EAU DE OIL?: This is something only a true Bradfordian could
understand.[neWLine]

Margaret Sutterlin, commenting on our praise of the Brad Penn
Oil Museum in Custer City, writes:[neWLine]

“”I was born in Custer City across the valley from the Custer
City oil museum. Once when visiting Bradford and my family, I
visited the museum and I thought it was wonderful. My father worked
for the Minard Run Oil Co. and so many of the pictures brought back
memories about Dad coming home from work.[neWLine]

“”I also purchased a bottle of Bradford crude and often open
that bottle when I get a little homesick. The smell brings me back
to coming home on Highway 219 into Lewis Run and then into Custer
City.””[neWLine]

We told you you had to be a real Bradfordian to
understand![neWLine]

[neWLine]

ODD BIRD: Scott Gregoire called us a recently with an unusual
bird sighting.[neWLine]

Scott, an avid bird watcher for decades, had his binoculars in
hand when he was looking toward the pond in his back yard out West
Washington Street.[neWLine]

“”I saw a duck at the edge of the pond. A duck I’ve never seen
before,”” Scott said. “”Most any bird I see I can
identify.””[neWLine]

What made the moment stranger, he said, was he could not find
the bird in any of his reference books.[neWLine]

As it turns out the duck – a ruddy shelduck -ðis native to North
Africa, Turkey and Greece. He found it in a field guide from
Britain and Europe.[neWLine]

“”I found the bird. It’s unmistakable.””[neWLine]

“”For 30 years I’ve been birdwatching and this is the most
extraordinary thing I have ever seen.””[neWLine]

Scott described the bird as somewhat tame, but when he got
close, it flew away.[neWLine]

When the bird took flight, Scott was sure he saw the unusual
bird.[neWLine]

“”It might have escaped from a zoo or something like that,”” he
said. “”To see something like this in the wild in the U.S. is
pretty neat.””