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Mon, Jun 2, 2025

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PORCH PONDERINGS

by QueenNormaJean Junesun24hours

Rated: 13+ · Book · Biographical · #2198921

Norma's Wanderings around a small section of Montana

Well, hey there!
Welcome to Roundup, Montana! If it's a nice day, we'll sit a spell on my porch and talk awhile.

A poem captured my attention the other day.

Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget 
Falls drop by drop upon the heart, 
Until, in our own despair,
 Against our will,
 Comes wisdom 
Through the awful grace of God.

Aeschylus

What's on your mind today?

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Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

QueenNormaJean Junesun24hours

May 14, 2025 at 4:47pm
In response to "The Battle"

Jeff

Small town politics - led by comments by the Sheriff - you do have a right to comment. But you also are on notice to do it peacefully and respectfully. No profanity and no violence.

Yessir.

And most everyone did obey themselves. Even the mayor showed up. Lots of misinformation dispelled.

QueenNormaJean Junesun24hours

May 14, 2025 at 4:44pm
In response to "The Battle"

Kåre เลียม Enga

Nope - no HS bonfires where I lived. But there were leaf fires in the fall. My grandfather next door burnt all the maples leaves.

Yes - people are engaged. Kind of proud of the county commissioner. He got a little spicy. Huzzah!

1 Like

Kåre เลียม Enga

May 14, 2025 at 4:20pm
In response to "The Battle"

Burn baby burn... says no one in Fire Country. Do you remember high school bonfires? Y'know... damp autumn, snow in the forecast? Our HS was built on a swamp.

At least people are engaged, for better or worse.

Jeff

May 14, 2025 at 3:32pm
In response to "The Battle"

Local politics/governance is never short on drama!

QueenNormaJean Junesun24hours

May 13, 2025 at 11:35am
In response to "Dump it"

Thanks for all the comments. Tonight is the night folks. A meeting at 7 PM is public, we've called for a deputy sheriff to be there, along with the county attorney. A member of the board who accused me of being dishonest is not going to attend, he's out of town. But he may do a Zoom call. Another member of the board is also out of town. So we'll see if we get a quorum.

Backstabbing, gossip, and slander. Small town politics reflecting the general mood of the people right now and I am trying not to get myself all worked up about this.

I did find my recorder, so I will take that from now on. I don't know how long it can record, since I don't seem to be able to find the instruction booklet.

I'll try to update tomorrow.

QueenNormaJean Junesun24hours

May 8, 2025 at 7:52pm
In response to "Dump it"

We could actually do the mulch thing and we talked about it. But we'd have to buy a chipper. Have to hire another person. Then have to bag and sell the product. Not happening.
We pay $50k a month for garbage disposal. We don't have a landfill. It's a transfer station. so all trash has to be hauled away.
NJ

1 Like

SandraLynn

May 8, 2025 at 10:54am
In response to "Dump it"

It sounds like the ol' rumour mill is not in danger of closing down any time soon. Too bad those particular wild fires could not burn all the debris refusing to cooperate.

Cubby

May 8, 2025 at 5:46am
In response to "Dump it"

People seem to have a lot more anger these days. I've noticed it the past few years. And perhaps it's just that they show it more in public more than they used to.

1 Like

Wordsmitty ✍️

May 7, 2025 at 11:01pm
In response to "Dump it"

Maybe you should start writing screenplays and sell 'em to TV. This definitely sounds better than most of the stuff on the tube.

Here's an idea: get a giant mulcher for the dump and then give away (or sell) the mulch to residents to use on the gardens and the town & county to have for parks and stuff. They do that here so they can say they are green and not polluting or increasing the carbon in the air.

2 Like

Jeff

May 7, 2025 at 10:59pm
In response to "Dump it"

The Information Age has definitely accelerated people's ability to get outraged and air their grievances, that's for sure! I definitely miss the days where people would give one another the benefit of the doubt, and discuss their concerns rationally before getting offended and gossipy.

1 Like

June 1, 2025 at 11:22am

#1090426

A Big Deal

It's been a very busy time. I had jury duty this past week. Plus my husband left for two weeks to travel back east.

Hubby is watching his grandchildren while the parents are in Europe. Europe on business is what I gathered. Since these are not my grandchildren, and we rarely see them, I didn't want to go and be babysitter and cook and maid for two weeks. And somehow I knew that is what would happen. So, I have two weeks alone. Which is fine, no problem. But now I am getting messages about 'what is my password for this?' and 'what is my username for that?'.

Jury duty was for four days. There were over 100 people summoned. Then they had to whittle that down to 13. 12 jurors plus an alternate. That took the better part of one morning. So I was #12 juror. I found out later from the county attorney he wanted me on the jury so I could argue for certain facts, such as the time it took to walk from point A to point B. Which I did in deliberation.

The case was the state against a little punk of a kid who abused a girl a year younger on Halloween about 3 years ago. He was 15 and she was 14. Turns out, and the jury was not privy to this, he's done this a few times before. So, the jury deliberated for about 5 hours on Friday last. We never could get beyond 5 guilty and 7 not guilty, given the evidence presented. I voted guilty. He presented now, 17+ years old, as a smug kid who never will learn his lesson and keep on doing this to girls unless stopped. And his mother is one of those 'oh my baby would never do this' types.

The victim testified to the act, and had some of us in the jury in tears, as the defense attorney questioned her integrity and every part of her story, which never changed.

So a 'hung jury' if you please. The case will probably not be retried per the county attorney. It is expensive to hold a trial. $20K was mentioned. The judge kept asking us to reconsider and come to a unanimous consensus. But 4 times we came up with the same opinions. Then at the end she asked us, in front of both attorneys and the accused, of our choices. Then she declared that the jury could not decide.

So, in my mind, there was conflicting information from the accused. His story didn't make sense for me. Too many conflicting timelines and too much reliance on phone records.

Now you may be asking how do I know so much about the ins and outs? Well, yesterday the county attorney, who is a friend of mine, and I went to another friend's ranch to dispatch some prairie dogs. Prairie dogs make holes, tunnel between the holes, eat all the grass around their tunnels, and are generally a real nuisance for farmers and ranchers. So we took a weapon, climbed up on some rock formations with a scope and binoculars and started hunting. But along the way, we saw a dead snake (not a rattler), a wolverine, and a coyote. Plus spent some time in the outdoors away from the people and trouble and confusion of the past week.

We talked about the trial, our life histories, law and its applications, and why prairie dogs (gophers) are such a nuisance. Perhaps you heard that big exhale from us both as we enjoyed time outdoors in nowhere Montana.

Comment

May 14, 2025 at 3:19pm

#1089324

The Battle

We had the meeting of the refuse committee last night. It was held in the courtroom of the county courthouse, as the commissioner's office, which holds at the most 5 or 6 people, was maybe too small. And we were right.

At least 15 by my count people showed up to complain. The sheriff was on hand, as was the county attorney, to keep the lid on things. People did complain. Most were very much against the $10 charge to use the burn pit. Now, they never made a peep when taxes were doubled for the refuse fee. But, boy oh boy, charge them $10 each time they bring in tree limbs or lumber or other burnables? World War 3 breaks out.

The county commissioner that is our mentor had some stern words for people as well. He is a rancher, life long resident, as is his family. He has survived fires on his land. The board chair also spoke, he is a long resident of the county and has survived five fires over the years. All have burnt his cattle ranch down each time.

So we did decide in the end to stop the charging of a $10 fee. And it was proven I was not in error. I did have the backing of the committee. Thanks folks.

We did educate some of the attendees as to the work involved in maintaining the 'burn pit' - which is actually a large hollowed-out bare spot in the back of the dump. It takes at least 2 weeks from start to finish to work this process. You get approval, you light it, you watch it for 24 hours, then 2 - 3 times a day you check it for a week, then check for hot spots, then move the hot spots around with a bulldozer, then when it's cool enough, you move the ashes to a big dumpster, and start all over again. Because by this time the refuse of branches and limbs and lumber has built up and it's time to burn again. But you cannot burn it from July to December because it is so dry here and it's fire season. Egads.

And we also let people know the expenses involved, the $50K per month to haul away the trash, the $1K per month to maintain the machinery, the salaries of 3 people, etc, etc. It's not cheap.

Another crisis averted. The gossip mongers will soon have another battle, I'm sure.

Comment • View 4 comments

May 7, 2025 at 10:40pm

#1088898

Dump it

Well folks - the entire county is mad. I guess you could say we put a $10 'tariff' on the dump. Actually, it's a charge for large amounts of yard - ranch - farm waste that comes into the dump to be burned. It is put into a special area, and when that area fills up, it is burnt. That takes someone 24 hours to monitor. The fire department has to come and watch it. It has to be called to the Emergency Department people first, to see if it's a day you can burn. You know, wind and all.

The thing is, people from up in the mountains do fire mitigation. That's good. But then they drive in with 40 ft trailers full of entire trees, branches, lots of bushes, limbs, old buildings, you name it. All this subsequently fills said 'burn pit' up to where you have to light it and burn it. Then it has to sit about a week or two. And in the meantime, no one can dump anything in it. Then when it reopens, the process starts all over again.

So - with that as a background - last night evidently a large gaggle of disgruntled people appeared at the courthouse to complain. Well, one problem. Our meeting isn't until next week. There were a few people working, counting the ballots for the school board election. (Another big kerflugle. Never mind - another big problem) These poor ladies had to listen to all the complaints, yelling, screaming. They said they really were scared.

I go to the courthouse today to pickup mail for the refuse department and talk to the county treasurer about another refuse matter. And then I get hit with the story above. What??? News to me. I was at play practice last night. So I go to the county attorney- now a friend I appreciate. I tell him "Guess what? We've got trouble perhaps next week." So the attorney gets on the computer and fires off an email to the sheriff asking for a deputy to come to the meeting next week.

But now to make this even more interesting, I go tonight to Facebook and find a post from a community member. All the FB keyboard warriors are now up in arms. They are claiming so-and-so said this, and the mayor didn't know. The mayor is now mad and will write a letter to the county to tell us so. And Mr. so-and-so is the chairperson - he's not - and he said it's not official and I made the mistake of putting it in the paper. So I go look at the minutes of the meeting and guess what? Mr. So-and-so did make that motion and they did approve it and I was to put it in the paper.

My word. You just cannot make up this stuff. I think I need a raise. If I was still drinking, I'd be drunk tonight.

Comment • View 6 comments

May 5, 2025 at 12:29am

#1088739

Big News

Today was busy til about 1 PM. It was the annual Pancake Breakfast at the Museum. This is a big fundraiser, we have only 2 per years. The breakfast and a yard sale. Our museum is self-funded. We get no money from the state of Montana, from Musselshell county or the city of Roundup. So that is good and bad. We are not beholden to any entity for funds, and as a result, are not able to provide much in the way of what other museums provide. Such as staff, educational programs, etc. But we've been operating this way for 50 years, so I guess we'll keep on for another 50.

We served over 135 people. We wrapped silverware yesterday in that amount, so we had a beginning count. Then we had to wrap more during the event. So perhaps upwards of 175? Busy. My chore the past few years is serving the dining room. Coffee, juice, and silverware and bussing tables. Sometimes with help, usually without. Whew. Like a busy diner.

But when it was over, I took a big deep breath and walked across the street, sat down and relaxed at home for a bit. Then walked to the store for sustenance. Klondike bars.

There was a very big story on Friday here. My friend, the county attorney, had a big trial. There was a guy they caught in a sexual abuse case. Sick stuff. He let me read the case file. Oh brother. Well, Ben, the attorney, told me they were going for 100 years in prison. 25 years for each child. They had a good case, lots of video files, personal testimony, he was a known sexual offender, on and on. So the news went out over social media and the Billings news channels last night. Yep - 100 years.

I saw Ben at the museum breakfast this morning. I congratulated him on helping to win that case. He's a father of young girls. It meant a lot to him to get this person off the streets. He mentioned that the person argued in court about the sentencing. But in the end, the criminal got a punishment.

So this evening I am trying to relax after all this uproar. Museum excitement, big court case. A storm is coming tomorrow. The wind is blowing tonight. But it will be alright. Everything will be alright.

Comment • View 1 comment

April 26, 2025 at 6:45pm

#1088159

Fire Day

I got a 'HOT' tip yesterday that there would be a big fire event in town today. The DES rep at the county commissioner's meeting told me all the county fire departments were holding a scheduled burn.

So I dutifully got ready to go. In the car. Camera and notebook. Time was ticking, that burn would start soon.

I have the worst time now getting our Jeep in to reverse. It's a manual transmission and the ratio is somehow off. So today it didn't want to back out of the garage. Now I was HOT. Oh bugger me. I tromp back in the house. Get my husband to do the reverse out to the garage.

But all is not lost, I did get down by the fairgrounds to see the men in action. Big bonfires being set to do a cleanup of old dead trees, tree stumps, dried grass. It was also a training day for the firemen.

Wildland fires happen every year in the west. I talked to one fireman. He remembers a year when there were 90 fire calls in 90 days. All the fire departments are volunteer. There are no paid fire departments in Musselshell County. So if the fire siren goes off, they have to leave their homes or their jobs and report.

Got some good pictures. But unfortunately, too big for this site. I'll use them for the paper.

So the rodeo people that use the fairgrounds are happy now, the fire people hope. The fire will burn most of today, then die down overnight. At least that is the plan. The firemen got training, the brush and dead trees got removed, and that land will hopefully be used during rodeo time for people to ride their horses, away from all the people and RVs and horse trailers.

We do have some 'weather' forecast for the next few days. Rain here, snow in the mountains. Yep - that's right, snow.

I did park in the garage with the car in reverse gear, that I was finally able to engage. So next time I won't be - well, you know.

Comment • View 3 comments

April 14, 2025 at 10:38pm

#1087273

Interesting

Somehow I found this story. It was mentioned on a YouTube video. I've been hooked on watching them lately.

Many of you recognize the author Ursula K. Le Guin. Science fiction writer of renown.

Here is a link to an interesting story. Troubling. Thought provoking. Short enough to read in a few moments. Tell me your thoughts.

https://www.utilitarianism.com/nu/omelas.pdf

Comment

April 13, 2025 at 12:25pm

#1087168

The News

It's been busy here. Lots of activity it seems.
I report for the paper. I am secretary and treasurer for the refuse board. I am in the community theater for the city. Lot of 'drama'.

The latest is the mayor is mad at me. Well, perhaps not 'mad' but upset at what I wrote about the last city council meeting. Especially what I wrote about the public comment portion of the meeting. All I did was write what the person stated. But the kicker is the city and the Sheriff's department are currently not getting along. The city contracts with the Sheriff for services, since the city doesn't have a police department. So there is an agreement. The county pays for the Sheriff. The city pays the county. I know, very convoluted.

So, the the problem, and I think I mentioned this a while back, is the Sheriff deputies went out a while ago and put stickers on cars and other vehicles that were considered abandoned. Now some were, some were not. Got the town in an uproar. Basically because there was no real follow through on this plan. There was no plan by the city on what to be done next. No place to to tow the vehicles. No one contracted to do said towing. Egads.

There is a citizen that comes to every meeting and comments on this. 'Why haven't you figured this out?' is basically his complaint. A valid complaint in my opinion.

Here is what I wrote that got the mayor all in an uproar:
During public comment time,
The falling concrete on Main Street near the Pharmacy was again mentioned. This issue was referred to Lon Sibley. The person issuing the complaint is to discuss this matter privately.
Other comments included the fact that law enforcement does not attend the city council meetings. The city ordered Sheriff’s deputies to put stickers on abandoned vehicles with no followup on those warnings. The Sheriff called his constituents a name, and the council should take action. The person addressing this issue stated that the city attorney should give his legal opinion on the matter.

So the publisher called me, after the mayor called her, and stated she is going to do a retraction in the paper. And from now on, perhaps be more careful about what you write. Take a recorder, which I don't have, so you can listen to it later and get the exact words.

Whatever. She didn't come so far as to say I was in the wrong. And that I could no longer report. But I do know she doesn't want anything in the paper that smacks of controversy in any way, shape or form. Again, whatever. She'll be safe for awhile. The meetings are on Tuesday nights, play practice nights.

This morning I woke up from a weird dream. I'm almost too afraid to check the news. The dream had foreign agents getting stabbed and disembowled. Weird. But then, the entire world is in an uproar right now.

Comment • View 1 comment

March 31, 2025 at 5:52pm

#1086290

Trash Meeting

Right now we're in the second - or is it third - winter. Snow again. Then a nice day. Then snow forecast again. It was 70* just a few days ago. Then we got about an inch of snow. Now more snow tomorrow and Wednesday is forecast, just in time for April fool's day.

Not much else going on.

Except:

I did go to Billings last week with a county commissioner to meet with people from the trash company that is giving us such trouble. These are the people that charge the county $40-45K each month to haul our garbage away. In that monthly bill is a 'miscellaneous charge' of $7800. Hmm. When I called about it, it was explained it was for the 'caretaker'. What the ??? Their employee just sits. He is not allowed to collect money. He is not allowed to operate county equipment. We don't have a scale to weigh trucks.

So, imagine our consternation when the other week we got notice that said employee damaged a piece of equipment of ours when he drove it into one of the big dumpsters and got it stuck and damaged it. We had to call someone to come and haul out. Bogosity meter went up on my end. So I pitched a fit, I emailed all involved.

We actually got to talk to the transportation guy - he assured us that the truck drivers are now in place. Should be no more delays on their part. Okay, good. Made a note of his promise and his phone #. Then by some miracle we got to actually talk to the head guy of operations. We argued our case for not having this employee and not paying that charge. I mean, really... He seemed reasonable.

We left with cautious optimism. Perhaps something will happen because of this. If nothing else, we got names and numbers. We can now call the powers that be and let our voices be heard. And perhaps they will pay that repair bill. At least they sort of, kind of, maybe perhaps will.

Comment • View 4 comments

March 19, 2025 at 6:32pm

#1085697

The Survivors Club

I'm in a book club. I have to have read one on Science coming up. So I peruse my book shelf. I think this one may work.

'The Survivor's Club' by Ben Sherwood is a book from 2009

It discusses ways to and stories of surviving.

I found this especially interesting - the rule of threes:

Per the author, this is from the U.S. Air Force- remember, your body temperature is 98.6

Then from there:

You cannot survive:
3 seconds without spirit and hope
3 minutes without air
3 hours without shelter (in extreme conditions)
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
3 months without companionship or love

I was thinking on this while walking today. I remembered all but couldn't remember the timeline for the shelter. It was sooner than I thought.

But if you logically think of these, it makes sense. Without hope, you're doomed. Without air, you're dead. Without shelter, especially in cold or wet conditions, you're soon chilled. Without water, you'll dehydrate. Without food, you'll starve. Without another person, you can have all the other variables but wither away for lack of human companionship.

Then I think of the movie with Tom Hanks - 'Castaway'. He ended up with all those variables. Now granted, the companionship wasn't human, it was an inanimate object. But he transferred his love and affection to it. He also had a picture of his wife. But he had the others in the list. And it was easier for him to maintain his body temperature on an island in the tropics. Fish in the sea. Fresh water caught in a storm, if I remember.

This is an interesting book. A myriad of situations people have had and survived.
Some chapter titles:
The Science of Luck
Too Mean to Die
What Does Not Kill Me

Guess what I'll be reading for a few days!?

Comment • View 4 comments

March 17, 2025 at 10:38pm

#1085610

The Teacher

Remember I told you that a teacher at the high school got summarily told she was not rehired for next year? Well, in Facebook for the community the other reporter for the newspaper put a 'teaser' promo out. She promised a 'tell-all' from both sides about this incident.

One thing mentioned in the post was that "“Employees who resign are eligible to apply for positions in the future.” I wondered about this statement by the superintendent. Why would I want to apply for a position that I was asked to resign from? Interesting. This person, superintendent, is in deep doodoo right now. As is the entire school board. Parents, teachers, students. It will be interesting to see what transpires.

Now, I wasn't asked to do this. I subsequently emailed the teacher and asked for an interview. But I told her I'd like to forget the school drama, and focus on the personal side, her family and her history. We'll see if she responds.

And finally I am getting over this blasted coughing. Cough syrup- inhaler. Finally!!!!

Comment • View 4 comments

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