could or should do something about whatever the subject. PLEASE…JUST DO IT.

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

View From The Bridge 7/24/13

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
7/24/13

JUST A REMINDER
If I am annoying you with my reminders, please let me know.  I suppose they are mostly for me because I have become so absent-minded lately.  Join the Club as they say.

A reminder for Thursday, August 1st at Historic Old Fort Benton is a presentation by Peter & Molly Wilson.  Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and enjoy a variety of music.  They are professionals in a true sense of the word.

ANOTHER REMINDER
That same evening on the Levee between the Grand Union and the Old Fire House, will be the regularly scheduled Farmers Market.  The ‘BIG NEWS, is there will be FLATHEAD BING CHERRIES for sale.  Please call Chandee @ 788-7246 or Connie @ 750-2918 to order.  It is not necessary to pre-order but it would be helpful.  If you forget, there will be cherries available.

LIONS YARD SALE
Fort Benton came through again with donations to the Lions Yard Sale.  I was able to preview on Friday evening, (I have friends in low places,) and I could not believe my eyes.  I have never seen so much “stuff.”  There were thousands of items from small to large.
The Lions are extremely grateful as they will be able to carry on the great work that they do.  Well Lions, we are grateful that you are here to do that great work.   

HAIL STORM
Our truck is covered in our driveway with a tree.  I could not see any dents on it, but because the car was in the open, it had small dents on the hood and roof.  I called the insurance company on Tuesday the 16th and they said that it might be two weeks before the adjuster came to Fort Benton because of the volume of vehicle damage.  The following day, I began removing everything from the car because I had an appointment for detailing on Thursday the 18th.  When I got into the front seat to empty the glove compartment, I saw that the windshield had a crack in it as large as a basketball.  I could not see it from the outside because I had a tissue box on the dashboard.  I reported that damage immediately.

The adjuster called the next day from Lewistown, made it to Fort Benton in a couple of hours, and filled out a claim report. 

What I am trying to get across here, by telling you all of this, is that I am so grateful that Darrell’s Body Shop is able to take care of all the local business.  What a convenience for those of us in Fort Benton who need the service.

I feel a lot of empathy for those of you that were hit hard.  Hopefully everything works out for the good and if you have some interesting stories about the storm, such as the one about the Wright family, please let me know.

BACK TO THE 4th
Since I moved to Fort Benton, I had hoped that we could have the old fashioned 4th as was had in the old days.  I would have liked a huge BBQ, a Kiddies’ Parade, music by the City Bank in the gazebo in Old Fort Park, and an old fashioned baseball game.  Big Sandy, Geraldine, Highwood, Loma, and Fort Benton would compete against each other.  There would be a traveling trophy that would be displayed in prominent places about town.  We would have volunteers act as cheerleaders.  There would be soda, (or pop if you were raised to call it that,) popcorn, and cotton candy available at the game.

Then the finale would be a huge fireworks show to celebrate our country’s birthday.  None of this is possible of course, because of Summer Celebration and I would not want to give that celebration up.  I was just bringing up memories of the good old days told to me by the Old Timers in Fort Benton.

However; part of my hope came true this past 4th.  Five young men in our community put on a fireworks show that was spectacular the evening of the 4th.  They were the Scott Boys, David, Jeff, and Kyle, Joey Diekhans, and Ryan Klimas.  There were many times when I thought that it was the finale but no, it would begin all over again.

It was a wonderful event and there were many who enjoyed the show.  I did want to write about this Happy Birthday America story before too much time went by.

VISITORS INFO CENTER
There are still volunteers needed at the Information Center.  Please spare a couple of hours a week to fill in the blanks.  You are needed.  I just returned home after being out and about to do research for the View.  I stopped by the Info Center to find the flags out, the door locked, and a note on the door.  The note said, “Sorry, closed until 3:00 p.m. because of lack of volunteers.”  What do you suppose that says to a visitor?  Please check your daily activities to see if there are two hours you could spare at the Center.  It is very enjoyable to greet visitors.  If you are not busy, you can read, balance your checkbook, or just watch the Missouri flow on.  There is a “Volunteers Handbook,” and that affords good reading.  There are only about six more weeks until the Center closes.  Give it a try.

ADOPT-a-PLOT
Here again, we need volunteers to adopt a plot along the Walking Levee Trail.  It is looking much neglected in some spots.  Actually, with the rain that poured on us, then the hot weather, those were very good excuses for not wanting to get outside to do “dirt work.”  Yes, it would mean getting your hands and even your clothes dirty, but it would be so satisfying.  Most of us older folks cannot bend over and kneeling down means not being able to get up again.  It is not easy to accept the fact that you cannot do things like you used to. 

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, and WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS.