They call it "the common cold" but if you have one you are apt to feel it is anything but! You're miserable as you cough and sneeze and blow your nose, and you know you’re in for some tough days ahead!

There’s a humorous old saying that says, “If you ignore a cold, it lasts a week, but if you treat it aggressively, you get rid of it in just seven days.”

There is a great deal you can do to prevent and/or treat the common cold. Those who favor pharmaceuticals reach for drugstore cold formulas believing that these products provide fast relief. They are mistaken! The drug-takers are sadly misinformed. People spend more than $1 billion a year on products that claim to prevent or treat colds, but all they do is suppress the cold symptoms, cost you money, cause annoying side effects and possibly even increase your risk of cancer.

Is it a cold or is it the flu? That is the question. 

Our doctors tell us that the common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract that attacks the nose and nasal passages and can spread to the chest. The first symptoms are a scratchy throat, sneezing, headache, aching muscles and congestion. If you have a hacking cough, you might have a more serious viral infection.

Because a common cold itself is a viral infection, taking antibiotics won't help. 

Vitamin C will help, and that is a good first step in fighting off a cold. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects body cells from destruction by free radicals. Good food sources of Vitamin C include sweet red pepper, broccoli, orange juice, tomatoes and berries. The RDA for Vitamin C is 60 milligrams. Many people feel that they need to take 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams daily.

Zinc is also an important regulator of immunity and has clinically been found to be an excellent mineral to take in the event of viral illness such as the common cold. Many homeopathic medicines that are now being offered include echinacea, cinnamon, ginger and licorice – which all help improve the immune system. Pineapple is also a good source because it cleanses the body, aids digestion, increases circulation and regulates the glands.

People most likely suffer colds during the fall and winter, not because of the cold weather, but because people spend more time indoors in close quarters. Many cold viruses seem to thrive in low humidity, making nasal passages drier, which then makes them more susceptible to infection. 

Contrary to popular belief, the common cold is not caused by wet feet, wet hair or cold weather. Rather the viruses infect you more when your resistance is low, when you are dealing with emotional or physical stress, or as a result of poor diet, overwork or lack of sleep. 

Colds spread easily through droplets put into the air through coughing and sneezing, and then being inhaled by another person. They also spread quickly by hand-to-hand, or hand-to-infected-surface contact, especially when we are inclined to put an infected hand to the face area, like the nose, eye and mouth.

Wash your hands often. Water alone will wash the virus down the drain. It is important to teach children to wash often and to have hand sanitizer or disposable towelettes easily available to use when they can't wash with soap and water.

While it is important to cough and sneeze into a facial tissue, it is just as important to dispose of the tissue and then wash or sanitize the hands as soon as possible. Cold viruses survive about three hours on the surface. 

Do you sanitize your shopping cart at the grocery store? Good for you, but better still it is also important to sanitize your hands when you are leaving the store. Think of all the places you touch when you are shopping. The obvious ones are on inside handrails, which are a necessity, but a big potential for germs. But have you thought of all the little places and happenings for contamination?

How many hands have touched the products you are considering buying? The checkout counter is a notorious place to pick up germs and take them along home with you and your groceries. And of course everyone needs to consider the restrooms as a potential home for germs. How many of us wash our hands before we use the restroom? How many door handles did you touch coming in?

And women, let’s not forget your handbag. Our handbags get set in the shopping cart, on the floor when we are trying on clothes, or on the counters etc. Think about all the doorknobs, chairs, or tables we touch – germs settle EVERYWHERE!

In spite of all the precautions you have taken, you can still get a cold. There are many over-the-counter medications that may relieve you of some discomfort. There are also a great number of family cures and remedies that may or may not help physically or mentally. And there is always chicken soup, which, believe it or not, really does work.

A professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Nebraska found that chicken soup reduced the action of neutrophila - or in plain English, the white blood cells that attached to areas of inflammation and may cause irritated airways and mucus production. The chicken itself also contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which is similar to a drug called acetylcysteine, which is often used to treat bronchitis and other respiratory infections. In fact, acetylcysteine was originally derived from chicken feathers and skin. Actually, it has been proven that soup of any kind, with or without chicken, works wonders.

Although aspirin and acetaminophen reduce fever, in carefully controlled studies both acetaminophen and aspirin actually have been shown to increase nasal congestion and other cold symptoms, as well as suppress the immune system. This suppression of immune function may lead to a more serious infection, and definitely increases the duration of the common cold.

The best way to protect yourself first and foremost is, take care of yourself! We have all heard that a healthy lifestyle may reduce your risk of getting a cold. It is important to exercise, get lots of sleep, eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of liquids and get lots of sleep. A person with a large sleep debt is much more vulnerable because the body cannot fully recover from day to day stresses and the immune system cannot fully defend against disease causing microorganisms.

Keep your distance. Some of the current viruses are so contagious you can get infected just by being close to people who sneeze. 

Don't infect others. If you get cold symptoms, you are most contagious during the first three days. Don't share food, drinks or dishes.

And most importantly, don't try to tough it out. Stay home, cover up and get plenty of rest. It is important to not try to resume your normal activities too soon. If you do, it could lead to reactivation of the virus, and you could suffer a relapse.

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. 

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

This week’s birthdays and anniversaries include:

• Thursday, Oct. 17: Brynn Routh, Lucas Bailey, Pat Wayne, Dale Strenge, David Killian, Sherrie Dahl, Dustin Wayne, Pam & Rick Cook, Sidney & David Kasper, Andy & Mary Ditlevson.

• Friday, Oct. 18: Gordon Jensen, Carrie Nolan Allen, Deloris Nelson, Andreas Quinn Vu, Stan & Cindy Nelson, Randy & Cindy Horan, Tait & Jennifer Ingvaldson, Carol & Larry Cox.

• Saturday, Oct. 19: Robert William Pulley, Jody Johnson, Katie Ann Carlson, Jan Klocek Louks, Roger Larson, Jeanene Reese, Kristi Nelson, Everett Thompson, Barbara Olson, Esther Rodi, Jim & Laureen Hohansee.

• Sunday, Oct. 20: Kimberly Wangsness, Matthew Beckman, Shannon Smith, Diana Beckmann, Jenny Herbst, Erick Widlund, Gladys Winter, Casey Kunkel, Nicole Larson, Doris Scripture Steele, Rick Kelly, Adam Lang, Scott & Joni Groth, Laurie & DeWayne Jensen, Jim & Nancy Bottelson, Brad & Nicole Edwards.

• Monday, Oct. 21: Todd Utpadel, Brian Riley, Deb Mucha, Peter Benson, Natalie Kuehni, Steven F. Christenson, Diane & Dan Gallentine, John & Trisha Cyr.

• Tuesday, Oct. 22: Scott Sorenson, Jennifer Pence, Lyle Swearingen, Brian Johnson, Kelsey Wayne, Dave De Vriendt, Mabel Dobberstein, David Polzin, Colleen Thompson, Sage Tristan Lang, Clifford Coy, Diane Gallentine Pfieffer, Kailey Ann Christensen.

• Wednesday, Oct. 23: Jacklynn Kress, Marian Dahl, Gene Grubbish, Kimberly Kilian, Grant Ver Hey, Stewart Hatch, Rick & Lana Thompson, Dan & Tina Schmidt, Gary & Deb Nelson.

• Thursday, Oct. 24: Noelle Mae Brekke, her 4th; Jacob Keith Rigby, his 5th; Jeff Dobbertstein, Bobby Dobberstein, Joseph Bailey, Dan Willert, Eunice Hanson, Bob Wayne, Ashley Ashton, Gil & Kay Nelson.

• Friday, Oct. 25: Mavis Bartsch, Jady Beenken, Dean Van Hal, Charlotte Haberman, Heidi Crabtree Owen, Mikaela Krikava, Spencer & Barb Kubat, Dean & Sandy Jensen, Breanna & Timothy Breidenbach, Heidi & Jason Owen.

May you find joy and pleasure all around you on your special day!

The northern one third of the state is at or past peak for fall colors and the rest of the state is anywhere from 25 to 75%, depending on your area. If you enjoy the outdoors, whether just watching nature or participating in an outdoors activity, now is a perfect time to be outdoors.

I have heard the perch are active on area lakes with some northern and walleye also being caught. With the nice weather we’ve been fortunate enough to have this fall, it doesn’t seem possible we’re almost half way through October.

Before we bought our place in Northern Minnesota, I enjoyed camping at Best Point Resort on Lake Tetonka in Waterville. Spending time at the lake was great, especially in the fall when camping for most folks started to taper off. When I’d fish that lake in the fall there were times when you’d hardly see another boat. One such day in early October, I took I had a hunch that trolling the outside edges of a large weedy flat could produce fish. I decided to try a rig that I’d used many times in the past but had sort of forgotten about when I moved on to “new and improved” methods. This particular technique simply involved a Beetle Spin lure tipped with a fathead minnow. Over the years I have always found it a “go-to” bait, but, like many other things, when something different works the old tried and true is sometimes forgotten.

Getting back to the story at hand; I trolled the weed edges in hopes of enticing a walleye or two to take the bait but instead of walleye I found the northern still had a fondness for that bait. I caught a nice limit of pike and had decided they would make a nice late fall meal of fish for the family. One of the things I’d always enjoyed about that lake was that you always seemed to be able to catch fish from Labor Day on. Tetonka holds a nice variety of fish and if you’re not locked in on one particular species, then you will catch fish.

Another good late fall lake, if you like catching bass, is Frances, which is just a few miles to the west of Waterville in the town of Elysian. I once knew a fisherman that would catch frogs right after the first hard frost and head to Lake Frances in search of big bass that are lurking in those waters. His trick was to cast the frog to the top of a lily pad and then flip it off the pad like it was jumping. He said that it was a technique that the bass found hard to resist and he had a 5-1/2 lb. largemouth on the wall to back it up.

Yes, there are many good lakes in this area of the state that can be very good fall fishing lakes. I have found I actually get a lot of enjoyment out of just spending a nice fall day driving around and checking out a few of them. What a great way to spend a day and take in the beauty of the fall colors in our area of Southern Minnesota. Another great fall drive is to head east to the Mississippi River and take a drive along that mighty river. The fall colors should be at their best for the next couple of weeks, so it’s a great time to enjoy what a river drive has to offer.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to fish many of the lakes in the Waterville/Elysian area. I have to admit I have only fished Elysian Lake a couple of times in my adult life, but I did fish it a few times as a kid. I can still remember the first time my Uncle Ben took me to that lake. We had to go through a gate on this farm place and had to pay a fee by dropping the money into a coin box made of pipe. Back in those days it seems like the “honor system” actually meant something. On that day we caught quite a few fish, but none were considered big enough to keep by Uncle Ben. The size didn’t really matter much to me because I was excited to be catching “real” fish and not bullheads or rubber tails like I was used to catching on Fountain Lake in those days. Ahh, the memories of a simpler time when fishing usually involved nothing more than a hook, sinker and a bobber.

Blaze orange safety requirement reduces hunting accidents

With Minnesota’s small game hunting season underway and the firearm deer season set to begin Nov. 9, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says making a blaze orange fashion statement this fall might not get you on the best-dressed list, but it just might save your life.

“Wearing blaze orange clothing is a safety requirement to hunt or trap during Minnesota’s small game season or deer season,” said Capt. Mike Hammer, DNR enforcement education program coordinator. “It’s important to be seen by others.”

Small Game Seasons: At least one visible article of clothing above the waist must be blaze orange when taking small game, except when hunting wild turkeys, migratory birds, raccoons, predators, when hunting by falconry, trapping or while hunting deer by archery while stationary.

Deer Season: The visible portion of a cap and outer clothing above the waist, excluding sleeves and gloves, must be blaze orange when hunting or trapping during any open season where deer may be taken by firearms (including special hunts, early antlerless, youth seasons and muzzleloader). Blaze orange includes a camouflage pattern of at least 50 percent blaze orange within each square foot. This restriction does not apply to migratory bird hunters on waters or in stationary shooting locations or to trappers on waters.

— — —

Until next time, this is a great time for hunting and fishing and to take a drive and take in the beauty of the fall colors in our great Minnesota outdoors.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes From the Loafers' Club Meeting

"Where do boxelder bugs go in the winter?"

"Search me."

"Never mind. I don’t want to know that badly."

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: there is so much roadwork that it’d be cheaper to erect signs reading "No road work ahead" on the roads not under construction.

I’ve learned

• Dirty dishes are patient.

• To use a barber who has the same amount of hair as I do.

• The good old days were when we didn't talk about the good old days.

Ask Al

• "Why shouldn't I put my baby's dirty diapers in the laundry bin?" You don't want to hamper his movements. 

• "What is the best way to ripen tomatoes?" Keep them in your armpits. This also keeps them from being stolen.

• "What is the best way to knot a necktie?" It doesn’t matter if you Windsor knot, it’s how you play the game.

• "What do you know about rugby?" I know it’s an insect found in carpets.

Ambushed by jacks

 Jacks is played by throwing small, six-pointed metal pieces that are picked up between bounces of a small ball. You toss the ball into the air, pick up one jack, and catch the ball after one bounce. When you have collected all the jacks one at a time, throw them again, and pick them up two at a time (twosies). When you get to threesies, you pick up three sets of three first, then the remaining jack. Continue until tensies. Your turn continues until you miss the ball, fail to pick up jacks, move a jack, or drop a jack. Feral jacks hid about our home, waiting to surprise unsuspecting bare feet. I stepped on them. It still hurts.

How we spend our time

I watched a dog watch a car drive by. I thought to myself that it didn’t take much to amuse a dog. Then I realized that I was watching a dog watch a car drive by.

My father enjoyed fishing. He had a tackle box full of hooks, sinkers, bobbers, and a couple of lures. Many had been jury-rigged. Injured ones were wrapped in thin wire. A dairy farmer, Dad didn't have much time to fish, but he looked in that tackle box and remembered.

Lake Superior wasn’t for sale

When my father was looking to buy land, an overzealous realtor showed him a slough thinly disguised as a dairy farm. The smiling salesman said, "All this land needs is some good people."

He should have added, "Who are good swimmers."

The Dust Bowl wasn’t a bowling alley

As I drove to a speaking gig in Nebraska on a windy day, I considered wind turbines. There should be a wind farm in Washington, D.C.

I listened to an actress portray a woman who lived during the Dust Bowl. She asked, "Why should we pay taxes in Nebraska? Our farm has blown to South Dakota."

She added that by 1934, the storms came so frequently that she’d learned to determine a storm’s point of origin by the color of the dust — black from Kansas, red from Oklahoma, gray from Colorado or New Mexico, and yellow from Montana or the Dakotas.

Customer comments

• Harlan Lutteke of Alden recalled people salting green apples before eating.

• Ric McArthur of Ontario wrote, "Don't worry about old age, it doesn't last long."

• Judy Abrego of Albert Lea said, "When you step over it, that's uffda. When you step in it, that’s feeda."

• Tom Benson of Hartland told me that he’d gone to a funeral with Otto Sorenson. They looked at the deceased and Tom said, "He looks good." Otto replied, "He should, he just got out of the hospital.

Did you know?

• What do the words assess, banana, dresser, grammar, potato, revive, and uneven have in common? If the first letter is placed at the end of the word and the word is spelled backwards, it remains unchanged.

The top 10 books people claim to have read, but haven’t, are in descending order, 1984 by George Orwell, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, A Passage to India by E.M. Forster, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

• Last year, Americans paid $1.7 billion to play fantasy sports.

Meeting adjourned

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness."--Seneca 

Oh, what a great week it was! On Thursday we picked up Dan and Laurie at the Rochester airport. Deb and Roland flew into Minneapolis, rented a car, and we all met at the Comfort Inn (by Trails Travel Center) where the four of them stayed the five nights they were in Albert Lea.

Thursday evening meal was at the completely-changed restaurant in Trails. (It is very nice.) This was the first time all six of us had been together since my retirement 15 years ago. Time goes by too fast!

Friday was the day of setting up and decorating for our 50th Wedding Anniversary, held the next day at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church.

If you’re looking for professional decorating and layout of a church at your wedding anniversary, Gale Nelson and Sue Mickelson are the pros. They are so good, they only do 50th Anniversaries!

Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013 was our 50th Anniversary party, from 2 to 5 p.m. We were married Saturday, Sept. 28, 1963 at 2:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake, Iowa.

The pastor who married us got a bit confused. The Best Man was Robert (Tollefson) and I was Robert (Hanson). He got the last names mixed up and the Best Man signed the Iowa marriage document as the Groom, and I signed as the Best Man. Thus the Best Man became a bigamist, as he was married to Dorothy. I was then the Best Man at my own wedding. Fortunately, the pastor noticed the error before we left the church, and with a little White Out and re-signing, the error was corrected.

The Open House 50th at Central was just great. There were about 200 people who attended or were involved. Thanks, thanks, and more thanks to all of you who attended and/or sent cards plus in-person well-wishes.

The family celebration continued at The Willows in New Richland on Saturday night. Those in attendance were from California, North Carolina, Vermont, Iowa and Minnesota. Unfortunately, three of the wedding party are deceased, and two were unable to attend because of health reasons.

Dani was our great waitress at The Willows. She promised to be just as good if we held our 100th at The Willows. Genie and I said, “Deal.”

Sunday was church day plus rest if one wanted to. Dan and Laurie took Gary Fischer up on his offer to be at the farm Sunday evening to see pheasants at dusk. Gary fulfilled the offer plus, as they saw not only pheasants but also deer.

What a great day for a Soup and Pie Supper on Monday, Sept. 30 at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church! It was a little windy with a warm temperature and no rain. 745 people were fed. (We have fed over 800.) The prediction was 700, so we ran out of some food items. Even so, everyone got enough food to overflow their tummy.

Mary Ann Atchison was the chair, with Linda Anderson, Kathy Legried and Diane Thompson co-chairs. They surrounded themselves with good workers and the results showed it!

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Dan and Laurie flew back to Vermont and Deb and Roland flew back to North Carolina. (Genie and I napped in the p.m.)

To complete the week, we had a pizza-watermelon evening meal at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church on Wednesday. The main theme was Fun and Fellowship to Fuse Generations. Thus it was called “Faith Fusion.” To be an active church, we most certainly need fusing of membership. (About 60 attended.)

———

Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.

It has been easy to see, even in the short weeks I have been your superintendent, that the people of this district take an active, persistent interest in our schools and what goes on inside them.  Permit me to share some of my personal observations regarding education in general. The truth is, I worry. The emphasis that has been placed on high-stakes standardized tests has led some institutions to begin “teaching to the test.” I see this as a gigantic disservice to our students, whose real goal is to prepare—not for tests, not even for college—but for their futures, whatever they may be like.  I know many of you share my frustrations about teaching to the test, and about what seems to be a state-level emphasis on treating our students as though they are only statistics. 

I loved being in a classroom every day. It is a privilege to know my students personally and to make a difference in their lives. The biggest thing that led me to leave my classroom and become an administrator was the idea that, as valuable as I was at the front of the room, I could have even more impact in front of a school board. I am where I am because I believe adamantly in helping create an environment where children feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

This philosophy of mine is running the school’s technology staff members a bit ragged, since I have been pushing them to get our buildings set up with access points which will allow each classroom to become as large as each teacher wants it to be.  I have asked both principals to communicate with all of the teachers and determine the general preferences between iPads and other portable devices so that we can move forward with acquiring and managing technology and the many benefits it can bring to our classrooms.

I hope this access to technology will open new levels of understanding for our students. Would it not be empowering to help them recognize how far human ingenuity and determination have already brought us, and to see it’s their job to take us into the future?  To help them acquire the tools and strive for the ability to solve problems?  I nod my head in anticipation as I think of our kids coming to the understanding that they are not simply victims of circumstances beyond their control, but that they can take steps to change their lives, and maybe the whole course of the future. 

Those are the types of kids I want to see graduating from NRHEG, thinkers and doers, and I feel a smile growing on my face as I even think about it.

I know my letter has been rather long, and I thank you for sticking with me this far. I wish to close with a few thoughts which are part and parcel of my teaching philosophy.  First, even though I am the superintendent, I still see myself as a teacher: It is my job to facilitate learning. I believe profoundly that all students deserve a chance, so no matter what scores they may earn on standardized tests, each of them will always be above average in my estimation. And finally, I am here to work with the dedicated, caring staff of NRHEG. It is not my intent to impose anything on our district, but rather to listen to all concerns, help further our staff’s efforts to benefit our students, and work with our elected leaders in keeping our school an excellent place to learn, grow and graduate from.

Thank you for your attention.

Dr. Goodwin - Superintendent

I had the opportunity to clean out my desk at school while Jayna was at volleyball practice recently. While doing so, I happened upon a plethora of post-it notes with some quotations. Over the years, when a student says or writes something hilarious, I make note of it. Now it’s time to share some of these kid-written items which have given me a chuckle while wading through papers. I’ll withhold names to protect the non-proofreaders, but know that some of these go back quite some time!

While writing about a character who was wounded, one student wrote, “He started to bleed eternally.” Wow, I don’t think a band-aid will fix that.

Another student was answering a question about an inability to read among some characters, but said this was “because no one on the island was literature.” Well, they are now!

One student was trying to put together questions for a school-wide game show we were going to hold and wrote, “How many testicles does a squid have?” I’m thinking the answer here is NOT eight.

In responding to a movie, a student postulated, “Some people might not like the fighting because it promotes violets.” If fighting brought us flowers, more people might try it!

Something that always gets me is when a student misspells a word that is actually part of the question. Case in point involved a question where I asked who the conflict of the story involved. The student’s response? “The conflict evolves a kid and his mom.” I guess growth in a character is good.

After losing a bet to my students about their standardized test scores, one star asked me in a note, “How did you feel after you died and cut your hair?” The death part wasn’t so great, but I did need a haircut.

One of the funniest class moments came while reading Tom Sawyer. I was explaining Jackson’s Island, the location where Tom and his friends run away. One student raised his hand and speculated it was hard to reach since it must be one of those floating islands. Huh?

After reading some non-fiction, one student was answering some questions about a nature selection and told me, “Rattlesnakes stay in golfer holes in winter.” I bet the gophers are glad they’ve moved!

In a persuasive paper about school lunch, a student who lived close to the school gave a strong opinion. “I think that kids should be able to go home if the lunch is grouse.” Funny thing is that we’ve never had grouse since then – the power of the pen!

Another student wrote about staying at a Bread and Breakfast, while one told the class that Euranium was the language spoken by people in Europe.

I had one student who battled sickness and ended up in Rochester often. She wrote, “When I got sick and was in Mayo, I met a lot of people who I licked that were very sick.” No wonder she kept going back!

Two common mistakes I’ve seen over the years are these two. At least every other year, I read about someone trying to use an escape goat. Even more often is reference to having a bomb fire. I’m glad I’m not invited to those parties!

One party I wouldn’t mind attending is the one where a student attended the national champion chip. I wonder if that’s before or after the Super Bowl.

Here are a couple that would make their mothers blush. A student wrote that the Loch Ness Monster is a breast that’s been hunted for a long time. Well, no wonder! Another student was writing about an event in her grandma’s life where she had to bring snacks for the members of the band. She wrote, “My grandma met her mother with the teats. Every band member grabbed two of them.” I guess they hadn’t found the Loch Ness Monster either.

I’ll end with some local geography. Class discussion led to how Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. One star said, “No, Hope has to be.” I told him that Hope is a city. “Yeah, but it’s in the country.”

If laughter is the best medicine, I should be healthy for some time!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is mumpsimus, which means a view stubbornly held despite evidence to the contrary, as in, “The student’s mumpsimus about his mistakes led to some humorous moments in class.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

No killing frost this past week, but an unexpected light frost Sunday morning caught the scurs off guard and had them scrambling for extra blankets. Will we warm up or are our days of 90 degrees officially over? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of a lingering shower in the morning. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the upper 30s. Mostly sunny becoming mostly cloudy for Thursday with a slight chance of an evening shower. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the upper 30s. Friday, partly sunny with a slight chance of shower. Highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 30s. Partly sunny on Saturday with a slight chance of a shower. Highs in the upper 40s and lows in the low 30s. Mostly cloudy for Sunday with a chance of an evening shower. Highs near 50 and lows in the mid 30s. Mostly cloudy for Monday and slightly warmer with a slight chance for a shower. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the mid 30s. Tuesday, partly cloudy with highs in the low 50s and lows in the mid 30s. On the 16th, sunrise will occur at 7:30 a.m. and will set before 6:30 p.m. There will be less than 11 hours of daylight for the first time since February 24th. The normal high for October 18th is 59 and the normal low is 36. At this rate, the scurs may need to locate their long johns soon.

This month’s Full Moon does indeed fall on the 18th and is generally recognized as the Full Hunter’s Moon. This was the time when the Native American tribes as well as the settlers were busy hunting to stock their larders with meat for the long, cold winter ahead. The Ojibwe called this the Falling Leaves Moon and the Sioux also referred to it as the Moon of the Falling Leaves. Luckily they were more concerned about surviving as opposed to raking and bagging leaves. At the ranch we know this as the Moon of Grinding Up Leaves. No raking or bagging here either.

Harvest progress was slow early in the week but picked up speed steadily as the breezes dried the ground and the crop so combines could travel at will across the fields. Yields still have a familiar pattern to them with continuous corn yields being depressed while the soybeans continue to amaze. This brings into play the potential for next year given the number of prevented plant acres that will likely be planted into corn. While it wasn’t what we would’ve chosen to do, it will likely pay big dividends just from the rotational benefit alone.

The days are definitely getting that fall feel to them as Sunday morning marked the official arrival of juncos at the ranch. They are cute little guys and gals that rarely use the bird feeders while cleaning up around and underneath them. The juncos were in the flower bed area, likely feasting on some the of the weed seeds to be found there. The goldfinches are becoming more numerous to the point that one of the thistle feeders needed to be filled. Blue jays are noisy but haven’t maintained a constant presence. Probably saving that for when the snow flies. 

In the vegetable garden the tomatoes have finally hit full stride just about as the season is coming to a close. They have been tough to figure out given the goofy season we’ve had. We’ve seen it and others have reported the same thing, that they need to be eaten fairly soon after picking. One can look at them ripening on the counter, thinking you safely have a day or two, check them again and they’re oozing goo all over. The sheep seem to be able to overlook that. They come on a dead run for the garden leftovers like the tomatoes as well as things like radish tops, cucumber peelings, out of code lettuce and ground fall apples with mushy spots on them. No one ever said they were smart.

Speaking of the sheep, Saturday afternoon found me peering out the window at a ewe that appeared to be off by herself in an area sheltered from the wind. Sometimes that means they may be thinking about giving birth and from the distance from the house she was I really couldn’t tell. Although there were none bred we knew of, I decided to be safe rather than sorry. I ventured forth only to discover as I got closer the ewe was just gobbling down leaves from the trees as fast as they were falling. Once she saw me she bolted and ran back with the rest of the flock. It gave me time to look at the pond which has a little water in it since the fall rains started. I made the circuit so was able to see how the trees I’d planted this spring had fared. Quite well actually given the general lack of attention they’d received. The arborvitae had all made it as had the Siberian crabapples. The crabapples are marked pretty well so it’ll be time to get the tree wrap on them soon. The cottontails already have plenty to eat. Don’t recall ever seeing a skinny bunny in these parts.

Sunday morning TV sometimes makes for an interesting spectacle. One program featured an interview with the famous New York City street performer known as the Naked Cowboy, who was appearing for some benefit in the Twin Cities. This of course leads the heterosexual male mind to ask the burning question, are there any Naked Cowgirls? Indeed there are. Apparently the guy who started the Naked Cowboy gig owns the trademark to the concept and gives out franchises to men or women who qualify. They in turn pay a royalty of $500 per month or $5000 per year to use the name. One would think by now he’d be able to afford to perform in something other than just his underwear. And here I bet you thought you wouldn’t learn anything this week.

See you next week…real good then.

The funeral service for Milo “Bud” Carroll will be held on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 1 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Ellendale. The Reverend Richard Sliper will officiate. Interment will be in the First Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday at church, as well as one hour prior to the service on Wednesday. 

Bud passed away on Sunday, October 13, 2013 at the age of 87 at Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna after battling pulmonary fibrosis lung disease.

Panthers fall 10-7 in weather delayed game at Maple River

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

MAPLETON – It was the type of game you expected from two teams battling for first place in the conference. You just didn’t expect it to take two days to decide the outcome.

NRHEG and Maple River started their first-place battle in Mapleton Friday evening. The game was suspended late in the third quarter due to inclement weather and resumed Saturday afternoon. 

When it was over, Maple River remained undefeated by edging the Panthers 10-7 in overtime. 

“Our kids played hard,” said NRHEG coach Dan Stork. “I’m proud of the effort they put forward.”

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

NEW RICHLAND – The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Buccaneers outscored New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 98-74 to avenge an earlier loss and capture a 3-1 volleyball victory in New Richland last Thursday. 

The Bucs, who lost a five-game match to NRHEG earlier this year, climbed to 4-1 (2nd) in the conference and 15-4 for the year. 

The Panthers fell to fifth in the league (3-3) and 8-11-3 overall. 

WEM put the Panthers in an immediate hole, winning the first two games, 25-15 and 25-18.