View From The Bridge 3/13/19

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
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.

View From The Bridge 10/24/18

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
By Muncie
10/24/18

HAPPY HALLOWEEN “WHO”
For new Readers of the River Press who moved to the area in the last year or so, I will tell the story of “WHO”. A year ago this month of October a pumpkin appeared in the hollow tree across the street from my apartment. A while later a Snowman appeared and then at Christmas a Santa.

This was at this point that I got involved. “WHO” must have been gone during February, because nothing more was added to the hollow tree. I put in a Valentine heart In March I found a Leprechaun and he guarded the tree that month. In April I found the cutest little bunny that had “Peter Rabbit” on his jacket. By the time I got over to the tree, I found that “WHO” had already been there with a tall wooden rabbit and a tall metal carrot. Oh well! Peter didn’t mind sharing.

Spring came with flower arrangements and later in the summer a harvest theme appeared.

I have begged and pleaded for “WHO” to identify herself but she does not trust me. I stole her idea and she has a right to be upset with me. I would just like to work together and I would be pinkie finger sworn to keep it a secret.

That brings you up to date and now we are into October. I love the “Ghost” that “WHO” put onto the hallow tree. It looks so cute. Today I had a friend put on the Front Street side a Vampire. We also added a decorative pumpkin. It was not a real one like you put there just a year ago. What fun it has been.

The wind did a job on your Ghost and so it is now stapled to the tree so it can be seen better. The scary night is just a week away. I hope that the weather holds so it is just as nice as it has been the past week. No matter the conditions make it the fun night it is supposed to be. Boo to you too.

VISITORS
On my way home from dinner at the Golden Age on Sunday, I met two lovely young women. They were walking the Trail and reading the historic signs.

We chatted about Fort Benton and they thought it was a fabulous little town. One of the women was from PA and the other from CO. They work for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and were assigned to MT. They had never met before and were working together out of Havre. They are working on washed out bridges and roads.

I envy these young women as I never could have done what they are doing, travel and all, when I was there age. It never ceases to amaze me the opportunities young people have today.

I asked them to return someday to vacation when the museums and The Old Fort Benton are open. This is the kind of event that makes lifelong friendships.

UPCOMING EVENT
The Shonkin Lasagna Dinner and Auction will be next Sunday, October 28th at 5:00 p.m.

If you enjoy a fun time and a lot of laughs be sure to drive out to Shonkin next Sunday. The dinner is excellent and the auction is the most fun I have ever had. Everything is donated and to hear the Lady Auctioneer is the funniest ever. Our Shonkin neighbors support many of Fort Benton and Chouteau County events and so let us support them.

You can wear a costume or come as you are. There are prizes for men, women, and children. A good time will be had by all. See you there. I have attended many times and it is one of my favorite events.

LIONS CLUB
I know that many of the organizations have events but if you do not tell me about it, I cannot know to write about them.

The Lions Club is having their yearly raffle for “CASH.” The tickets are $20.00 and the first prize is $1,000.00. There are other cash prizes also. Winning ticket will be drawn at the Christmas Concert.

There will be more info next week on how to get a ticket. This has been a very popular raffle because of the cash prize just before Christmas.

COMMUNITY VAN
The official name for the Community Van is now settled. I have been calling it a bus but I like van better. The latest update is that 6 people used the van last Tuesday and 5 are signed up for tomorrow, October 23rd. Another driver has volunteered and will be driving every other week.

Appointments now can be made for more hours when the new driver is driving. I will pass on his hours as soon as I am told what they are. They will be in the View next week. I will also have a schedule for those of you who are already riding or are first timers.

I have suggested that we have one day for residents who do not drive to be able to go to the post office, library, business, clinic appointments, and shopping. If you would also like this please call Kellie at 622-3022 to let her know. Don’t put it off. Just do it now.

HUMANA
I have tried to solve the disappearance of the agent of my Medicare Insurance. To no avail. He has disappeared completely. The sad part about this is that he used to bring a birthday cake to the Golden Age Senior Center for the end of the month celebrations of birthdays. Too bad, so sad.

I called the company and they set me up with an agent named Jill. She will be at the Senior Center next Tuesday, the 30th at 11:00 a.m. You are welcome to visit with her if you have any questions. (We talked about a birthday cake but nothing was set in stone.)

Here we go again with changes. I think the older one gets the harder it is to accept.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, POLICE OFFICERS, FIRE FIGHTERS, and EMT’S.
GET OUT AND VOTE.
DO A GOOD DEED EVERY DAY.
BE KIND.