The New Hot Water Heater is IN!!!!!

Monday night Charlie Lei and Dick finished installing
Gladys' new propane hot water heater. She is still
being wise about her power use. "It feels good to
have a bath again and not worry," says Gladys.

"I'm so glad that Charlie was able to do everything
that needed to be done. He and Dick got it all
figured out. Charlie was a big help."
Gladys is relieved to have the work all done.

New Hot Water Heater @ Gladys'

The wait continues for the installation of
the new propane hot water heater. Gladys is
now conserving power.

Ted and Dick went down to the basement and
dismantled the bottom burner in the
50 year old electric hotwater heater.
Dick's contact at TRECO tells him that their
current electrical consumption is down to
100 KW per day. All the baseboard heaters are
turned off. Gladys is turning off all the
lights as she leaves the room. Conservation
is alive and rampant at the Fletchers.

Charlie Lei is due to come and hook up the new
propane water heater next weekend. Charlie is
Gladys' grandson.

Gladys wants to get her power bill wittled
way down. Since it was $650 last month, which
exceeded her monthly Social Security income.

Dick wrote a letter to the Governor and also to the
Senators and Representatives from our area.
Dulcie will hand deliver them while she is in
Helena this week.

Dick is hoping to raise the public awareness
regarding the elderly, schools and the impact of power
increases in Southern Montana upon those on fixed
incomes. He is a Trustee for the school board at
Ashland Public in Ashland Montana.

Dick has also written letters to the editors of
local papers.

Mirage 2

Sam Lei looked at the mirage pictures.

"When I was a boy we lived up high, I
could see the Big Horns and sometime
we'd see those mirages. Do they know
what makes them?

Junior and Djordge Visit Gladys

Left to right: Junior, Gladys and Djordge

Gladys' pals, Junior Milhailovic and Djorde Vukmirovic, showed up with Ted this
morning. They are on their way to go shoot coyotes and prairie dogs. Junior had
some time off and needed to pick up alfalfa seed for his folks farm, so they decided
to head out our way.

Junior and his dad have been coming out to Ted and Peggy's hunting since 1984.
They will be back again this fall.


Dixie, Gladys' grand-daughter, is visiting too. So we are headed out to Ted and Peggy's to see her. Dixie will be here for a few days. Gladys is looking forwards to
playing cards with her and catching up on all the news from Billings.

Mirage

This photograph, taken by Dick Fletcher,
shows a row of cliffs on top of the hills
that run along the Tongue River Valley.
The cliffs are the mirage.

On February 4th, Ted and Dick were on their
way to town. Dick saw this mirage. Ted was busy
watching the road. When they stopped Dick took
this picture. Dick said that the mirage extended
all across the horizon, it went for miles.

The guys at the Elks Club in Sheridan
didn't believe Ted
when he told them about it.
Now Ted has the proof, he has the picture.

The view is up on the Divide, just after
Pine Butte School on the way to Sheridan.
Its looking over towards Colstrip.

Gladys said, "One day when Merle was on
his way to Arvada he saw a train just a
rolling along with smoke puffing out of
the smoke stack. The locomotive was running
along the top of the hills and he knew that
there were no tracks there."

HOME, HOME ON THE RANGE

"Whens Valentines Day?

Not til Saturday, do I have to wait
that long???" says Gladys.


Gladys burst into song this afternoon.

"Home, home on the range. Where the deer
and the antelope range.
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
and the skys are not cloudy all day." sings Gladys.

Its grey out Gladys window, the wind is blowing
and the chimes are ringing.

Gladys Has Dinner/Power Increases

When Dick arrived he had a bowl of soup and then
asked MJ what their power bill was. Ernie quickly opened
it and was surprised to see that it was much much higher
than the month before. The increase in power costs
has hit residents of Rosebud and Powder River
counties very hard. Dick had a lot to tell about
his struggle to get answers from TRECO and from
State, Federal and local agencies. TRECO has had
increases of aproximately 23 per cent in the last year.

Unfortunately the economy in this part of Montana
has not increased at the same rate. Especially for those on
Social Security, where the annual increase was
5.8 percent in November.

At the school board meeting the point of discussion
was the tremendous increase in the power costs for
the last months bill.

Gladys Has Dinner at Mary Jane's

Monday night was the monthly Ashland Public School
Board meeting. Dick was dropped off at school and
we headed out Tongue River Road to Mary Jane and
Ernie's.

Mary Jane had made beef soup, with barley on Sunday.
She heated it up and made a great meal.
Lively conversation round the table, Gladys sang
lots of songs, Kyle crumbled crackers in his
soup and we all followed suit.

Dick had bought cookies and cream ice cream with
caramel syrup for dessert. The only stipulation
was that we were done eating by the time Antiques
Road Show was on so that MJ and Grandma could watch it.

Time passed quickly, the phone rang with Dick saying
that the meeting was over.

Gladys, Dick and Sam Lei Reminisce on Sunday

Sam and Joyce would leave their children with
Gladys and Merle when they went to Sayle Hall
dances.
"Charlie and Mary Jane never learned to dance.
I bet its cause they never got to go. Joyce and
I would pick up Jane and Dick and take off to
Sayle Hall"said Sam.
"One time I remember Dad saying he had tried to
put a shirt on Charlie. Charlie was thin as a
match. Dad tried like heck to get his head thru
the sleeve of his shirt. He said that JOyce and
Sam should spend a little money on those kids
and get some clothes that fit.

Gene Autrey Sings...

Gladys says he's got it pretty close but not quite right.

WHEN ITS ROUND UP TIME IN TEXAS...

When the Bloom is on the Sage

For most people there's a spot that lives forever,
Deep within their fondest memories.
Tho' I have been a rover I have never
Seen anyplace that I would rather be than---

When it's roundup time in Texas and the bloom is on the sage
How I long to be in Texas just a ridin' on the range
I can smell the bacon frying, hear it sizzlin' in the pan,
Hear the breakfast horn in the early morn drinkin' coffee from a can.

Just a ridin', rockin', ropin', poundin' leather all day long,
Just a seatin', swearin', smokin', listen to a cowboy song.
Though I know I'll never go there, I would work for any wage,
To be again, be free again, where the bloom is on the sage.

When it's roundup time in Texas and the bloom is on the sage,
How I long to be in Texas just a ridin' on the range.
Those purple hills are calling, calling to me from afar,
I'm back again to the Rio Grande and the lonely Texas star.

How I long to be living where the prairie flowers grow,
I'd be willing to start walking to the place that I love so.
It beacons and I reckon I would work for any wage,
To be again, be free again, where the bloom is on the sage.

Gladys loves to sing this song.

Today Thane and Sandy are coming over for dinner. Dick has made pot roast
salad, lemon marangue pie and is contemplating cinnamon rolls for good measure.
Its a sunny 25 degrees at the moment and Gladys is headed for
her bath.

The View Out Gladys' Window...

Moonlight Bay

Gladys loves to sing this song:



Deanna Durbin singing "Moonlight Bay" in For The Love Of Mary.

She doesn't think that they sing the words right,
"but it's pretty close."



Moonlight Bay

We were sailing along on Moonlight Bay
We could hear the voices ringing they seemed to say
You have stolen my heart now I don't go away
As we sang love's old sweet songs on Moonlight Bay.

Just the girls now (we were sailing along)
Beautiful (on Moonlight Bay)
(We could hear the voices ringing they seemed to say)
Now the boys (you have stolen my heart I don't go away
As we sang love's old sweet songs on Moonlight Bay.)

We were sailing along on Moonlight Bay
We could hear the voices ringing they seemed to say
You have stolen my heart now I don't go away
As we sang love's old sweet songs on Moonlight Bay...

When You Wore a Tulip, a Bright Yellow Tulip...

Gladys was remembering this song today.

Que Sera Sera

This morning Gladys remembered a song
that she hasn't sung
for 50 years.

Doris Day came out with it in 1956.

Que Sera Sera

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Jim Lei Stories

Jim Lei is in the hospital. He's a good cowboy and
friend to folks up and down Otter Creek. Jim is
Gladys' son in law, Sam Lei's brother.

"Jim used to work for us. He's helped us a lot different
times. He lived with us in 1960-61. He'd work for us
and be braking horses for himself. One time he was over.
He picketed his bronc horse up by the mailbox close
to the road. The rope was tied around a chunk of log.
He was in the house visiting.
Jane was just a girl. She'd walked up to get the mail.
A car was coming down the road, spooked that old bronc.
Jane took off running down the driveway with that horse
chasing after her. The log was just a jumping around.
Jane had to run fast to dodge both the log and the
horse. She was so scared.

I can't remember if he chased after his horse or what he was doing.

Another time he was out doing something and broke his leg.
Ted had to take him to Sheridan to get it casted up.
Jim wouldn't use his crutches much. They put a walking outfit
on his cast and he broke it off. Ted had to take him
back to town to get it recast." remembers Gladys.