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Sat, Jul 26, 2025

8:07pm EDT

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PORCH PONDERINGS

by QueenNormaJean Julyishereboom!

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:

Wordsmitty ✍️

Jul 13, 2025 at 5:10pm
In response to "20 years! "

Congrats on reaching 20!

And we're always told to move to a small town for peace and quiet. Another myth busted. At least it's only a couple times a year.

We'll be looking for your byline in the paper.

Wordsmitty ✍️

Jul 5, 2025 at 7:22pm
In response to "Fireworks"

Sounds like a nice day mostly. Sometimes I almost wish I was back where I could walk to lots of things. Not much to walk to around here, and the evening was eeriely quiet. I think the folks who used to blast fireworks about a block away must be gone, maybe moved?

Didn't even go out to look down to see the resorts display. Actually, a pleasant evening.

I know how you feel when you walk in to help and find that you're the only one who can make sense of things. I also usually end up having to do the cleanup when everyone else figures their time is up.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Jul 5, 2025 at 6:26pm
In response to "Fireworks"

The 4th here was rainy. Even got unexpected rain today. Because fire-in-the-woods is a racial memory we aren't big on starting fires.

The ballpark usually has some.

Soldier_Mike

Jun 28, 2025 at 11:49pm
In response to "My the 4th be quiet"

You're right - second chances are good, but Yumpin' Yimminy! One felony maybe gets you a pass coupled with good oversight, but multiple felonies seems like an automatic "Thanks for stoppin' by and don't let the door hit you on the way out" kind of thing. I hope it gets resolved quickly. Senior Centers exist for a reason, and having to shut one down for something like this will do nobody any good.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Jun 28, 2025 at 9:59pm
In response to "My the 4th be quiet"

They are rethinking our senior center (access, meals, director...). If I don't agree I can always walk away. They're a private club and don't need my support.

I'd prefer to not be here July/August.

Wordsmitty ✍️

Jun 28, 2025 at 9:15pm
In response to "My the 4th be quiet"

There's been an ad on TV about soundproofing headphone - For Dogs! Great idea. The noise really does a number on them, unless they've been trained by the military for combat.

One New Years Eve a while back, there was a misdirected firewok that set off a huge amount of fireworks ready to use. It pretty much burned down the garage and killed several people with a dozen more seriously injured. Some were put into a coma and shipped to an Arizona burn center for six months or more. Supposedly, all illegal fireworks and no permit. Hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars. I'd rather they bought beer and cirgarettes.

We have the same problem with the rain turning the grsslands green then the sun turning it to straw. Fortunately, we haven't had the idiots recently throwing fireworks into the brush as they drive through. Fingers crossed they're having more fun with beer. The wind always blows those fires this way.

Glad you're on top of the senior drama. Hopefully, it will come out OK.

Elycia Lee ☮ Friday 13

Jun 11, 2025 at 1:08am
In response to "And so it goes..."

Sorry to hear about your clothes dryer.

Elycia Lee ☮ Friday 13

Jun 11, 2025 at 1:07am
In response to "And so it goes..."

Cycle back for a bit. A dump committee? You have a dump committee? Why? I thought it is like the job of a residential committee. That's oddly specific.

Jury Duty sounds fun. We no longer have that in Malaysia.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Jun 10, 2025 at 7:00pm
In response to "And so it goes..."

Do you have an old-fashioned line? What's a dryer?

After getting along without a car, a dishwasher, an oven, a dryer, or a full deck of cards... it's befuddling to imagine the dilemma. I did have a car... long time ago; and, a full size refrigerator would be nice. However, I manage.

For me, less = less stress.

Hopefully the small-town issues stay small. The drama isn't always on stage, is it?

As for family... it was hard with Pannya. I met his mother and sister; knew his brother had issues, but Pan was "closed". We're still in touch but the cultural chasm is daunting.

"No Kings Day" will be marked by a parade in Missoula. There will be thousands out there, me included (probably on the fringes as I don't like crowds).

Do you ever wish you were a journalist in LA rather than Roundup?

QueenNormaJean Julyishereboom!

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.

June 28, 2025 at 8:59pm

#1092444

My the 4th be quiet

It is a few days before July 4 and I am dreading, once again, the stupid fireworks everyone in town feels the need to set off a full week ahead of the holiday. Perhaps this year with the price of everything increasing, no one will have money for them.

{slapping face} Snap out of it!
Of course they will. Just like beer and cigarettes- there is always money.

Busy times here. Not doing anything of any note when it comes to writing, it seems. I just am in a slump. It will pass. Someday.

We've been getting rain most afternoons and evenings for about a week. Pretty unusual actually. But it is concerning when everything grows tall and green, then dries out in July and August when fire season starts.

The senior center in town is having a major meltdown and will probably, at least it is 99% sure, close for a time to reset the program. Seems the director perhaps has been pilfering funds. It is rumor, or is it? An audit will have to be done. But when the last director left, there was over $100K in the bank for this new director to work with. And there is a generous amount given by the state and another agency in town plus the county each month. Currently, the kitchen staff is working without pay since they are almost out of money. So the director has the bank account down to less than $10K and it takes over $15K per month to run the program. Yikes. Someone's in trouble.

Here's the rub, no one checked this person's qualifications- they just hired her. No notice was posted about the job, so no other applications were received. This person has a long list of previous felonies plus jobs where she has been fired. Okay, good to give people a second chance. But really, when she won't let people into her office, won't let anyone check the books, won't do her job as instructed by her supervisor, won't pay people, and the list goes on and on. Well, time to take a step back.

Small town drama is ramping up again.

Comment • View 3 comments

June 10, 2025 at 6:15pm

#1091200

And so it goes...

After jury duty finished, we started play practice in earnest. Last weekend was the performance.

We had sold out shows Friday and Saturday nights, and a moderate crowd for Sunday's matinee. Most remembered their lines. I had an issue with my big lines at the end, but all turned out okay. Lots of fun, lots of laughs.

The thing is, you can mess up and the audience really won't know unless you make it a big deal, or freeze and don't talk for a time. So you do your best to cover up, ad lib if necessary. That happened to me a few times.

My husband got back from his two weeks as babysitter for two teen granddaughters. From what I've been able to gather, it didn't go well. And that is why I didn't find it necessary to tag along. I don't really know this family, we don't see them often. They aren't my blood family. This is my husband's son and daughter-in-law and two daughters. They have a very different lifestyle from ours. More monied if you will.

So after all the stress of the jury duty, the play, I went to town yesterday with another member of the dump committee to talk to the company that actually picks up the garbage at our dump site. We have multiple issues with this company. Another stressing due to the fact we have a meeting tonight and we needed to iron out some issues. Which we did, and I called them out on a few items. Then I went around town doing shopping while waiting for husband to fly in from his two weeks with those teenagers.

Today was catching up and laying low. Back to normal, except the clothes dryer is now deciding to quit. Bugger me.

Comment • View 3 comments

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

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