Kirtland Garden Club

The dancing dreams of kites and men

Home Country By Slim Randles

Marjorie Pincus looked out the front window at her husband, Marvin, and smiled. No matter how old he gets, she thought, he’ll always be the boy I remember, riding his bicycle through this town so many years ago.

Marvin had stopped picking out the nutgrass and was watching a small group of children across the street in the park. Two of them had kites, and the brisk wind of morning had them both up as high as string would allow. Soon, Marvin had ambled across the street and was standing behind the children, watching the taut dip in the string and listening to the rattle of the tight paper.

The first time Marvin Pincus flew a kite in this park, airplanes didn’t go very far or very fast. The other side of the moon was a mystery in those days, and no one really thought man would ever go there and back. Not really.

And here these kids are, flying their kites the very same way, with the very same rag tails, and looking up at the earth-tied fliers climbing with the gusts and settling with the relaxation of the breezes.

Marjorie watched from across the street as the Herrera boy walked over to Marvin, whispering something as Marvin leaned down to hear, and then handed the stick with the kite string tied to it to the old man. His face beamed as he controlled flight once again. The kids smiled, too, probably not realizing kite flying was the same when Mr. Pincus was a kid, too. But what about the dreams? Marjorie thought about this. What goes through the minds of today’s kite fliers who know what the surface of Mars looks like, who know what the far side of the moon looks like, who know there are human beings in a space station, living up there, right now? What will their dreams be as the kites dance?

What dreams will dance now as they stand there and hold the miracle of flight in their fingers? ------------- Brought to you by The Complete Cowboy Bucket List. See it at LPDPress.com.

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Kirtland Garden club to meet

HOUGHTON LAKE – The Kirtland Garden Club has scheduled its next meeting for March 16 at 1 p.m. at the Houghton Lake Public Library.

Main speaker will be Julie Crick of Michigan State Extension. Crick will be discussing Vernal Pools, what they are, and why they are important.

March magic

Toad's Stool By Warren Stutesman

Hello my friends, welcome to March that magical month with portents of spring. Just enough springtime magic to make you relax and say hey winters over. Then Bang, March throws it right back in your face, Yup there's still a bit of winters furry left.

They say to beware the Ides of March but that's for Caesar to worry about. I care more about them snowflakes.

There are a few people that know I like to forage a bit of nature’s bounty. So I have been studying a bit to make sure of my identifications and the uses of each food. One in particular has caught my attention that I thought I would share with everyone. Plantain, now not the banana like fruit but the one I am talking about is the one that grows in your lawn.

Plantain grows in a rosette of leaves like a dandelion but the leaves are not notched. The flower is a green stalk with the seeds along the top half. There are usually three or more stalks growing in each plant. It’s the leaves and flower stalks and seeds that are used for medicine or food. The leaves are good when young and tender for use in a salad while the older and tougher leaves

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work well in a stew.

Plantain was known among some Native Americans as "white man's footprint", because it thrived in the disturbed and damaged soils surrounding European settlements. Plantain contains calcium, betacarotene and many other nutrients. The medicinal uses are varied and the list is quite long.

Externally the leaf can be used whole or made into a salve and used for soothing burns, bites, stings, rashes, eczema, psoriasis, and more. The mature plant contains pliable and tough fibers that can be used to make small cords, fishing line, sutures, or braiding. So as you can see it is a quite useful plant.

My bird friends that are still coming in regular include Dove, Chickadee, Blue Jay, Nut Hatch and lots of different woodpeckers. I miss all of my other birds that seem to have abandoned me this winter.

Friends of mine from down state have seen large flocks of Snow Geese and Sand Hill Cranes. And when I say large flocks, they are saying over a thousand. I have also seen Doppler video of flocks moving north from the area around Cuba so it seems that the birds are coming this way.

I recently picked up a new hobby, carving wooden spoons. It’s a nice way to keep a bit busy and still be able to unwind and relax while spending time with my wife. While spoons may be carved from dry wood, they a generally carved from green wood. I am always looking for some green fruit wood to continue this hobby so if anyone is taking out any trees or limbs give me a call, I may be interested in helping you out. Well that's all I have for this month, looking forward to spring so we can get out and enjoy this world that God made for us.

March topics: Census, Do Not Call list, and Scams

Oscoda County Senior News

By Merianne Tappan

March: In like a lion out like a lamb… I remember writing “in like a lion and out like a lion” last year. We have been pretty lucky this year with the winter weather. Let’s hope it stays this nice! Here’s what’s going on in March:

Sunday March 8 is daylight savings time. Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday! Monday March 9 is the Monthly Council Board meeting at 9 a.m. at the Center. As always anyone with an interest is welcome to attend! Tuesday March 17 is St Patrick ’s Day. Wear green, don’t get pinched! Weds March 18 the Center will be closed for an all-day training. And March 19 is the first day of spring! (Whew! What a week!) Tuesday March 24 is the monthly senior cheese box drop at the center from 10-11 a.m. If you have not signed up for that you may do so that day.

I have a few very important things to talk about this month: First of all, please, please, PLEASE take the 2020 Census this year. It is VERY important that everyone turn one in so the powers that be can finally

understand how overlooked and neglected the population of Oscoda County is. I got my flyer in the mail last week and you have the option of submitting on-line or they will send you a paper form. I did mine on-line. It was very extensive and took about 45 min. But it was thorough – I don’t think I have ever seen a census survey this extensive and that is GREAT! If you need help filling it out please contact me at the Center and I will be happy to help.

That being said, next I want to discuss scams. There are scams out there right now about the census. I am not sure how they operate but you need to beware. If you suspect any kind of fraud or scam please call the Center or the police and make a report. We have placemats at the Center that the State Police force was kind enough to bring in to us for free. It is literally covered with information on scams and abuse. It is very informative and they are free. Either you can pick one up at the center or give me a call and I will send you one.

THAT being said… the last topic I would like to discuss is the “Do not call” registry. I get numerous calls daily from telemarketers. At the Center we KNOW it’s a scam because the number always rings in on the second line. We don’t even know that number! But I am sure all of you do not have that kind of screening process. If you are being bothered by numerous solicitors and scam calls give me a call at the Center and I will register you on the “Do not call list.” It is a quick easy, simple process and I will help you for free. Just be aware that it takes about a week for your number to stop receiving calls.

See you next month! Merianne Tappan is the Director/ Medicare Counselor of the Oscoda County Council on Aging. To contact her please call 989-826-3025.

Get ready for spring planting

REGION - Now is the time to be thinking about what you’d like to plant this spring!

Each spring, the CrawfordRoscommon Conservation District provides residents the opportunity to purchase tree seedlings, native wildflower bulbs/roots, berry bushes and wildflower seed. Tree days are Friday, April 24th noon-3pm & Saturday, April 25th 9am-1pm at the Michigan Fire Training Grounds on 290 Ballenger Rd in Roscommon. Mark your calendars!

To be sure of getting what you’d like, please pre-order by March 16. After that date, orders are taken as supplies last or until April 10. Conifers (evergreens) are sold in seedling and transplant form. A seedling has been in a seedbed for two years; whereas, a transplant is grown as a seedling, then transplanted to a larger bed for another year or two to develop thicker and stronger root systems. Types of conifers that may be available at our walk-in sale this spring are: Red Cedar, White Cedar, Douglas Fir; Jack, Red & White Pine; Blue, Norway & White Spruce. Hardwoods will arrive at an average height of 2 ft tall. Chinese Chestnut, Birch, Hybrid Poplar, Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Red & White Oak; along with sets of 3 semi-dwarf apple trees.

Wildlife shrubs may consist of: American Plum, Black Chokeberry, Butterfly Bush, Elderberry, Forsythia, Gray Dogwood, Hazelnut, High Bush Cranberry, Lilac, Nannyberry, Red Mulberry, Pussy Willow, Red Osier Dogwood, Roselow Crab, Sand Cherry, Serviceberry, Sumac, Trumpet Vine, Washington Hawthorne, Winterberry/Holly & Witch Hazel. These plants will be 12-24 inches at planting.

Native wildflowers in bulb/bare root form are: Jack-In-The-Pulpit, Lady Slipper & White Trillium. Other plants consist of: Asparagus, Black and Red Raspberry & Blueberry.

These items will be available as supplies last. . .

For further info contact the Crawford-Roscommon Conservation District at (989) 275-3163, barb. stauffer@macd.org, OR www. Crawfordroscommoncd.weebly.com

Director of the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau, Theresa Ekdom, took an ATV ride on the Richfield Township trail system.

Tom O'Boyle of Great Getaways and Anna Sylvester snowshoe Marl Lake for a recent film about Roscommon County. Video can be seen on Houghton Lake area tourism Bureau Facebook page

ROSCOMMON COUNTY – Great Getaways visited Roscommon County last month for a feature on Houghton Lake, Lake St. Helen and Higgins Lake. ~ Photos by Theresa Ekdom

Denny Sera of Great Getaways on Mark Lake.

The three bears had been having some trouble recently and had ended up in family court. Mama and Papa bear were splitting up, and baby bear had to decide who he was going to live with. So, the judge wanted to talk to baby bear to see what he thought about living with either of his parents.

When he asked baby bear about living with his father, baby bear said "No, I can't live with Papa bear, he beats me terribly." "OK," said the judge, "then you want to live with your mother, right?" "No way!" replied baby bear, "She beats me worse than Papa bear does." The judge was a bit confused by this and didn't quite know what to do. "Well, you have to live with someone, so is there any relatives you would like to stay with?" asked the judge.

"Yes," answered baby bear, "my aunt Bertha bear who lives in Chicago." "You're sure she will treat you well and won't beat you?" asked the judge. "Oh definitely," said baby bear, "the Chicago Bears don't beat anybody."

For advertising information call: 989-275-1170

They're usually 90 degrees Q: What does a nosey pepper do? A: Gets jalapeno business! Q: What do you call a fake noodle? A: An Impasta

Q: What do you call an alligator in a vest? A: An Investigator

Q: What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish? A: Every morning you'll rise and shine! Q: "What's the difference between a guitar and a fish?" A: "You can't tuna fish."

Q: What do you call a pile of kittens A: a meowntain Q: What do you call a baby monkey? A: A Chimp off the old block.

Q: Did you hear about the race between the lettuce and

Tie Joke On the day of my big job interview I woke up late.

Frantically I threw on a suit. “OH NO!” I thought. “MY TIE!

My Dad was out of town and wasn’t there to help me, and for the life of me I did not know how to tie a tie! I grabbed a tie and ran out the door.

“Excuse me sir,” I said to the crossing guard, “I have an important job interview, can you please help me make this

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tie?!” “Sure” said the guard, “just lie down on this bench.” Well if someone was going to help me, I wasn’t going to ask any questions.

After he finished and the tie looked good, I just had to ask why I had to lie down. “Well in my previous job I learned how to tie tie’s on other people when they were lying down. He replied. What was your previous job? I asked incredulously. “I ran a morg.” Was the reply.

1. What happens to a frog's car when it breaks down? It gets toad away. 2. I submitted 10 puns to a joke-writing competition to see if any of them made the finals. Sadly, no pun in ten did. 3. What's the difference between a hippo and a Zippo?

One is really heavy, and the

the tomato? A: The lettuce was a "head" and the tomato were trying to "ketchup"!

Q: Did you hear about the hungry clock? A: It went back four seconds. Q: What do you call a boy who finally stood up to the bullies? A: An ambulance.

Q: Where do crayons go on vacation? A: Color-ado!

Q: Why did the belt get arrested? A: He held up a pair of pants special than your other body parts? A: Because they have their own soul.

Q: What is heavy forward but not backward? A: Ton.

Q: What do you call a gangsta snowman? A: Froze-T

other is a little lighter.

4. Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building?

Of course! The Empire State Building can't jump.

5. If you ever get cold, stand in the corner of a room for a while.