When I try to pull off an event honoring someone, it seems like the honoree finds out before the event. I guess I’m going to have to take lessons from Paul Proft of Owatonna.

Julie Proft, Paul’s boss both at home and away, retired from Wells Fargo Bank in Owatonna. In honor of her retirement Paul suggested the two of them do something special. The “something special” was the Dinner Theater at Chanhassen, Minn.

Unbeknown to Julie, Paul contacted their children, relatives and other friends and informed them of the plan. Julie and Paul walked into a room at Chanhassen where about 50 of us started singing “Happy Retirement.” The tears of happiness flowed not only from Julie but many of the attendees. We pulled it off – a complete surprise to Julie!

After an excellent meal we settled in to watch an entertaining musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” as found in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, with a few variations. For example, the Pharaoh did a very good imitation of Elvis. Also, the dancers danced on the tables towards the end.

In summary, retirement parties don’t come any better than Julie’s.

We had two very tall trees cut down by Jim Amarosa and his helper Troy. They did an excellent job, even picked up all the small branches and swept the driveway plus the street.

A six foot high trunk of each tree was left standing until Genie can decide what to do with them. Until then, I’m putting a bathroom toilet stool on top of each one. One tree trunk will have letters running down it spelling “HIS” with the other trunk “HERS.”

I like to walk the paved trail in Albert Lea by the boat landing to Fountain Lake off Richway Drive. There are a number of signs on the trail telling the walker to choose civility.

For example:

“Greet those who you are sharing the trail with. Just say ‘Hi.’”

“Apologize earnestly.”

“Speak kindly.”

“Accept and give constructive criticism.”

“Ask someone new out to lunch.” 

(That last one doesn’t work, as many times I’ve stopped by the sign and no free lunch! The net result so far is that I’ve taken four new people out to lunch, on me.)

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, this is the time of the year when bears start to get ready for hibernation.

As per the Albert Lea Tribune, 16 small bears showed up in connection with 16 various places in Albert Lea. The small bear, through Northbridge Mall, was placed in custody of Arlene Thofson. This little bear, named “Relay For Life,” is now living at the farmsite of Arlene and Virgil Thofson just north of Hartland, Minn. From talking to the little bear, it seems things are going quite well, especially learning and observing how to give a big Farmer’s Bear Hug like Virgil does.

I hope all you readers are aware of “Relay For Life” as backed by the American Cancer Society. Genie and I attended the lighting of the luminaries at the fairgrounds in Albert Lea. I estimate there were about 2,500 bags with a candle and when lit it was awesome. The lit spelling of “HOPE” in the grandstand was most impressive.

Thanks to Dr. George Lundstrom and staff for purchasing a luminary in my name.

———

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.

Wow, it’s been a while since my last column, hasn’t it? Unfortunately, I’ve done less writing this summer than I have in years. I’ve been really busy, though, which doesn’t allow much time for writing.

Much has happened in my absence. I spent a month in Florida at the end of April. I got two new jobs, at the Go-Pher Stops in Clarks Grove and Ellendale, and I’m actually really enjoying them — apart from the 6 a.m. shifts every other weekend, but waking up early is good for me. A little self-discipline never hurt anyone, right?

I’m also looking into buying a car, which reminds me: if you’ve noticed an obnoxious rattling followed by a black Eclipse with a bad paint job and bright blue duct tape on the bumper around New Richland, Ellendale, Hartland or Clarks Grove lately, that would be me. Trust me. I know how annoying it is.

I turn 20 in a day, which isn’t too exciting. No new privileges are gained, so it’s really just another year gone by.

Today, I recognize the three-year anniversary of my grandmother’s death. I can’t believe it’s been that long. I still miss her so much. But the more time that goes by, the more sure I am that her passing brought me a guardian angel. I don’t know how I would have made it out of my car accident last year without a scratch otherwise. Combine that with the death of a close friend and reaching the lowest point in my life, the last year and a half has been the most difficult time of my life. If I didn’t have a little help from upstairs, I wouldn’t be where I am now, which is a place I haven’t been in years. I’m happier and healthier than I’ve been in a long time. I finally have my life back on track and I couldn’t be more grateful.

So, thank you Grandma. And thanks to my family, friends and loved ones. Your support means more than you could know.

I’m looking forward to the future and it’s a great feeling. I plan to write more often, though my column can’t be expected every week for a while. And if you see me at one of the stores I work at, don’t be afraid to say hi!

Until next time, remember to keep your chin up, no matter what. I’m a living example that things will get better.

As you read this, there’s a chance you attended Meet the Panthers this past Tuesday in New Richland. I always look forward to this night for a couple of reasons. One is that my voice feels like it’s getting rusty, having been away from the microphone for some time. The other is getting a chance to see all our student-athletes getting ready for another season.

It’s no secret to my readers that I rank sports high on my list of enjoyable things. With that thought in mind, high school athletics are at the top of my sports list. Why is that? I’m glad you asked!

I see Audrienne Kormann at so many NRHEG events and have for many years. The very first time I met her, at a grandson’s baseball game, she told me, “I just love sports!” and then told me about her lifelong infatuation with all things sport. This past summer, I sat by her at some softball games that Jayna and her granddaughter played in together. I heard the same refrain, which gave me pause to think about why exactly people like Audrienne and me and so many others love these games.

Here’s what it boils down to: high school athletes truly play for the enjoyment of the game and the thrill of competition. There’s not an ulterior reward in the form of a college scholarship for the vast majority of them, and even fewer will ever play professionally. This makes high school sports the most pure form of sports you can watch.

How many of us look back on those “glory days” with fond memories? Those were great times, and I enjoy watching our young people make those memories of their own to remember someday.

Plus, sports are the most enjoyable “reality show” you can find. Even though you might think you know who will win, you just never know. Plus, you might see that one play that everyone will be talking about for weeks! That’s better than most of the fare that’s on TV these days.

Now, I will give full disclosure before this next part: I get into our local games for free. (Of course, I’m also “working!”) Still, when I bring my family and have to pay for them, I find it to be a reasonable amount to watch a game for a couple of hours. It certainly costs less than taking them all to a movie, and the popcorn is better!

I’ve seen declining attendance at so many events lately, with the exception of girls’ basketball. There haven’t been as many people at football or boys’ basketball games the last few years. I hope it’s not because the records haven’t been as good.

These kids work hard. There’s a lot to be said for a crowd infusing energy into a team (just go to one of the aforementioned girls’ games).

I’ll step into the Swami’s shoes for a moment. The football team should be better this year. I’ve officiated at the lower levels and have seen some more talent coming. The coaches always have them as prepared as they can, and the record doesn’t always show where a key play here or there might have changed things.

The boys’ basketball team should also make leaps and bounds. I can honestly say that I’ve not seen a team improve from beginning to end as much as that team did last year. They’re still young and should make a run at being a threat come playoff time this year.

Come on out and watch the kids play. The volleyball team plays a home game on August 27, and the football team plays two Fridays in a row at home, August 30 and September 6. Make it a goal to come and watch our young athletes compete and put on a show at least once per season. You never know, you might see something you’ll remember for a long time, and you may find that getting a season pass would be worth the money when you discover this same love of high school athletics!

Word of the Week: Special shout out to the winner of last week’s contest to identify the common link among my last five words of the week: erudite, candor, abnegation, amity, and dauntless. Cory James knew these are the five factions in a trilogy written by Veronica Roth, which leads to this week’s word, the title of the first book, soon to be a movie. This week’s word is divergent, which means differing or deviating, as in, “The running back became divergent when he saw a hole open up off the path he was supposed to run.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs predictions for scant rainfall chances and amounts as well as warmer temps were on the money. Will we see more of the same? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with a slight chance of evening thunderstorms.  Highs in the lower 90s and lows in the upper 60s. Partly cloudy on Thursday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s. Friday, partly cloudy with highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 60s. Mostly sunny for Saturday and Sunday with highs in the upper 60s and lows in the lower 60s. Mostly cloudy for Monday and Tuesday with chances for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the upper 50s. The normal high for August 25th is 79 and the normal low is 58. The scurs know it can’t be long before the large yellow livestock hauling vehicles resume their regular schedule.

This column is coming to you from the road this week, as we travel with the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour. The first day of travel towards our destination in Champaign, IL found a generally much better looking crop from the road than what we’ve been accustomed to seeing in South Central MN. The crop, in particular the corn, is predicted to be huge nationwide, although there are some recent indications that the bloom may be coming off the rose so to speak. I’m not going to speculate on that right now; that’s why we take the yield checks and take into account crop condition. Then we have some data to go on. Without data, it’s just a windshield survey. Follow us on agweb.com and on Twitter at #pftour13. My handle is @MNWeedWizard if you want to follow my tweets.

The trip had an interesting beginning to it. Packing the large bag, I discovered there was still something in one of the zippered compartments. When I opened it up, I discovered a bunch of dirty socks and underwear left over from last year’s Crop Tour! I wondered why it seemed like I ran out so quickly so I purchased some new ones, figuring that Mrs. Cheviot had probably disposed of some of the more tattered models. No problem. Now I should be able to go for a month before having to worry about it. Then go buy more.

There have been some techno issues though. It seems like the more technical these electronic gadgets become, the more trouble they cause me. One would think for someone who lusted after one of those Philips turntables that used heat sensitive controls to operate it you’d be able to figure these things out. I also had a Toshiba microwave that had a touch pad for controls back in about 1982. Must not have done me much good. I was in a quandary when trying to start the leased vehicle and accidentally stepped on the brake, allowing me to start it. When I tried to remember what I’d done the next time, just poking the start button did nothing to satisfy my need to get moving. About that same time someone called and I had a dickens of a time trying to run the touch screen on that. Seems I’m unable to handle more than one techno disaster at time. 

Then of course there are all those little icons on the buttons in cars you’re apparently supposed to be born knowing the meaning of. Driving a rental car from Cedar Falls to Columbus, OH I had plenty of time to play with most of the buttons and actually figured out how to turn the radio on by the time I arrived at my destination. I still remember trying to get the rear window defroster to work on my own pickup. There was a button for the heated mirrors that had a little picture of the mirrors on it so that couldn’t have been it. Then there was one that had a snowflake on it so one would think that might be the correct button. For whatever reason, the rear window did not defrost. Come to find out, that one was for the air conditioning! A lot of good that did me in January.

The dogs always seem to know something’s up when one of us is leaving. Fudgie and Ruby act almost as though they’ve done something wrong. There’s more clingy behavior, more moping and less of the typical behavior. If they only knew how much we miss them when we’re off galloping around the country. That’s one of the beauties of a dog however. No matter how long you’ve been away, when you return they’re always glad to see you and expend some additional energy towards letting you know that. Perhaps they think if they do that, you won’t be as apt to take off on another extended journey again anytime soon. Of course it could also be that they would like to go along the next time. When asked if they’d like to “go with” they suddenly become very excited. More than once we’ve had to coax them back out of the car when the door gets left open afterwards.  That’s a clue.

See you next week…real good then. 

6th-grade orientation Monday at 6:30 p.m.

There is an orientation planned for all students entering 6th grade and their parents on Monday, August 26 at 6:30 p.m. This orientation will begin in the NRHEG High School cafeteria in New Richland. This will be an opportunity for you to visit the building, meet with the 6th-grade teachers, gather information about what a typical day will be like, and learn about the expectations we have for our students. We look forward to meeting you and cannot wait for a great year!

Harvest Run for Hunger September 21

The annual Harvest Run for Hunger is set for Saturday, September 21. There will be a 7K run and a 4K walk. It will be held at Zion Lutheran Church in Ellendale, 7126 SW 98th Street, which is 12 miles Southwest of Owatonna. The walk begins at 8:30 a.m. and the run begins 9. For children 10 years and under, no entry free is required for the walk. Registration forms are available online at: harvestrunforhunger.com and raceberryjam.com (under Road Races).

NRHEG School Board

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

Dr. Dennis Goodwin’s first session with the NRHEG School Board was a brisk meeting with a long agenda, but things went smoothly thanks to the contributing presence of Business Manager Karla Christopherson and Administrative Assistant Karen Gimberline. Both principals were also present and prepared.

Fall startup

Bills in the amount of $862,663.54 were approved for payment. The high figure was explained by Goodwin and board chair Rick Schultz.

“Some of that expense is for school supplies,” said Goodwin.

Elsie A. Roemhildt, age 91, a long-time resident of Wilton Township, Waseca County, died peacefully on Wednesday, August 21, 2013, at the New Richland Care Center following an extended illness. 

Funeral services will be held on Monday, August 26, 2013, at 11 a.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville, with Rev. Dr. Larry Griffin, officiating. Interment will be held at St. John’s-Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Iosco Township, Waseca County. 

Visitation will be held at the Arnoldt-McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory of Janesville on Sunday, August 25, from 2 to 5 p.m. and for one hour prior to services at the church on Monday morning. There will be a 5 p.m. prayer service at the funeral home on Sunday. 

It is sometimes strange how thoughts will enter your mind for some unknown reason and just stick there.

When I heard Kenny Rogers was going to be performing at the Freeborn County Fair, all I could think of was that I wanted to go see him perform in person.

I have always liked his voice and I never had a budget that allowed me to attend any of his big shows. Here was my chance. It was a matter of figuring out how I could accomplish it without spending the bucks for reserved tickets.

Meanwhile I had faith that, yes, I would get there. Then things started piling up and my plans were starting to take a dim view. One leg and crutches have taken me more places, but maybe this was more than I could handle. It went right down to the deadline.

I not only have some stubborn Dane blood in me, but a quantity of Irish as well, and on the morning of the grandstand performance I made up my mind that though it might be tough, I was going to try and do it.

I'll admit to being a little afraid of the situation. I started worrying. What was a good time to arrive, where could I park that would be close enough, and could I do it alone?

God was with me. When I arrived at the gate and explained my situation and asked if there a good place for me to park the gentlemen nicely told me, sure, there was a spot right up by the 4-H building just waiting for me. Hurrah! That was taken care of.

I usually use my crutches to get where I want to go, but I do have a motorized scooter that had been loaded for me, along with ramps, in my van. I got the ramps out of the van and got them lined up, I thought, but found it to be just a bit of a struggle. The scooter just didn't want to come down the way it should and got hung up. Fortunately a friend, Darlyne Paulson, came by and helped me with the situation. She also made the suggestion I should turn my van around, thinking it would be easier to load up again when it came time to do that, which I did. Thanks were in order.

Aha, on my trusty scooter things would be easier and they were for about an hour or so, when I realized the battery should have been recharged. Unfortunately the scooter needs power. By moving in short spurts, which allowed the battery a little bit of time to gain some energy, I was able to get into the 4-H building and aha, there was a plug-in and a park bench. I asked the lady in charge if I might plug my scooter in and she was nice enough to say yes, so I did. I managed to set the bench in front of it so it was not in the way or conspicuous.

I commenced to do some viewing of items at the fair on foot and crutches when I noticed lines were already forming for admission to the grandstand. I suddenly realized the 4-H building closed at 9. Kenny Rogers' program wasn't going to start until 8:30, which meant I had better get my half-charged scooter out of the building and loaded in my van before I went to the concert. Luckily I had enough power for the trip to my van and was able to get out the ramps and was trying to get the scooter lined up so I could get it loaded. 

As luck would have it a gentlemen was walking past and I asked if he would mind helping me. He said sure and proceeded to ask another man who was walking past us to help. They asked if I would mind if they didn't use the ramps, and I said no, do what you would like, and they lifted the machine up and set it in the back of my van. Thank you, gentlemen. Another problem solved.

The line for the grandstand was growing and then I ran into the ideal person — my daughter’s former physical education teacher. If I needed someone to spend time with I couldn't have asked for anyone better. She was looking for some kettle corn to take back with her to the front of the line. Anyone who knows Connie Johnson knows she is a good one to spend time with, much better than the book I had brought along to read while I waited.

We made it through the gate and on up into the grandstand and found a great spot to sit. Connie’s mother had a wheelchair and Connie had brought along a folding chair. I was lucky enough to find one lone folding chair not far from where we planned to sit, and quickly moved it so I could use it.

We were set to sit out the time before the performance would begin, taking in the sights and an incredibly friendly conversation, catching up on what we have been doing. Time went fast and our view, smack dab in front of the stage, couldn't have been better. My dream had come true. I was going to see and hear Kenny Rogers perform.

Many people forgot their diets and were enjoying some great fair food, including us. We reminisced about corn dogs when we saw people walking carrying them to their seats. New to me were the newer ones that are bigger than the originals. We talked about having one to eat before the program began and one fellow heard us talking. He offered to go and get one for us and we took him up on his offer. They were great.

My mother remembers when corn dogs were introduced at the state fair. That is a long time ago. She thinks they were 20 cents and were really a big hit, and still are.

Once we finished our corn dogs, it was time for the show to begin.

Kenny Rogers and his band entertained us with some of his great songs and shared some great stories, too. The program was awesome and Kenny sang some of my favorite songs, including "Daytime Friends," "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town," "Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer,” "You Decorated My Life," and of course, "The Gambler."

Kenny ad-libbed a bit between songs, telling everyone he spotted someone not far from the front of the stage watching through binoculars so they could get a closer look.

Kenny asked, "What are you trying to see with those? I think binoculars in the first 10 rows is an invasion of privacy," which gave the over 9,000 people in attendance a good laugh.

As I said, the grandstand was packed and I enjoyed every minute. Was it worth it? You bet it was. Someone was watching over me, giving me all the perks I needed. It was an evening I will long remember and cherish. 

Thank you Kenny, Connie, Alice, Darlyne and helpful strangers. You made my day!

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 weeks birthdays and anniversaries include:

• Thursday, August 15th: Roger Wayne, Obert Osmundson, Kaye Dee Hanson, Nancy Nelson, Stephanie Peterson, Rhonda Shelton, Cade Shelton, Brian Warnke, Dorrie Horan, Michael Suelter, Kellie Benning, Brian Warnke, Maverick Harold Knutson

• Friday, August 16th: Kavan Dean Vanhal, Haley Deml, Alexander James Dufresne, Mary Lerberg, Shayla Ann Marie Pachoel, Julie Arnold, Wayne & Marie Dobberstein, Harold & Janice Jensen, Mark & Diana Sundwall, Jeff & Julie Schlei, Donny & Gail Turvold

• Saturday, August 17th: Cole Brody Thompson, Katie Klemmensen Knudson, Julie Osmundson, Luke Wiersma, Carol Nelson, Dillon Matthew Kubiatowicz, Abbey Beaber, Jackie DeVrient, Sonya Peterson, Cheryl Spurr, Steve Ladlie, Daniel Whelan, Rod & Cheryl Thompson, Tira & James Smith, Tina & Todd Wangen

• Sunday, August 18th: Donny Bartsch, Ron Johnson, Rick Johnson, John Ross Vermedahl, David Klocek, Michael Ingvaldson, Kelly Schmidt Janning, Connie Robertson, David Rietsema, Gary & Kathy Anderson, Ryan & Jill Hanson, Tamara & David Jepson, Simon & Arlean Lee

• Monday, August 19th: Daxter Carter Lee, Jason Langlie, Michelle Peterson, Jennifer Popiel, Cheri Krejci, Ruth Enzenauer, Cynthia Grubish, Lois Johnson Aitchison, David Cooper, Alyssa Kay Jensen, Larry & Karen Carlson, Jackie & Travis Olson, Andy & Julie Arnold, Larry & Mary Ellen Walton, Kayla & Patrick Krause

• Tuesday, August 20th: Dale Nelson, John Scrabeck, Tammy Bergland Techau, Andy Christensen, Diane Cleven, Delbert Karsjens, Jozie Annamarie Johnson, Kim Jensen, Jamie Nelson, Larry Pierce, Tianna & Joshua Kubicek

• Wednesday, August 21st: Lori Moon, Avery Hullopeter, Abriana Harris, Scott Tracy, Larry Klocek, Viola Klocek, Dawn Dobberstein, Mary Richards, Cindy Anderson, Roger Johnson, Sara Degan Misgen, Jodie Lee, Jaden Jensen, Cody Lembke, Michael Olson, Jasmine Obermoller Evans, David & Cindy Callahan

Wishing you warm friendship and simple joys. Have a wonderful day!

It is the middle of August and I feel like there are so many summer projects I have not completed (see started). It must be an age thing because I seem to be waiting for the perfect time to start a project and that time has been elusive.

Even though it is still summer it is mid-August and fall is lurking just around the corner. I have always considered fall my favorite time of year, but we all know what follows. Wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

My grandson Trevor is already scouting and lining up land to hunt for the early goose season. He always seeks permission from landowners to hunt their property and treats their land with respect. This is how hunters can gain access to hunting land and create a good relationship between hunters and landowners. Not everyone wants folks hunting their land and we need to understand it is perfectly all right to refuse permission to a hunter or hunters. You also need to treat the property you are hunting with respect; this can be said for public as well as private land. We are lucky here in Freeborn County in that we have 11 Wildlife Management Areas available for public use.

Nature is always changing, but the unstable weather we have been experiencing the past couple of years has made some of those changes more drastic. Last year, for example, the Blue Earth River in the Walnut Lake area had pretty much dried up by late August. This August there is still ample water flowing. Although we are no longer in a drought, the long-term effects of last year can still be seen. Some sloughs are still showing the effects of last year’s dry weather.

Although the thought of hunting is starting to creep into our minds, we should not forget there is still plenty of fishing to be done. I am planning on going to the Waterville area and wet a line before summer ends. I spent quite a few years camping in that area and there are a lot of good fishing lakes to choose from. My favorite for many years was Reeds Lake which is located a short ways south of Elysian. This little lake was good to me on many openers and produced some nice opening day walleye and northern, but eventually it just became a little too crowded to fish, at least on opening day. The DNR hasn’t stocked walleye in this lake for quite some time, but there are still a few “eyes” roaming the depths of the little lake. You can also find some nice black crappie along with bluegill, northern pike and largemouth bass.

I have not given much thought to most of those lakes in recent years, but I think it would be fun to try a couple of them this fall. Tetonka Lake can yield some nice bluegill, crappie, big cats and some dandy pike. The lake can also be very good for bass and it even held the state record for largemouth for a few years. Quite a few years back Tetonka was on Ron Schara’s top 10 list for opening day walleye lakes and that made for one crowded public access with plenty of fishermen on hand hoping the prognosis would hold true. There are definitely walleye swimming in that lake if you can find them.

Francis, also located near Elysian, is another lake that has an abundance of fish that include walleye, northern, largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill that can make for a fun day of fishing. Francis has always been an excellent bass lake, especially in the fall. Madison Lake can be a great lake for sunnies and crappies and it can also give up some nice walleye and northern pike.

If it’s muskies that you are seeking you will want to head a little farther east to the Faribault area and try French Lake. It has been called the best muskie lake south of the Twin Cities by many that seek the “great toothed one.” It also has some very good crappie fishing along with good numbers of bluegill and walleye. It is primarily stocked for walleye and muskie. The access can make it a little hard to launch your boat when the water is low.

With all these lakes to choose from there is surely one that will give you a good day of fishing. I have usually found the best late summer fishing on any one of these lakes is around Labor Day or later. No matter which lake you choose, spending a day on the lake is always a day well spent.

— — —

Odds & ends:

Have you ever wondered why advertising folks think that someone or something (green lizard) talking with a British accent will make you want to buy their products?

Each year Minnesota sports fans follow their teams religiously entering each upcoming season with visions of a winning season dancing in their heads. Of course if you are a Twins fan there is some comfort in knowing that it could be worse – you could be a Cubs fan. As far as the Vikings go I am still not sure if Christian Ponder is the one who can lead us to the “promised land” of football. I am one of those fans who is always hoping for a winning season from the Vikes but as a true Minnesotan I wouldn’t dare to expect too much.

Until next time, enjoy the outdoors and maybe even take a little time to try out a new lake and make a few good memories.

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.