When I was growing up, we ate fruit most nights at supper. Mom canned a lot of peaches and pears, and that was often our dessert. However, when it came to fresh fruit, I wanted little to do with it.

This went on until I met Michelle. She likes fresh produce and slowly convinced me that eating some grapes or apples or bananas was a good, healthy choice. It was tough to come around to this way of thinking; my whole life I had avoided fresh fruit. Now I eat it, maybe not as often as I should, but still on a pretty regular basis.

Change can be difficult. When we get used to something over many years, the very thought of adjusting from our comfort level can be frightening.

The school year in Minnesota has been basically the same for as long as most of us can remember. We start after Labor Day and finish around Memorial Day. As a kid, the welcoming months of summer were awesome. We ran around outside, played ball, and generally soaked up as much sun and fresh air as we could. Many of us worked summer jobs, whether it was walking beans, baling hay, or some sort of regular job in high school.

As a teacher, I also enjoy a break. Education is a stressful job, and the mental break alone is needed. However, three months seems like too long. Even my kids start to get antsy once the calendar turns to August.

Thus, I’ve been following closely the current debate in Albert Lea regarding their proposed balanced school calendar. For those not familiar with it, our neighbors to the south would start school after the Freeborn County Fair. There would be two-week breaks after each quarter, and summer break would run for two months.

There are two main reasons this calendar is being proposed. One is to curtail the summer knowledge loss that affects all students. The other is to give opportunities to catch up some remedial students for part of the two-week breaks. It’s all in the name of giving students a better chance to succeed.

There are some schools around the nation, including in Austin, which run a 45/15 schedule. They have school for nine weeks, then are off for three. This has been shown to have some success with test scores and general achievement.

But wait! How dare they think about cutting summer break short! We’ve always had three months off! THAT’S THE WAY IT’S ALWAYS BEEN!

Ugh. It’s time to get off that old horse. While I’m not sure I’m ready to jump aboard Albert Lea’s proposal, it may be time to look at changing the way things are done. Kids no longer spend their summers doing the things we did. Too many, my own included, spend more time in front of screens than using sunscreen. Summer’s not the only time people go on vacation, so why not schedule in longer breaks for those who wish to leave town at other times? But in order to do that, you’ve got to give a little in summer.

The biggest problem we have at NRHEG is the Steele County Fair. It would be tough to run school when that’s going on. The State Fair is another matter, but one that can be worked around.

A big problem to look at is what to do with extracurriculars. You’ve got to worry about transportation and practices during these breaks. The biggest impact would be the first couple weeks in October, when the first quarter break occurs, smack dab in the middle of fall sports.

I think we should start small here at home. I’d like to see us start school the Tuesday-Thursday before Labor Day. It takes a few days to sort things out and get the kids figuring out where they’re going. Let’s take those three days we gain there and create a true break around Easter, right about the time we need a break before the stretch run.

Otherwise, it will be interesting to see if Albert Lea goes ahead with this plan and how it will work. Let them work out the kinks before we jump into that end of the pool. Still, it won’t hurt to dip our toes. After all, we might find that a taste of something new is what we’ve been looking for all along, even if it is fresh instead of canned.

Word of the Week: This week’s word is mossback, which means an old-fashioned person, as in, “The mossback cried foul over changing the school calendar since it would mean back-to-school sales would start in June.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs got the new part installed then erred when hooking the control cables on the Weather Eye back up. Who knew the instructions for a ’74 Gremlin would be written in Chinese? Will they find a translator in time for the kindly neighbors’ 50th wedding anniversary? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60’s and lows near 50. Thursday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs again in the upper 60’s with lows in the mid-50’s. Becoming more interesting on Friday as humidity returns under cloudy skies and with it a good chance of a shower or thunderstorm as the say wears on. Highs near 70 and lows in the upper 50’s. Cloudy becoming partly sunny on Saturday with a good chance of a lingering shower or thunderstorm in the forenoon. Highs in the low 70’s and highs in the mid-50’s. Sunday, absolutely gorgeous under mostly sunny skies with highs around 70 and lows in the low 50’s. Partly cloudy on Monday with highs in the low 70’s and lows near 50. Continued sunshine for Tuesday with highs again in the low 70’s and lows around 50. The sun will rise after 7 a.m. on the 22nd. For September 23rd, the first day of autumn this year, the normal high is 70 and the normal low is 46. The scurs could get the leaf blower tuned up, although it’s much easier to let the wind and lawnmower solve the problem.

The frost on the 13th was likely not technically a killing frost, but it certainly caused a lot of panic once the widespread nature was discovered. While frost was noticeable as far south as Kansas and Nebraska the markets shrugged it off Monday morning as a minor event. How bad was the damage? Good question and one that won’t be answered, unfortunately, until combines roll. The frost injury varied so much across the landscape with elevation as well as with variety or hybrid that trying to figure it out could just about drive one batty. Much of the corn was already ½ milk line or approaching maturity on the early planting so the damage should be minimal on that. Probably the most disappointing thing about it was many of the upper pods we had great hope for on the soybeans were suddenly nipped, taking much of the top end out of the soybean crop locally. Along with that no rhyme nor reason to it. Areas of replants in the low spots were hardly touched while some soybeans in upland areas froze hard. It’s a mystery sometimes and frequently not one worth spending time on as knowing that really doesn’t matter. 

The frost pattern at the ranch followed suit with what was seen in the fields. Areas and plants that should’ve been killed were spared. Impatiens in a pot in the road ditch where the frost stayed on several hours were untouched. The garden itself where it was on the west side of the trees and the frost stays on typically escaped relatively unscathed. This is also where the tomatoes reside and we covered nothing. About the only thing getting dinged by the frost was the coleus in some of the pots up by the house. The odd thing there was the lack of any frost in the grass by the house.

The orioles must’ve seen the frost coming as the last one was spotted on the 8th. There is still some jelly left in the feeder but the nuthatches and red-bellied woodpeckers seem to be cleaning it up. Won’t be long and we’ll put the suet feeder back out for them. The hummingbirds continue to be guests although their numbers may be starting to tail off after the frost. Last year we had them until the last few days in September so will keep the nectar feeders cleaned and filled for a while yet. Goldfinches are numerous both in the yard and in the CRP around the pond. There are lots of composites down there with plenty of seeds for their dining pleasure. Took a quick peek at the pond area only to find it void of ducks that a few weeks ago had been raising a ruckus. Canada geese however have zoned in on the wheat field harvested across the road at the Dubya’s so morning and evening we are treated to goose music.

The fall garden produce has started to take shape. The first of the radishes hit the table Monday night so Mrs. Cheviot insisted on a radish sandwich. The radishes have some power although they are sweeter than usual. Alas it appears the fall veggie experiment will not yield the fruit it did last season. The snap peas have yet to flower although the warmer temps may help that along. Even the winter radishes are taking their sweet time about getting rolling. Oh well, there are plenty of things to eat still to come. The carrots haven’t been touched yet and the greens are getting closer to eating size.

The show sheep came back off the circuit on Sunday as the folks who’d been showing them brought them home to us. In the meantime we had to take a few more head over to the kindly neighbors’ pasture. This has been a great summer for pasture as the ewes are generally fat and look like we’ve been feeding them shell corn. They do get some vegetable leftovers at home and at the other pasture dine on bur oak acorns. It was later afternoon when the show sheep arrived and after being champions in three different states, they were in good rig. Not much different at feeding time than the lambs that had been on full feed actually as they dove into the grain trough just like they’d never left the ranch. 

See you next week…real good then.

The switch from air conditioning to heating was a bit overwhelming, especially when I was praying for a long warm Indian summer. But so be it. 

We can't do much about Mother Nature, but we can do something about how we accept or reject it. Maybe it is a signal that it’s time to recharge our batteries, to seek opportunities, regroup and refresh our minds and manners.

We live in extraordinary communities. Miracles happen, but sometimes we need to help them happen.

I am amazed how everyone responds to the needs of those who need help. A celebration of hope.

Hope means different things to different people but we all share the same desire for a positive outcome. Hope unites us and makes our communities strong.

The coming months offer many opportunities to share love, hope and concern for others. Maybe it doesn't seem like it, but that is a gift – an opportunity to use our heads to think of what we can do, like the 4-H pledge I learned so many years ago: "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living for my club, my community, my country and my world."

It offers an opportunity to open our hearts to others too. After all, that’s what we’re here for. Certainly not just for ourselves alone. Being with others, sharing their joys and sorrows, is what life is all about. 

Already the cooks are preparing for the 30th annual Wild Game Feed on Dec. 6 at the Geneva Bar and Grill. It’s hard work but a joyous occasion as the men get together for this inspiring dinner and event that so many come from far and wide to enjoy.

Several representatives of the Clarks Grove Baptist Church are going to Honduras in January to help build a more permanent home for a family. Many of the homes in Azacualpa are built of mud, sticks and rock. The family who are chosen to have a home built for them are much in need. Several teams go to Honduras to do various things to help them. First there is the cleaning out of what little the family has, then the demolition of the old living quarters. Then new dirt is brought in, before cement floors are poured and new concrete walls are put up. Then a corrugated roof is put up and another group helps put the finishing touches on the house, sometimes even making beds and tables. 

The group from Clarks Grove plans to take quilts with them made by their quilting circle, to give to the family. 

What would we do without the many different churches and caring people who give of their time and talents to help others?

We pray for Peggy Sorenson, and others who are facing difficult medical circumstances. We pray for help with all the costs they and their families have to bear in battles against cancer and other catastrophic diseases, not to mention stress. 

Peggy's family and friends are joining together to help her with her current battle against cancer. A benefit is being planned for Saturday, Oct. 18 from 3-7 at the Geneva Community Center. A bake sale, both live and silent auctions, raffles, as well as along a dinner are all being planned. 

Of course the obvious needs are there, but isn't the rapport and knowledge that others care also a big plus? It is hard to fight a battle alone. Celebrating hope with others is like sunshine on a dreary day. The warmth of love shows in rewarding all who are concerned.

The auctions, the Bike-A-Thon, the 5K runs, the Relay For Life, Geneva Cancer Run, Matt Felt-Dillon Gordon Run and the Ride For Hope motorcycle runs, as well as the recent "Jacob’s Run," have been fun and beneficial. Snow will bring on snowmobile runs too. People helping people while enjoying time together and seeing the sights is a plus.

And the kids also want to help, and some have set up lemonade stands while others have held penny collections. They all add up. There is a purpose along with enjoyment, which gives value to what we are and do. 

There are happenings, there are diseases, some little known or curable, but there is always a challenge people must face. Someone will try to find a solution. 

Miracles happen all the time. 

Life will end when the last heart stops beating. So too would life end if hearts stop caring.

— — —

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, Sept. 18: Torsten Wayne, Laura Groth, Carla Scripture, Kevin Christenson, Ron Farr, Chris Larson, Becky Axmann, Laura Davis, Julia Spande, Randy & Cindy Horan, Andrea & Nick Miller, Todd & Mary Wayne, David & Malinda Hanson, Jill & Brian Wolff, Nicholas & Katie Wayne

• Friday, Sept. 19: Vicki Hill Kress, Carol Anderson, David Deml, Ben Cerney, Kristine Sorenson, Bill Hatch, Jennifer Johnson, Gerald Trandem, Cindy Morris Erickson, Scott & Tracy Tracy, Kelly & David Wacek, Jill & Dustin Johannsen

• Saturday, Sept. 20: Trinity Starr Wocelka, Jade Hill, Tricia Wayne, Alice Simonson, Sarah Mills, Cheryl Lonning, Bruce Born, Mardelyn Thompson, Jennifer Thorn, Jason & Michelle Gordon

• Sunday, Sept. 21st: Addie Haugen, Tiffany Shelton, Tim Sorenson, Dan Richards, Ann Hamilton, Margaret Deml, Thomas O'Conner, Pastor Richard Spande, Richard Axmann, Sherri & Chad Fritz, Jodi & Brandon Wayne, Marty & Karen Johnson

• Monday, Sept. 22nd: Noah Rasmussen, Lee Nelson, Gary Jenkins, Kaleb Christensen, Diane Stollard, Kathy Underland, Doris DeNeui, Mark & Rachel Lee

• Tuesday, Sept. 23rd: Aiden James Manges, Allison Groth Muilenburg, Melissa Lonning, Sara Corenlius Routh, Kristin Hamburg, Lance Jepson, Theresa Langlie, Debra Harding, James Robertson, Galen Montanye, Elizabeth Lageson, Mark Kasper, Robin Christensen, Judy & Tad Lunning

• Wednesday, Sept. 24: Gilmore Nelson, Nancy Pence, Jayna Domier, Jazmyne Tayton Martinez, Brandon Wayne, Cherysh Christina Hill Marcks, Brody Carlson, Michael Bedney, Trevor David Barber, Jill Vanden Heuvel, Kathie Lein, Susan Mickelson, Sophie Miller, Iris & Stanley Jensen

May your special day hold the promise of many bright tomorrows!

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

How much is dinner?

It's all you can eat for $12.

Give me $20 worth. I'm really hungry.

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: Velcro shoes are a rip-off.

The news from Hartland

• Buff Orpington has a cart pulled by sheep. It runs on sheer woolpower

• The Nice to Meat You butcher shop holds a meat and greet.

• Rover, his parents wanted a dog, straightened things out at work and lost his job at the pretzel factory.

The cafe chronicles

The menu said two eggs any style. I considered Gangnam Style, but I wasn't sure what that was.

Farm rules

Sometimes, when I open my mouth, my father comes out.

Dad took the slow road. A good idea, as forever goes by fast. He was a farmer who agreed with Jonathan Swift, who said, "Whoever makes two ears of corn or two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before, deserves better of mankind, and does more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together."

He taught me things. Things like the following.

It isn’t farming if you don't have to do it more than once.

Figure out how long it takes to do a job and then double it.

Done seldom is.

Do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do.

A needed stop

I'd been traveling more than a third-string point guard.

I was between dirty looks. That meant it was my anniversary.

I needed to make one more stop before going home. When Coach Jim Clark made our team run laps, there was always one more lap to run. There is always one more stop needed.

The man greeted me as I entered his room. He had a face worn by weather and time. He was a man who had never gotten used to many conveniences. He was like a dog that loved to run free and hated to be leashed. It limited cavorting. The man had grown sturdy. His eyebrows had become bushy enough to look as if they could cavort on their own. His body had him leashed to his room, which had become his departure lounge.

He was fond of using what he referred to as "two-cylinder" words, short ones. He was never one to pass up a day of fishing for work. He worked hard when he worked, but saw no need to one day be the richest man in the cemetery. He asked if I’d be willing to cry at his funeral. I was willing.

He said that his youngest grandson had asked him, "Grandpa, were you on Noah's ark?"

"Good golly, no", said his grandfather.

"Then how come you didn't drown when the flood came?"

Talking with the Holstein

The Holstein is a retired dairy cow, so she has the time to talk. She asked me if I was considering taking an overseas job I’d been offered. I told her that I hadn’t decided yet.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully before saying, "That’s good. Knowledge brings doubts. Ignorance brings confidence."

Customer comments

• Sue Nasinec of Wells sent this quote from Mae West, "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

• Tim Nelson of New Richland told me that he has a mother-in-law from Hell. She lives in Hell, Norway.

• Winston Beiser of Alden visited Egypt. He arrived home to rainy weather. He said that after seeing so many deserts, he realized what a blessing abundant rainfall is.

Did you know?

The night Abraham Lincoln was shot, he was carrying a pocket knife, a watch fob, an Irish linen handkerchief, a brown leather wallet, a crisp new Confederate $5 bill, two pairs of gold-rimmed eyeglasses, and eight newspaper clippings. One of the spectacles was held together with string.

Nature notes

"Does a thin brown band on a woolly bear caterpillar indicate a harsh winter?" The amount of brown on a woolly bear is related to its age. If a caterpillar emerged from the egg early, it had more time to grow and develop a large brown band. If the woolly bear emerged late, it wouldn’t have had time to grow anything other than a thin band. Thus, the band tells us more about the past winter than the upcoming one.

Meeting adjourned

Francis of Assisi said, "A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows."

A single kind word is capable of the same thing.

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

For nearly three and a half quarters, there wasn’t much scoring as the NRHEG Panthers faced Bethlehem Academy Friday, Sept. 12 in Faribault. The only points came in the first quarter, when the Cardinals’ Christian VonRuden raced 51 yards for a touchdown and Lexi Temple kicked the extra point.

That’s the way it stood, 7-0, until the clock showed 8:17 left in the final period. Then bedlam ensued. When the dust settled, the teams had combined for 48 points and, for the second week in a row, an injury-depleted Panther squad fell short, 35-20.

“Our lack of depth is really hurting us,” said NRHEG coach Dan Stork. “We’re banged up and it is taking its toll on us.”

The NRHEG High School volleyball team added a few to the win column last week.

The Panthers, whose conference opener is tonight at Medford, defeated Maple River 3-0 at Mapleton Thursday, Sept. 11, two nights after falling 3-1 at LeSueur-Henderson. In a Saturday tournament at Wabasha, the Panthers defeated Lewiston-Altura 2-0 and Lake City 2-0 while dropping 2-0 decisions to Wabasha-Kellogg and Caledonia.

The NRHEG High School cross country teams competed in the Maple River Invitational Thursday, Sept. 11.

The boys, led by Tyler Schlaak and Josh Fleming, finished eighth among 10 schools while the girls, again led by Katharine Lewer, are still looking to put together a full five-runner squad.

Schlaak just missed his season best time, clocking 19:56 for 19th place, and Fleming was right behind in 21st with a time of 19:57. Following for NRHEG were Zach Mely, 40th, 20:58; Brenden McMann, 46h, 21:16; Ben Lewer, 48th, 21:40; and Aaron Seath, 61st, 25:03.

Now is a good time to start planning a weekend drive to check out the fall colors that are in the not too distant future. I can’t think of a more scenic drive than heading east to the Mississippi River by Wabasha. If you can’t wait that long there’s Gooseberry Falls by Duluth that will surely be colorful in just a couple of weeks. Actually you won’t need to drive too far if you have a little patience and can wait until the colors change locally. To me there is more to fall than just hunting and fishing, and at times it seems as if the good Lord has painted this colorful landscape just for our enjoyment.

As a kid I always enjoyed traipsing through the slough with my trusty Red Ryder BB gun hunting imaginary Indian Warriors or evil bad guys who were trying to ambush me on the way to the infamous “skunk hill.” Whenever I and some of the neighborhood kids would be looking for an adventuresome place to go we would usually always turn to the slough. With the onset of fall came school so our adventures would usually have to be on Saturday and mostly in the morning.

When we grew older our horizons expanded, thanks in part to our bicycles. Now at times our adventures would occasionally lead us to explore a “crick” or slough that was part of some farmer’s pasture. Anyone that has spent any time in the country knows what a “cow hump” is and how much fun it is to navigate through them.

As a kid I loved going to the stock car races which were held at the fairgrounds on Friday nights. My mother was a big race fan so she would take me and any of my friends that wanted to go. We all had our local heroes and every one of us had our favorite driver. I have to believe that when we were younger it didn’t have as much to do with the driver as it did the car and how cool it looked.

Most of us kids had our own “stock car” that we built ourselves. I was no exception and the car(t) that I built was nothing more than a 2x12 with some old wagon wheels to make it go. There was one kid (Lanny Waller) who an official Soap Box Derby car that his dad had built for him, which was the Cadillac of the group. We had been planning this big end-of-the-summer race for the last Saturday of August and finally decided on this big hill north of the airport that bottomed out close to the “crick” that flowed into Bancroft Bay. I rigged my cart on the back of my bike kind of tow truck style and headed north.

I believe that there were about six of us with cars and some spectators. Once we had the spot picked out we lined up for the first heat and waited for someone to give us the go sign. My cart was really fast and as I zoomed down the hill I was feeling pretty good until I hit the bottom. I controlled the steering with my feet and when I hit the first cow hump at the bottom, the 2x4 holding my wheels pushed back, pinching my ankle against the body. That hurt pretty bad, but the car was hurt worse in that the steering board broke and one of the wheels came off, axle and all. I don’t recall if anyone made it back unscathed, but I know that Lanny’s Cadillac broke its more elaborate steering setup and he was also finished.

Yes, the old cow humps did a number on our cars that day and really cut our race day short. I’d have to say that we didn’t put a lot of thought into what would happen when we reached the bottom. I’d guess you could compare it to jumping from an airplane without a chute with no plan for the landing part of it. Needless to say, it was a long ride back home with that broken cart in tow.

In a recent news release the DNR is encouraging folks to enjoy fall and hunt grouse this year. The grouse season opened on Sept. 13.

Picture yourself walking on a trail through stands of young aspen trees with blazing yellow leaves overhead. The fall air is crisp. Shotgun in hand, you’re enjoying a hike while hunting grouse – Minnesota’s most popular game bird. 

Something akin to this scene will soon be reality for the nearly 100,000 grouse hunters in Minnesota. The season for ruffed and spruce grouse runs from Saturday, Sept. 13, until Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015; and for sharp-tailed grouse from Sept. 13 to Sunday, Nov. 30.

“Grouse hunting in Minnesota is some of the best in the nation,” said Ted Dick, forest game bird coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Minnesota has 17 million acres of forest land, much of it public, and an extensive system of nonmotorized hunter walking trails open to grouse hunters. This fall is a great time to get out there and hunt grouse.”

Spring drumming counts were up 34 percent compared to 2013, possibly signaling the start of an upswing in the 10-year grouse cycle that since 2009 has been in the declining phase. However, brood rearing success may have been affected by a cold, wet spring.

“When grouse hunting season starts we will get a better idea how successful grouse were at rearing broods,” Dick said. “So far, we’re hearing optimistic reports.”

Unlike some types of hunting, grouse hunting requires little investment. Hunters need only a blaze-orange hat or vest, a shotgun, a sturdy pair of boots, a valid small-game license and a willingness to walk.

Until next time; fall is a great time to do a little small game hunting, some fishing or just spending some time at one of our many area parks.

Please take a little time to remember those who served and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Lorraine Miller passed away on September 6, 2014 in Gresham, Oregon, at the age of 87. She was born on September 9, 1926 in Myrtle, Minnesota to parents Alonzo and Hannah Dorothy Mickelson. Lorraine moved to Oregon in 1960 to start a job as the supervisor for the elementary program for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Oregon. In 1963 she met Wilber "Bill" Miller, and the two were married in 1965 in Portland, Oregon.