While preparing my "Whatever Comes To Mind" this week on Thursday, Jan. 8, lots of things "came to mind.”  One of those was that it is akin to the famous Armistice Day storm.  It always seems to give me the shivers - not just because the day is usually terribly cold - but because of the intense weather that seems to want to sneak in on us that day.

It was also a day to celebrate Elvis Presley’s birthday, who this year would have been 80, which doesn't seem possible.  I wonder what he would look like if he were still with us.

We also celebrate the birthdays of other family and friends today, including my nephew, Cameron, who was born on that date back in 1975, as well as his father-in-law Dean.  The day that Cameron was born started out as a nice day but later changed to rain and then snow.  A lot of snow, in fact three days worth..  Thank God that we were able to get my sister Kaye out the door and on her way to the hospital before the worse part of the storm hit.  She doesn't like hospitals and seemed to be in no hurry to go.   

She gave birth to a  big, healthy baby boy - almost as soon as she got to the hospital.  We were thankful that there were no complications due to his size that could have caused problems if he had been born at home with non professional help.  Many times I heard my mother say, "What would we have done?"  The weather was absolutely impossible for anyone or anything to get to St. Olaf Lake, which is where they were living at the time. 

The weather on Thursday last week, the 8th, seems so much like that blizzard.  The snow was blowing and the visibility next to impossible.  I wandered from window to window, looking out at the street of white, that didn't even give vision of your next door neighbors in town.  My mother worried about where all "her flock" were in regards to being able to make their way home from work that day

I have been preached to over the years about taking precautions during the winter. My mother is fanatic to say the least.  She keeps asking all of us if we have a snowmobile suit, hats, mittens, blankets, an ice cream pail of necessities, as well as a bright balloon and cording that we can blow up and set outside in the wind so people would be able to find us.

Cell phones now "earn their keep" so to speak as they can be used for emergencies.  (But one needs to remember to keep the battery charged.)

Some employers are kind enough to understand if the Department of Transportation says, "Stay off the roads,” and forgives your absence so you don't have to worry about losing your job, crashing your vehicle, or losing your life.

I also remember my mother talking about how my Grandpa Richard and his neighbors would take turns taking the cream to the creamery, which was about 5 miles away.  Five miles doesn't seem that far but remember  back then they were using their horse and sleigh to make that trip.  It was often a whole day trip because roads weren't plowed like they are now and many of those trips had to be made over the fields and areas where they could get through.  Back then there were no school buses either - same old horse and sleigh, along with blankets and those unforgettable horse hair pelts, along with straw being used to try to keep the west wind out in hopes of staying warm during the trip. 

Once again, remember there were no snowmobile suits back then.  People wore wool snow pants and jackets, most made by moms - who also knit the scarves and mittens too.

 The heat at those old schools isn't like it is today either.  Most of those old one room school houses had a big old heater in them that used either wood or coal.  There were not many basements back then either and as a result the floors were also cold.

Speaking of school – I've often wondered if school assignments should be given in advance for students so they could work on them at home if the weather causes problems. 

Sound like a worry wart?  Yes, my family will tell you I am.  Do you know how fast you can freeze in those below zero temperatures?  Even if it just your toes and fingers? It is enough to suffer with for the rest of your life.  Extra stocking caps and mittens are a must in the backpacks, and warm clothing and scarves, of course, help to keep them warm.

We went to a swim meet in the Twin Cities area when our children were young, and thought we had all the good stuff needed  to keep warm packed in the car.  After we got home, the kids helped clean out our vehicle of all their swimming bags and such.   Later that night Daryl and I went to visit some friends only a few miles away.  We visited, played some cards and when we got ready to come home we realized that the weather had changed and the roads were not the best. Things were going along pretty good until we got to the off ramp at Geneva and there we sat.  No cell phones back then and I had already undergone the surgery of removing part of my leg, which could have froze vey easily.  Unbeknown to us, our children thought they were being kind and had cleaned out more than just their swim bags. Thank goodness Daryl’s snowsuit was still in our vehicle and when it daylight finally arrived he was able to walk to the neighbors and got us the help that we needed.

There are lots of things to enjoy during the winter but I can do without a blizzard and below zero weather conditions.  I pray for those you don't have adequate shelter, clothing and food. So much for global warming.

If you live in Minnesota you should always be on the alert.  There is nothing as unpredictable than the weather. Better to be safe than sorry!

Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented they like to read about events such as family and school reunions, birthdays and anniversaries, and birth and wedding announcements.  In order to read about these important things we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us.  Also if you have an idea for a story that you think would be of interest to our readers, please contact me. 

If you have birthdays and anniversaries you would like include, or news to share please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; by postal mail, P. O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035 or telephone, 507-256-4405.

This week’s birthdays and anniversaries include:

Thursday, Jan. 15: Steve Bailey, Paul Christensen, Emily Crabtree, Angela Borchert, Brian Farr

Friday, Jan. 16: Carter Howard Hanson, Kiley Beenken, Craig Bailey, Remi Wayne, Joshua Crabtree, Joni Groth, Jeff Kaplan, Tracy Tracy, Melissa Wagner, Emily Bedker, Tena Bryce, Jeremy Anderson

Saturday, Jan. 17: Ava Elizabeth Schember, her 7th; Blake Michael Born/Norday, Don Anderson, Jan Bartsch, Annette Busho, LuAnn Johnson Prescher, David Strenge, Mike Peterson, Brayden Broitzman, Kayley Camerer

 Sunday, Jan. 18: Madilyn Hamilton, Deb Bohnoff, Todd Holland, Julie Bunn Hunt, Annie Miller, Tabatha Miller, Mark Misgen, Vicki Babb, Ruth Neidermeier, Garret Schley and Ellie Schley

Monday, Jan. 19: Brian Wayne, Laura (Otterson) Ortiz, Dennis Grunwald, Steve Jon Christensen, Barb Wayne Heyer, Kent Johnson, Thomas Kasper, Francis Misgen, Peter Spande, Dick Ewing, Dick and Laurie Swift

Tuesday, Jan. 20:  Brentson Lange, Jim Krause, Marc Nelson, Jenna Nicole Cooper, Pastor Alvin Cooper, Anthony Thostenson, Alicia Lizaazo,

Wednesday, Jan. 21: Cooper Routh, his 4th, Joshua Dobberstien and Gerald Wobshcall

Thursday, Jan. 22: Reese Hendrickson, Taylor Lunning, Christian Sletten, Tom Haried, Lyle Shaunce, Barbara Van Gorkom, Jeff Miller, Heather Sargent

Friday, Jan. 23: Eugene Worke, "Emeritus" Bob Hanson, Eugene Cornelius, Rodney Sorenson, Dean Broitzman, Garnet Folie, Jeff Miller, Chris Paulson

Saturday, Jan. 24: Morgan Sophia Luhring, her 9th; Renee Polzin, Greg Menefee, Mary Cunningham, Trevor Tracy

Sunday, Jan. 25: Calvin Thomas VanderStoep, his 5th; Sophia Mabel Olivia Mrotz, Max Thomas Powers Brekke, his 7th; Emma Meiners, her 6th; Paula Olson, Vernon Simonson, Lana Thompsen, Troy Phagan, Ladawn Hatch

May your special day be a happy memory and tomorrow a bright new promise.

I know that the cold weather and bone chilling wind have a lot of folks hunkered down in their easy chairs and rightfully so. As an outdoors enthusiast and a youth hockey coach my easy chair nights don’t come as often as I’d sometimes like. On the other hand I find that coaching and staying active usually makes me feel that I am actually younger than my years. There was a posting on Facebook that kind of sums it up; it said “inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the H#@* happened.”

In a way I don’t mind the cold because you don’t have to shovel it but cold combined with snow and wind are a whole different story. The other morning as I was shoveling the driveway with a bone chilling wind attacking my body I realized that my chopper mittens were not doing the job and my fingers began to get that old feeling I’d get as a kid when I had overstayed my visit while playing in the outdoors. My fingers began to tingle and hurt which means that when I get inside to warm up things would only get worse.

As a kid I had chopper mittens with wool liners to keep my hands from freezing. Back then wool was our “good old days” version of Thinsulate. We also wore wool stocking caps, scarves, mittens, shirts, union suits, etc. you get the idea. Those days are long gone only to be replaced by the days of Thinsulate and Gortex where everything is lighter, warmer and drier.

Getting back to the winter thing; when the temperatures get as cold as they have been lately even the snow makes noise when you walk on it. When walking on snow in sub-zero temps it seems to crackle, squeak and moan whenever you take a step. Yes this does bring back that memory of winters past when I’d be bundled up in all that wool with a scarf draped across my face to keep from breathing in the cold air while I was playing outdoors in the frigid cold. Breathing through that scarf was not without its own set of issues because your warm moist breath would eventually cause the scarf to ice up.

Back then there wasn’t much that could keep us kids from being outside, let’s face it; the alternative was staying inside and listening to the radio, re-reading old comic books and playing with the same toys you had played with a thousand times. I can still remember how excited I was on the day that my Dad bought our 19-inch Zenith TV. We were probably the last ones in the neighborhood to have a TV and we were the ones that could least afford it but Dad decided to throw caution to the wind and buy it. I believe the place he purchased it was called Gordon Electric at the time and he could afford it because they let him make payments. Those were the days before credit cards and credit checks; it was a time when store owners trusted a man’s word which was as good as his signature.

Yes that TV was the start of an era for me, not because it made me give up the outdoors but because when I was not playing outdoors I could watch old movies, the Little Rascals, Laurel and Hardy and so many good shows of that time. Old cowboy movies were probably my favorite along with Sgt. Preston of the Yukon. Before we had TV I would hurry home from school and run next door to my Aunt Ruby’s to watch Johnny Weissmuller as Jungle Jim wrestling alligators and saving folks from man-eating lions. TV reception in those days wasn’t exactly great and I can still see my Dad adjusting the picture by moving the ball of ‘tin foil” that we had wrapped around the antenna wire. We usually got three channels and on a good day, which was Saturday in my world, I might be able to bring in WCCO so I could watch Axle and his dog, Roundhouse Rodney or Soupy Sales.

TV was only a pacifier to get me through until us neighborhood kids got together to do what we loved best and that was play outdoors and explore the vast wilderness of the slough. Winter was our favorite time because we could trek through the snow on top of the ice and spend countless hours exploring and playing without getting too wet. Wet would happen if you spent too much time rolling around in the snow or if you stepped next to the slough grass and your foot went through the hollow ice. Wool socks and long Johns were no help when you had an overshoe full of water and were a long ways from home. This happening would always mean the end of a fun day for the unlucky explorer that filled his boot with slough water. Believe me, it was a long walk back home when you have a cold, wet foot and the temperatures are well below freezing. In case you haven’t figured it out, I had that happen to me on more than one occasion but I still kept coming back for more.

Until next time, stay warm and remember that it’s always time well spent when you spend it in cur great Minnesota outdoors.

Please keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the upcoming year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we enjoy today.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

Is it cold enough for you?

I can't feel my toes.

That’s no big deal. They feel just like your fingers only shorter.

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbors--both named Bruce--who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: I never forget that there is something I should remember.

Ask Al

"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Yes, "Uffda!"

"If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?" Bad at math.

"What would you do if you knew you were going to live forever?" I’d make sure that everything I bought came with a lifetime guarantee.

The cafe chronicles

Someone sneezed with gusto. I ducked. You never know where a used cough drop might fly when powered by a sternutation.

The chowhound covered his hash browns with salt, trying to cover up that nasty potato taste, as he sang, "Cigarettes. I’ve had a few, but, then again, too few to mention."

He was older than he once was and younger than he will be. He told all who were willing to listen that he thought he’d lost his belt buckle this morning, but he’d put his pants on backwards. He’d grown a beard. At his age, if his hair wanted to grow anywhere, he wasn't going to stop it. Newton discovered gravity in the 1600s, but the man said that he was in his 60s before he really began noticing it.

I interjected that I’d been looking for a book I had about Isaac Newton, when the book fell from the shelf and hit me on the head.

We talked of old cars we’d owned that had run on alternative energy. We had to push them. Then the chowhound had to go home. He needed to finish writing the postcards he was sending that said, "Wish you were here instead of me," to snowbirds wintering in Arizona, Texas, Florida and California.

Knitting at a basketball game

The novelist Jules Verne wrote, "You will travel in a land of marvels."

Each day that allows a single smile is marvelous.

I sat at a basketball game recently. I sat between two knitters. One was my wife. The other knitter was a young lady in the 7th grade. My wife had strayed from her typical cherubic demeanor after knitting herself into a corner, so I visited with the 7th grader. I was amazed at how much sharper she was than I remember me being at that age or at my current age. I was a decent 7th grader, but I was never quite good enough to make a career of it. I blamed it on my sharpened with love, Ticonderoga Number 2 pencils. They had too many wrong answers in them. I got a C-flat in music class. I was an essay guy in a multiple-choice world. The highlight of my year was that I never threw up in health class. Even though my report cards were typically smudged with my mother’s tears, I learned things. Things like, it's "i" before "e" except after "c" or when sounding like "a" in "neighbor" and "weigh." And in classmate Roger Heine’s last name. One day, I learned so much in school that I forgot my name.

Customer comments

Ric McArthur of Morpeth, Ontario, sent this, "Patience is something you admire greatly in the driver behind you but not in the driver in front of you."

Harvey Benson of Harmony wrote, "I lived in Finland for some time. Sometimes the president would go to see someone at a care center when they turned 100 in order to wish them a happy birthday. One time when he was visiting a lady he asked her if she was married. With a wink and a smile she answered, 'Not yet.'"

Talking with the Holstein

The Holstein is a retired dairy cow, so she has time to talk. The Holstein is a model of politeness. I asked for her secret.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully before saying, "Being polite means asking questions that you don’t want to know the answers to."

Nature notes

"Do blue jays migrate?" Blue jay migration is a mystery. Some individual birds may migrate south one year and remain here the next. It’s unclear what factors determine whether a blue jay winters in the north or south. I’d think food supplies would be a factor.

Meeting adjourned

Don't let shyness get in the way of kindness. Be outspoken when it comes to kind words.

This will be another one of my hop-scotch articles. (You might call it a running of the words.)

A sure sign of good economic times is when the price per gallon of gas in Hartland is at or a bit less than the population.

I busted a front tooth which required a visit to the local dentist. In looking at the situation, Mary Jo scolded me with these words of wisdom, “Your front teeth are for viewing, not chewing.”

A quote from Nancy Jane to her bakery in New Richland, “Pie fixes everything.”

Smart car license seen in Albert Lea, HI-IQ.

My nephew Brian is a soccer coach at St. Peter. His brother Brad (also my nephew) is a basketball coach at Faribault. In attending the games in Albert Lea, I was criticized for sitting in the wrong fans section. My answer, “Blood runs thicker than residency.”

A flock of mud hens, also known as coots, in migrating south, landed on Lake Geneva to rest before continuing. The air temperature nose dived freezing the water. As you know, coots must have open water as they paddle the surface water on take off. Two pairs of adult bald eagles recognized the coots problem and solved it one coot at a time.

Gary and Cindy Fisher hosted a family noon Christmas Day feast at their farm place. The only requirement was to attend with an empty tummy and an empty plastic food container, which we did. Of course, both tummy and container were full when we left. (Gary is an employee of Gopher Stop in Ellendale.)

How’s this time frame for service? We accidentally break the grill on our microwave oven. December 11 we stop at Sorenson’s Appliance in Geneva with the old grill to order a new grill. We were told they would order a new grill and call us when it was in. Dec. 17 we were called but not home to take the message. Dec. 18 we were called in the a.m. to be home in the p.m. and John would deliver the new grill. John not only delivered the new grill, he also installed it. Guess who gets our vote for the Number One Appliance Area Business?

Some of my great moments while ringing the Salvation Army bell in Albert Lea were:

A lady, after putting money in the kettle, asked if I had lunch yet. The answer was no and she gave me a Snickers candy bar.

A lady asked if I would let her daughter (age 9) ring the bell while she was gone a few minutes. I did and the mom returned with a big smile and whispered to me she didn’t want her daughter to see her Christmas present as they both put money in the kettle.

A lady with 4 young daughters all put money in the kettle. Mom asked if the daughters could sing their favorite Christmas song. They beautifully sang their version of “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

A fellow Hanson, as he put a ten dollar bill in the kettle, stated he always gave a ten toward the end of the campaign.

A farmer friend stopped and asked if I had a bucket list. He explained ringing the bell was on his bucket list. I gave him the bell and said I’m going to the men’s room. When I came back he gave me the bell with a big smile and thanks as he put a twenty in the bucket.

Genie and I said goodbye to 2014 with a toast of Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry. We said hello to 2015 with breakfast from McDonald’s. 

May your opportunities in 2015 be greater than you expected.

———

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 Vermont. 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.

It's nice to be done with the holidays and back to the daily grind. I tend to do my best when I'm able to stick to a schedule, which gets thrown completely out of whack in December. Now I'm just anxiously waiting for this winter to end – we're what, halfway through January now? Still a ways to go, unfortunately.

Does anyone recall two weeks ago when I mentioned my friend Alex, who's currently in Japan with the Marines? Well, he'll be home again on the 31st, and I'm very excited for that – he originally left two years ago this March, and has only been back once for a week since then, so it'll be great to see him again.

Things are going pretty well for me right now, for which I'm incredibly grateful. I'm more used to my home in Waseca; a few weeks ago I took in a kitten from my mom's house, and he's so fun to have around. His name is Boomer, and he's around six months old, so he still loves to play whenever he's not asleep. He's definitely got his own personality, but he's a good kitty and I'm glad to have him.

A goal of mine for a while now has been to be more informed about current national/world events as well as local, since I get an abundance of local news at work every day. Since I don't have cable, and when I lived with my dad I didn't get cable in my room, I looked to Hulu Plus (a video streaming app, similar to Netflix but more focused on current-season TV shows) for some good news sources. I came across the Daily Show with John Stewart and the Colbert Report and recalled vaguely seeing parts of past shows when I was younger, so I decided to start there – and I haven't missed an episode since.

Combining comedy with news, in my opinion, is brilliant; what better way to lighten the unfortunate things that happen around the world every day? And I'm not the only one who thinks so: a study estimates that roughly 80% of adults age 18-49 get their news from the Daily Show.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with these shows, a quick summary: The Daily Show with John Stewart began in 1999, is the second longest-running program on Comedy Central, has won 18 Primetime Emmy Awards and inspired spin-off The Colbert Report in 2005, which aired its last episode in mid-December 2014 and whose host, Stephen Colbert, will replace David Letterman as host of the Late Show this year. 

Despite any controversial opinions about Stewart or Colbert, I have come to admire them both for their courage to say what others won't, how they handle criticism, sticking to their values, ability to be serious when necessary, and the truth they convey without trying to sugarcoat it. And in watching these shows regularly, I've found myself more genuinely interested in national affairs, politics, current events, etc. and often continue research on certain topics. But, my days just aren't the same unless they're begun with a laugh in the morning when I watch the previous night's episode.

If you’re a regular reader of this paper, you’re probably familiar with “Looking Back,” a section compiled of news from 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago around this time. A few months ago I took on the responsibility, and I have to say, I love reading newspapers from the past. It’s so fascinating to read about the things that happened then and how much has changed in the last century, and seeing what was published in 1915 or 1940 or any other point in the past is about the closest you can get to actually being there (depending on your imagination, I suppose).

I could go into detail, but I won’t – I will say, though, that anyone who might have complaints regarding the way media portrays news ought to look at an article from the early half of the 20th century. Back then, they were very direct and blunt with reporting, and the freedom of speech was respected without question – after all, at one point newspapers were one of the only means of sharing reliable information to a combined audience.

Now, newspapers are no longer a primary source of information – some say they’re becoming obsolete (although I’m inclined to disagree), since the Internet is the quickest and easiest way to share news. But is it fair to disregard a business that’s been around for hundreds of years? That’s another topic for another day.

Until next week – wishing everyone good health and patience as we slowly get through another cold winter. Thanks for reading!

One great thing about living in Minnesota is that we always have something to talk about – the weather! I’ve been partially inspired by the current activity and also by a great word I ran across in a book I’m reading (see the Word of the Week) to continue that conversation.

Winter conversation: “How much snow did you get?” “I couldn’t even see the neighbor’s, the wind was blowing so hard.” “You think this is cold? When I was your age…”

Spring conversation: “How much rain did you get?” “When will the frost go out?” “When will the farmers be done in the fields?”

Summer conversation: “How much rain did you get?” “I might not have to mow again if we don’t get rain soon.” “You think this is hot? When I was your age…”

Fall conversation: “When will the first snow come?” “When will we have the first frost?” “When will the farmers be done in the fields?”

You may notice some similarities, but it’s usually the topic du jour, especially if nothing of earth-shattering importance is happening. Even if there are world-shaking events, you can bet the weather will get mixed into the talk.

I enjoy listening to Dan Barreiro on KFAN at 3:00 some days. He has coined the phrase “weather terrorists” to describe meteorologists these days, since they always seem to have some doom and gloom scenario to draw in viewers. It’s always the storm of the century, a snownami, or even, I kid you not, the threat of a brown Christmas this past year.

I’m not sure if they glamorize simple weather patterns for the ratings or so they can say they were right on the off-chance that the weather takes a turn for the worse. There are so many times we’re supposed to get three inches of rain or 5-8 inches of snow, and we barely see anything. Maybe they’re afraid of being held culpable if we do get socked and they hadn’t forecasted it.

Weather is unpredictable; we all know that. The forecasting has certainly gained in accuracy, but many in the know will tell you that it’s mostly guess work beyond 2-3 days. That never stopped me from fretting at least a week in advance when I was in charge of baseball tournaments!

This past Monday, January 5, we were supposed to get 4-8 inches of snow. I didn’t even hit two on my driveway. It really petered out to a simple snowfall. Today, January 8, we’re out of school for good reason, as a blizzard is whipping snow around furiously. Yesterday, I saw we were in a blizzard watch, with the snow and winds due to hit in the afternoon. Before bed, it had been upgraded to a blizzard warning, and as I was ready to walk out the door this morning, we got the call that we were out of school, soon followed by many other schools. In this case, the storm actually hit, and even sooner than they had guessed.

Many times we joke that meteorologists are allowed to be wrong more than any other profession (unless you count many of the Minnesota Twins’ hitters the past few years). Still, I’m sure it’s not an easy job. They can’t control Mother Nature any more than we can.

Still, we seem to get freaked out a lot more than we used to. Today was certainly an example of a good old-fashioned blizzard. But there are other days that you just shake your head and wonder why people are panicking. We do live in Minnesota after all; most of us should be used to a couple inches of snow, and it shouldn’t impact what we do.

Our reaction to the cold has changed as well. In 2001, the wind chill calculations were adjusted. For example, if the air temperature was 0 and the wind speed was 10, the old wind chill would have been -21. Today it would be -16. I seem to remember -50 wind chills when I was young. Today, that would be equivalent to -32 wind chill. We never used to get out of school for cold, but most schools now consider that, at least going late to let the sun come up.

It’s been a tough start to 2015 weather-wise, but I think we were spoiled with warm temps through most of December, so the cold is hitting harder than usual. Stay warm, have some soup, and turn your lights on when you’re driving! Before you know it, we’ll be wondering how much rain we got!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is apricity, which means the warmth of sunlight in winter, as in, “The school administration knew that the apricity once daylight arrived would make it warm enough to go to school.” (Thanks to the great book What If? by Randall Munroe; it’s his favorite word!) Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs modest chance of snow turned into more than they bargained for. After the cold temps decided to stick around, the scurs added some Ex-Lax to the radiator on the Gremlin to see if it would warm up faster. Will it be effective? Starting Wednesday, Partly sunny with highs in the upper teens and lows around 10. Mostly sunny Thursday with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the mid-teens. Friday, mostly sunny and warmer. Highs near the freezing mark with lows around 20. Mostly sunny Saturday and slightly warmer. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper teens. Sunday, mostly cloudy. Highs near 30 with lows around 20. Mostly cloudy Monday with highs once again near freezing and lows in the upper teens. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Highs near 30 and lows in the upper teens. The sun will set after 5 p.m. on January 14th for the first time since last November 3rd.  The normal high for January 15th is 22 and the normal low is 4 above. On the 19th we will have gained 30 minutes of daylight since the winter solstice. After the recent cold spell the scurs are thinking the striped gophers hibernating in the lawn may be onto something.

With a week of generally below normal temperatures and some snow, it actually looks like winter. While the fields blew clear of snow, there is plenty in the road ditches. Small fish house villages have sprung up, dotting area lakes and while fishing may be slow, one can bet there are lots of cribbage games being played. We may have dodged a bullet by getting our cold weather out of the way the first half of January. Warmer temps are on the way in the near term. As mentioned last week, typically the coldest temperatures of the winter on average are from January 12th – 20th.  Old Man Winter flexed his muscles last week to show us he still means business. While it wasn’t the blizzard of the century, it still managed to dump snow anywhere it would be inconvenient. This storm was a quick hitter though, causing whiteout conditions within a matter of minutes. It made for a potentially dangerous storm from that perspective. 

Watching the critters in the yard during the storm provided some entertainment. The wind caught the crest of a male cardinal from behind, causing him to do a face plant in the snow. The squirrels made sure they consumed both ears of corn put out for them, becoming snow covered on their windward side. Once the corn was gone, the last happy customer headed off across the treetops to the safety of a hollow soft maple. The domestic animals behaved similarly. Once their hay was consumed, the Cheviot ewes were more than glad to retreat out of the wind to their barn. And the dogs wasted no time when the storm was at its peak, making their trips outside brief. Much more comfortable inside sleeping on a doggie pillow or couch.

Bird watching continues to be more challenging than some years. Another male cardinal and a mourning dove were new additions this past week but it’s nothing like some of the irruption years when we’d feed a hundred redpolls and pine siskins. The birds have been slow to warm up to the Roller Feeder although it has been so far “squirrel-proof”. Watching several fox squirrels make attempts at getting into it, they’ve all been unsuccessful. Bear in mind, these squirrels are very fat after eating ear corn from their feeder all winter so there’s little incentive to get into the bird feeder in the first place. The nuthatches that had shown interest in the feeder initially were suddenly absent until recently. A downy also used the feeder on Saturday so they’re coming around. A few chickadees or goldfinches might help matters. 

The house sparrows haven’t bothered the feeder either but have become a real nuisance at the other feeders as well as hanging around the out buildings. They routinely empty one sunflower feeder while dumping the safflower on the ground. One annoying habit the sparrows have picked up is eating the suet. They aren’t good at hanging upside down to eat though so some horizontal-type suet feeders may help alleviate that problem. We’ll be trying a couple of different types to see what works. .Nothing goes to waste though. The cardinals like the safflower in addition to the chips of corn left behind by the sparrows and squirrels. 

Seed catalogs have arrived en masse so it becomes a near daily ritual to look through them. There aren’t a lot of new items to concern ourselves with though. However some of our old favorites are no longer being carried in favor of some products we don’t plant. It always amazes me how some of the new things we’ve tried and turned out to be less than desirable are still being heavily promoted. Who eats that junk anyway?   Luckily there’s the internet so if there’s a variety we really want we can probably still find it. 

There have been plenty of sporting events on TV during this cold snap to whet our appetite. Still it would be nice to see temperatures warm a tad so that some of the snow could be moved. Never a “gimme” that will happen anytime soon. The ewes are becoming girthier and the calendar continues to tick off days in rapid fire fashion. It may be an earlier than usual start to the lambing season if one of my gazes from the oval office one morning was correct. Shearing can’t be far off. I need a haircut too but am loath to get it cut as there isn’t as much covering my melon as there once was. One can always dream of warmer days and more hair. In the meantime, time flies when you’re having fun.

See you next week…real good then.

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

It was with a heavy heart that a letter was penned to New Richland City Clerk Wayne Billing this morning.

Serving on the City Council was something I was greatly looking forward to. I appreciated everyone's vote last November, but now it's time to step aside - before I even get started.

About a month ago, something happened that no one - almost no one - could have anticipated. I got the flu. No big deal, normally, except I take medication on a daily basis, and the schedule got mixed up and it's taken me this long to get back on track. It is back on track now, with the addition of blood pressure medication, and I plan to ease back into the usual work, church and school routine.

Unfortunately, that routine won't include City Council meetings.

    LOCKS AWAY – Rhonda Haried holds Cloie Arndt’s hair while Cloie’s Grandpa, Jerry Arndt, makes the first cut. Grandpa was the winning bidder with $5.  Star Eagle photo by Kathy Paulsen

By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

Young people decide to grow their hair for many purposes.

It was 3 or 4 years ago when 11-year-old Cloie Arndt started growing her hair for a purpose. That purpose was to honor her grandmother, Cindy, who was battling cancer.  

It was one way she felt she could "do something."  Friday night, Jan. 9, 2015, became a night to remember for Cloie and her family as she went to the Geneva Cancer Auction at the Geneva Bar and Grill with her hairdresser, Rhonda Haried.

Cloie, daughter of Kelly and Tiffany Arndt of Geneva, donated her "locks of love" for "Wigs for Kids" during the first night of the auction this year.