Sharon Kay Weckwerth, age 66, of Waseca, died on Friday, July 18, 2014 in Waseca County as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Born on June 10, 1948 in Waseca, Minnesota, she was the daughter of Milo and Edna (Gehloff) Roeglin. She attended school in Albert Lea and Monticello, IA. Following school, she worked in road construction as a flagger and also bartended for several years in Waseca.

On July 18, 2014 at 10:46 a.m., the Waseca County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fatality accident on Old Hwy. 14 near the intersection of 95th Street.

Involved in the accident was a semi tractor trailer driven by 61-year-old Randall Mahlman of Owatonna. The driver of a 1999 Buick Sedan was 66-year-old Sharon Weckwerth of Waseca — formerly of New Richland — who was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation is being conducted by the Minnesota State Patrol with responding agencies Waseca County Sheriff’s Office, Waseca Police Department, Janesville Police Department, Waseca Fire Department, North Ambulance, Waseca County Highway Department and Minnesota DOT.

Mother Theresa said it best: "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."

I guess that is what I like about small town living: the people. What they do may never make headlines in big time news, but it should. There is so much creativity and vitality in the residents who give their best to make this a community in which we choose to live. I am inspired with those who achieve great things with love. Things don't just happen; they happen because someone had the ability to make it happen. It takes courage, hard work and creativity.

Sometimes it started small and grew to something unbelievable. There is always someone who says, "It can't be done," but there are those who do it. For most, their only reward is that good feeling they get from what they had done to make someone happy or stronger or make their lives more meaningful. The recent Ellendale Days is just one example, but it is a good one.

The people who plan and participate in the parade don't go out of town to sponsor big money units. They do it themselves and the parade is just as thrilling, or more so, to see the people you know form a parade with pride. It is interesting to see how the educational activities take a prominent place with the middle school and high school bands, who are winners and highly respected. 

The PTO, parent teacher organization, is always working to enrich the lives of children and tries to make everyone aware of how education, and in particular early and special education, can give all kids an equal start and purpose in life. The administration and teachers are qualified to award students with whatever is possible to make school not only essential but fun as they learn to live with the times.

The 5K Fun Run was so beneficial for the Spanish class plus a great deal of fun for everyone who participated. It was unbelievable to see all the happy faces and running feet. The Turtle races also were interesting to watch and profited the school children besides. Our honorable athletes and honor societies are so outstanding, people know what NRHEG stands for and where it is. They’re winners because of their loyalty and their outstanding sportsmanship and participation.

Did you see the "totem pole" sign that announced the various activities planned for the weekend? You really couldn't miss the colorful display. But did you know it was created by recycling Brian Wayne’s seed corn signs? That is resourceful to say the least.

The firemen are always active doing errands of mercy for fires, accidents, illness and emergency assistance, but they also take time to provide fun and games too like dodge ball, the pedal pull event and teen dance, as well as help provide food, including the breakfast burritos and the pork chop supper.

The Lions Club members are always lending a helping hand, and provided games for the kids too, along with the car show, and had made plans to provide the tractor pull too, which had to be delayed until later in July due to our crazy Minnesota weather.

The karaoke contest was a winner. Not everyone can win first place but many should. It brought out everybody's talent, if you were five years old or 80, and they wowed the audience. The character of the contestants and the pleasure they extended to those attending was phenomenal. Our own Terri Engel not only displayed great musical talent, she provided reason for laughter as the "Queen of the House" and we all know laughter is good for you. Several other local talents, Edna Hontti, Parke Paulson and Rod Goette, provided some great musical enjoyment. How could we know that talent was there if they didn't share it with us?

Little Aubrey sang "Here I Stand" from the movie "Frozen" but she did more. She danced to the music and on her own impulse, presented flowers to the first competitor and later on went on to win a trophy in the kids’ pedal pull. What a personality. Let's not forget Virginia Miller, the 80-year-old lady who wasn't too old to sing.

The Rogers - Shaunce and Swearingen - did a momentous deed when they opened the Veterans Museum with a multitude of priceless artifacts and stories honoring those who honored us by serving our country. And we can't forget those who drive our local veterans during events in Francis Misgen’s jeep. It’s something Francis started and his spirit still lives.

The Red Hatters are an educated, happy group of women who make life interesting as they get together, take trips, help others and have fun.

The Ellendale Area Heritage Society, though small in numbers, has achieved much in preserving facts from the past. Barbara Mrotz's weekly feature in the Star Eagle is a welcome reminder of things the young wouldn't know and others might have forgotten. The older we get, the more we realize how important things are because of the past.

LeRoy Sommers is a familiar face as he and others from his family have fried thousands of pancakes for community events.

He did it! Russ Goette did “what couldn't be done.” He did it to give memory to our now consolidated school. He built a stage in the category of "if you build it they will come" to Saturday nights in the park in downtown Ellendale. The stage has given talented individuals a place to entertain, and entertain they have.

Russ set out to honor people who were memorable for their work with education but also recognizes people who hade a difference in the community.

Mayor Swearingen continues to work to make Ellendale an even better place, encouraging residents to take up the cause. His congeniality and purpose is real and progressive and makes the adrenalin flow.

I can't say enough about our churches who unite for common causes and benefits. They provide a place to go to worship, but also for events like the food shelf, scouts, education, care for the needy, and shelter in emergencies. They also help provide activities for the kids and elderly.

It’s impossible to name all of the young people who have taken up the task to help others who are no longer able. There are others too, I just didn't name them all, but I hope they know they are appreciated.

One little boy wore a T-shirt that caught my eye, as it had a great saying on the back. "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success." How true!

The Ellendale Days parade ended appropriately with a pack of beavers who didn't care if they got wet - because they were "eager beavers" like those who "make the better best - who never let it rest till the good is better and the better is best." (Emily Light). That is our people. That is what it is all about. It is the people who make it all happen and that is why we choose to live here!

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.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, July 10th:  Kalene Larson, Ethan Green, Brett Dunlap, Sally Hanson Sadden, Suzanne Skroch Larkin, Carley Ray Talamantes, Holly Swearingen, Anna Uetcsh, Todd Borchert, Kym Cameron, Paulette Nelson, Ryan & Amy Crabtree their 8th, Dustin & Jenna Quimby

• Friday, July 11th: Zoie Marie Jensen, Shirley Wallace Tennant, Nicholas Lee Shultz, Helen Scripture Schubert, Kelly Sauke, Nataniel Lizarazo, Michele Degan Reistad, Rochelle Thompson, Lisa Goodnature Noble, Christopher Olson, Jessica Mangskau, Elaine Peterson, Naomi Hemingway, Randy Borchert, Scott Knutson, Celina & Richard Drecher, David & Bonnie Jensen, Carrie (Thompson) & Danny Wichmann

• Saturday, July 12th: Daniel Christensen, Kimberly Peterson, Rick Pelzl, Daryl Waltz, Herb & Lori Moon

• Sunday, July 13th: Megan Elizabeth Nowariak, Audrey Lillian Peterson, Marayah Mae Mortenson, Kolette Lageson Stevenson, Brenda Misgen, Sandra Cerney Collins, Joseph Adrian Parks, Ed Nelson, Cynthia Fuerniss, Dick Larson, Amber Anderson, Jean Johnson, Corey & Danielle Wangsness, Jason & Shannon Peterson

• Monday, July 14th: Budach Martin Perry, was born in 2013, Kallen Reed Rasmussen, Gavin Cole Halverson, Sharon Richards Lucas, Annette Hove, Madison Larkin, Dana Simonson, Jeff Kitzer, Jerry Langlie, Lee Cummins, Shane Davis, Peter Kasper, Roger Swearingen, Bethany & Ashley Ashton

• Tuesday, July 15th: Nathan Daniel Wayne, Nathan Joseph Bauers, Levi Peterson, McCoy LaVerne Schwierjohann, Thad Aaseth, Judd Aaseth, Stacy Seath Tempel, Lacinda Jensen, Vicki Utpadel Knudson, David & Kim Killian

• Wednesday, July 16th: Sue Stieglbauer, Hudson Mrotz, Kyle Ladlie, Jeff Helmers, Nancy Wilder, Kenny & Sarah Price, Dave & Deb Oeltjenbruns

• Thursday, July 17th: Kaylee Christine Hanson, Merton Nelson, Ralph Diaz, Sandi Vangen, Victor Christenson, Larry Molenaar, Leslie Schwartz, Lisa & Bob Wayne, Kristine (Simon) & David Freitas

• Friday, July 18th: Anika Christine McDonald, Nancy Anderson, Matthew DeShanne, Katie Dobberstein, Michael Graif, Luke Rye, Roger & Betty Davies, Mark & Mandy Boehme

Wishing that each day is happier than the one before!

I have to admit I am not a big fan of the common blackbird, but I do have a different feeling when it comes to the red winged blackbird. As a kid I can recall the first true sign of spring in my little world was when you first heard the call of the red winged emulating from the nearby slough. I can remember the excitement of trying to spot as many different birds as possible in the slough and once in a while there would even be a rare sighting of a yellow winged blackbird. We would try to spot their nests in the bull rushes of the slough and watch patiently for the little ones to appear. Even to this day the sound of a red winged blackbird still makes me pause and take notice.

Picture this: you are on a summer’s eve drive on a country road with the windows down feeling the coolness of the evening as you pass by an area of slough grass when you hear the sounds of red winged blackbirds busily chatting away. To me nature has a calming effect, and if you pause and take in the beauty of the moment, it can be a great stress reliever.

Looking back again I can recall the times when I would go to Beaver Lake for some crappie fishing. When I was a young kid my mom and dad, along with their friends Elmer and Mary, would take me to Beaver Lake fishing. Now, my dad was never a fisherman but he would be what he would have referred to as “a good egg,” meaning that he went along to make everyone else happy. Elmer had an old green 5 hp Johnson Sea Horse outboard motor and we would rent two boats from the boathouse at Beaver. They would tie the anchor rope from our boat to Elmer’s and he would tow us to the “hot spot” where the crappies were sure to be waiting.

My mother loved to fish and she is the main reason that I have always had a love for the sport. We would sit in that spot waiting for the crappies until the sun started to set and, sure enough, just as the cool of the evening started to put a light fog on the lily pads, the crappies would start biting. The action would be fast and furious for about half an hour or so and the fish would bite so fast that you couldn’t get them off the hook and into the basket fast enough because you didn’t want to waste that small window of opportunity. To a kid who had always lived for that moment, it just couldn’t get any better.

When I came home on leave in the summer of ’66 my mom and dad along with my sister Judy and I drove to Beaver Lake for a picnic and some shore fishing. We had burgers and hot dogs on a little portable grill along with my mother’s famous potato salad and of course it wouldn’t be a picnic without Van Camp’s beans. That June day was cool, windy and sprinkled with showers and although all we caught were a few bullheads, it was a day I remember fondly.

My mother was always giving me fishing tips she had picked up from different folks who knew fishing. One of her favorite crappie techniques was to use a nylon leader that had a small hook, a couple of beads and a small spinner blade. I believe Eagle Claw first put out that particular crappie lure. Mom said the trick was to hook the minnow through the dorsal fin to keep it fresh and add a bobber and after you cast it out you should leave it sit for a moment, then reel it in slowly giving it an occasional twitch. She said if your bobber starts to go under, you should never rear back and set the hook because crappies have soft mouths, so lift the rod tip up gently and reel in a slow but steady fashion until you feel the fish on the other end. This is a technique that I still practice today but for some reason I no longer use the bobber-spinner method and have instead opted for a jig and plastic. Although the rig may be different, the technique still serves me well. I have to wonder when it was that someone put out the memo that stated fish were no longer interested in the old spinner and bobber method. I do believe I am going to give the old method a try once again because I really don’t believe the fish have evolved to genius status yet.

I have many fond memories of those trips to Beaver Lake, and if I close my eyes I can still hear the sounds of nature as evening sets in, and I can almost feel the cool of the dew as it settles in for the night.

Until next time; enjoy the great outdoors and take some time to introduce a kid to fishing. We could all take a little time out of our busy lives to step back and take in some of the wonders of nature that surround us.

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.

(I hope you had a chance to read my three earlier writings that described other elements of the NRHEG Strategic Plan . If you did not and you find you have questions, you can go to the school web site, www.NRHEG.k12.mn.us, and see some of the information there. You do not need to have read the previous articles to understand what will be said here.)

I have mentioned before that I feel privileged to be working at the NRHEG school district. The community support, dedicated staff, and established history of cooperation and growth all work together to make this district the kind of place I can invest myself in, just as all of you have.

But, like every human endeavor, it can be better.

Perhaps you recall from some of my earlier writings on this topic that the strategic planning process examines our district, its resources, and its actions from several angles, including socially, structurally, and financially. Having arrived at a realistic assessment of where we are, committee members then used the same perspectives to consider where we want to be in three to five years.

Today’s discussion looks at the topic of the “learning and working environment” in our buildings; to summarize, over the next few years the strategic plan suggests that we will be working to support students as they acquire good habits, while also finding ways to reduce the number of times students misbehave. 

If you are muttering under your breath right now, “What’s new about the school wanting students to behave better?” let me begin by acknowledging that this goal may sound obvious. But all of you who have raised or cared for children are already aware that trying to instill good habits is, shall we say, an on-going process. It is an axiom in education that it is not possible to make others learn; the objective must be to make others want to learn.

So how do we make students want to behave better? Of course, and unfortunately, the strategic planning committee does not have the answer…but we do at least have some answers. We will use our experience, our access to current research, and influences from our communities to help students see the benefits of positive choices. Under the leadership of teacher Mark Domeier, a committee has already been working to encourage positive behavior — you’ve heard the phrase “Panther Pride” and seen the PRRS (pronounced “purrs”) paw prints which remind students to be “Positive, Respectful, Responsible, and Safe.”

I hope you agree that the committee’s work has already had some benefits. Changing school culture takes time; because of this, the strategic plan calls for our staff and students to continue building their understanding of the PRRS program and how it can best be strengthened and expanded.

Another way that I hope to see the learning and working environment in our schools improve is by continuing to build an atmosphere of interconnected trust and mutual support. That is, I hope that all of us come to know and understand each other, so that we can genuinely work as a team.

This is hard to understand until you have worked in a school, but everyone here is doing many jobs at once. Even a simple project becomes a number of tasks being performed simultaneously. Permit me to illustrate. Pretend you have come into the building to do something very straightforward — perhaps sweep a hallway or change a light bulb. You get out your broom and begin to sweep…a classroom of students comes by on its way to any number of possible destinations…you must stop sweeping, be sure any dust is pushed to the side, and get out of the way yourself so that no one trips over you or the broom. Simple enough…but there’s a large, colorful eraser among your sweepings. One of the students sees it, stops in her tracks, elbows someone else, and points at the eraser. “That’s mine!” she calls out angrily. “Who took it and how did it get there?” Suddenly you aren’t sweeping anymore, you’re managing student behavior, whether you intended to or not. How long will it be, do you think, before you finish your original task?

If even sweeping can become complicated, think about teaching a class. The adults in the room are managing behavior, supervising resources, adjusting rates to be sure time schedules are adhered to…and we haven’t even gotten to planning and teaching the material, answering student questions, monitoring the level of learning, and determining and recording scores and grades.

I tell you all this not to complain, but only to explain why we educators — and here I am referring to every adult in our buildings — don’t get a lot of time to build an interconnected network of well acquainted individuals. We’re very busy doing our many jobs; most teachers will tell you they spend their entire day moving quickly from one responsibility to another, frequently performing a number of tasks at once. Someone told me one time that only an air traffic controller makes more decisions per hour than a classroom teacher.

For all these reasons, a year is only a good start in allowing me and the staff to get to know each other. I am an “open book” kind of person. I like to communicate freely, share my impressions with others, and receive honest feedback. I do not shoot messengers, and any “agendas” I might have are definitely not “hidden.” But I don’t blame those who have decided to wait and see whether they agree with my self-assessment.

One element of my leadership style is called “leading from the ground up.” I hope to help foster an atmosphere in which staff members feel welcome to conceive possible changes to the status quo, then take well ordered steps to set them in motion. As you can picture, there are many possible benefits to this “ground up” decision-making process; it can only be successful, though, when stakeholders feel that their efforts will be valued and appreciated.

Experience has also taught me the importance of well organized staff training. 

I am producing this series of articles because this is a dynamic time for our district. We have the PRRS program, new technology, new positions, many new state mandates to comply with, and everyone in the district is being asked to integrate these changes with the many requirements already in place.

If we do not provide everyone with the information and time they need to adjust, we are only setting ourselves up for failure. In addition to collaboration time, staff training is also part of the reason our calendar for September 2014 to June 2015 contains more days with a two-hour late start than in the past. These hours will be used in a variety of ways to help our teachers and our teaching become more effective. Strengthened networking and system wide cooperation will benefit pretty much every level of instruction, and so I am grateful that our school board showed its willingness to support this endeavor.

Thank you for staying with me through all of this. I hope reading this information is helping you see the ways the strategic planning process is important. As always, feel free to contact me with questions; my e-mail address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; mail can be sent to the district office at 306 Ash Ave. South in New Richland.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

It’s a great day for the race.

What race?

The human race.

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: cellphones should have a turn signal app for cars.

The news from Hartland

• Man hit on head with can of soda says that he was lucky that it was a soft drink.

• If not for venetian blinds, it’d be curtains for all of us.

• City sends "Get Well Soon" cards to everyone who is delinquent in paying their water bills.

Cafe chronicles

The cafe bragged that none of its food smelled like feet.

It wasn’t idle boasting.

He was a small man whose belt had reached retirement height. He had been swallowed by his shirt. He told me that he’d stayed home to ripen on the vine.

He watered his garden because he was more dependable than Mother Nature. He said that his grandfather had taken Carter’s Little Liver Pills all of his life. When he died, they had to beat his liver to death with a stick.

He ordered a pie. The pie was two-feet long. The rhubarb had been tall this year.

The Duke point

The dew point indicates the amount moisture in the air. It’s the temperature at which the water vapor in air condenses into liquid at the same rate at which it evaporates. When the dew point equals the air temperature, dew forms on solid surfaces. Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air compared to what the air can hold at that temperature. When the air can't hold all the moisture, it condenses as dew.

I grew up paying attention to the humidity. I don’t enjoy days with high humidity. When the humidity hits a certain point, I start singing Warren Zevon’s song, "Poor, poor, pitiful me."

Because I grew up with it as a measurement of discomfort, humidity has more relevance to me than does the dew point.

I have a terrific neighbor named Duke Tukua. When I want to know the humidity, I use the Duke point. 

I point at Duke. If he appears to be wilting, I know that the humidity is high.

Fitz-Reading Gardens

I visited Fitz-Reading Gardens in Rockford, Iowa. I added Iowa because there are at least eight cities in the U.S. named Rockford. They are in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Alabama, Tennessee, and Washington.

Fitz-Reading Gardens is one of my favorite places. Every year, Stan Fitz exceeds the seed limit in his gardens. He not only has a green thumb, he could get blood out of a tulip.

Stan replaced lawn with gardens. He should have a TV show called, "Lawn Order."

Church, baseball, and birding

I spoke at the UCC Church in New Ulm. A lovely place of worship and fellowship. The church was prayer-conditioned.

Not long after, I watched a baseball game. A shortstop kicked a ground ball.

That’s what happens when you watch too much soccer.

A Baltimore oriole flew overhead. I pointed it out to an uninterested couple seated next to me.

They looked up. I think they were hoping to see a Baltimore Oreo. Chocolate on the outside and vanilla on the inside.

No worries

I’ve been feeding the mosquitoes. They’re hungry and numerous this year.

Beth Knudson of Hartland told me that all the mosquitoes would die soon because there isn’t enough blood to go around.

Building fences

I was building a fence. Good fences make good neighbors. If only good fences made good fences.

That was how I estivated, digging postholes and stretching wire. The fences were built not only to keep in the free-range cattle, but also to keep the pigs from running hog wild.

My dog kept me company. She helped by watching.

I took a break from my duties to watch County employees install a culvert.

My dog thought that humans bury the strangest things.

Nature notes

"Blue jays look identical. How can they tell who is a male or female?" Birds can see in light frequencies, including ultraviolet, which we cannot. This light is used to communicate species and gender. I’ve read that a male blue jay has a pattern on his wing that’s lacking on a female.

"What can I do for an injured bird?" If it’s a raptor or vulture, contact the Raptor Center located at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul at 612-624-4745. For any other injured birds or mammals, call the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Roseville at 651-486-9453.

Meeting adjourned

Be kinder.

On Sunday morning, the first day of summer, June 22, at 11 a.m., 57 people got on a coach bus behind Slumberland in Albert Lea. The destination was Plymouth Playhouse Theatre in Plymouth, MN. The occasion was the Church Basement Ladies’ presentation of “The Last Potluck Supper” at their Lutheran church on a September afternoon in 1979 (Also their centennial celebration.)

As the bus departed, the passengers clapped and cheered very loudly. They told Marty, the driver, they would clap and cheer for him again when he got us back safely that evening

Genie and I looked at each other in disbelief, as this was not the conduct of Lutherans. We decided the non-Lutherans on the bus were a very good influence on us stoic Norwegian Lutherans.

Women of Central Freeborn Lutheran Church sponsored the trip. Genie Hanson was the ladies’ host. She introduced co-chair Gale Nelson and Donna Peterson. Mary Ann Atchison helped her draw two prize winners. Violet Hanssen and Betty Johnson were winners of red Jell-O, fruit cocktail and a tea towel, as passengers clapped and cheered loudly. (By now even most of the stoic Norwegian Lutherans were with it.)

Genie turned the mic over to long-winded hubby, me. I asked all the passengers to notice the freeway sign on their right of “Hope One Mile.” I brought it to the attention of the few still stoic Norwegian Lutherans that they had one mile to get with it or they would be just like the bus: “beyond Hope.” There was clapping and loud cheering.

With Marty in the driver’s seat and luckily no stop-and-go traffic, we arrived a half hour before the theatre opened.

The performance began just like a Lutheran church service, with announcements. Pastor Tim Drake, a non-Lutheran cast member, recognized the four Lutheran groups that were there. He wished a happy, that day, birthday to Ardie Madson, a member of the Central Freeborn group. (The bus passengers clapped and cheered loudly.)

The first act was of the September 1979 centennial celebration. The following acts were flashbacks of events leading up to the centennial. The centennial celebration was both sad and happy. Sad because the church was closing due to low membership and declining population in the rural church area – thus, an auction that day selling everything, including the church building. Happy because the buyer of the church was moving it to a museum location to be used for social activities.

The cast did an excellent upbeat closing with music as part of the recognition of “Moving On.” The bus passengers clapped and cheered loudly.

Everyone found their way back to the bus and we headed for a 6 p.m. buffet meal at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Owatonna. We sang “Happy Birthday” to Ardie – as usual those words “How old are you?” echoed through the bus. Ardie took the mic and answered, “I’m old enough to know you can have fun at any age. I hope after today you know that, too!” The bus passengers clapped and cheered loudly.

The buffet and service was excellent. In fact, so good that Lowell Elmer led us as he called out the KFC staff for recognition by us doing “Hip, Hip, Hooray” in unison three times with each time louder. The KFC staff clapped and cheered loudly.

As was promised, there was more clapping and loud cheering for Marty as we safely pulled into Slumberland.

This week’s column has a message to all you readers. Please re-read what Ardie Madson said as you listen to yourself clapping and cheering loudly.

———

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.

This week, you are in for a treat – a special guest columnist! That’s right, you don’t have to read my normal tripe. Instead, my son Anton has told me he has an idea to write about, and I love the idea of him wanting to write! Maybe a nine-year old will make more sense than I do! His topic is Minecraft, a game he’s only somewhat obsessed with on the computer, and how to survive your first day. Take it away, Anton!

First, start up a new Minecraft world. When it has loaded, move your mouse around and look around you. (Note: This is on the computer version of Minecraft.) When you see a tree, hold the W key until you are face to face with the tree. You should see a + sign in the middle of your screen. Move your mouse until the + sign is on the tree. Once you’ve done that, hold down left click until a piece of wood drops. Then move your mouse until the + sign is on another part of the trunk. Next, hold down left click until that drops a piece of wood. Keep doing this with the rest of the tree.

You should see a hot bar at the bottom of the screen. In one of the spaces in the hot bar, you should see the wood you harvested. Press the E key on your keyboard and your inventory should pop up. Click on the wood you harvested and drag it to your mini-crafting area.  (It is right next to a picture of your character.)

Click on a space in your mini-crafting table. You should see next to it a block with stripes through it. Click on it until you have it all. Congratulations! You made wooden planks. Next, drag your wooden planks to your mini-crafting area. Click on every space in the crafting area once, then drag the rest of your wooden planks down to the hot bar and click a space there. After that, go to where you got your wooden planks and you should see a new block called a crafting table. Drag that block down to your hot bar and click a space in there. (Note: it can’t be where you put your wooden planks.)

After you’ve done that, press your E key to close out of your inventory. Then scroll down until you get to your crafting table. Place it by right clicking the ground with it in your hand. Press the w key until you are next to the now-placed crafting table. Next, right click on the crafting table. Then bring your wooden planks up to a new 3X3 crafting area and put one on top of the other. Now bring your newly crafted sticks down to your hot bar. Take the wooden planks you have and put them in each space in the TOP row once. Then take your sticks and place one in the middle of the middle row and one in the middle of the bottom row.

You should see next to the crafting space a new tool: a wooden pickaxe!  Drag it down into your hot bar. Then press the E key and hold down left click on your crafting table to pick it up. Now wander around until you find coal in a cliff face. (Note: W is to go forward, SPACE is to jump.) Once you found it, mine it all. It should make a hole you can go into.  Spread it out with your pickaxe by holding left click until a lot of it is spread out. Then cover up the space you used to get in with the blocks you mined by spreading your base.

Make sure there is a one block hole so you can see if it’s day or night. It should be night by now. Quickly place your crafting table down in a place in your base. Then put a stick in one row with coal on top of it. You should get torches! Quickly place torches all around your base so monsters won’t spawn. Congratulations! You survived your first day in Minecraft. Spend the night expanding your base more. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to survive your first night in Minecraft!

Thanks, Anton, for giving your old man a break from writing for a week! Next week, I’ll be back, refreshed and ready to roll again!

Word of the Week: This week’s word, according to Anton, is spelunking, which means exploring caves, as in, “The Minecraft character enjoyed spelunking, until he ran into a Creeper!” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

 The scurs were cautious this last week when playing under the dash on the ’74 Gremlin X, finding the heat control while they were at it. Will they be so fortunate this week? Starting Wednesday, sunny with highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-50’s. Thursday mostly sunny becoming mostly cloudy by evening with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms in the overnight. Highs in the mid-70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Mostly cloudy Friday with a good chance of forenoon showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the mid-60’s. Saturday mostly cloudy with a modest chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the low 60’s. Mostly sunny for Sunday with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Highs near 80 with lows in the low 60’s. Monday, sunny skies and slightly cooler with highs near 75 and lows in the upper 50’s. Partly cloudy on Tuesday with another chance for showers and thunderstorms developing. Highs in the low 70’s and lows in the lower 50’s. The normal highs for July 12th is 83 and the normal low is 62. We will see 15 hours and 13 minutes of daylight in greater Bugtussle, having lost 15 minutes of daylight since the summer solstice. The scurs will be making up for lost time at Farm and City Days.

The crops were certainly trying this past week to make up for a June that frequently provided a soggy and hostile environment for growing corn and soybeans. Corn that had been pale in many places began to reach nitrogen and turn that dark green color we expect corn to have at this point. Soybeans were also on the move with most fields in full bloom. The silver lining to the wet June has been the regrowth on second cutting hay. Most of it has really stretched and should make some wonderful hay if the weather allows it to dry.

The Full Moon for the month occurs on Saturday the 12th and goes by several names including the Full Buck Moon, Full Thunder Moon and Full Hay Moon. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Raspberry Moon for the wild raspberry crop that is ripening. The Sioux were also into fruit denoting this as the Moon When Wild Cherries are Ripe. At the ranch we like our fruit as well, although the pickings will be slim for a while yet. Probably best known as the Pick the Handful of Wild Raspberries Quick Moon.

The garden has made tremendous progress however and some additional string beans were planted on July 5th. Obviously the first bean planting didn’t appreciate the 11.25” of rain in June. Garden insect pests have been on the attack so for those who don’t routinely scout for them this could serve as a heads up. Striped cucumber beetles have been a menace to the cucurbit crop, consuming the blossoms before the bees and other pollinators have had a chance to do their work. Squash vine borers have been spotted as well, making a pesticide application necessary. To make matters worse, cabbage butterflies are locating the decorative kale and cabbage. When the pinholes from the larvae begin to appear, they will be afforded the same treatment. 

Insect pests attacking humans and animals are also reaching intolerable levels. Poor Fudgie’s ears have been getting chewed by stable flies. While Ruby doesn’t sit still long enough for the flies to catch her, the mosquitoes still find her nose. Luckily we’ve had some breezy days which help to keep the bugs from getting totally out of control. Slathered with repellent and mowing the lawn Sunday night however it was still. I could see against the low sun the sheer number of flying and likely biting insects. It was as if one could see the air moving. Stable flies, deer flies, gnats and mosquitoes have all taken their toll and show no signs of abating soon. There is some positive insect news however: The fireflies appeared in force at the ranch for the first time on July 7th following the evening showers. It’s officially July.

Our yard continues to be host to numerous fledgling birds. The young orioles have found their way to the feeders. Their bumbling antics and mournful calls make one smile. They are consuming a lot of jelly too that makes the grocer smile. Young barn swallows are all over the dooryard right now. Look up and there’s one perched somewhere staring you in the face. I’m counting on them to grow up big and strong with as many bugs as they have to eat. When my brother visited last week, we also checked on the wetland to see what might’ve become of the wood ducks. One of the houses was abandoned yet full of eggs. How many? Try 17. Maybe the hen took one look at that clutch and flew the coop. The other house apparently was more productive. There were still four nonviable eggs in it but it appeared that at least eight or so had made it out. Hopefully the ducklings were swimming around in the pond. There are so many places for them to hide that they would’ve been nearly impossible to find. And that’s a good thing.

Attended a gathering over the 4th and happened to run into a reader who reminisced about some of his Studebaker experiences. Being a mechanic, he recalled that Studebakers were delivered to the dealerships with boxes of accessories. Items such as radios, antennas, hood ornaments and side view mirrors were all common add-ons not installed at the factory. The Studebaker dealership in Albert Lea contracted with the shop where he worked to install the equipment. After only reading about this phenomenon in books, I now have living proof. Thanks Bob!

See you next week…real good then.