FOR YOUR HEALTH: Five Tips For Prescription Medication Success

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(NAPSI) — For people who are on one or more daily prescription medicines, forgetting to take a pill can happen from time to time. Planning ahead for such schedule-disrupting events as vacations and special events can help you stay on track and minimize any health risks that might result from not “taking as directed.”

Doctor’s Advice

“It’s really important to take your medication exactly as prescribed, even if you don’t feel different after missing a day or two,” explained Dr. Victoria Losinski, director of pharmacy services at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “This is especially true for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, because their risk of ending up in the hospital is 2.5 times greater when not following a doctor’s treatment plan.”

The mantra “you have to take the medicine for it to work” goes beyond diabetes control. People who don’t take their prescribed high blood pressure medication on a regular basis have a 42 percent higher chance of developing chronic heart failure. And people on high cholesterol medications are twice as likely to develop heart disease if their cholesterol is not under control.

What You Can Do

To help, here are five tried-and-true tips for strengthening your everyday prescription medication habits:

1. Talk to a pharmacist. Some drugs have very specific instructions on when to take them, whether to take them on an empty stomach, with certain foods or to avoid in conjunction with certain medications. Your pharmacist can help you understand your medications and map a plan to stay on track. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota members can also call the number on the back of their cards and speak with a nurse guide.

2. Write it down. If you’ve got several medications to manage, write down the details to keep them straight. Consider using a small one-page calendar, such as the kind found in a checkbook or available through a downloadable tracker, to mark off that you have taken your meds each day.

3. Get organized. Using a pillbox is a simple low-tech way to make sure you take exactly what you need when you need it. There are also pharmacies, including PillPack, that sort your prescriptions, vitamins and other over-the-counter medicines into dated packets to make taking your meds even easier. You can also ask your pharmacy if it offers a similar program.

4. Set an alarm. Use your smartphone to schedule reminders. If you’re looking for an app, try Rxremind, which can be downloaded for iPhone or for Android.

5. Refill on time. Accessing your pharmacy’s auto-refill program, requesting a 90-day supply and using a mail-order prescription service are all good ways to help make sure you don’t run out and miss your medication.

Learn More

For additional facts, tips and resources, visit Bluecrossmn.com/ManageMyMeds.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Requiem for a squirrel; if only he’d kept going

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

There I was last Thursday, driving down the Cross Hill Road, in Vassalboro, minding my own business, listening to my Johnny Cash CD; just cruising on a beautiful, pleasant late spring afternoon, heading for camp.

That’s when it happened. A gray squirrel came darting out from the side of the road. He made a mad dash for the center line, stopping just short, undecided on what he wanted to do. He turned, looked my way. We made momentary eye contact.

Gray squirrels are a treat to watch. During their activities, they can be quite comical. They are acrobatic, agile, and extremely clever. Have you ever seen one stretching from a tree to a bird feeder? It almost defies the laws of gravity.

But they are actually scatter hoarders. It accumulates food in numerous small caches for later recovery. Some caches are temporary, especially those made near the site of a sudden abundance of food which can be retrieved within hours or days for re-burial in a more secure site. Others are more permanent and are not retrieved until months later. It has been estimated that each squirrel makes several thousand caches each season. The squirrels have very accurate memory for the locations of these caches, and use distant and nearby landmarks to retrieve them. Smell is used once the squirrel is within a few feet of the cache.

Squirrels are relentless workers, constantly getting their winter food supply in storage.

I have seen squirrels assume some strange postures in attempts to get into bird feeders, but my favorite one happened several years ago while my wife and I were visiting relatives in South Harpswell. They had a basketball-shape and size bird feeder hanging from an old oak tree. The ball had small feeding stations inserted from the outside, which would make it very difficult for squirrels to get into. I was sitting at the breakfast table watching as the squirrel climbed up the tree, went out on the limb, and jumped on the ball. Well, the ball being made of clear plastic was quite slippery, and the squirrel fell off. Undeterred, he went back up the tree, and proceeded out on the limb once more, jumped on the ball and immediately fell to the ground.

He would do this about three more times. It was at that point, even while I was wondering what his next approach might be, that I saw what you could describe as unimaginable, even unbelievable. He went back up the tree, ran out on the branch, and began to fool with the knot that hung the feeder. Now, from my vantage point, I couldn’t tell whether he was chewing at the rope, or attempting to untie it. Whatever he did worked, because in a matter of a minute or two, the ball came crashing to the ground, splitting wide open. The squirrel then went down the trunk, casually hopped over to the feeder, and commenced to helping himself to the seed that had spilled out onto the ground.

Did you know squirrels are one of very few mammals that can descend a tree head first? Although squirrels will fight among themselves for food, they also have been known to mob attack potential predators such as domestic cats.

They are also great communicators. In more noisy sites such as urban areas, they communicate with their tails and body movements. In the woods and more quiet environs, they will communicate by vocalizing. They can make a sound similar to the squeak of a mouse, a low pitched noise, a chatter and a raspy call.

Many times squirrels will “scold” me after I chase them from our feeders. They make it perfectly clear they are not happy.

They are kind of cute to watch, and pretty much mind their own business, unlike the more destructive red squirrel. So we live in some type of harmony. I respect their space if they respect mine.

Well, unfortunately for that squirrel last Thursday, once he turned and looked in my direction, he made a fatal mistake. He tried to return to the shoulder of the road. Had he elected to continue to the other side, he would have been fine. I felt badly, especially since I was listening to “Folsom Prison Blues.”

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which MLB pitcher originally drafted by the Red Sox and traded to Baltimore before ever playing a game with Boston, returned for both the Red Sox titles in 2004 & 2007?

Answer can be found here.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Mosquitoes and black flies – OH MY!

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by Debbie Walker

We live in Maine. We know we are going to have to deal with snow, ice and inconvenient road construction. I believe the most difficult of Maine life is the Black Flies and the Mosquitoes and “Oh My” is saying it lightly!

I tend to believe critters are each here for a purpose. So….. of course, I had to do some reading. This is what I found out about these critters

It is the female black flies we are upset with. The males feed on nectar. The females feed on mammals including us.

We know that mosquitoes need standing water to prosper, however, the black flies prefer running water. How do you folks who fish the streams stand it?! We know that from April to July the little nuisances make gardening, boating, camping and any other outdoor activity a nightmare. The one good thing is they don’t follow us into the house or tent, etc. Mosquitoes want us wherever we are!

There is even a song written by Wade Homsworth titled The Black Fly Song. I found the song on YouTube. It was written about Canada but I believe it applies to us as well. It tells about the Black Flies “picking our bones clean”.

I’ll bet woodsman didn’t have to worry about walking into the woods I’ll bet the black flies were more than willing to gang up and carry them in!

In reading various things on the internet I learned (and remember) the only state that doesn’t have black flies is Florida. Don’t get all carried away about how lucky they are in Florida because they have their curses too. They have the dreadful no see ums. You might not see them but you will certainly feel them and their after effects for days. They have fire ants. Horrible little suckers! They have Love Bugs; they don’t bite but will plaster your entire windshield if you do much traveling in May or September. Oh, and they will pit the paint on your vehicle!

Okay enough of that.

Mosquitoes: I probably can’t tell you much about those little suckers! There are several songs about them. Mosquito Song says “Swallow and chew, Eat you alive, All of us food that hasn’t died.” Truthful little song, I am surprised we didn’t learn it as kids!

Body odors entice the critters to you. Sweat, perfume, scents and the higher the body temperature the more likely the critters will find you.

Their only purpose, as I read, is to make more mosquitoes!

My friend, Otis, from Florida, when I was complaining about them, said “What are you complaining about, don’t you people saddle and ride your mosquitoes?” Oh yeah, he is a funny man!!

I read that camping is nature’s way of feeding mosquitoes. I haven’t been camping yet but I have fed a few anyway. But I will tell you that I got Ken to experiment for me. I gave him a couple of dryer sheets and said wear these and see if it works to ward off the bugs. According to Ken they seem to work. I haven’t tried them yet.

I am just curious but not about those critters and I don’t care what their purpose is anymore. I don’t want to deal with them! Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com with questions or comments and thank you for reading!

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Wilhelm Furtwangler conducts Bethoven; Jane Glover conducts Haydn; Movie: The Last Hurrah; Band: The Cars; Dvorak

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Beethoven

Pastoral Symphony and Leonore Overture No. 3
Wilhelm Furtwangler conducting the Turin Radio Orchestra of Italy; Urania URN 22.227, CD, from a 1952 broadcast and issued 2002.

Wilhelm Furtwangler

Wilhelm Furtwangler (1886-1954) was one conductor now considered by more collectors and listeners to classical recordings to be very close to the greatest who ever lived – despite a catalog of recordings that are often live broadcasts of just fair to average sound quality, a wayward conducting technique and a tendency to do certain pieces over and over; for example, there are 11 or more different performances of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony.

But there is an exalted inspiration that seeps into his conducting and stirs this listener. He will use very slow, lumbering tempos or speed them to a Richard Petty level to achieve these depths. Sometimes he misses this target and mixes good and bad qualities. Still, a friend who owns just about every lp, cassette and cd of him commented to me that even 5 minutes of inspired music-making will be 10 or 15 bucks well spent .

Because of Furtwangler’s decision to stay in Germany during the Hitler years of 1933-45, he stirred a lot of controversy. And because of limited space, I cannot go into detail. However, it should also be known that the conductor used his influence to help many individuals and their families to leave Germany for safe haven . Those curious should check out Google and other related sources.

These two Beethovens are available in numerous good modern editions by other conductors but this cd should please fans of the conductor and is cheaply priced and available through the online Berkshire Record Outlet where I found my copy.

Haydn

Symphonies 83, 84 and 88
Jane Glover conducting the London Mozart Players; Musical Heritage Society 322541A, cassette, recorded 1989.

Jane Glover

Jane Glover has become one of the finest interpreters of lesser known baroque composers such as Cavalli, on whom she has expended much research, and of the later two geniuses of the 18th century classical period, Mozart and Haydn. These three works of the latter are among the most graceful, spirited symphonies to be found in the composer’s very extensive catalog. And Glover and her players deliver exceptional performances.

The Last Hurrah

starring Spencer Tracy, Basil Rathbone, John Carradine, Pat O’Brien, etc.; directed by John Ford; Columbia Pictures, dvd, 1958, 121 minutes.

Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy delivers one of his typically first class performances as Frank Skeffington, the Irish-American mayor of an unnamed New England City who is running for a fifth term. The conflicts between him, because of his roguish but essentially decent populist style of leadership, and a couple of power blocs, especially the old blue blood wasps, lend much interest to the story line, which is both funny and moving. And the large superb cast, which includes the other above-mentioned names, has been called by one reviewer “the largest collection of scene-stealers in the history of cinema.”

The Cars

Since You’re Gone; Think It Over
Elektra/Asylum, E 47433, seven inch 45, recorded 1981.

The group, Cars, was formed in Boston, in 1976 – the same year I moved back to Maine after my three-year sojourn in Beantown. After listening to this 45, I found myself captivated by the pulsating arrangements, utilizing interesting percussion sounds, but was unimpressed by the namby pamby two songs which went nowhere!

Dvorak

9th Symphony From the New World
James Loughran conducting the London Philharmonic; Mendelssohn: The 4th, or Italian Symphony- Antonio Pedrotti conducting the Czech Philharmonic; Net Surfin’, VMK-1059, cd, Dvorak recorded 1997, Mendelssohn from 1951.

James Loughran

This CD features two very talented conductors not generally known to even the typical American concertgoer and their interpretations of very well known symphonies. The Scottish-born James Loughran, now 87 and still active as a conductor and teacher, did one of the loveliest, most satisfying recordings of the Dvorak New World.

The even more unknown but very gifted Italian, Antonio Pedrotti (1901-1975) left one gem of an Italian Symphony, a Mendel­ssohn staple that can work as quickly as a sleeping pill in the wrong hands; this Maestro imbued the piece with perkiness, elegance and sweet poetry in just the right proportions. The CD is very cheaply priced on Amazon.

SOLON & BEYOND: Library, 4-H activities; Bob Marley coming to Embden Community Center

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

Stewart Public Library in North Anson will hold its annual book sale, Saturday, June 30, 9 a. m. to 2 p.m., at the North Anson Fire Station. Books, audio books, magazines for adults and children. Come and stock up for summer and winter reading!

Comedian Bob Marley will be at Embden Community Center on Friday, June 29 (7:30 – 9:30). Tickets are available online at www.bmarley.com and at the door.

The Solon Pine Tree 4H Club met on Saturday, June 9, with Cooper Dellarma presiding.

The members discussed doing an educational exhibit at Skowhegan Fair in August.

Seven members, two parents and one leader are planning to attend 4-H Fun Day at Lake George on Wednesday June 20th.

After the meeting the club members, leaders and parents went to the Kennerson Farm in South Solon. for an educational tour. The Kennersons told how they got started with Lamers and Buffalo. A great time was had by all.

The next meeting will be July 13 – 15 at the Evergreen Campground for a weekend of camping.

The Madison Kennebec Valley Grange will be having a Father’s Day ham dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Sunday, June 17. For more information you may call 474-5006.

I am putting in some news rather early in the month so it will surely get to be read. I don’t know about you, but the days seem to fly by, and another month has come and gone already!

The above real news is all I have to share with you this week, and as always I would love to hear from more of you. I truly do appreciate when you share your news with all of us. (I am amazed to hear from so many of you about how much you like this column, it makes my day!)

And so with July 4 fast approaching, I came across one of those old yellowed newspaper clippings about the last celebration of July 4th in Flagstaff! In large letters it starts with, Rev. Arthur MacDougal To Give Address: One of the highlights of the entire celebration will be a fitting address to be delivered by Rev. Arthur MacDougal, of Bingham, well-known preacher and sportsman. A softball game between Flagstaff and Dead River will occupy the attention of the crowd from 3 to 4 p.m., and this will be followed by a baseball game.

Street Dancing Will End Celebration: Promptly at 8 p.m., there will be heard the strains of music from the instruments of Keefe’s Orchestra, well known to the dance lovers in this section. Dancing will continue until midnight, and when the last street dancer has finally decided to call it the end of another day, there will be happiness in the hearts of some, while to many it will be a sad affair – the thought of never treading on the streets of their home town again. Then the next headline states: Town Will Be Flooded Next Year: The cause for all the excitement and celebration is all due to the fact that just a year ago, July 5 to be exact, work was begun on the clearing of the famous Dead River Storage Project with the Central Maine Power Company, Great Northern Paper Company, Hollingsworth & Whitney Paper Co taking active part in this gigantic project which is expected to be finished in its entirety by July 1950. When the land is cleared and the houses removed, it will be the end of something for which plans had been made nearly a quarter of a century ago. Surveys and buying of property began as far back as 1926.

O. K., I’m sure Percy would not have let me put in all that sad news, if he was still here, so his memoirs this week are:

Cultivating Friends

Sow a word of praise today,
Plant a kindness-seed;
Listen to a troubled friend,
Help someone in need.
Compliment a weary soul
Too fatigued to try;
Shine forth rays of hope on all,
Comfort those who cry.
Scatter deeds of love each day,
Plant each row with care;
Sprinkle joy along your way,
Soak each one in prayer.
Ask the Lord to bless each one,
And one day you’ll reap
A harvestful of loving friends
To cherish and to keep.

(words by Connie Hinndn.)

IF WALLS COULD TALK: Skowhegan one of few remaining towns with Main Street designation

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

Oh, WALLS and faithful readers, all of a sudden the Moose Lottery is on at Skowhegan’s Fairgrounds and the cars coming out of the historic Fairgrounds was amazing yesterday! Actually, the Moose Lottery didn’t start until June 8, so I don’t know why all the traffic was exiting at the back gate there, but I saw it when leaving Hannaford’s, so all I could think of was ‘run, little moose, run!’. Obviously Katrina has worked very hard at putting the weekend together!

Speaking of Katrina, who has headed up the Skowhegan Main Street organization. But, 2002-2004 were days of my learning and doing by attending all the training sessions in Augusta, plus taking Skowhegan Downtown Business Owners to the events. Yes, Main Street came to Skowhegan Downtown in 2002 and joined designated Main Streets in New Hampshire and throughout the project’s earliest days in Maine. By the way, faithful readers, do you know what the first designated Main Street in Maine was? Yup, it was Brunswick. Also, in speaking of New Hampshire, the National Main Street was Littleton, New Hampshire. Yes, if it wasn’t a good program, then Town Manager “Pat” Dickey would not have urged me to send a Skowhegan application. Yes, Skowhegan won, at the time, but Skowhegan’s Town Meeting had been changed and the people of Skowhegan hadn’t voted for it. So not only did a different community win, but because of the cost of the program, Littleton, NH, and all the town’s in Maine, except Skowhegan, have dropped the program because of cost and, yes, Watervile, because of the new building going on by Colby College. Katrina has done well in planning the Moose Lottery for three days in June 2018!

Speaking of Katrina, who has been on Ch.11’s Now You Know, she has chosen her office to be in the, once, Dr. Dumont’s home on Court Street.

Yes, I remember it well, as, because so many young people were employed in those days of my being 15 years old, my first job was there!

So, Katrina is following in my footsteps, for sure!

Give Us Your Best Shot! Thursday, June 14, 2018

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To submit a photo for The Town Line’s “Give Us Your Best Shot!” section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@fairpoint.net!

FANCY MEETING YOU: Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, snapped this photo of a downy woodpecker with what appears to be a redwing blackbird.

 

PICTURE POSTCARD: Betty Dunton, of Gardiner, photographed this cardinal in a tree shortly after a snowfall last winter.

 

STRETCHING: Tina Richards, of Clinton, caught this bald eagle as it landed in a field seeking some food.

FOR YOUR HEALTH – Be The Boss Of Your Diabetes: Three Self-Management Tips

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(NAPSI) — Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing conditions in the U.S. Today, the number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes has skyrocketed to nearly one in 10, compared to one in 100 just 50 years ago. Chances are that you or someone you know is coping with it.

What You Can Do

Hearing from your doctor that you have diabetes can be an overwhelming experience. From that day forward, your “new normal” may involve some lifestyle changes. Managing diabetes is a 24/7 responsibility, and many people don’t know where to turn for help to get started. The good news is that diabetes self-management education classes and resources are widely available. Diabetes education can help you to navigate changes and learn simple ways to improve your overall health.

Diabetes self-management means a number of key behavioral changes, including tweaks to diet and exercise, and learning to manage your medication. And while you can attempt those tweaks by yourself, you don’t need to go it alone. Most insurance plans, Medicaid and Medicare cover diabetes self-management education. Unfortunately, studies show only 6 percent of people take advantage of diabetes classes meant to help them manage their diabetes within the first year of being diagnosed.

You can get a better handle on self-management for your “new norm” with these three tips:

  • Attend a diabetes education class. Most health care providers offer classes to help people with diabetes learn how to manage their condition. You’ll learn best practices and tips for meal planning, monitoring blood sugar, medications, stress management and more. In addition, many community organizations offer classes to support continued learning and management of diabetes.
  • Discover healthy lifestyle ideas. As diabetes becomes increasingly prevalent, more organizations are offering a variety of classes to help support healthy living. These classes can include healthy eating tips and recipes, or a variety of fitness opportunities such as ballroom dancing or yoga. You can check a nearby community center or fitness center to see what classes they offer. Some health insurers also offer diabetes resources and classes for members and nonmembers alike at brick-and-mortar retail stores. Check with your health insurer for options.
  • Get moving with easy-to-use fitness technology. Physical activity offers huge benefits for people with diabetes, including lowering blood glucose levels, helping with weight loss, and controlling blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Fitness trackers and apps for phones and tablets make it easier to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. For example, the Blue Cross “do.” app can help you choose activities and set reminders throughout the day to stand up, stretch, walk and more.

By successfully managing your diabetes, you can improve your quality of life and help prevent complications down the road—including cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, eye damage, hearing impairment and more.

A diabetes diagnosis changes your life, but your new norm can lead to changes that can help you feel better and stay healthier.

Learn More

For more information about diabetes self-management education and how you can help take control of your diabetes, go to www.bluecrossmn.com/newnorm.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: If they arrive in May, why are they called June bugs?

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Green June beetle (left), June bug (right)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Well, the first June bug of the year made its appearance at camp on Thursday, May 31, at 10:30 p.m. We were, after all, still in May.

Generally, June bugs, Phyllophaga, do make their appearance in mid- to late-May. So why are they called June bugs? It all depends on what you want to call them. They are also known as May beetles and June beetles. But, the name is derived from the fact that adult June bugs emerge from the soil at the end of spring or the beginning of summer.

Females bury their eggs just below the soil surface in the fall, they pupate and emerge in the spring. They hatch within three to four weeks and feed on grass and plant roots from several months to as long as three years. In spring, these grubs, as they are called, grow into pupae. Within three weeks, these mature into adult June bugs.

Grubs, when full grown, live in the soil and feed on plant roots, especially those of grasses and cereals, and are occasional pests in pastures, nurseries, gardens and golf courses. An obvious indication of infestation is the presence of birds, especially crows, peeling back the grass to get to the grubs. A way to test for the presence of these beetles is drenching an area of lawn with water, that will cause larvae to emerge at the surface.

The grubs have been known to attack vegetables and other garden plants, such as lettuce, raspberries, strawberries, potatoes and young ornamental trees. Maintaining a healthy lawn is a good step in deterring the grubs from establishing themselves.

June bugs are harmless. They do not bite, sting or spread disease. However, I did see one of my friends move faster than I have ever seen her move before, while sitting around a camp fire last weekend, when one landed on her. To be honest, it’s the natural reaction by most people, including yours truly.

Again, they are harmless, but because they are attracted to light they can make an evening sitting on your porch or deck a little unpleasant. Even if there is no light outdoors, they can be attracted to lights inside your home. I know at camp, when we’re spending time indoors after dark, they come ‘knocking’ on our windows. The sound of June bugs buzzing and bumping against window screens in early summer is a very common occurrence over many parts of the U.S. Adult June bugs are extremely clumsy, especially in the air.

Scientists are still undecided on the precise explanation for this behavior. Several thoughts have been advanced, but no single theory has come about that can account for why so many different nocturnal insect species gravitate to sources of light. June bugs usually are a half-inch to an inch and a quarter in length. They can fly and you will find them swarming around street lights at night.

The Pyrgotidae fly. (Picture courtesy of Johan Heyns)

Now, let’s do some “did you know.”

  • Exposure to light for longer intervals will kill June bugs. That is why you will find them dead in the morning under porch lights and windows.
  • Don’t leave a window open during May-June period. They will enter your house and die, leaving you with a mess to clean up. If they do enter, remember, they don’t bite and are harmless, just annoying.
  • There are over 200 different species of June bugs in the United States.
  • A natural enemy of the June bug is the pyrgota fly larva, which feeds on the beetles, eventually killing them.
  • The June bug larvae, called white grubs, are considered excellent fish bait, and are staples in the diets of native people in South America, Australia, and Asia.
  • Have a pet lizard or toad? The beetles make excellent, tasty food for them.

There is another popular June beetle that’s active during the day. It is the Green June Beetle, and are found in our region of the Northeast, extending from Maine to Georgia and as far west as Kansas. These are not very good for the garden either. The head, legs and under-body are shiny green, while its wings are dull metallic green, with slight gold contrast to its sides.

So day and night, during early summer, these beetles can be destructive to vegetation, and just plain annoying to humans.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

In what year did the Houston Texans join the National Football League?

Answer can be found here.

 

IF WALLS COULD TALK: “Hello!” but who said it, the parrot or Bertha?

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

Well, faithful readers, WALLS and Katie have a memory to share. I saw a beautiful hen that had been purchased and shipped to California.

Oh, it was a beauty and was told about on TV a few night ago. That is when a memory came to mind. The parrot was in Bob Hall’s Barber Shop on Water Street, in Skowhegan, and it would say ‘hello’ to folks when they entered for a hair cut, or just when folks were going by. Yes, it was beautiful, too, with feathers in different colors, like the one shipped to California. In fact, when students from Skowhegan Junior High or High School would pass by, Bob’s parent would say ‘hello’ and we would reply. Actually, sometimes we would say “Hello, Bertha!” and it would really be Bertha’s saying ‘Hello” or sometimes it would be the parrot, as you may remember, faithful readers, that the parrot and Bertha did sound the same with their ‘hello’. Ah, yes, memories of yesteryear! Woops! I neglected to tell you that the hen reached California, but someone paid $500 for it but the hen was DOA..Dead on Arrival. A memory that whoever spent $500 for hen and shipping won’t forget!

Yes, too, Memorial Day is past and many of you faithful readers had happy and sad memories of relatives and friends, as time has taken them from us. I know….I know that placing flowers at the ‘resting place’ in our various cemeteries has shown love and respect, but this year, I have chosen to show respect for Sherwood Mullen’s late wife, Nancy, by not placing flowers on any of the families’ graves. Why? Well, Nancy and I used to go to all the cemeteries where we knew our forebears were buried. Yes, we discovered Michael and Anatoli Dumont’s graves at the Skowhegan Catholic Cemetery, as we knew that their farm was all of what is now East Maple Street, in Skowhegan. In fact, because Michael and Anatolie used to have a priest from Waterville come to their house to say Mass for ‘believers who migrated from Canada and, as a result, eventually the parishioners had enough money to purchase the, once, Methodist Church that stood on Water Street. Yes, Notre Dame d’Lourdes Church was founded by Michael and Anatalie Dumont. Nancy and I would also put flowers on our family members’ graves at Southside Cemetery and we discovered Grampa Olin Valliere’s grandfather’s grave, Joseph Frederic, in Starks.

Yes, faithful readers, we pray that all relatives are in God’s keeping.