PORCH PONDERINGS

Big Blue Sky

What a beautiful day we had here today. The blue big sky is showing off the last few nice days. It warmed up a bit. Right now we are on the porch eating a ripe wonderful cantaloupe from the garden. I have 4 more in the refrigerator. It was a good year for melons. And the grasshoppers didn't seem to like the leaves or the fruit. SCORE 1 for the Queen. We also have some good heirloom tomatoes. Black Krim. Great eating.

Last night I saw herds of mule deer on the way to play practice, one almost hit my bumper. Lucky me didn't hit one on the way home, although they were lurking on the shoulders. I have seen a bald eagle twice now, it seems to like this one particular tree. It is between a Hutterite colony and a forest service pullout called 'Asparagus Point' near the Musselshell River. There was also a pheasant crossing the road. Everyone tells me to beware of elk and deer as I leave practice each time. I always pray for protection. I also turn on the CD player, up the volume, and honk to the music sometimes. I don't know if it helps, but makes me feel better.

The play is going well, but some are still using the script as a crutch. And we have a performance next weekend. Ah, folks time to drop the book and wing it. Now or never. So next week we have practice each night. Great. I have to drive 20 miles one way for 2 minutes of talking. We'll see if I do that or not. Last night we did publicity shots, always hate that. I don't like having my picture taken. I think your sense of who you are and then seeing the photograph sometimes don't meet. I surely don't look like that, that old, that weird, that different, that much like....... You know....

So today we did more work on the remodeling project. We got the curtains up, the heating vent in. Finally the room is coming together. Hubby is a very slow worker. I want things done yesterday, not slow and steady. I have to learn to let him take his time and I have to relax. Easy to say, hard to do.

All my ducks are in a row with my non-profit fund raising group. I have the brochures to mail. I have the post office information. I sent the email reminder to the group. We are meeting Tuesday to count and bundle these brochures to direct mail. Over 2,000. And I am NOT doing this by myself. If the non-profits want a share of the monies collected, they can help is my attitude. A little different from the old chairperson. But the new sheriff in town is a little more pro-active. I also got an online account at the bank, something that was not done before. As the chairperson I figured I would like to know how much money we have. The treasurer is not forthcoming with financial information, so I will get that information somehow. Yes, I can hear all of you saying, why is that person still handling the money??? Good question. Perhaps that needs to be addressed this season after the fundraising is finished. Or my name is MUD. Musselshell Unity Drive.

I had a meeting today - Roundup Community Partners. Non event really. I just listened to the goings on. The mayor wants Roundup to be on AARP's list of wonderful towns for retired people. Of course we all agreed. That is in the works. Talk about a visitor's center and need for one, I can't get SE Montana tourism to talk to me about that. So I guess we're on our own there. Talk about Red Cross and their work with fire victims. But the hardest part of the meeting was trying to hear everyone talk with their masks on. Uggghh. Hate this new normal.

Tomorrow we have another meeting - RSVP - retired senior volunteer program. We do volunteer work under this umbrella group all the time. Meals on Wheels and the museum. We'll see what news there is with this group.

Time to go inside. It is getting chilly out here. Once the sun starts its dive in the west, the temperature really drops. Our heat has been on for the past few days. Soon we'll do the big switch in bedding. Drag out the big wool blanket and change the bed spread. Get ready for the cold to come. And it will come.

Enjoy the evening, and stay safe!

Queen Normajean loves the big blue sky of Montana