Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

"Look out!...it's deer season and the guns are out."

__________

Monday, 9/26/2009, 3:08 p.m.
Several people were very upset when another party drove through their campsite on Big Creek Road. The reporting claims that they were also on the receiving end of gunfire.

Monday, 9/26/2009, 3:38 p.m.
Someone in Coram shot at a cat.

Monday, 9/26/2009, 3:59 p.m.
A resident of Big Mountain Road thought they heard two gunshots across the road from their home.

Monday, 9/26/2009, 5:25 p.m.
Though it appeared that someone was shooting at geese from a vehicle at a local golf course, they actually were not.

Monday, 9/26/2009, 9:10 p.m.
A man was approached by a woman with a gun when he stopped to take down a real-estate phone number.

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

"Ever been guilty of sleeping suspiciously?"

__________

Thursday, 10/22/2009, 11:32 a.m.
A Whitefish resident was shocked to look out and see a man relieving himself in the ditch across from her home. The man has evidently been camping in the area.

Thursday, 10/22/2009, 3:23 p.m.
A local woman claims that her husband just married another woman in Florida. Upon further investigation, it was found that the man in fact had only one wife.

Thursday, 10/22/2009, 4:12 p.m.
A house was paint-balled in Columbia Falls.

Thursday, 10/22/2009, 5:57 p.m.
A woman was sleeping suspiciously in her car at an Evergreen park but left before authorities arrived.

Thursday, 10/22/2009, 7:08 p.m.
A mother kicked her 16-year-old daughter out of the car near Whitefish, apparently because she made a rude comment.

Leaving San Diego LIII

It was our group's night to provide food for dinner. We had decided on a Hawaiian theme. We decided on Hawaiian because none of us wanted to prepare food. Having Dominoes deliver pizza sounded much nicer than slaving over a stove for many hours. How many large pizzas does it take to feed 51 people? Evidently, not 17. We had 7 pizzas too many. I wanted to make sure there would be enough, and there was. I parcelled some out to the teens to snack on in the middle of the night, which I think they appreciated. I made up a list of Hawaii fun-facts to ask during dinner. Ques. #1. Which state is the widest state, east/west, in the union? Ans. Hawaii. The seven Hawaiian islands are spaced wider apart than any other state. Ques. #2. Which state grows its own coffee? Ans. Hawaii again. No other state in the union has the climate for it. Ques. #3. How many letters are contained in the Hawaiian alphabet? Ans. 11. Every letter in the Hawaiian alphabet is used, unlike English with all the silent letters. Ques. #4. Which state has the tallest mountain, from bottom to top? Ans. Hawaii once again. The Hawaiian Islands are all sea-mountains, with the big island being over 27,000 feet tall. Ques. #5. Does it ever snow in Hawaii? Ans. If you did not answer "yes", you really are not paying attention...on the tops of the mountains.

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

"Wanna see what's in my suitcase?"

__________

Tuesday, 10/20/2009, 8:08 p.m.
An adult man and woman yelled at one another on Parliament Drive. Authorities convinced them to be quiet.

Tuesday, 10/20/2009, 8:50 p.m.
A man carrying a suitcase was seen walking up to cars and harassing customers at an Evergreen convenience store.

Tuesday, 10/20/2009, 9:25 p.m.
A man carrying a suitcase was bothering customers at an Evergreen grocery store.

Tuesday, 10/20/2009, 10:39 p.m.
A man carrying a suitcase was pestering patrons of a local casino.

Leaving San Diego LII

I tried my hand at fishing from the end of the dock, but had no luck. I then learned one of my little Grand-nephews, four years old, was catching them left and right. Maybe I do not have the patience for it. I continued enjoying my nights by the campfire. Brother David would play his guitar on occasion...nice to listen to. One day we had a "no-talent" show where everyone was invited to demonstrate some talent that might not be considered a regular talent in the real world. Sister Missy organized the whole show. I did something stupid with a couple of Grand-nieces...don't remember what. Many of the "no-talent" skits exhibited a surprising level of planning and true talent. I enjoyed them a great deal. Dad was given the responsibility of deciding on an overall "winner." He wisely chose brother Mike's Granddaughter who had sung a complicated song about several dogs. She knew all the words, and the song seemed to go on and on....all about some dogs she liked and had died. She was very happy to have been declared the winner, and suggested she had "other songs." I continued to enjoy slow cruises on the lake and good meals.

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

"Hey Herb, do you see what I see?"

**********

Monday, 10/19/2009, 2:21 a.m.
A resident of Kelly Road in Kalispell claims that they saw a whitish-blue light hover in the northwest sky for about ten seconds before it disappeared. The reporting party, who had not been drinking, was directed to the National UFO Reporting Center.

Monday, 10/19/2009, 12:58 p.m.
Someone called from Wintercrest Drive to report that they were bitten by a dog three days ago.

Monday, 10/19/2009, 3:34 p.m.
Someone on Plantation Drive lost an item off the top of their vehicle. A neighbor then picked up the object and refused to give it back.

Monday, 10/19/2009, 3:25 p.m.
A 16-year-old female attempted to shoplift underpants from an Evergreen box store.

Monday, 10/19/2009, 10:13 p.m.
Five shots heard in Hungry Horse were intended to frighten a bear.

Leaving San Diego LI

When we were all together for dinner each day, I realized there were a bunch of us from only two Apples. I was getting accustomed to the noises in our small room at night. Bev snored loudly, but fortunately, I was a sound sleeper. Captain Joe McClure rented the houseboat and took us all around. I enjoyed the slow floats around the lake. I heard that someone had forgotten to check the fuel level later in the week and had run out of gas way out there in the middle of the nowhere. I enjoyed several late-night talks with others around the campfire. It seemed someone was always putting more logs on the fire, turning it into an eternal flame. One of the few electrical outlets in our cabin would not accept modern 3-pronged plugs, so there was always a shortage of outlets for laptops. Another outlet was broken and would not work at all. So I found the workshop and got permission to fix some things. I learned that the camp's owner had a stroke, and his wife performed most of the maintenance. I made myself useful and replaced the bad outlet in our cabin, and a bad lamp cord in another cabin. I also repaired a broken hand rail that someone had cut their hand on. If I had the time to spare, I think I could have landed a job there. But I didn't mind. I felt useful, and we had an extra outlet for our laptops in the Bird House. Did I mention the electrical breakers that kept tripping? Maybe I should stop here...

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 1:58 p.m.
Someone wearing a white stocking cap rode his green and white dirt bike through several yards on Springcreek Drive, thoroughly disturbing the grass.

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 2:23 p.m.
Someone spotted a loose goat trotting down the north side of highway 2. It is unknown whether the goat returned home.

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 11:26 p.m.
A man and a woman argued loudly on East Oregon Street, much to the dismay to those living next door.

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 2:57 a.m.
A loose horse stood by the side of the road near Chapman Hill.

No Blog Tonight

(Watched the San Diego Chargers lose to the Denver Broncos.)

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

"Need to return to the hospital?...you know what to dial."

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 2:19 p.m.
A seemingly depressed resident of Whitefish was actually perfectly fine.

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 2:39 p.m.
A dog on Valley View Drive killed one chicken last week and another chicken today.

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 3:47 p.m.
A very skinny horse on Tall Pine Ridge has not been neglected, but is in fact extremely old.

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 7:03 p.m.
Someone at a local convenience store apparently paid with a bad check and then tried to run over the attendant who ran out to stop him. After striking the attendant with the vehicle side mirror, the driver returned to pay with cash.

Thursday, 10/15/2009, 9:11 p.m.
A nearly-unintelligible man called from Ridgewood Drive, indicating that he had just gotten out of the hospital and needed to go back.

Leaving San Diego L

I think the kids were enjoying this family reunion more than anyone else. Our cabin seemed to be a favorite spot for breakfast. I didn't mind...it was a good time to learn their first names and which of my brothers or sisters they belonged to! I was quite impressed with a few of them. Everyone knew Debby's kids were fed only health food. Refined sugar was a bad word. I had great fun feeding them Oreo cookies and Reese's Peanut Butter Bars. I sat with one of Debby's boys and rubbed his head while talking to other adults. He soon dozed off to sleep. It was also fun watching the younger mothers running around counting their kids to see if they were all still around? I no longer had to do that. As a matter of fact, I did not have to do much of anything. I think that was what made it so relaxing. Instead, I wrestled with the little ankle-biters on the floor and pretended I was dying. Secretly, I was just looking for a place to rest. I spent many hours on the shuffleboard deck shoving the discs around. It was quite irritating watching one of the little ones knock my discs off with repeated accuracy. I was happy that he had a short attention span and would run off with his short friends at mid-game.

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

Have you hugged your mom today?

**********

Wednesday, 10/14/2009, 9:42 a.m.
According to a concerned caller, someone in Evergreen has been hoarding a large number of pet rabbits at their residence. Authorities will be investigating the claim.

Wednesday, 10/14/2009, 10:55 a.m.
An inmate at the Flathead County Juvenile detention Center chose to write on a table, a practice that is forbidden at the center.

Wednesday, 10/14/2009, 1:30 p.m.
Someone on Highway 93 South wanted to know if she could still press charges on an individual who harassed her between 2003 and 2008.

Wednesday, 10/14/2009, 6:58 p.m.
A 14-year-old girl threatened to kill her mother on South Woodland Drive.

Leaving San Diego XLIX

Since Dad was the senior member of this Apple reunion, we all decided to give him the room with the double bed. The only price he had to pay was that the only pathway to the shower was through his room. I thought our Bird House was small, but heard from others that we had the "mansion." Brother David was proud to have a bathroom with the only urinal. He was so proud of it that we did not want to break the news that it was really a small, stainless steel hand basin. I don't want to say their bathroom was small, but you had to open the door to wipe. Since our shower was located in a hallway, I took clothes in to the shower to change into before coming out. I hung my jeans over the top edge of the shower cubicle and tried to block water spray by shielding them with my body. But it was fun to be with family again. This reminded me of growing up with an "outhouse" and no bathroom at all. We thought everyone bathed by washing up in the kitchen sink. Some other members of the family were due to arrive mid-week. Those of us already there were wagering how long some would stay in their rooms? Some thought the late arrivals would not stay that first night. I was betting on one night...just to show good faith. I'm not sure, but maybe the shower water draining underneath the bedroom carpet had something to do with it?

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

"Got a misty room?...better call 9-1-1."

**********

Tuesday, 10/13/2009, 3:51 a.m.
The victim of another driver's road rage called to report that he had found the perpetrator's vehicle parked at an Evergreen business. The guilty party was not near the vehicle and could not be found.

Tuesday, 10/13/2009, 10:56 a.m.
Authorities helped a "man down" in Whitefish return to his feet.

Tuesday, 10/13/2009, 1:43 p.m.
A woman on Whitefish Stage Road could smell smoke in her home, and indicated that her living room was "misty." The smell and haze turned out to be from a blown fuse.

Tuesday, 10/13/2009, 7:39 p.m.
Employees of a local convenience store requested medical assistance for a 50-year-old man who may have been suffering from hypothermia. The man, who evidently had been drinking, was escorted to the hospital for care.

Leaving San Diego XLVIII

The drive went okay...eight hours. This would be the first Apple-family reunion in 30 years, which would last for one week. After only two calls, we received directions that took us around the lake, over the stream, through the bushes and to our destination...Bird House. Each house was decorated in its own distinctive theme, with ours being a bunch of old bird houses. The screened-in sun room contained several examples of various shapes and sizes. I was wondering if the birds using these houses were finished with them before they were gathered. We were among the first to arrive. The cabins sat on a hill above the lake. Our 10-foot-square room contained a bunk-bed squeezed against one wall with a single bed shoved against another. There was barely enough room to turn around once inside. My wife and I were to be in the bottom of the bunk bed with two other people in the other sleeping spaces. I was warned the rooms were going to be cozy... and they were. The bathroom was just off the kitchen. When sitting, my nose was almost pressed against the opposing wall. All wiping had to be accomplished with certain movements more appropriate for a gymnastics event. No one had said anything about the bathrooms also being cozy. We theorized the closeness would be conducive to good conversation...such as: "I never knew you had a mole in your left armpit?"

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

Just another day on the range

**********

Thursday, 10/8/2009, 1:48 p.m.
Someone discovered several abandoned kittens at the intersection of highway 93 and highway 82.

Thursday, 10/8/2009, 3:08 p.m.
Someone called to report that a cat had been shot across from a Coram bar.

Thursday, 10/8/2009, 4:18 p.m.
A single horse wandered unattended on highway 209 before being sent home.

Thursday, 10/8/2009, 5:07 p.m.
A resident of Mountain View Drive called to report a vicious dog living in the area.

Thursday, 10/8/2009, 5:29 p.m.
Seven horses ran amok on Foothill Road. The horses were rounded up and escorted home.

Leaving San Diego XLVII

After leaving Mendota, Illinois in our Chevy Corsica rental, we were in for a long drive to a camp grounds north of Grand Rapids, Michigan for the Apple reunion. Upon entering the state highway, the left lane was filled with slow trucks for as far as I could see. I am not in the habit of getting in lines just because there is a line. That would be like raising your hand in church when you did not hear the question. Maybe all those truckers were on their way to Hell? I have heard some bad stories about that place, so I took the empty right lane. I finally came to road construction where I discovered the reason for the long line. One trucker pulled over to block me, while I wondered why he would do such a thing? He crowded me into an orange cone. The Highway Patrol officer got out of his car and pointed to the fallen cone while giving me an angry look. I squeezed between two trucks and eased through the logjam. It was at the next exit where I noticed a new sign informing motorists of the road construction and directed to use the left lane. There must have been a similar sign just before where we entered the state highway. Evidently, no one ever entered the state highway from Mendota, Illinois, and hence...no sign. I was hoping this was not a sign of things to come?

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

"Hey, c'mon guys...close the window and pull the shades!"

**********

Friday, 10/9/2009, 8:33 a.m.
Someone felt highly suspicious of an individual who was inside a bank before anyone else arrived.

Friday, 10/9/2009, 8:51 a.m.
Residents of a house in Somers arrived home after an extended absence to find that several items had been stolen. The theft is believed to have occurred in July.

Friday, 10/9/2009, 4:09 p.m.
Someone on Hoffman Draw in Kalispell became worried when a neighbor had not been seen for several days. The man in question was found to be staying with his son.

Friday, 10/9/2009, 8:00 p.m.
A husband and wife argued on Ridgewood Drive.

Leaving San Diego XLVI

I figured I should take a photo of Becky with the new grill I assembled for her. She once loaned me money to replace tools that were stolen from my workplace. So I am always happy to assemble a grill for Becky. She needed to take a trip to downtown Chicago today, so we were on our own. I watched some TV, but was soon enthralled with the movings of the tortoise. The tortoise was never content to remain in his (her?) box. I kept placing obstacles in its path to prevent it from escaping it's Bloomingdales shoe box. Its never-ceasing movements became annoying after a while. It was like watching a mouse trying to escape from an empty oil drum. I finally decided to place the box up high, on top of the cabinet that held the TV, figuring the turtle had a good animal-sense about heights...WRONG. This turtle, or tortoise must have had a depth-perception problem as I heard a loud...THUD. It had tipped its box and fallen 6 feet to the carpet. I hurriedly picked it up and examined for damage. Everything seemed to be moving okay, so I gave up and placed it back on the floor. The last I noticed, it was headed for the closet. We leave tomorrow. As far as I am concerned, it is a free-range tortoise.

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

"I'm gonna be dispatched?...cool."

**********

Friday, 10/9/2009, 8:37 a.m.
A child on Jellison Road doodled on cars with a felt marker. The same child is known to have caused several broken windows earlier in the summer.

Friday, 10/9/2009, 11:08 a.m.
A resident of Lake Five Road became irritated when someone tossed a lit cigarette in their yard.

Friday, 10/9/2009, 12:13 p.m.
The local fire department helped remove a claustrophobic woman from a stuck elevator at a senior citizens' apartment complex.

Friday, 10/9/2009, 9:44 p.m.
A small injured bull moose was dispatched and sent to the food bank.

Leaving San Diego

Becky's grill is all assembled. Notice, that is not a spatula, but Channelocks?

Leaving San Diego XLV

We shared lunch at Izzy's again. My burger was fine. I enjoy eating dead cow...as long as I never knew the cow in a personal way. We sat in the livingroom listening to Lee share his life-story while dressed in his blue-and-brown, flannel, Teddy Bear bathrobe. He looked very comfortable. But I lost interest after the part of repeating fourth grade due to a reading problem. We headed back to Becky and Tom's place. I found the toll booths rather confusing along the way....something about an "I-pass" that I apparently did not have. Becky had to get on the computer and pay the $2.05 I owed the state of Illinois. She would not accept any money, so I cleaned her gutters instead. She had some cute maple tree saplings growing up there. I also assembled their new grill...not an easy task. It weighed a ton as she and I attempted to carry the box to the house. I had better luck rolling the square box, end-over-end to the livingroom. If I was a true Egyptian, I would have found a couple of logs to roll the thing on. The note on the box said, "Assembles in minutes." And they were right. It took 240 minutes.

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

It was all about fire...and firearms

**********

Wednesday, 10/7/2009, 1:30 p.m.
Someone on Lower Valley Road was burning an illegal fire. The guilty party extinguished the flames.

Wednesday, 10/7/2009, 5:28 p.m.
A log smoldered on Blacktail Road. Fire professionals responded and doused several remnants of recent fire activity.

Wednesday, 10/7/2008, 7:29 p.m.
Someone spotted flames erupting from a chimney in Whitefish. Authorities responded to find no fire in said chimney.

Wednesday, 10/7/2009, 10:45 p.m.
Someone arrived at their Conrad Drive home to find a window open and a firearm missing from the residence.

Leaving San Diego XLIV

We were soon at Starved Rock State Park, along the banks of the Illinois River. Across the river could be seen a sheer rock face about 150 feet high. Lee approached it from several angles so we would not miss anything. As the story is told, a group of American Indians were once chased to the top of this high rock wall where they starved to death. I wondered if yesterday's concrete statue was to atone for starving the Indians here? We explored the park only minimally before heading back. There was a lot of mud from recent rains. Upon pulling into the garage, I noticed the car's trip odometer registered 55.9 miles. Lee's estimate was off by only one-tenth of a mile. I was hoping one last nudge on the bumper would clip off that last tenth of a mile. At the age of 82, I guess this was as close to perfection as a guy could get. I can only hope to some day do as well.

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

Women sing the blues

**********

Thursday, 10/1/2009, 5:57 p.m.
A woman screamed at a process server on Willow Glen Drive. The problem was solved when the man left the premises.

Thursday, 10/1/2009, 11:42 p.m.
A motorist on Highway 93 was alarmed to see a woman walking down the side of the highway. Although the woman claimed to be fine, the reporting party did not feel it was safe to walk so close to the road.

Thursday, 10/1/2009, 12:14 a.m.
A woman in Lakeside requested help in removing a male individual from her home, claiming that he was a "loser" and was highly intoxicated. Authorities encouraged the man to leave, after which the woman went to bed.

Thursday, 10/1/2009, 1:22 a.m.
A 23-year-old woman mistakenly thought that someone was trying to get into her Whitefish home. No individuals were found at the scene.

Leaving San Diego XLIII

Today was Sunday. We did not go to church, so I read my Bible while eating my breakfast of toast with spun honey and cinnamon, coffee, an apple and milk. Today's road trip would take us to Utica, home of Starved Rock State Park...a round-trip of 56 miles, according to Lee. We were traveling at our usual speed of 44 mph as we inched past all the rural houses. I was getting bored, but decided to pay attention to see if there was something new to be learned. I then began to notice the wide variety in mailbox posts. Most were ordinary 4x4 wooden posts with white paint. But then I noticed a "chain" standing on end. The links seemed to be of one-and-one-half-inch diameter iron, welded together. A giant hook on top reared its head like a cobra. The mailbox rested on top of the hook. It looked like the farmer was proud of his arc-welding skills and wanted to show off a little. I had no problem with that. I would have done the same thing. I then spotted another post with aluminum siding, resembling a grain elevator beside railroad tracks. Yet another looked like a fortified concrete bunker with brick and mortar construction. I thought it should support a large-caliber machine gun instead of a box for mail. No doubt its predecessor had been knocked over many times by an elderly neighbor who backed by the "touch-and-feel" system. Then another chain post, but of smaller link chain, welded together in a curvy "S" shape. It also seemingly defied common sense and gravity....... well, maybe just gravity.

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

All drunks go to...church?

**********

Wednesday, 9/30/2009, 6:33 a.m.
Two intoxicated men caused a ruckus at a Columbia Falls trailer court.

Wednesday, 9/30/2009, 8:52 a.m.
Emergency medical personnel responded to reports of an unconscious female subject in a vehicle in a Columbia Falls convenience store. The woman was found to be highly intoxicated.

Wednesday, 9/30/2009, 1:17 p.m.
Although he seemed suspicious at the time, an individual at a local church was merely attempting to recover from extreme intoxication.

Wednesday, 9/30/2009, 3:59 p.m.
Someone noticed what appeared to be a human foot in a dumpster near an Evergreen supermarket. The remains turned out to be the remnants of a legal bear carcass.

Leaving San Diego XLII

We slowed and pulled into the Savannah Family Diner. It looked like your customary truck-stop/diner...nothing fancy. We walked across the gravel parking lot and into the off-white building that needed paint. The sign said to seat ourselves. I had the roast beef dinner, soup and salad...all surprisingly very good. Lee seemed to know his restaurants. Afterwards, we all climbed back into the Impala for the return-ride home. We traveled on back-roads so Lee could drive at his leisure. However, the wildlife seemed unaccustomed to having automobiles come this way. We passed two dead raccoons; one large (dead) brown dog (boxer?); two flattened red-wing blackbirds, and one furry thing of questionable origins. We frightened one young deer who had mistakenly ventured onto the blacktop. Lee slowed for the animal, saying a deer could really make a mess of the sheet metal. It sounded like the voice of experience. I made the mistake of mentioning my interest in the tall, three-prop wind turbines spinning in the corn fields. The blades were each at least 40-feet long. I have always been interested in wind-power, but also wanted to get back to the house before dark. We approached the towers from all possible directions...whether I wanted to or not. After 137.4 miles, we were back to where we began this morning. Lee mentioned it might have been a bit much of a drive for one day. We would not go as far tomorrow.

"Tomorrow?"

Montana 9-1-1 Police Blotter

Cat looks bad?...probably a dog's fault

**********

Tuesday, 9/29/2009, 9:54 a.m.
A man was walking his dog down Trails End Drive when a neighbor's dog leaped out and bit him. The offending pooch was impounded in the absence of its owner.

Tuesday, 9/29/2009, 3:05 p.m.
An individual working in the North Fork area came across two dogs that had been shot on a Forest Service road.

Tuesday, 9/29/2009, 3:47 p.m.
Someone in Columbia Falls reported that a neighbor's Doberman came onto his property, tore up his landscaping and "raped his Papillion."

Tuesday, 9/29/2009, 4:29 p.m.
Someone saw a cat that looked skinny and sickly in Evergreen.

Leaving San Diego XLI

As we rode in the car, Lee's monologue continued. "We brought our dog, Toby, to the vet here when he ...(unintelligible conversation)... had a terrible time getting the school bus up this hill here in the snow storm of '63 with the wheels... (unintelligible conversation)...good money in it if you can stand the hours." I politely agreed. We were entering "Georgia", Illinois, established in 1883. I was wondering why people would name a town after another state in the union? Or was it a woman? But before I could dwell on that too long, I noticed another sign that said Georgia was home to the John Deere Museum. I never knew there was one. The sign also mentioned that a blacksmith was on duty. He was probably needed to keep all those old tractors, combines and manure spreaders rolling. I was surprised at the small number of cars in the parking lot.