By CARRIE GILBERTSON

Staff Writer

The evening of Monday, July 1 was a time of history in the making. The Hartland City Council and Freeborn City Council held concurrent meetings at Hartland City Hall. The purpose of such an event was to adopt an alliance between the two, benefiting the residents of their communities.

The city of Hartland has long been working on the construction of a new water treatment facility. The old structure had ongoing problems for several years, and though it has been able to serve its purpose temporarily, the city knew that the functionality was not sustainable long term.

Last week I had a chance to head north to the cabin with Mark Runden to do a little serious fishing. The weather was pretty good with the exception of a little heat and rain early on. Enjoying time in the north woods is always a good time and this was no exception. Clear lakes, sunny weather and hot temperatures do not always make for the best fishing and although we caught fish the first part of the week, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. Catching fish is always the ultimate goal when venturing on a lake, but just enjoying the beauty of the area is sometimes the real reward. Although you can’t put beauty in a frying pan, the sights and smells of nature can sometimes be enough. During the week we saw plenty of wildlife and also caught a few fish.

I have never been an avid bass fisherman, but I do enjoy catching them whenever the opportunity arises. Such an opportunity came Wednesday night when we visited Mark and Sherry Anderson at their cabin east of Marcell on a little lake by the name of Three Island Lake. This lake has no access except for a walk-in which is a long portage from the road to the lake. We put our poles on Mark’s pontoon boat and headed out on the lake, which is teaming with smallmouth bass. This is an exceptionally clear lake, which to me just said “fish” when I first laid eyes on it.

I truly have to say there is probably nothing more fun than catching smallmouth bass on an ultra-light. We fished for a little over two hours and caught about 30 fish. Mark said this was actually slow fishing compared to other times. Slow to him was great fishing to me because I had forgotten just how much fun smallies were to catch. When I first started going to Spider Lake we would catch a lot of them, but in recent years they seemed to be harder to come by. Whenever we fished walleyes you could tell when you had a smallie on because the end of your line would be straight out and headed to the surface like a rocket. These fish love to jump out of the water when hooked, which makes for an awesome fishing experience, especially when using light tackle.

This was a lot of fun and I really appreciated Mark and Sherry’s hospitality and for sharing their lake with us for an evening.

After that awesome fishing experience, I decided we would try a little different approach on our last day of fishing. I have always said you have to be flexible and willing to try different tactics when it comes to fishing. I decided we’d try a lake I hadn’t fished yet this year and actually try to fish it a little different than I usually do, which is mostly trolling.

The weather was cool and pleasant but a little windier than I’d have liked. The wind was blowing straight down the lake so I thought we’d try drifting the shoreline on the windward side of the lake using ultra-lights and casting a jig and twister towards the shore as I controlled the drift with the motor. We found an open area with a sand bottom that produced some nice sunnies. After working that area for a while I decided to drift farther down the lake which produced some bass and northern and a few more sunnies. We managed to boat enough fish for a nice fish supper to top off our last night at the cabin. There’s just nothing better than a meal of fish fresh from the lake, and what better way to end the week.

Now is the time to take a hunter safety course

With the fall hunting seasons just around the corner, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) urges hunters to sign up now for a hunter education class.

“Though classes are held throughout the year, their numbers peak in the summer and early fall,” said Capt. Mike Hammer, DNR Enforcement Division education coordinator. “Now is the time to sign up and complete a course, because once the hunting season gets rolling, it might be too late.”

Minnesota hunters born after Dec. 31, 1979, must take a DNR hunter education firearms safety training course and receive a certificate of completion before buying a license for big or small game.

Classes fill fast. Find a class and sign up today or call 651-296-6157 or toll-free 888-646-6367.

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Until next time, take a little time to relax and enjoy a little fishing and watch a bobber as it bounces lazily in the breeze; it’s just a great way to experience the 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.

Do you have a secret desire that remains as a "want-to-do," but has also become something you just haven't had the time to do?

Too many people put off something that would bring them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't put it in their busy schedules, are too rigid to make it a routine, or are just waiting for the "the right time" or "when they can afford it."

Sometimes those reasons are legitimate. Sometimes they require a plan to save time and money.

However, often the excuses are just that, excuses that take away from the event at the time.

There's always those people we have to stop and visit and find ourselves letting time pass until it’s too late.

There are the things we will do in the spring, when the weather is better or when we're snowed in for a short vacation of work, like scrapbooking, picture books and journals.

My sister, Kaye, was one who on the spur of the moment would decide, "Let's go to the zoo," or some other place, and we quickly got everybody ready, packed a lunch and away we would go. We enjoyed the day without thought of the things we left home, undone.

They got done anyway, sooner or later, in one way or another. Many is the time we swooped into a greenhouse decorated for Christmas, or a grand opening for a new place — just for the fun of going. Sound childish? Maybe, but it was always worth it. Sometimes we need to think like children and take fun trips that lighten our day.

It is so important to go out and have a nice day, doing something you want to and not something you have to.

There's the phone, the computer, the pen and pencil and paper just waiting for you to get in touch with a friend, a relative you don't see often enough, a former friend from work or school. Why are you waiting? Tomorrow may be too late. It is nice to hear from others. It is so basic and simple.

It is so easy to say, "just a minute" as a "put off" to a child. A minute is more like a short lifetime to them.

Life is not a race. It is something to be enjoyed. Would you throw away a beautifully wrapped gift without even knowing what was inside? That is what happens when we lose these minutes in time.

While you are busy completing your schedule, you can make it fun-filled with happiness as well. Sing or hum a favorite song, or like they say, "I hope you'll dance."

If your saliva glands water at the sight of a super treat like a banana split or a root beer float, go for it. A diet isn't ruined for a day - just enjoy every spoonful along the way. Don't spoil it by thinking, "I shouldn't be enjoying this." Yes, you should.  You are worth it.

You will never regret the happy things in your life. What you will regret is not taking advantage of those opportunities.

Ellendale Days was such an event. It was hectic and work to get to all the places I needed to be, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The people I met or "re-met" were wonderful. The expressions on people’s faces and things they shared were great. And of course there were the children. Where can we learn these lessons any quicker or better than by observing children?

And there were the church communities. In all the churches there were special things I might not have found in another, though the basic premise was the same.

I recently read that a gal celebrated her 40th birthday by planning to do 40 good things for others this year. The tasks varied from little to big, simple or complicated, but I thought, what a wonderful way of celebrating her day and year. It gives us all something to think about.

My sister, Kaye, is here visiting from Arizona. I am going to enjoy every minute of it. I don't see her that often anymore. I just can't let the time slip away without the laughter and tears we have shared through the years.

Life with my sister will ever be a "zoo."

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, July 11th: Zoie Marie Jensen, Shirley Wallace Tennant, Nicholas Lee Shultz, Helen Scripture Schubert, Kelly Sauke, Nataniel Lizarazo, Michele Degan Reistad, Rochelle Thompson, Lisa Goodnature Noble, Christopher Olson, Jessica Mangskau, Elaine Peterson, Naomi Hemingway, Randy Borchert, Scott Knutson, Celina & Richard Drecher, David & Bonnie Jensen, Carrie (Thompson) & Danny Wichmann

• Friday, July 12th: Daniel Christensen, Kimberly Peterson, Rick Pelzl, Daryl Waltz, Herb & Lori Moon

• Saturday, July 13th: Megan Elizabeth Nowariak, Audrey Lillian Peterson, Marayah Mae Mortenson, Kolette Lageson Stevenson, Brenda Misgen, Sandra Cerney Collins, Joseph Adrian Parks, Ed Nelson, Cynthia Fuerniss, Dick Larson, Amber Anderson, Jean Johnson, Corey & Danielle Wangsness, Jason & Shannon Peterson

• Sunday, July 14th: Kallen Reed Rasmussen, Gavin Cole Halverson, Sharon Richards Lucas, Annette Hove, Madison Larkin, Dana Simonson, Jeff Kitzer, Jerry Langlie, Lee Cummins, Shane Davis, Peter Kasper, Roger Swearingen, Bethany & Ashley Ashton

• Monday, July 15th: Nathan Daniel Wayne, Nathan Joseph Bauers, Levi Peterson, McCoy LaVerne Schwierjohann, Thad Aaseth, Judd Aaseth, Stacy Seath Tempel, Lacinda Jensen, Vicki Utpadel Knudson, David & Kim Killian

• Tuesday, July 16th: Sue Stieglbauer, Hudson Mrotz, Kyle Ladlie, Jeff Helmers, Nancy Wilder, Kenny & Sarah Price, Dave & Deb Oeltjenbruns

• Wednesday, July 17th: Kaylee Christine Hanson, Merton Nelson, Ralph Diaz, Sandi Vangen, Victor Christenson, Larry Molenaar, Leslie Schwartz, Lisa & Bob Wayne, Kristine (Simon) & David Freitas

Wishing that each day is happier than the one before!

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

"I heard a noise in my kitchen in the middle of the night."

"What was it?"

"The leftover ham in the refrigerator."

"The leftover ham was making noise?"

"Not anymore."

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 you ever become lost, follow the first pizza delivery car you see. At least that way you'll have pizza.

I’ve learned

You don’t need Facebook to like things.

When it comes to half-truths, people usually remember the wrong half.

Locally grown pineapple tastes like corn.

The news from Hartland

Someplace Else Bar opens for those people who’d like to go someplace else.

Oops Tattoo Parlor opens and promises, "Tattoos while you wait."

Ug Lee’s Junkyard offers the insides of the rusting hulks of cars as mini-storage units. 

Ask Al

"Do you believe in Sasquatch?" Of course. It’s a common creature that steps in front of people while their photos are taken for driver’s licenses.

"Why would anyone eat insects?" It’s simple — more drumsticks.

"Why are sleeveless shirts called T-shirts?" Why not? They don’t come when they're called anyway.

The worst cold in history

I felt cold. I’m rarely chilly. That meant I had a cold. A summer cold. I put on warm socks and thought about eating horseradish on a wheat cracker. Had it been a foul tip that hit me, at least I could have rubbed a little dirt on it. I had chills, a headache, and aching joints. My wife wrote notes she presented to me at the end of a 10-foot pole. I felt like a cat, useless if I didn’t get my 23 hours of sleep each day. It was the worst cold in the history of mankind. It was. I looked it up. It was worse even than those TV commercials for lawyers. My appetite deserted me. I had a breakfast of ginger ale and roasted almonds. I was in no danger of foundering. I considered using leeches to restore my pluckiness. I opted for eating all the pineapple I could to combat the cold. I think that worked, but I tend to be right or wrong. I’m pretty sure I’m right about that. Or as my wife says, "That always happens sometimes."

Those thrilling days of yesteryear

I sat down on a beat-up metal chair outside the old farmhouse. The sun was still at work. I relaxed myself into becoming a passive solar collector. Whether the weather is cold or whether the weather is hot, we'll weather the weather whatever the weather whether we like it or not.

I was waiting for my date, who would later become my wife.

I could hear her mother talking, more than loud enough for me to hear, to her eldest daughter, "He doesn’t sound like a good boy."

"Oh, he is," my future bride protested. "If he weren’t, he wouldn't be doing 200 hours of community service."

It wasn’t all my fault. When I bugged my mother when I was a small boy, she’d say, “If you don’t stop it, I’m going to go crazy.”

My response was always, "I want to go, too, Mommy."

To an English teacher

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

To.

To who?

To whom.

Customer comments

Mike Bennett of Albert Lea is an avid golfer. He told me that he always shoots par. As soon as his score hits 36, he stops playing.

A reader from Madison, Wis. asked if I’d mention Delbert Willert and his 4-H project. The 16-year-old Lake Benton student researched the GSI Res-Q Tube. It’s a device used to free people from grain bins. It's a long, lightweight aluminum tube that separates into four panels that are pushed into the grain surrounding a trapped person. The tube keeps grain from burying a person so that rescue workers can do their jobs. Willert raised $17,000, enough money to buy one for every fire department in Lincoln County. His good work has already saved a life.

Nature notes

Mallard ducklings are precocial. That means they are able to feed and move about on their own shortly after hatching. They remain dependent on their mother for guidance, protection, and waterproofing for 42-60 days. Altricial birds are the opposite of precocial birds. They hatch naked, blind, and helpless. They are featherless except for sparse down. They move little and are dependent on their parents for care. Hawks, owls, jays, doves, robins, crows, and herons are examples of altricial birds.

Meeting adjourned

You can’t fix yourself by breaking someone else. Be kind.

“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.”

Those are the proper words I should have used the other morning. 

Instead, the vocabulary was that of my days in the U.S. Navy.

It had rained in Albert Lea just about every day since the first part of May. Most days were less than inches. We got 3-plus inches one day and then 4-plus inches two days later. ‘Twas then the swabbie language echoed through our house.

We have a stationary bicycle plus a treadmill in the basement. When the weather is nice, we walk outside. When the weather isn’t nice, Genie walks the treadmill and I ride the exercise bike 25 miles most mornings before breakfast.

The morning after the 4+ inches of rain, I head for the 25-mile ride on the exercise bike. The first step at the end of the stairs is “slosh-slosh” followed by swabbie language. After Genie comes running to see what I’m doing, I settle down. She decides what we must toss and what to try to save. I get out the Wet Vac, towels, fans, and dehumidifier and go to work. Genie goes to the Dollar Tree store in Albert Lea and buys six ‘Moisture Eliminator” containers that take out tough odors and traps excess moisture for a dollar each.

After five days the basement is back in order, I’m riding the exercise bike, and my U.S. Navy language is once again a thing of the past.

During all this wet weather there were two kinds of basements in Albert Lea. Some were dry and some were wet!

You know Clint Eastwood’s most famous saying: “Go ahead and make my day.” If you want to experience this, stop where you see the Floors 4-U van and check out the two questionable workers. (One is from Geneva, the other from Ellendale.) Just ask them if they know what they are doing. I stopped to ask while they were in the new library location in New Richland. Their answer was very questionable, but they did know they would be done before Farm & City Days in this weekend.

How do you know when you’re retired? When it takes all day to do a 10-minute job, and even then you might run out of time.

New Richland Police Chief Scott Eads is one sharp officer. He recommended, and the City Council approved, hiring Adam McKane as a new officer. How do I know the chief is one sharp officer? Because I have watched Adam McKane go from a young boy mowing our lawn and delivering the newspaper to a young man proudly wearing a police uniform.

Conrad Faugstad, AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, was my mentor and guru when I first started. Conrad taught me patience, and it will always work out. As of June 26, 2013 Conrad is now in that Mansion of Many Rooms with a room just for him. Conrad, thanks for all your help.

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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.