xLet’s start out with rain events:
A. Did you hear about the hitchhiking loon? It landed on a rain covered blacktop. So, it hitchhiked a ride to the nearest lake.
B. I sat in my lawn chair on the north side of Burr Oak Drive in Albert Lea and watched it rain on the south side of Burr Oak Drive in Albert Lea!!
C. It is so dry by our house that our rose bush grabbed a dog as it walked by. The dog was so surprised, the rose bush was watered. I think I heard the rose bush with glee in its voice say, “Mission Accomplished.”
Technology is changing fishing, for example: while fishing on Leech Lake the day before a walleye fishing contest, we saw a number of boats with two guys in the boat. They were just cruising around. It was rather odd to see two guys in a boat just cruising around at good fishing spots for walleyes. We tried with very little results. We later found out they had equipment to actually see big walleyes and mark on a screen where the big walleyes were.
The next day the same two guys, having entered the walleye contest, returned and followed the screen from the previous day. One would fish and one would use the boat motor to follow the screening of the big walleye the previous day. They rotated jobs after each big walleye caught.
We couldn’t believe the results of the walleye fishing contest. For example: the winning team of two young guys entered the five walleye contest per team with a total weight of just under 40 lbs. Another team of two entered five just over 36 for second place.
We talked to some of the walleye fishing contest officials as we were concerned about what happened to the caught walleyes. The answer was: Upon catch a picture is taken and the walleye is released – none are kept. The picture is submitted into the contest and, believe it or not, the weight is determined from the picture. We were happy the fish were released, but we have mixed feelings as to whether or not this was actually fishing. What do you think about finding a fish on a screen and then fishing for it?
An interesting fact per licensed boat owners in the state of Minnesota: One out of seven in Minnesota owns a boat! (I think this fiction!)
This is the time of the year when you see a lot of babies (rabbits, birds, deer, gophers, skunk, etc.).Did you know a mama deer will hide her twins (also triplets) in different spots to increase the survival rate? Did you know baby skunks will not spray you, but Mama Skunk will? (I learned the hard way!!)
In conclusion about babies in the great Minnesota Outdoors: “Leave outdoor babies to the care of their mother. Remember, Mother knows best and this is most certainly true.
Genie and I stayed in the same village as Canada firefighters when we were teaching vacation Bible school in Canada. We saw them fly over over a lake and suck up about 2,000 gallons of water, dump it on the first fire and repeat the process again and again.
In the Big Horn Mountains, while staying at Arrowhead Lodge above Sheridan, Wyoming, we were invited to a meal honoring the fire fighters. We saw them filling big balloons with water and dropping the water on a forest fire by helicopter and repeat the process again and again.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in New York. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.