This is the time of year when I usually get that warm feeling inside whenever I start to think about my days as a youth and the holidays. There always seems to be something special about a snowy day when I am inside with the warmth of the furnace keeping me comfortable. It is always just a little better if you know that you don’t have to venture out in the wind and snow although there was a time when I lived for just that time.

I can recall many a winter night spent outside playing in the snow and cold. I had a newspaper route for quite a few years and there were many nights that I had to deliver the paper in almost blizzard conditions. Thursday was collection day and Saturday was the day I would have to bring my collected money to the Minneapolis Star office on Main Street. You didn’t want to be short because that would be deducted from my piece of the pie. The only thing that would make me upset was when I ventured out in bad weather and a customer would not answer the door even though you knew they were home. It didn’t take me long to figure out that they were probably a little short on cash that week but they were good folks and I knew that they’d catch up the following week.

Contrary to what we say and hear about the “good old days” not everyone had a chicken in the pot or a new Buick in the garage. My folks didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up but we were a close family that had food on the table, a warm cozy house to come home to and that was all that really mattered.

With another Thanksgiving behind us and the shopping frenzy in full swing I like to look back and remember how I spent that day growing up. We would usually spend that holiday with my mother’s side of the family and that was usually at my Aunt Ruby and Uncle Harvey’s which was right next door to ours. They had a nice TV and after the turkey feast we would go into the living room and watch the game. I can remember this one year when the Lions were playing the Packers and hall of famer Bobby Lane was the quarterback for Detroit. The Lions had a great defensive back named Dick “Nigh Train” Lane who was a hard hitting defensive back who was one of my favorite players those days. After the meal my two Uncles, Harvey and Orville would lay on the floor to watch the game all the while belching and passing gas justifying their actions by saying that their way of showing their appreciation for the great meal that we had just partaken of. I guess that memory sort of stuck with me for some reason.

Looking back just a few years I can remember a particular time when my old neighbor Bob stopped by to see me and show me some pictures he had taken of the walleyes he had caught in the Shellrock River on Thanksgiving Day. He had attended church that day and as he passed by this bridge on the way home the idea struck him that with the weather being so nice he should try doing a little fishing. After he had gone home and changed he grabbed his fishing pole and tackle box before heading back to the river. He said that it took him about an hour and a half to limit out on nice 16-18 inch fish. This goes to show that when it comes to fishing you may get that feeling that something just might work and when it does it makes you feel pretty darned good.

------------------------------------

DNR reminds parents of ice danger to children

A mix of warm and cold weather across Minnesota has created inconsistent ice on lakes, rivers and ponds. The Department of Natural Resources is warning parents to keep an eye on their children this holiday season as they visit friends and family who live near bodies of water. 

Last winter season (November to April), three people died after falling through the ice.

“Kids are adventurous and want to go out and play while mom and dad are cooking or visiting with friends. Right now, a thin coating of ice has formed on many lakes and ponds. An inch or two of ice is not safe,” said Capt. Todd Kanieski, DNR regional enforcement manager.

He added, children should not go out on the ice without adult supervision, even when conditions improve.

“Parents should also tell their children to stay away from any frozen water bodies around the home and that no ice is ever 100 percent safe,” Kanieski said.

Thanksgiving was set aside as a time to give thanks for what we have been blessed with but we should also take time during the upcoming holiday season to remember those that will not be home with their families but are serving our country. Please remember to keep those troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes from the 

Loafers’ Club Meeting

 If you were stuck in an elevator, whom would you like to be stuck with?

I know just the person.

Who?

I’d like to be stuck with someone who knew how to fix elevators.

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: the driver using a cellphone has the right of way.

The cafe chronicles

One of the tenets of his life is to take every food for good food. That said, he isn’t above grousing a bit at meals.

“I wish they’d stop refrigerating their butter here. It tears my bread up something awful,” he complained.

He blew his nose into a napkin with a honk so loud that a flock of Canada geese landed near the front door, thinking one of their kind was inside.

“I know,” he said. “I should be thankful that I can still eat butter.” He mulled that statement over for a moment before adding, “And I am.”

An odyssey 

Skagway, Alaska, is the gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. I wasn’t there in 1898, but I’ve been there when five cruise ships were docked. Skagway has a population of 920, but there must have been 10,000 people wandering around the city. Skagway is four blocks wide and 16 blocks long. A brochure that said 378 cruise ships would be docking there during the year bringing in about 750,000 tourists.

In 1982, the first McDonald’s opened in Juneau, about 95 miles by air to the south of Skagway. Juneau isn’t accessible by road, so the residents of Skagway arranged for two medevac planes to pick up an $800 order of Big Macs and fries from Juneau. The wind chill factor was said to have been 40 below zero as 200 people waited at the Skagway airport for the return of the Big Mac Medevac. The airplanes had a police escort as they moved down the runway. The school band played “Old McDonald had a Farm” after thawing their instruments. The pilots rushed the food into the terminal for distribution.

A fellow involved in the travel industry told me that 16 million people fly around the Thanksgiving holiday. He said that before and after Thanksgiving, one in four travelers would have their flights delayed or canceled.

I stopped at a house in the city of Hartland to break bread with family. Hartland is a gated community. It’s gated in order to keep people from leaving. There was pie there. I love pie. I suppose I’ve had bad pie, but I don’t remember it. I’ve often wondered why we need cake when we have pie.

Whether it is gold, a cruise, a Big Mac or a pie that you crave, remember to be thankful for the journey—even if it involves delays.

Customer comments

Earl Jacobsen of Albert Lea said that the temperature seems to get down to 40 degrees much quicker than it gets up to 40 degrees.

Gene Strong of Haines, Alaska, likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He calls a PBJ a “schoolboy sandwich” and lutefisk “road-killed fish.”

Gary Crumb of Matawan lamented, “Baldness came early and stayed late.”

  Jack Madsen of Mankato wrote this, “Thoreau wrote, ‘The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.’ I say, ‘Blessed is the man who enjoys his life and gives thanks for it every day.’”

Ailene Williams of Waverly, Alabama, said that when she was a girl, her father told her that if she wanted a diamond ring, she didn’t need to get married. He’d buy her one.

Karen Daniels of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is semi-retired. She keeps busy, but her activities sometimes tire her. Her friend, Val, reminded her that she was no longer 38. Karen said that came as quite a shock.

Roger Batt of Algona sent this wonderful blessing, “May your troubles be less. May your blessings be more. May nothing but happiness come through your door.”

Talking with the Holstein

The Holstein is a retired dairy cow, so she has time to talk. I told her that I have a sentimental longing for things, places and people belonging to the past.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully before saying, “Me, too, but not as often as I once did. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.”

Nature notes

Many mammals, birds and insects are crepuscular. That means they are active at dusk and dawn.

Meeting adjourned

In “The Last Lecture,” Randy Pausch wrote, “Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.”

Thank you for reading.

The Panther wrestlers came away 2-1 at the Rochester Invitational Dual Meet Tournament Monday, Dec. 1. The team took third place.

The Panthers won against Rochester John Marshall 41-30, then lost to Stewartville 21-46, and beat Rochester Mayo 39-34. 

Two Panther wrestlers were unbeaten on the day. Dillon Kubiatowicz went 2-0 with 2 falls, and Todd Erickson was 1-0 with 1 fall.

 “Any time we can finish the day 2-1 with a third place finish,” said Panther coach Shawn Larson, “it will not be considered a bad day.”

Larson declared himself happy overall, but “not content.”

“We were able to win 2 duals, but in those duals and especially in our loss to Stewartville, we learned that we have weaknesses we need to work hard to correct. Our athletes are eager to get back to the practice room to get better.”

On NRHEG’s loss to Stewartville, Larson said, “They were prepared very well for a match this early in the season. This team was extremely physical and they were in good condition. They also performed well in the finals match against the defending state champion in AA, Simley-Inver Grove Heights.”

The Panthers will compete next at the Saint James Classic in Saint James on Saturday, December 6, at 9:00 am.

I recently had a two-week free trial to Sirius XM radio. Jayna asked me why they gave me that. After I told her it was to attempt to get me to buy it all the time, she responded with, “Well, that’s not going to happen, is it?”

Probably not. However, I have enjoyed listening to commercial-free radio with the song styles of my choosing. The two channels I listened to the most were Classic Rewind, with the best rock music of the 70s and 80s, and 80s on 8, with all the pop music that was on the charts throughout that decade.

Yes, the 80s, my formative years. When 1980 hit, featuring Queen singing “Another One Bites the Dust,” I was six, going on seven. Those next ten years went by in a flash, but more and more I can see just how totally excellent they were.

Everybody is partial to the particular time they grew up, but there was so much about the 80s to love. Since I mentioned the music, let’s go there. Just listen to the leaps and bounds made in rock and pop music. From Bruce Springsteen to Van Halen, from Madonna to Prince, from Michael Jackson to Bon Jovi, from Guns ‘n’ Roses to AC/DC, the range of music is exceptional and still recognizable to all ages today. I had no problem listening to those songs non-stop while in the car.

Think about TV in the 1980s. When Jayna was looking for some shows to watch, Michelle and I, half-jokingly, mentioned such hits as Full House and The Cosby Show. Now she watches them all the time. They still hold up as funny shows and, even more importantly, clean family fun. There aren’t many shows on now that can say that. Too many have so many references and innuendos. While I’m not one to hide my children from the world, it is nice to have culture that can just be fun.

Of course, there were other great hits from that time that I still can watch and enjoy. Cheers and The Dukes of Hazzard are two of my all-time favorite television shows. Add in The Wonder Years, The Greatest American Hero, Family Ties, and ALF, and how can you go wrong? Okay, maybe not ALF…

Movies were in a heyday too. Again, there are so many that are cultural icons, that it’s hard to imagine a better time to be a kid. The decade started with the greatest of the Star Wars films when The Empire Strikes Back debuted in 1980. The decade ended with The Little Mermaid in 1989, a touchstone in Disney films. (Funny, how now Disney has bought out Star Wars…) In between those monuments were movies that are still quoted and referenced often. From the Indiana Jones movies to Ghostbusters to The Karate Kid, there was action galore. Is there a better movie about teenagers than The Breakfast Club? Not that I can think of.

And how about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? Find me another movie that was good on so many levels and that people still remember. Plus, there are movies that had such a lasting impact that they are at the top of many people’s list of views. That would include E.T., a movie so popular that my entire school went to see it! And what about A Christmas Story or Caddyshack? One of my all-time favorites is Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. It may not be near the top for many people, but I’ve always wanted to visit the Alamo since watching that flick.

Here’s the real deal. There are so many things from the 1980s that have been redone today that you can’t help but recognize the greatness of that time! Transformers and G.I. Joe both started then, and they’ve been redone for a modern generation. Star Wars has made a tremendous comeback after being dormant following Return of the Jedi in 1983. There have been remakes of some of those movies and TV shows I mentioned. Plus, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi are still rocking all these years later.

If you’re around my age, you probably remember those years fondly. If you didn’t have such great memories, take a stroll down memory lane and watch some of those items listed or flip through some of the music. You might rather be gagged with a spoon instead of remember the big hairdos and big glasses, the mullets on guys and shoulder pads in women’s shirts. Instead, think about the great things, such as the Rubik’s Cube, Pac Man, and Mario Brothers, which are essential parts of the lasting legacy of my favorite decade of pop culture!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is plutomania, which means an obsession with wealth or money, as in, “The plutomania of the movie producers led them to mine hits from the 1980s to remake instead of spending resources on original ideas.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs continue to have issues getting the Weather Eye to function properly as part of their weather forecasting equipment. They are beginning to wonder if this isn’t part of the reason AMC was in trouble. Are we in trouble with more cold or will we get a pass again soon? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs near 20 and lows around 10. Partly sunny and warmer on Thursday. Highs in the mid-20’s and lows in the upper teens. Friday and Saturday, partly sunny with highs near the freezing mark and lows in the upper teens to low 20’s. Sunday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain or snow. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the low 20’s. Monday, mostly cloudy with highs in the low 30’s and lows in the upper teens. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with highs in the upper 20’s and lows in the upper teens. The normal high for December 7th is 29 and the normal low is 13. On the 9th we slip to 9 hours of daylight, the same as we saw back on January 2nd. The scurs are looking on the bright side: We only have about 6 more minutes to lose and the days will start to get longer on Christmas Day. Would Santa lie to you?

The Full Moon for the month occurs on the 7th and goes by several names including the Full Cold Moon, the Full Long Nights Moon and the Moon before the Yule. Indeed this moon includes the longest nights of the year not to mention typically some of the coldest temperatures. The Ojibwe called this the Small Spirits Moon and the Sioux called it the Moon When Deer Shed their Antlers. At the ranch it’s normally known as the Moon When Border Collies Continue to Shed. And shed. And shed.

More celestial planetary occurrences in the night sky if you’re willing to brave the cold long enough to take a peek. According to U of M’s Deane Morrison, Jupiter will be in the east and move westward as the month progresses. Mars will set about 3 hours after the sun does for the entire month. A conjunction with the crescent moon on the 24th may be interesting to see if the skies allow it. Both Saturn and Venus are visible as well, with Saturn appearing in the southeastern morning sky and Venus present in the evening sky to the southwest. Their presence will become more pronounced in January.  

More snow this past week bringing the total for the month at the ranch to 8.8”. Luckily we’ve had some thaws that caused much of it to disappear. It wasn’t a month however without some severe cold with record low high temperatures set on the 17th and 18th of 14 and 12 respectively at the SROC in Waseca. We also had a bitter cold Thanksgiving Day with highs around 8 at the ranch after an overnight low of around – 8 with an encore performance the morning of the 28th. The SROC also tied the record low high temperature for that date in addition to setting a record low at -17. For the month, they also recorded a -9.1 departure from the normal average temperature. Reputedly we’re supposed to get a stretch of some 40 degree days in mid-December. We’d better see it soon if my faith in the global warming alarmists is to be reaffirmed. 

Thanksgiving marked the coldest day I ever recall cooking a turkey on the grill. Of course with charcoal, one just adjusts the amount of briquettes accordingly. Luckily it was relatively calm and the 12 lb. bird was done in around two hours. In the meantime Brother Roger and his wife were busy fixing mushroom cap hors devours in the broiler. Yum!  It was a great day prefaced by a card I’d discovered in my desk that Mom had written us back in 2010. In the note card, it relayed her excitement about her and Fudgie coming over for a Thanksgiving stay, thanking us for vegetables we’d dropped off, and a PS making Mrs. Cheviot know how much she loved the note cards. Simple things but it was always as if you’d given her a million dollars. While she wasn’t there physically, I have to believe Mom was watching. I know too she’d be happy Fudgie has a decent place to live and actually helps out every morning with the chores. It’s wonderful to open the gate, roll the feed cart through it and not worry about sheep coming out of it.

Ruby and Fudgie had several big days actually. The new snow Wednesday provided a perfect opportunity for them to roughhouse Thanksgiving morning. The turkey meant some giblets to be shared after sensory overload when it came in the door. There was a skid loader needing repairs (again) on Saturday during the warm up. Lots of tire biting and growling to be done once it commenced. That night after chores I came in and turned on the TV then was distracted with some errands. Ruby was barking her head off at something. I came into the living room only to discover there was a dog show on and she was lunging at the TV, upset with a black cocker spaniel. Thought about changing the channel to something I could watch. Unforgiven was on. That didn’t work. Between Clint Eastwood and horses it’s tough to tell which one Ruby hates more.

See you next week…real good then.