Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

"I have a stomachache."

"Have you taken anything for it?"

"Yeah, a couple of bowls of chili, a half dozen doughnuts, and some fried chicken with gravy, but it didn’t help."

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: Pickup trucks are short in front and long in back. They are the mullets of automobiles.

I’ve learned

• A great day is one in which it rains on the garden, but not on the lawn.

• Corn is a chick magnet.

• At work, we worry about family. At home, we worry about work.

The news from Hartland

• Going for the Dough Bakery offers that new carb smell.

• Bill Jerome Home Lumberyard stacks its doors outside, in the great outdoors.

• Man of conviction gets 10 years.

Ask Al

"How can I save money?" Tie one shoestring lengthwise across your closed wallet. Tie another crosswise. When you’re buying something, you’ll need to untie both shoestrings. This will give you time to consider whether the purchase is necessary or wise.

"What’s the best thing to put in a pie?" Teeth.

A driveway of fireflies

A reader from Willmar phoned before stopping by for a visit. He’d never been here before. He said, "I thought you’d have a longer driveway."

So did I. I grew up with a longer driveway that was lined with fireflies saying, "We light up the night sky." Fireflies were the closest things to Disneyland in my life. I considered lassoing one. I used a hand-cranked device to turn baling twine into rope. I didn’t learn any tricks with ropes. They must be taut. I didn’t sell the ropes. I learned to tie knots with them. It was a knot-for-profit organization. My specialty was the Hartland knot. It’s never the same twice.

A summer fall

A tree fell on Steve Overgaard of Albert Lea. You know you're having a bad day when a tree falls on you. Steve emerged from the incident with a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs. When Steve tells people about his encounter with the tree, people tell him how lucky he is. Steve said that he doesn’t feel that lucky. If he'd been lucky, the tree would have missed him.

Blue Cross didn’t cover the vet’s visit

Mary Hanke, a veterinarian in Stacyville, told me of a vet who tried to frighten a downed cow into standing up by driving at it with his pickup truck while honking the horn. It didn’t work. He ran over the bovine. The only way that farmer was getting his cow back was if the veterinarian had been a taxidermist, too. The same man, when treating a sick dog, would ask the canine’s owner, "Do you want a dog or do you want that dog?"

I remember an early morning when a vet was examining one of our cows. I’d been feigning a sore throat in the hopes of staying home from school. After the vet finished his work, my father said to him, "The boy has been complaining of a sore throat. Take a look at him."

I went to school.

Cafe chronicles

The table sat at a jaunty angle. The waitress brought a menu and the details of her mother’s gallbladder surgery. I ordered. The food was first rate. Do you remember when you went to that fancy slophouse and ordered something you couldn’t pronounce and could barely afford? You know it’s a fancy slophouse if you have to use a knife and fork to chew gum. Well, the grub in that small-town cafe tasted just like you'd hoped that fancy slophouse food would.

Did you know?

• A tomato is a fruit eaten as a vegetable and rhubarb is a vegetable eaten as a fruit. Grandma stored produce by home canning. She said, "We eat what we can and what we can't, we can."

• There are 31,272 post offices in the U.S., more than all the McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Walmarts combined. McDonald’s has approximately 14,100 restaurants, Starbucks around 12,937, and Walmart has about 4,069 stores (the 621 Sam’s Clubs not included).

Nature notes

Joanne Olson of Emmons asked how old rabbits are when they become independent. Cottontail rabbits leave the nest when they are three weeks old. A five-inch long rabbit with eyes open and ears erect is self-sufficient. The mother normally avoids the nest in daytime, feeding the young between dusk and dawn.

In gratitude

My thanks to the Faribault County Fair, Waldorf Days, and the Sibilrud Family Reunion for allowing me the honor of speaking in small towns where history is being made every day.

Meeting adjourned

Mother Teresa said, "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."

When you celebrate your wedding anniversary at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, VIP attendees might come across the ocean to attend. Marlys and Tradasha Wittmer from Ipoh, Malaysia did just that. In the U.S. we refer to them as “missionaries,” but in Malaysia they are thought of as “tourists,” due to the religious thinking in Malaysia. As daughter and granddaughter, they came to celebrate the anniversary of Melvin and Harriet Wittmer.

Through the Senior Center of Albert Lea, Genie and I boarded a bus of 57 young-at-heart, seasoned-in-wisdom locals to Harriet Island on the mighty Mississippi River. We were served a help-yourself, all-you-can-eat buffet as we went down the river and back on a riverboat. (A senior group from Alexandria, Minn. joined us on the riverboat.) One of the waiters was so tall he had to be very careful of any ceiling objects. We were told he could only serve when the river was low, otherwise he would bump his head on the boat ceiling. Another case of “Fact or Fiction?”

From the riverboat we went to a docked showboat on the Mississippi, for a live performance of a musical entitled “Sweet Revenge.” Excellent show – we were all encouraged to boo the villain and cheer the hero!

Genie knows that after a big buffet meal I have a tough time staying awake. When we sit side by side, she just pokes me if I seem to drift off.

The seating arrangement created a problem, as Genie was on one side of the isle and I was on the other – too far apart to poke me.

This is where Genie’s “You don’t have a problem, you have an opportunity” thinking shines. We each have a cell phone with a different phone number. Genie has me put my cell phone on vibrate, and then put the phone inside my shoe, with my foot in the shoe. Did it work? Not only once but twice my foot vibrated when Genie called me!

Times are rapidly changing. The area garbage trucks now have cameras with which the driver can see what is coming out of your garbage can as the mechanical arm is dumping the contests into the garbage truck. Thee main reason is to check the contents to be sure you’re recycling. Major cities in New Jersey hire part-time people to random check garbage cans just ahead of the garbage truck to see if any recycle items are in the can. The first offense, and your can is given a black mark on the lid. The second offense, and your garbage is no longer picked up. Now you must find a means of disposing of your garbage. The real problem is that on garbage day, your neighbors notice no can – thus your peers dem you a “baddy.” (They tell me the system is working quite well.) Beaver Lake Park now has a recycling bin by the garbage dumpster. I wonder if there is a camera to see if only recycling material is going into the recycling bin.

Short Shorts:

A. “Looney Lutherans” was the best entertainment at the fair in Albert Lea.

B. If the Old Boathouse on the shore of Beaver Lake could talk – would it agree with the stories told at the historical meeting Saturday, August 3?

C. To the exact date, a 50th wedding anniversary at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. Whose? Genie and I invite you to attend Saturday, Sept. 28.

D. Monday, Sept. 30th –– the Area Social Event of the Year at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. (Also known as Soup and Pie Supper.)

———

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.

Don’t you dislike it when people go on vacation and come back and tell you EVERYTHING that they did? Yeah, so do I.

Too bad.

As I type this, my family has arrived back in Minnesota from a week in Orlando, Florida. My sister Angie and her family went, as well as my mom and dad.

I could tell you about all the great things (the kids completing Jedi training, meeting Marvel super heroes at Universal, breakfast with the Disney characters) and the not-so-great things (Jayna breaking her arm two days before we left, my mom forgetting her ID at home and having to drive back to New Ulm to get it and take a later flight, Michelle being at the top of a ride when the skies opened up), but I won’t. Oh wait…

Instead I want to tell you about the people in Florida. I love people watching. Rides and theme parks, not so much, but the people!

But this is not just about strange and unique people I saw. No, instead it’s about the niceness of almost everyone! Some time ago, I wrote about how customer service seems to be on the decline. Not in Florida, especially not at the theme parks!

We talk about Minnesota Nice all the time. I swear, I saw more of it during a week in Florida than I have in a year here. I can’t recall one person at the Disney parks who was not kind and courteous and seemed to be enjoying his or her job, whether it was taking tickets or sweeping up trash.

As we waited in line to get in the Magic Kingdom, I struck up a conversation with Roger, an employee with Disney, who happened to be taking his family to the park on his day off. How many of us can say we do that with our jobs?

I asked Roger about this nice factor that I saw everywhere. I speculated that it would be tough, day in and day out, to be that way. We all have bad days or have disagreeable things happen at work, but I never saw it at Disney.

He told me it’s all about how you’re treated. The Disney folks treat their employees with respect and like human beings. They preach the Disney Way of doing things, and if you can’t, there are other people who want your job. Roger also said that most people he knew there really did enjoy their jobs, even though most don’t make a tremendous amount of money.

I thought about that a little bit on the flight home. I love my job, but it’s no secret that morale has been down in our district the last number of years under our former superintendent. We were not treated like Disney employees. Respect was missing quite often.

There is great hope with our new superintendent that things will turn around. I’ve only met Dr. Goodwin once, but I was immediately struck by his genuine interest in me as a person, not just an employee. He seems like the type to listen and not just dismiss an idea because it was not his own. Others who have met him have said the same thing.

It’s good to be home; I get antsy after about two days away, but Jayna and Anton had an unforgettable time, and that’s what it’s all about – the kids. They were treated well everywhere we went, especially Jayna with her cast. Hopefully, they’ve taken in some of that Florida Nice and will turn it into the Minnesota Nice we all know and love!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is erudite, which means having or showing knowledge, as in, “The tourist impressed the Marvel super heroes at Universal with his erudite facts about their powers.” A special bonus offer this week to any sharp-eyed readers who have caught the connection among my last five words of the week! Be the first to e-mail me at my school address or message me on Facebook (or I suppose you could call me too), and you’ll get a special shout-out next week! Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs were close predicting the Sunday rain, only it rained earlier rather than later. Since weather forecasting is like horseshoes and hand grenades, they’ll take it. Will their success go to their heads after next week? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the mid 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Mostly sunny on Thursday with a slight chance of an evening shower. Highs in the mid 70s and lows near 60. Partly cloudy on Friday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s and lows near 60. Partly cloudy Saturday and Sunday with highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 60’s. Monday, partly cloudy with highs near 80 and lows around 60. Clouding up for Tuesday with a chance for a shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the mid 60s. The normal high for August 17th is 80 and the normal low is 60. We will slip below 14 hours of daylight on the 15th, the same as we had back on April 26th. The scurs are convinced that there is still plenty of time to catch a tan during their afternoon naps.

The Full Moon for the month occurs on the 20th and goes by several names, the most common being the Full Sturgeon Moon. This was because the tribes of the northeast and Great Lakes region could most easily catch sturgeon during this timeframe. It has also been called the Full Red Moon due to the dust common at this time of year making the moon appear red when it was close to the horizon. This was also known as the Green Corn Moon and the Full Grain Moon. The Ojibwe knew this as the Full Berry Moon for the blueberries they were harvesting in competition with the bears. The Sioux also knew this as the Moon When Cherries Turn Black. At the ranch it has become known as the Moon When Bread Molds. Some nasty tasting stuff when you don’t catch it before it hits the toaster.

Crop progress was apparent again last week as some of the early planted early maturing corn was in the dough stage. Some of the earliest planted soybeans were R5 stage and not so surprisingly, the soybean aphids dislike them at this point. They’d rather have the later planted models still in the R3 and R4 stage. Sweet corn is being harvested and the last of the peas should be in the books soon. No bragging about yields of either so no surprises there. Small grain harvest should be completed this week and that also promises to be mediocre. Planting small grains in late April and early May seldom works well, even when we get cooler temperatures to go along with it. Many of the prevented plant acreages have been seeded and they are adding a different look to the landscape for this time of year. Most of the fields have been seeded to oats and given the timely rains that have fallen, the emergence has been tremendous. Some are entertaining thoughts of harvesting this material because of the hay shortage but baling for most is probably a long shot. Hay can occasionally be made in November but so can snowmen.

Bird feeding has been slowing somewhat although about the time we think we’ve seen the last of the orioles, they surprise us. In particular, the orchard orioles appeared to be gone already but that was disproven over the weekend when a full colored male was helping himself to the jelly feeder. One trend that has been ringing true is that the Baltimore orioles that we still have appear to be predominantly young males. The catbird has staked a claim to the chokeberry (aronia) bushes, heavy with dark purple fruit. Not far from their hangout one morning there were pheasants cackling in the garden. They love to bathe in the dust there so I snuck out behind the dogwood bushes to get a look at them. Sure enough five of this year’s crop took flight after surprising them. About the size of leghorn pullets but not colored up yet. They will be by October though.

Both Ruby and Fudgie got their fair share of tire biting and lawnmower herding in as we cleaned Howard’s gas tank of insects for what is hopefully the last time. Fudgie got more brushing over the weekend and it seems to be never ending. After I was through, the clumps of fur made it look like there were several dead animals laying in the yard. The lawnmowers, the ones that work anyway will make short work of that. I am firmly convinced though that I’m no longer brushing a dog, just a large ball of lint. 

With the Pro Farmer Crop Tour looming on the horizon once again it’s been time to try to catch up on getting the gardens weeded and the lawns mowed. Nothing worse than coming home to a total mess. Along with that however there needs to be a little time to smell the roses once in a while too. I promised myself I needed to see what kind of shape the wetland area was in so braving the mosquitoes I set forth on the journey down the hill. Amazingly enough, once in the CRP the little bloodsuckers weren’t as bad as they were around the house. Could’ve been because I was moving at a pretty good clip and not taking any chances.

The basin itself had become surrounded by cattails nearly 10’ tall so getting to the water meant walking through what seemed like a jungle. When my head popped out of the cattails, I was in total amazement as wave after wave of young mallards leaped into the air from the water’s surface. All in all I counted somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 – 40 total. There were scattered teal too as well as a smattering of shorebirds, all startled by my sudden intrusion into their very private little world. I smiled as taking the time to deepen the wetland back in January had paid off, knowing the waterfowl was enjoying collecting the dividends.

See you next week…real good then.

Waseca County

Many try, few make it.

Here are the 2013 Waseca County 4-H State Fair trip winners:

• Emily Barbknecht – Clothes You Make, Goat

• Joe Barbknecht – Beef

• William Barbknecht – Goat

• Amy Beckstrand – Beef

• Jamie Beckstrand – Beef

• Travis Beckstrand – Beef

A family service will be conducted for Jay Alan Rudolph, 54, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2013 at Woodville Cemetery in Waseca. Jay’s ashes will be interred beside those of his late father, Dale Rudolph. 

Jay was born in Waseca September 13, 1958 the fourth of five children to Dale and Elaine (Wenzel) Rudolph. He lived during his early childhood in New Richland and in the Minneapolis suburb of Crystal. The family later moved to Rochester, MN where Jay remained throughout his life. He was found dead in his home in April. An autopsy was performed and the death has been ruled accidental.

Gerald “Jerry” E. Talley, 78, of Owatonna, died Sunday, August 11, 2013 at St. Mary's Hospital from a result of a stroke. 

Gerald was born March 8, 1935 in Owatonna, Minnesota the third of nine children to Melvin and Beatrice (Stransky) Talley. He was raised in Owatonna and attended school. He was drafted in to the United States Army and later received his honorable discharge in 1958. He began working at Steven’s Hide and Fur in Owatonna and then for Owatonna Bottling for 28 years. Following, Gerald worked for Anhorn’s Service Station in Medford.

NRAFS fundraiser Friday at Waseca

There will be a Float for Food fund raiser at the Waseca Walmart Friday, August 16. It will start until 1 p.m. and last until 7. Root Beer floats will be served and a free will offering is required. The proceeds will go to the New Richland Area Food Shelf.

Donations, volunteers needed for new signs

Are you a supporter of NRHEG High School athletics? If so, now is the time to show it. A committee has been formed to look into the placement of signs honoring NRHEG state championship teams for girls’ basketball and cheerleading. “We’re looking for donations and volunteers,” said committee member Dawn Halgren. “We have some pledges already, so we have a good start.” If you’d like to donate or help, call Halgren at (507) 465-8109.