When deer hunting gets tough in Minnesota, old deer hunters move on to a better territory. Ernie Halvorson did just that on May 6, 2024.
My thanks to Ernie for all the four-legged hunting stories over the years. I am looking forward to joining Ernie in that Better Territory.
Summer bird-watching began May 7. The first wren arrived in our backyard. He rested the third of May; on the fourth of May, he began filling the wren birdhouse with sticks. Success was attained Sunday, the sixth when she moved in!!
The male enjoys grape jelly.
Monday the sixth of May, the first Baltimore oriole arrived; a female. Genie put out grape jelly on the sixth. The female oriole found the grape jelly late in the afternoon May sixth. (The orioles prefer Welch’s grape jelly.)
We do not have a martin house–I’ve seen martins flying around Fountain Lake in Albert Lea since May sixth.
Genie attended her Naeve School of Nursing annual luncheon at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. She had been promised a brick from the hospital building, since it had been torn down. (This was done through the proper channels.) Genie came to me with the sad information of “no brick,” even though she had been promised one. My course of action was decided as a fan of Elvis and the song “I Did it My Way.” We drove into the Albert Lea dump on a brick mission. Genie now has a brick of each of the two colors of bricks from the old hospital. (Yes, the annual Naeve School of Nursing luncheon was now a complete success.) Genie thanks Joe LaFrance and the rest of the First Lutheran Church crew for an excellent meal.
This cartoon appeared in the editorial section of a newspaper in a major U.S. city. “Trump ‘n’ Pence: Make America Great Again.” By the way, it didn’t work the first time…
As delegates from the Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, Genie and I attended the Southeast Minnesota Synod Assembly and annual meeting in Mankato on Saturday, May 11.
Two of the main topics of concern were a) The shortage of pastors in our ELCA church leadership. Of the area synod members, 66 churches are looking for a pastor. B) We have got to be more friendly and outgoing. The days of the stoic Scandinavian are gone, and we must change.
Genie and I went on a Paul Revere midnight ride the evening of May 11. We saw a number of parked cars in the countryside waiting for the northern lights, but none appeared. (We were too tired Friday night after an all-day convention in Mankato.)
We have seen northern lights once in Albert Lea from our deck in Chapel Heights. We saw the lights once while deer hunting by Cass Lake in northern Minnesota. (Genie at first thought it was a town in Minnesota by the highway, as we were in the car.) We have seen northern lights while teaching vacation bible school in Canada many times. The best was lying on our backs on a deck. Another unusual sight was lightning at the same time as the lights.
Genie and I are Minnesota Twins baseball fans. One of our concerns is “Bally” not televising some of the Twins games.
We are very pleased with the present turnaround in the winning of games. The Twins “sausage” mascot is a “hoot.” Our feeling is, “if it is working…” Keep the idea of the sausage regardless of any smell.
This is the time of year when one member of the husband and wife pair is golfing a round of golf while the other is goofing around.
Welcome to newly retired neighbors Holly and Mike, who have moved to Burr Oak Drive as homeowners in Albert Lea.
— — —
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.