The scurs were a little generous on their high temperatures for last week but at least the promised rain came. Are we due for more this week? Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy with a moderate chance of a shower or thunderstorms. Highs near 80 and lows in the upper 50s. Mostly sunny becoming partly cloudy on Thursday with a good chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 70s and lows in the lower 60s. Partly cloudy on Friday with a slight chance for showers or a thunderstorm. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s. Partly cloudy Saturday with highs in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s. Sunday, partly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Partly sunny for both Monday and Tuesday with highs in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s. The normal high for August 1st is 82 and the normal low is 61. The scurs continue to enjoy sleeping with the windows open.

This past week saw some timely rain fall and conditions cool down with fall-like high temperatures. Rainfall was variable however and amounts generally ranged from .25” - .9”. Indeed, the high this past Saturday was 63 and that corresponds to the same highs we would normally see on October 8th and 9th. The highs on Friday and Sunday were both at 72 and those highs are what we’d expect for September 17th and 18th. While it’s been wonderful sleeping weather and some have given their air conditioner a break, it hasn’t done any favors to crop development. With days becoming shorter and no heat wave imminent, we may have to hope for a warm September to bring this crippled crop to maturity. On a positive note, much of the snow corn has pollinated and conditions could not be better for that planted mid-May. Soybeans are also setting pods with many of the earlier planted fields being R3 – R4. Small grains continue to ripen and some who are swathing the crop may lay it down this week.

The conditions were right and with rain predicted for last Thursday, the fall garden crops went in the ground at the ranch Wednesday evening. There were at least 7 different types of radishes planted, a couple types of snap peas and 2 varieties of lettuce. Some of the radish varieties are spring type and some are designed to be planted for fall harvest. Oddly enough the spring type radishes planted late summer last year turned out better than their spring planted counterparts. The rain and cool temperatures so far should be to the liking of all of these cool season vegetables. Investigating their progress Monday evening, one could row the radishes on the east side of the garden. My, that was quick! 

The rest of the garden however has stood still. For some reason tomatoes don’t grow very fast with 60 – 70 degree temps. The flowers don’t seem to mind though. The morning glories are making their twirling ascent up the light pole in the yard. Far behind last year’s pace though, they’re still flowering and adding some color to the yard. The blue salvia have really taken off since the rain and the increased hummingbird activity has followed right along with them. In the CRP and pasture, big bluestem and yellow Indiangrass have begun to head out. See a herd of bison come thundering over the hill and it would look much the way it did some 200 years ago.

While out and about spraying pasture fences for weeds, I spied several nests of birds with eggs in them yet to hatch. There was a robin nest with 4 eggs and the wren had taken over where the tree swallows had raised a brood earlier. There were 5 eggs in that one. At the kindly neighbor’s pasture, the bluebirds are working on their 2nd brood with 4 blue eggs in the bottom of the nesting box. The mosquitoes seem to be letting up some so maybe this next week we can run a daring mission to the pond to see what might have been nesting there. 

Some black walnut trees were brought to my attention this past week and I too had noticed a couple of them down by the lake starting to turn already. Doing a little investigating, there has been some anthracnose mentioned as a possible cause of their premature turning. Anthracnose is a fungal disease favored by wet weather conditions such as we had earlier in the year. Generally not serious but too many years in a row can weaken the tree. It’s not unusual for walnuts to start turning ahead of everything else but the end of July is perhaps a tad on the early side even for them.

Do you believe in signs from above? When I went to visit some friends at their lake place back on July 6th, I saw what had to be a ’57 or ’58 Studebaker Silver Hawk parked next door. I drooled over the car as MS and I admired it. Sunday as I was heading in the door in our little rural church, I spied something out of the corner of my eye in the parking lot: A Studebaker Avanti! The front end was a dead giveaway and though there wasn’t time to ogle it before church, I had an idea whose it was. I was right, so after church I had to take a closer look at my neighbor’s prize possession. After church I checked my e-mail and there was a photo attachment of new old stock flooring material for the 1960 Lark residing in the garage. The photo was actually of material original rubber flooring for a ‘61. The main color appears to be the same only with light blue flecks in it. The cut should be identical and that’s the main thing. Why do I get this feeling sometimes that someone is trying to tell me something?

See you next week…real good then.

Funeral services for Dorothy E. Thompson of New Richland, MN, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at the LeSueur River Lutheran Church in New Richland, MN. Pastor Brian Gegel will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the LeSueur River Lutheran Cemetery.

Mrs. Thompson died Monday evening at the Owatonna Hospital, Owatonna, MN. She was 89 years of age.

Dorothy was born July 19, 1924 in Waseca County the daughter of Palmer and Jeanette (Brecke) Hagen. She graduated from New Richland High School in 1942. On February 14, 1943 she was united in marriage to Henry O. Thompson. She lived in the New Richland area all of her life, and the past six years at Clarebridge in Owatonna.

Jon James Jacobson died on Thursday, July 25 in Stephenville TX. He was born on October 16, 1974 in Waseca, MN, the son of Robert Jacobson and the late Constance Jacobson.

He was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Waseca, MN and confirmed at LeSueur River Lutheran Church in New Richland, MN. He graduated in 1993 from New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva High School. During his Junior year of high school, he enlisted in the United States Army and completed boot camp training. After his two year service, he continued his passion for the military and joined the United States Marine Corps, serving in Operation Desert Storm and Afghanistan.

T.J. Schiltz and Lillie Nielsen

NRHEG students Lillie Nielsen and T.J. Schiltz were picked in the Top 10 to compete at the Texaco Country Showdown at Buster’s Bar and Grill in Mankato Friday night, July 26 at 8 p.m.

The Texaco Showdown is where stars like Garth Brooks, Billy Ray Cyrus and Sara Evans got their start on the road to stardom. They have a chance to win the $100,000.00 grand prize.

Recently Lillie and T.J. performed in the Ellendale Talent Show. T.J. won first place overall and Lillie was fourth. T.J. and Lillie did a performance together which Lillie’s mom and dad, Amy and Brian Nielsen, video taped and submitted the video to the Texaco Country Showdown Web site. They were picked to be in the Top 10, to continue to the next level.

Together with the Nielsens, Tom and Patricia Schiltz wish them the best on this journey. They are two very talented kids.

QCBA 12-and-under team wins league tournament

The Quad Cities Baseball Association 12-and-under team won the league tournament held Saturday in New Richland. They will also be playing this weekend in the state baseball tournament for 12-and-under teams. Front from left: Louis Wagner, Devin Buendorf, Mason Oakland and Andre Hill. Back: Coach Steve VanMaldeghem, Carter Hagen, Quinten Arndt, Alex Buckmeier, Sawyer VanMaldeghem, Lucas Bailey, Jacob Schuller and Coach Andy Buckmeier.

NRHEG School Board

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

The NRHEG school board convened Monday, July 15 at the Ellendale Media Center with Administrative Assistant Karen Gimberline sitting in for the vacationing Dr. Goodwin.

Bills in the amount of $1,065,169.99 were approved for payment, including $78,724 for Workmen’s Compensation.

New High School Principal David Bunn was present and gave his first report to the board. Interviews for the new wrestling coach were conducted July 15 and there will be a recommendation next month. Bunn also reported the district was asked to consider a fourth foreign exchange student this fall.

My sister, Kaye's, granddaughter, Ava, and I watched ants in an ant hill recently. It was rather fascinating to see them scurry about their daily business of staying alive.

Ava wasn't so sure what to think of these sometimes "picky" ants, so it was a good reason to dig a little deeper into the quality and not-so-quality personalities of these little creatures.

It is interesting to know that if we had muscles in proportion of the ants we'd be able to toss a car across the street. Awesome! However, I did have to explain to her that we really didn't want or need to do this. 

I was amazed to discover that scientists estimate there are more than 12,000 species with at least 1.5 million for every human being on the planet. And, as a total, they would be heavier than all humans.

Ava liked the idea that ants are basically a female society with a queen as the center of the colony.  She wasn't so sure about the idea that these females also performed the work. 

We didn't go into the male aspect, but wait, why am I writing about ants? I guess the thought crossed my mind that maybe we need some of that power and dexterity to succeed and insure we can survive in a perilous world that challenges us every day.

It is hard to believe, but more ants live on the earth than any other insect. Ants may be found in all parts of the world, except the North and South Poles. Like people, ants do not live alone. They live and work together with other ants in groups called colonies.

The ant colonies are somewhat like cities. Hundreds and even thousands of ants live in one nest. Some of these ants feed and care for the young. Others keep the nest clean or store away food. Others guard the entrances to the nest.

(Remember I told you...you can write a story about anything and everything.)

My Grandmother Hanson had a pet ant. This large and black creature appeared every morning for breakfast. Grandma fed it a bread crumb, just because it was interesting to watch. I never really knew when Grandma and the ant parted ways, but something came up and Grandma thought enough is enough.

Actually ants don't discourage easily. I recall my Aunt Ellen had the misfortune to have "grease ants." They were so tiny, they were almost invisible, and got into her sugar container. They were a most unwelcome force to deal with, as even one left in hiding seemed to bring in another band of warriors to contaminate her cupboard. 

As kids, my sister and I had an ant farm. It was a plastic see-into, photo-like contraption where we could watch them make tunnels and roadways every which way.

I noticed my peonies bloomed late this year. They didn't seem to open very well.

They depend on the ants to eat the "sticky stuff" from the buds so they can open. I suppose with all the rain we had this spring the ants weren't able to do that effectively.

When ants dig their nests in the ground, they help farmers by turning over the soil and breaking it up. This helps improve the land for growing crops.

Many ants kill insect pests such as termites. A certain kind of ant will kill the larvae of beetles that are harmful to crops.

Ants clean up on other bugs. They also dispose of the dead ones.

While we may think of ourselves as superior to ants, we could take a few lessons that would be protective in nature. Step on them and they rise again. They are efficient societies. 

They help raise crops. They protect and herd other insects and have the ability to follow scent trails for great distances. If they can outlive dinosaurs, I am sure they can outlive humans.

Fire ants are fierce protectors, fearing nothing — well, maybe chemicals.

But then again, I fear chemicals too. One wonders which is the worse of two evils.

Ants can learn more than most insects. They feed each other and work together. But, they cannot think and plan ahead as people do. 

Many ants will follow a trail that other ants have made. However, if the trail accidently goes in a circle, the ants do not know enough to leave it. They may keep walking around the circle until they fall dead. Incidentally, ants have no government.

You can learn a lot from an ant: to exercise unceasingly, and to make the best of what you have got. 

They work hard without tiring. They "outbug" the bugs they encounter and live long and busy lives.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, July 25th: Sue Hill, Kari Janka Hareid, Stan Mork, Ivy Oland, Ann Falksen, Rick Hagen, Cole Pospesel, Kristine & Jesse Routh.

• Friday, July 26th: CLARA WHITE, her 103rd BIRTHDAY, Jordyn Marie Wobschall, Kristine Broskoff Routh, Mark Bartness, Jane Osmundson, Amy Radke, Jean Smith, Scott & Cheryl Christensen.

• Saturday, July 27th: Ben Groth, Lori Dirksen, Nita Dooley, Mark Helmers, Nicki Spurr, Rick Spurr, Rhiannon Farr, Alison Underland, Dave Schulz, Kory Klecker, Lillian Rose Olson, Steve & Jinny Nielsen, Travis & Ashley Broskoff, Marguerite & Milton Nelson.

• Sunday July 28th: Mike Luhring, Kari Wayne, DeWayne Jensen, Dennis Jensen, Penny Jensen, Eric Lee, Christian Burnes, Donnie Turvold, Jim & Maryalice Hanson, George & Sue Stieglbauer, Gary & Emily Ayers, Melissa & Scott Michie, Ellie & Chad Schutrop.

• Monday, July 29th: Randy Dokken, Doug Flugum, Candie Underland, Jennifer Huber, Dory Hunt, Jim Misgen, Brent Jepson, Lorrell Beaber, Todd Wangen.

• Tuesday, July 30th: Tregg Hagen, Sarah Underwood, Levi Horvei, Trevin Andrew Stollard, Scott Briggs, Amy Hohansee VanderSyde, Gary Sloan, Cindy Vaith, Larry Jensen, Kay Cassen, Shane Christensen, Cindy Esplan, Dani Layland, Kurt & Kelly Krumwiede, Nathan & Lindsey Schlaak, Jerry & Tanya Blouin.

• Wednesday, July 31st: Zane Andrew Miller, Michelle Eaker Stevens, Coni Misgen Evenson, Lorie Paulson, Joan Mast, Brian & Pam Muri.

Hope you have a day filled with things that make you smile!

Freeborn County Fair memories

The Freeborn County Fair is just around the corner and I find myself wondering: how did it sneak up on us this fast? It seems like only yesterday we were waiting for the ice to go off of the lakes and now summer is on its downhill run.

Looking back to my days as a kid, anticipating the arrival of the fair was almost Christmas-like in my mind. I would work all summer mowing lawns and saving my paper route money for that big event. I mowed lawns for my uncle Orville Winjum to earn spending money for the summer. He mowed the rural pumping station lawns for Interstate Power. Each week we would load his two mowers on a trailer and take off for different towns around the area. We mowed the pumping stations in rural Albert Lea, Emmons, Wells, south of Twin Lakes, and New Richland. I included New Richland last because it was my favorite. The pumping station was right next to the drive-in and he always had it figured so that when we finished mowing, it would be lunch time and he would treat me to a burger or pronto pup basket along with a big frosty mug of root beer, which is still my favorite beverage today. Our family never ate out much so this was a real treat to a kid from rural Albert Lea.

Saving money for the fair was my goal each summer and by the time it would arrive, that money would be burning a hole in my pocket.

My friend Pat Smith and I would head to the fair days ahead of time to “scout” and see what new things had been done to make it an even better fair than the previous one. We could always tell when a building had been painted or if something new had been added. I guess we were pretty much “fair junkies” because we couldn’t wait for that magical time. We would usually ride our bikes to the fairgrounds and hang out all day inspecting every inch of the place, making sure it met our stamp of approval. There was this one particular time when Pat rode his pony/horse to my house and I jumped on the back and we were off on our initial inspection tour of the fairgrounds. His horse was a Welsh pony that he had named Scout after Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s sidekick’s horse. It was a pinto like Tonto’s horse but, unfortunately for me, he wasn’t overly fond of carrying an extra rider. We had ridden to the fairgrounds and spent a big chunk of the day and were on our way home when Scout decided he was tired of two riders and decided to rid himself of the extra passenger. After running through the ditch and bucking like a rodeo horse, he finally shed himself of the extra rider (me) and then stopped, looking at me as if he were giving me the horse laugh. This just reassured my suspicions that horses just didn’t really like me all that much. I was a little sore but overall none the worse for wear and although Pat encouraged me to “mount up,” I decided I was within walking distance of home and would keep my feet on the ground. That was one occasion when I felt safer not heeding the old “ism” about getting back on if you get bucked off.

The first day of the fair we would be there bright and early hoping to get some sort of odd jobs around the carnival. One year they had a new ride called the Mad Mouse and the guy setting it up asked us to fill his water jug and run some errands for him which resulted in a couple of free rides. There was this one time, however, when I helped a guy with his game stand and in return he gave me some free games which ultimately led to him bilking me out of all my hard earned fair money. That was a sad time for me because I couldn’t go to the fair without my own money. I can still remember laying upstairs in my bed with the window open and hearing the fair going on loud and clear without me! Can you feel the self-pity oozing out?

That was a life lesson indeed and if I learned anything it was that those games were not for me and maybe that’s why to this day I’ve never been much of a gambler. If I did help one of those carneys again I made sure it was someone who worked on a ride and paid you in tickets or cash. Lately I only attended the fair one day each year and that is to watch the grandkids show their 4-H projects. I still enjoy walking through the barns looking at the livestock, and every once in a while I’ll think of Patrick and the fun we had hanging out at the fair on those hot August days.

The down side of the fair was that as soon as it was over school was just around the corner. School meant my mother would take me to town for school supplies and new clothes. It was time for new shoes, socks and underwear along with two shirts and two pair of dress pants; blue jeans were not an option. To me the newness of the clothes wore off almost as fast as the excitement of the new school year. I attended Hammer School for grades 1-6 and I have to say those were my most enjoyable school years. The end of summer might have meant the beginning of school, but it was also the beginning of football, my favorite sport at the time. I have many good memories of Hammer School with its two classrooms and some very good teachers.

Until next time, enjoy the outdoors, maybe take in a fair or even do a little fishing.

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

"I fixed your kitchen sink, but I’ll need to be paid from the time I left home."

"That seems fair. When did you leave home?"

"When I was 18."

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: if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, it’s because their water bill is higher.

The news from Hartland

• Superman punches kitten as witnesses do nothing.

• Yesterday’s Meals on Wheels Septic Pumping Service opens for business.

• Dougie of Dougie’s Do-It-Yourself store asks that you kindly refrain from asking any of his employees for help.

Losing the Batt family fortune

You can lose money faster at a casino than you can lose pocket change in a recliner. I visited a casino not long ago, having never bet a cent at such an enterprise. I ended up betting a dollar in a penny slot machine. A slot machine is a cash redistribution system. It can take a long time to lose a dollar in one, but I managed. I’d be up a few cents, then down a few cents. Like most gamblers, my down overcame my up.

I noticed a couple I knew at the one-armed bandit next to me. In the midst of small talk, I was informed that the husband had recently taken a hearing test. The wife spilled the beans. I asked if his hearing had declined.

The wife replied, "He went from not listening to me, to being unable to listen to me."

Alas, poor broccoli

I stopped at a farmers market last summer. It was rightly called a "farmers market." It’s a descriptive phrase, not a possessive one. No apostrophe needed. I watched people examine fruit and vegetables. We each have a technique. Most folks frown at prospective produce purchases. I can’t remember the last time I saw someone smile at an eggplant. I hold produce near to my ear in case there is something it wants to tell me. Some look at a vegetable as if they’d never seen sweet corn before. Others hold a tomato as though they were thinking of something else. Yet others stare so intently at a green pepper in the hand that I expect them to spout the words of Hamlet, "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him." Shakespeare’s words are often misquoted as "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well." The actual quote is, "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at it."

That Hamlet could slobber a bib full. Hamlet said this in a graveyard as he looked at the skull of Yorick, a court jester he’d known as a child and for whom he grieved. Still, it might be worth saying it to a watermelon in order to determine its goodness.

Did you know?

• Sliced bread sold for the first time in 1928. 

• Gravity, Iowa has this motto, "If Gravity goes, we all go."

• The United States Postal Service introduced ZIP codes in 1963.   

Customer comments

• Harvey Berg of Waseca offered this wisdom, "Always get the cage before you get the bird."

• Loren Skelton of Missoula, Mont. sees signs reading, "Montana is full."

• Terry Sibilrud of Tavares, Fla. said, "It’s better to be seen than to be viewed." 

Nature notes

Elaine Seath of Hartland asked if mothballs repel deer. Mothballs are toxic if ingested, their vapors can cause health problems in an enclosed space, and they can be dangerous to pets. Mothballs should be used only to kill moths. According to Clemson University, mothballs don’t repel wildlife. A tall exclusion fence works best to deter deer. We try many things to curb deer — perfumed cotton balls, human hair, Irish Spring soap, hairspray, computer discs on wire, rotten eggs, predator urine, and fabric softener sheets. Hungry deer aren’t easily discouraged. A University of Nebraska study found mothballs to be the second least effective of 15 repellents tested. Only creosote ranked lower. The top three in effectiveness were a commercial repellent, meat meal containing animal residues, and chicken feathers. Some commercial repellents appear to work, but need to be applied often — especially after rain or heavy dew. Don’t use mothballs inside attics, crawl spaces, gardens, trashcans, or vehicles. Placing mothballs in an attic to repel squirrels usually results in a persistent and noxious odor and squirrels.

Meeting adjourned

Laugh when you can, apologize when needed, don’t hold grudges, and be kind always.