If you ask my mother she will tell you, "I don't own any cats.” 

If you ask me, I can tell you, "Maybe not, but they sure own her.” 

At any rate I have found out you can learn a lot from a cat – especially the orange kitties that frequent my mother’s front door. The biggest surprise is the amount of water they drink, and though they are always looking for something more or different than dry cat food they are also very particular about what they will eat. 

Putting out leftovers, mom’s cats, as I call them, don't mess around with "sweet things,” artificial anything, or greasy things like gravy on potatoes. We could take it as a lesson we should all adhere to. They would drink a certain amount or kind of milk, but my mother doesn't give them milk often because she read someplace it isn't good for cats. 

Recently she tried some out-dated sardines, but those cats turned up their cute little noses and left them for the dog that frequents my mothers front door. The "Garbage Dog" takes care of anything the cats leave behind. The cats are friendly and cordial but also a little leery of anyone getting too close to them. Those really cold days we have had recently were a conflict for my mother. Though I can remember we had our share of canaries, parakeets, aquarium fish and even puppy dogs. My mother says she has too many memories of newborns, orphaned, or unwanted baby pigs and lambs and other livestock that wouldn't have survived if there hadn't been room for them in a box by the old cookstove back when she was a kid. 

Saving them wasn't just a humane effort – it was often necessary when farmers had to depend on income from animals. That was before electricity and heat lamps that gave them the necessary warmth, but the memory lingers on.

During one of our earlier cold spells this winter, my mother froze the end of her fingers on her right hand. She was out on the front porch making a shelter for the benefit of the cats she “doesn't own.” She will tell you she wasn't out there that long, but the cruel temperature that day did a number on her fingers that required medical attention. Frost blisters which have fluid inside could cause infection. It took a while for the blisters on my mother’s fingers to quit weeping. Eventually they did dry out and new skin and nails took their place. After being cautioned by the doctor about only going outside from the house to the car, and with warm gloves on – my mother is taking the orders to heart. Though it is just something in the past now, I still see her working her fingers after being outside because they tingle. 

Like most kids I could write a whole lot about my mother but she would say that nobody would believe it – I’m not so sure about that.

My mother’s grandson, Kade, just asked her, "Did you learn your lesson? That is what you would ask ME!" She sheepishly laughed and said, "I remember those early days when some (not so smart) adults had an enjoyable snowmobile potluck picnic in the gravel pit, west of Geneva, when the wind chill was 35 degree below zero and we thought that we had a really good time."

I guess they were younger and more hardy back then. The cold weather and snow, and the snowmobiles, seemed to bring out a lot of memories and laughter whenever they get together and share talk about those evening and weekend rides. 

Where does time go so fast? That was before they opened I-35 and the highway still ran through the heart of Geneva. I was in high school and the high school band was asked to be a part of the official ribbon cutting ceremony, back in the late 60s. Would little Geneva have prospered and grown if the highway had continued to go through the heart of Geneva or would it have spoiled the quiet tranquility and friendly atmosphere that makes Geneva what it is? 

Going way back, my grandmother would have been able to tell you about when Geneva was a multi-task, self sufficient town. A stagecoach would stop in Geneva during their run between Albert Lea and Red Wing and beyond - but then that is another whole story.

It would be about legal immigrants who came here years ago because of the economics they were experiencing in their foreign country. Life history is not always told in history books. Our newspaper talks about the stories of local happenings and people - past and present. Isn't that what it is really all about? 

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, March 13: Joanna Ver Hey, David Mangskau, Lynda Kruckeberg, Darla Waltz, Jessica Liverseed, Craig Lunning, Tony Tonsing

• Friday, March 14: National Potato Chip Day! Laura Katherine Worrell, Connor Duane Klemmsensen, his 6th; Sierra Christine Krause, her 4th; Brian Cerney, Brent Huber, Marcia Hutchins, Lee LoverinkMary Finch, Kathy Molenaar, Trevor Titus

• Saturday, March 15: Angie Haberman Lyman, Marvel Beiser, Andy Ditlevson, Robin Jepson, Judy Lunning, Tim Phagan, Steve Clausen, Tony Motl, Julie Peterson, Don & Cindy Gould

• Sunday, March 16: Ava Pospesel, Blair Pospesel, Al Batt, Cortnee Langlie, Judy Waage, Tyler Lewis Hagenbrock, Jackson Taylor William Churchill, Harold & Pat Wayne, Hugh & Karen O'Byrne

• Monday, March 17: St. Patricks' Day, Ashley Marie Hagen, Shannon Weckwerth Pacholl, Mike Cady, Dakota Ray Janning, Nicole Hanna, Patrick Wobschall, Harvey Zicafoose, Mandy Galbraith, Joel Hill, Jenifer Jensen Pietari, Carol Scott, Kevin & Marsha Jensen

• Tuesday, March 18: Ashley Marie Hagen, Lynn Sommer Eaton, Chad Cornelius, Randy Brandt, Michelle Bartness, Dan Enzenauer, Matthew Larson, Wanda Stanley, Kent Toft, Matt & Jennifer Van Hal, Dean & Sue Westrum

• Wednesday, March 19: Samuel Bartness, his 1st; LaVern Klocek, Jill Rye, Jill Neitzell, Tyler Crabtree, Bethany Butler, Tori Lynn Sage, Wyatt Marcus Westergrin

Surprise somebody. Call someone. Send a card and make their day. Little things mean a lot. 

Let’s talk about the weather; a subject that I’ve probably written about too many times already. The local weather forecast for last Tuesday evening was originally 1-3 inches of the white stuff then it changed to 2-4 and ended up being anywhere from 10-12 depending what area of the county you reside in. I’m beginning to think that the forecast changes when the original max has been reached and it’s still snowing at which time a revision is necessary. I guess that blaming the poor weatherman really wouldn’t change anything but the only thing that I do know for certain is that I am running out of places to put all that white stuff. If we were located back east 10 inches of snow would be national news although we did make the CBS evening news on Wednesday they didn’t put a name tag on it but in our fair state of Minnesota that much snow is just considered business as usual.

After watching some area fishermen scramble to get their fish houses extracted from area lakes in an attempt to meet the deadline I am glad that I don’t have a “permanent” house for ice fishing. I have often wondered why the word “permanent” is used when describing a structure that sits on a lake for only a few months and has to be removed after a certain date. Just saying.

After the houses have been removed and last rites have been offered up for most of the fish in our area lakes we are truly in that “dead zone’ between hard water fishing and open water fishing. I’d guess that this is the time of year when I really get excited about restocking the tackle box and this year is promising to be even better for me because I have decided that it is time to invest in a new light-action rod & reel. I do have to admit that the thought of buying new fishing gear has always made it seem like there is a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to winters end. I guess that it is kind of like anticipating a summer vacation while shoveling the driveway. It keeps me motivated and even a March snowfall cannot dampen my spirits because I know that spring is indeed just around the corner – isn’t it?

I can remember when we first moved to our current residence and our next door neighbor, at the time, was taking a March trip to “The River” in search of the wily walleye. I looked at him and thought to myself; there’s still snow on the ground are you nuts? After a couple of years I figured it out; it was just his way of trying to hasten the onset of spring if only in his mind. There were times when I have fished in weather that was cold, windy, rainy or even snowy. There are still times when you will find me on the lake in these conditions but that is usually on the opener or late in the fall when I take my annual October trip north.

For some reason I can usually justify, in my mind, being there at those times because it’s the opener or I am enjoying a late fall fishing excursion with a son, a grandson or both. I enjoy the governor’s openers because I can connect with old friends and make new ones and the short time spent fishing in a certain area of the state can be very rewarding. Each area of the state that hosts that opener has its own unique story in itself and I am there to enjoy the area and share that experience with my readers.

My son Brian and I have, for many years, done an October hunting and fishing trip to our cabin in the Marcell area. I don’t really believe that there is a better time of the year to spend a few days in that beautiful area of the state than the fall. We are fortunate in that we have a little cabin in the woods to go to. This was always a dream of mine and it wouldn’t have happened if Brian hadn’t asked me if I wanted to go in with him and look for some land in that area. After searching all summer we found the spot we wanted (and could afford) on a small lake. It has taken us quite a few years to get to the point we are at now because we had to clear the heavily wooded land for the driveway and then clear a spot for the cabin which we built ourselves over the course of time. It is still a work in progress but it was well worth it because when I reflect back on it this is something that Brian, my son Brad and my grandsons built with our own hands. Over the years when our grandsons were not helping work on the cabin they were spending many fun-filled days fishing, swimming and hunting on our little lake or on one of the many lakes in the area. When I close my eyes I can still hear their laughter coming from the lake or see them sitting around the evening campfire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. This is truly what makes it much more than just a little cabin in the woods.

Until next time, chin up! Spring is just around the corner – even if it doesn’t seem like it.

Please remember to keep our 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

“It took me two hours to gather one egg in the henhouse.”

“Why so long?”

“The hen fruit kept moving. It was suffering from restless egg syndrome.”

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: when you put things back where they belong, you can never find them.

The news from Hartland

• Local man, age 86, finishes marathon. He began the marathon when he was 55.

• Fifty Shades of Gary treated at emergency room after he turned down the thermostat in front of his wife.

• The Taxidermy Cafe promises to stuff its customers.

The "check your will" light came on

The check engine light came on in the car. It does so frequently. When it happens, I take it into the shop and they perform some sort of magic and the light goes off. I considered putting duct tape over the light, but have resisted doing that so far. Each time it comes on I have an interrobang about it. An interrobang, a punctuation mark that combines a question mark and an exclamation point, is used at the end of a simultaneous question and exclamation.

The car has been a loyal and faithful servant, unlike some of my past vehicles, such as the rattletrap that I knew was out of oil when it stopped leaking oil.

The check engine light reminded me that my wife and I should update our wills. We need to make sure that our debt goes to the right place when we’re no longer around to shepherd it.

When we arrived at the attorney’s office and we’d covered the prerequisite small talk, the lawyer said, "Now, which one of you wants to go first?"

My neighbor

The east-west roads are the worst winter roads. Those who live on north-south roads might not agree. They are wrong.

She lives on an east-west road. This winter has been the longest she could remember. She hunkered down and amused herself by scraping the window on her microwave and by watching her cat chase mice. It's an event in the cat Olympics. Unfortunately, her feline is of the catch-and-release set. My neighbor doesn't spend much time outdoors. She isn't a smoker. She participates in some outdoor activities. Particularly the one in which she needs to climb over snowbanks in order to cross the street. She has turned up the thermostat in the hopes it would make spring feel welcome. Her brother and his family decided to take an extended vacation in Arizona. She stayed home. Her brother's family returned home and paid her a visit. One of them gave her a cold brought back from Arizona. With both family and winter, it helps to have a forgiving spirit.

Cafe chronicles

It was a great conversation at the We’re Still Here Cafe. Everyone had his or her own topic.

A woman, mother of many children, told everyone who she thought should know that she'd spent about half her life in labor. She runs a cat rescue. She is so dedicated to helping cats, that when she dies, she wants to be cremated and her remains put into the cat litter.

Customer comments

Sheryl Young of Sandusky, Ohio wrote, "I am sure you have experienced snow atop your car thawing and refreezeing until it is rock hard, then when you suddenly slow to stop or turn, it breaks loose and comes crashing down across your windshield scaring the whatever out of you. I call that an autolanche."

Did you know?

According to a study from "Apartment Guide," an entry-level one-bedroom apartment in Williston, N.D. has, on average, the highest rent in the nation. A 700 square-foot, one bedroom apartment in Williston costs an average of $2,394 a month. Dickinson ranks fourth at an average of $1,733 a month. Boston is sixth, New York is seventh, Los Angeles is eighth, and Chicago didn’t crack the top 10.

Nature notes

Wayne and Shirley Gunderson of Albert Lea asked where great horned owls nest and how many young they have. The great horned owl uses a variety of nest sites, including trees, cliffs, buildings, and occasionally the ground. It doesn’t make its own nest, typically taking over nests in trees made by other species such as hawk, crow, heron, or squirrel. It will nest in tree hollows or broken snags. It typically lays one to four eggs.

Meeting adjourned

If you must choose between being right or being kind, choose being kind and you will always be right.

One of the vocab words this week for my students was meticulous, which means to pay close attention to details. Many of them used it in a sentence similar to, “Mr. D is meticulous when looking at our papers, looking for every mistake.” That’s very true, and it always reinforces to me how important the little things are in getting a big job done.

Certainly, my regular readers have seen examples of what happens when that fine attention is not paid to student writing. (I had some more this week when I read movie critiques about Star Wars from my students. I guess they flew around a lot in otter space. Plus, Han Solo was friends with the Wookie Chewable. Ugh, that’d get a lot of hair in your teeth.)

There are so many things in life that have many parts that work together. I was thinking about that during my most recent shoveling excursion to find the end of my driveway. Naturally, I was trying to think of all the parts that have to work together for the weather terrorists to get the forecast wrong again. It seems either they predict doom and gloom and it misses us or, as happened last week, they predict a piddling and we get a dumping.

As I plodded my way through the piles, I was thinking about the small things that make my life easier. My neighbors Jerry and Gene share a snowblower that I’m admittedly hesitant to use, even though it’s been offered. These gentlemen will help me out sometimes by blowing out the end of my driveway after the plow has been by and have helped widen my driveway from the impending doom of the snow cliffs surrounding it. That helps tremendously, even if it’s a small gesture on their part.

Then I was thinking about sports events (I know, shocker). Mr. Stork counts on a lot of small things and a variety of people to help the events run smoothly. Sometimes the casual fan isn’t aware of all these pieces of the puzzle. My seat neighbor at varsity events all these years has been Larry Crabtree at the clock. Larry and I get along well; we’d better for all the time we spend together at games! Larry doesn’t really want to be noticed at the clock, and the 99% of the time that he is error-free, he isn’t. But forget to put a point in the right column and the shouts ensue. It’s not an easy job, but it’s an important one to keep the games running well.

Some people do multiple things to help events at all levels. Since Tim Siewert arrived as band director, he’s done so much more. I have the pleasure of working with him as a football official and a baseball umpire. At a time when Mr. Stork finds it difficult to find people willing to don the stripes and/or the blue, Tim is willing to help at all levels. He’s also stepped in to help with the clock when Larry couldn’t be there and takes care of much of the behind-the-scenes sound systems in our acoustically-challenged gym.

Speaking of little things, I think that might be part of Nate Jensen’s job description at NRHEG. Nate has been a jack-of-all-trades these past few years and probably has his hand in more things than I know about at school. He works with the sound, coaches, deals with subs, and fills in about every position in the district outside of administration.

And then there’s Matt Groskreutz, who…um, well, I’m sure he does something around here other than sit in his chair and eat sandwiches. Oh yeah, he makes sure all the buses and vans that transport your kids are in good working order. He also brings a smile to the faces of the kids on his bus and anyone he comes across when he stops by school. Plus, he enjoys polka music, so he must be good folk!

These are just a few of the people who help the world go around and don’t often get noticed or appreciated for the effort they put in to make things work smoothly for others. Thank you!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is vituperate, which means to use harsh language, as in, “I tried to keep Larry from vituperating when the visiting fans yelled at him about the incorrect score.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs gave the Weather Eye last Tuesday off and wouldn’t you know we were blessed with more snow. Will the scurs make that mistake again? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a chance for scattered flurries. Highs in the upper 20’s and lows near 15. Mostly sunny for Thursday with highs in the lower 40’s and lows in the lower 30’s. Mostly sunny on Friday with highs near 40 and lows in the lower 20’s. Saturday, mostly sunny becoming cloudy and cooler with a slight chance for evening snow. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper teens. Continued cooler for Sunday with a slight chance for snow under partly cloudy skies. Highs in the low 30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Partly cloudy Monday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Mostly cloudy for Tuesday and slightly cooler with a chance of snow. Highs in the low 30’s and lows near 15. The normal high for March 17th is 40 and the normal low is 23. The scurs will wash their best pair of green long underwear in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.

March 16th marks the date of the Full Moon for the month which goes by many names. It is called the Full Crust Moon, the Full Crow Moon, the Full Sap Moon and the Full Lenten Moon as the pioneers viewed this moon as the last Full Moon of winter. Primarily this is known however as the Full Worm Moon as robins and other birds are able to begin gathering earthworms. That may be a few days however in this area. The Ojibwe knew this as the Snow Crust Moon and the Sioux as the Moon when Buffalo Drop their Calves. At the ranch it is not so affectionately known as the Moon of the Muddy Border Collie for obvious reasons.

As if on cue last week, on Tuesday when we mentioned we were tracking about 8” behind normal for seasonal snowfall, we received 8.1” at the ranch. It caught everyone off guard including the weatherman, who had earlier predicted 1” – 3”. Then of course it had to blow around some for a few days afterwards making driving treacherous. Luckily we’ve had a reprieve as the recent thaw suddenly made that snowfall seem like a distant memory. It certainly was something most of us wanted to forget. If you drive on the side streets in town or on a gravel road though you get a quick reality check.

Black soil is starting to appear in some fields and it won’t take long for some to open up. Coupled with Tuesday morning rainfall, the snow depth has decreased 6” – 8”. However it will likely take a while for the frost to go out yet if we don’t get much warmer than we have. As of the weekend there were reports of more frozen pipes and some heating systems unable to keep up. There also is the issue of the huge drifts in fencelines and groves that unless temperatures do some rapid changing, our best hope is for a normal start to spring. Given some rains following the frost going out however could temporarily push the date back. It’s understandable after the winter from hell that people want it to be spring. That and a spring that almost wasn’t last time around. Sometimes it seems like we’re already behind in spite of the recent sunny days.

There are plenty of signs that spring is coming even though it seems to be taking its sweet time. Large groups of robins have been common at the ranch and there have also been lots of cedar waxwings sharing the crabapple trees with them. House sparrows are starting to stuff nests into places they are unwanted. Raccoons, opossums and skunks are on the move again, taking heavy casualties in areas where they don’t belong. Inside the house, ladybugs and boxelder bugs are adding to the festivities. Nice guy that I am, I try to let them back outside where they came from.

I thinned some of the underbrush from my face the other day. The calendar seemed to be going in the right direction. Trouble is, previous trim jobs this winter have only caused the weather to turn colder for long spells making me long for more facial fur. The last time it was forecast to turn cold I just let it go. Was amazing how much stuff landed in the sink recently. It was time. Another month or so and someone might’ve mistaken me for Billy Gibbons! On the other hand if it gets colder again you’ll know who to blame.  

And in the barns we are marching towards the end of lambing season. The rams must’ve been having some kind of a contest a few days last September. As mentioned, Ruby and Fudgie manage to get caked with mud whenever possible. Transferring lambs from the lambing barn to the loafing barn is always cause for much running and circling on a muddy track. We made Ruby’s day recently as we’re using the hose to fill water buckets now the potential for freezing the well up has abated. She can be fascinated for hours staring at the water filling all those small pails. It does offer some variety from the tire biting ritual when snow removal equipment is used. Amazing how the seemingly insignificant can entertain a red and white Border Collie.

See you next week…real good then.

Richard “Dick” Wobschall, age 78, of Albert Lea and formerly of Waseca, died peacefully on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at the Albert Lea Good Samaritan Center following an extended illness. 

Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, March 21, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Waseca, with Father Gregory Leif, officiating. Interment with military honors will be held at Calvary Cemetery in Waseca. 

Memorial visitation will be held at the church on Friday from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Funeral services for Lester E. Schlaak will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church, New Richland. The Reverend Scott Williams will officiate. Visitation will be held Tuesday, from 5-8 p.m. at Fredrich Funeral Home, in New Richland, and again one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at St. Peter Cemetery at a later date.

Lester Ernest Schlaak of New Richland passed away on Sunday, March 9, 2014 at the New Richland Care Center. He was 87 years old.

Marjorie M. Trandem, 88, of New Richland, Minnesota, formerly of Owatonna died Thursday, March 6, 2014, at Country Neighbors in New Richland.

Marjorie Mae (Crabtree) Trandem was born June 27, 1925, in Summit Township, Steele County, Minnesota, to Charles Wesley and Pearl (Hubbell) Crabtree. She attended School District 82 and graduated from Ellendale High School. She also attended Jr College in Webster City, Iowa to earn her teaching certificate.

Funeral services for Beverly Phillips will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 10, 2014. The Reverend Raul Silva will officiate. Visitation will be held from 4-6 on Sunday at the Bonnerup Funeral Chapel, Albert Lea location, and again one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at a later date.

Beverly passed away surrounded by family at St. John’s Lutheran Home on Thursday, March 6, 2014. She was 87 years old.

Beverly was born on December 16, 1926 to Ben and Florence (Meader) Fredrickson in Albert Lea.  Beverly attended and graduated from Albert Lea High School. After her schooling, she worked various jobs until meeting and marrying her eventual husband.