As promised, more winter stories:

I remember when my Dad and Grand Dad used to tell us about how they used to cut ice on the lakes in the winter. It was quite a process and hard work as they cut the blocks of ice with human power on the end of a saw. After chunks of ice were cut, they were put on sleds drawn by horses to transport them to the creameries and other places in town, as there was no refrigeration.

The icehouses usually weren't much to look at, but inside, the blocks of ice were stacked high and wide with sawdust recycled from the saw mill. It is hard to believe that ice could last the entire summer, keeping cream from souring or food from spoiling in ice boxes in homes. 

When the ice man cometh the kids came running to get chips of ice to suck on. The kids wiped the sawdust off on their britches and thought they had a great treat. Come to think of it, the crystal clear ice from the lake was probably more sanitary and chemical-free than some of the water now used.

Grand Dad said when the horses pulled the sleds of ice on the Steele-Waseca County line to the Bath creamery, they had to hook up another team of horses over the hill at the "Sullivan Corners" because it required more than one team of horses to sledge up over the steep hill. Once over the hill, the second team went on to its next destination.

Ice wasn't the only thing hauled by horses in the winter. The farmers had to get their cream to the creamery. 

There weren't snow plows a plenty and they weren't as good as they are now, so roads weren't always open or ready for travel shortly after new fallen snow. My grandpa hauled cream wearing his old sheepskin coat, wool cap with "ear flappers" and woolen mittens inside of leather choppers. The neighbors took turns hauling the milk to the creamery, but grandpa was the furthest north and had to go south to pick up cream cans from the neighbors before he went. 

Often times, it was faster and easier to cross the field rather than use the road. In the spring, there were fences to be repaired before the cattle were "let out to pasture."

Any groceries needed were picked up, as well as the mail, at the same time the cream was hauled to town. Mom remembers the grocery list included staples like oatmeal, yeast, sugar, and flour; the same things people cooked with back in the days of the "chuck wagons." 

Grandpa would often bring home treats, like horehound candy, Smith Brothers cough drops, Christmas candy and chocolate humps, or haystacks, as they were often called, which was Grandpa’s favorite candy. Back at that time, the smell of chocolate made my mom sick, so many of those treats weren't treats to her.

Mom’s favorite candies were hard, red raspberry candies in the Christmas mix and more or less, tasteless ribbon candy. Unless you got a piece of red cinnamon candy, most Christmas candy back then tasted the same — just sweet.

Bestemor, who was my mother’s grandmother, often made the grandkids a can of “pepper nuts,” a cookie, like nuggets, that were hard and peppery. They were a special Christmas treat. Depending on what country your family came from, the recipes were a little different, making them different sizes and more or less peppery.

Great Grandpa Christensen, Bestefar, as he was called by many, always looked forward to when the itinerant "fish man" came door to door in Geneva. His favorite was the dark, skinned herring, neither boned nor skinned. Grandpa kept them frozen until he would use them. Grandma Hanson would leave money and an order of what fish she wanted to buy with Bestefar, as the "fishman" didn't come to their farm.

He also liked cod. It came salted in a little wooden box. Thawed and soaked to get some of the salt out, it was creamed and poured over potatoes. Mom says that the last she knew you can still find it in specialty stores, only the price has greatly changed.

Bestemor was a good cook and Mom remembers Abelskiver, Cistakage, sugar cookies, sweet soup, chicken soup, and dark bread, among other things. Tea and coffee too, with lots of cream and sugar, drank with a spoon sticking up on one side of the cup. My Grandma Hanson drank cocoa the same way: with the spoon in the cup being held there by a thumb. Why? Who knows; habit, I guess.

Getting to school was the best way you knew how, even if it was by horseback. However, there was a "bus sleigh" of sorts, with tarp sides and Eisenglas plastic windows. If you were lucky, there was a foot warmer: heated bricks or stones.

My Aunt Helyn would walk from their farm about a mile and a half to the Gilbert Thorsen farm to catch the bus. Girls didn't wear jeans or long pants to high school back then, but many did wear cotton stockings, long underwear and woolen snow pants.

When my mother started high school, the buses were much smaller than they are now and she only had to walk down to the corner, which was about a quarter of a mile, to get on. She can still remember one time when the bus driver, Johnny Stadheim, turned the bus too short on the corner and got stuck and the kids all had to get out and push!

My dad enjoyed winters, and Mom can remember an old pair of wooden skis he had that he kept in our garage after we moved to Geneva. Evidently, they were too handy, and one day they disappeared. Dad also had a pair of snowshoes, while Mom and Dad lived at St. Olaf Lake. Mom said that they were hard to walk in, and they disappeared, too. My dad liked to try his hand at making fun little projects from time to time. He made a pair of ice grippers out of those metal brackets that they used to use on the joints when they made rafters. 

He used them while trying to get around on the ice. Many times, Dad was a little bit ahead of the times. Too bad he didn't market them; he may have become a rich man.

Mom also talks about one winter when they got so much snow that Henry Langie’s weren't able to get their door open from the inside. As a result, the boys went upstairs and opened one of the windows and were able to ski down the roof of their house. (Mike Marcus now lives were Henry Langlie lived back then, which was south and west of Ellendale, but the house has changed.)

My mother said that she had a picture of Bernice Thompson, who is Lois Johnson Aitchison’s mother, skiing behind the horse. Leighton Langlie and Howard Langlie got pretty good at this event as well and they would travel on down the road, as well as up and down in the neighborhood ditches, behind their horses too.

I can think of many years when we had epic snowstorms like those described by the "old-timers" and also years when we've had little snow. Since records have been kept, snowfall averages haven't changed much. 

That begs the question, "Has there been a change in the winters, or is it the fact that we are better able to deal with them now?" New and bigger equipment is a consideration, but nature is stronger than our ability to handle all she throws at us. If we do get "the big one," (snowstorm), we'll deal with it just like our rural relatives did: we'll stay at home, do some baking, take a nap, stay warm, find ways to entertain ourselves, and deal with it when it blows itself out.

Birthdays and Anniversaries:

• Thursday, March 21st: Amy Foster, John Krell, Doris Krause, Trent Steven Pence, Kelly Marie Dobberstein, Phillip Ingvaldson, Pam Farr, Kent Paulson, Diane Marlin, Kelly Nelson, Glea Hyland, Doris Krause, Brody Grunwald, Darrell & Cindy Farr.

• Friday, March 22nd: National Goof Off Day! Gordy Carroll, Brenna Lynn Hagen, Shannon Johnson, Karin Lieberg, Bob Sommers, Leah Elaine Bergerson, Jerry Peterson, Nancy & Jerry Walterman, Dennis & Glenda Blouin.

• Saturday, March 23rd: Chris Newgard, Penny Obermoller, Alan Edwardson, Troy Johnson, Troy Wagner, Jason Dwight, Alexi Jo Kitzer, Alex Dobberstein, Delaney Sue Vander Syde, Alexander James Thompson, Peter Bergerson, Chris Rutheford, Phyllis Anderson, Glea & DeLores Hyland, Rick & Liz Wangsness.

• Sunday, March 24th: Gail Ottesen, Seth Chad Staloch, Dave Meixner, Kurt Hanson, Laurie Phagan, Lucetta Kermes, Wes & Ruth Neidermeier, Angie & Cory Klemmensen, Tony & Sandra Tonsing, Lonna & Dean Broitzman

• Monday, March 25th: Brad Hagen, Michelle Ritz, Pam Anderson, Faith Jensen, Tom Marlin, Trevor Loverink, Bernice Farr Mattson.

• Tuesday, March 26th: Nikita Zelpha Peterson, Mary Lou Faldat, Jackie Draayer, David Hanson, Ray Coxworth, Lonnie Misgen, Ginger Cornelius, Dillon Hanson, Daryl Jensen, Duane Morreim, Amy Dobberstein, Marge Wobschall, Mary Lou Spurr, Gerrit & Jean Molenaar, Jeff & Robin Christensen, Jennifer & Matthew Dinneen.

• Wednesday, March 27th: Kim Weckwerth Farr, Jim Ottesen, Verona Winegar, Tom Lund, Tina Jensen Wangen, Jodi Loverink, Neil Born, Ralph Randall, Todd & Sheri Utpadel, Wes & Julie Schroenrock.

It is your special day, get carried away.

It’s funny how the weather can play tricks on a person at this time of the year. The temperatures may only be in the low 20’s but if the sun is shining, it can generate a lot of heat giving one the idea that it is a lot warmer than it actually is. Just a thought; but one that certainly seems to hold true.

Every so often, as I drive past the neighborhood where I spent my youth, I’ll start thinking about the old gang and the fun we had as kids growing up north of town. Now when I call it a “gang,” it is not in the same sense that we refer to “gang” in today’s world. 

In some instances when I reflect back on those days, it’s almost as if I can still hear the constant chatter that we kids made while playing some game in the backyards of the neighborhood.

One of the nearby neighbors had (verbally) posted that no kids were allowed to cross his yard. Now telling a bunch of kids that had energy to burn not to step on your yard was usually taken as a challenge. 

After many years of coaching youth hockey, I’ve learned one thing: kids will always test the waters to see how much they can get away with. Luckily, even as an “old guy,” I can still remember my button pushing days and how much fun it was to walk on the edge.

I have to think that at times we were pretty mischievous in a harmless sort of way. There were the times, like Halloween, when we’d take pleasure in soaping the windows of someone that sat in the dark with the lights out so they didn’t have to pass out candy. We never damaged anyone’s property because that would be disrespectful, but there was the occasional burning brown paper bag of goodies on the front steps.

Neighborhood ballgames were always something that we looked forward to. Summer was the time for baseball, and although I never owned a baseball glove, I still played. The kids from the other team would let the ones without gloves use theirs when it was time to be in the field. We played quite a bit of baseball and it never seemed to be a problem.

Football was my favorite sport. I had a good football, shoulder pads and a helmet. As kids, we picked our favorite player of the time and be “that guy” for at least that day. 

If two kids wanted to be the same player, one would eventually agree to wait until the next game to be that guy. I had a Tobin Rote football. (He was a quarterback for the Lions and was my favorite player at the time, probably because his name was on my “official NFL” football.)

Before the Vikings came along, I was a big Bears fan; Harlan Hill, a tight end, was my favorite receiver and Bill George, middle linebacker, my favorite defensive player. You didn’t really need a helmet and pads for our backyard football games, but I had them because it made me feel like a “real” player. 

In reality, we were all real players as long as we were playing the game. The games were always tackle because touch was for “sissys,” and tackle was about just getting someone to the ground; not destroying them. 

Those were the fun times that I really enjoyed as a kid and any time that I could talk three or more kids into joining in, we’d be doing it year ‘round. Playing in the snow and mud was always the most fun because it made a kid feel like a real player not just a kid in the back yard. Washing those muddy clothes was also a job opportunity for Mom who never seemed to look at it in quite the same light that I did.

We played our big games on Saturdays and it was usually the kids south of Hammer versus the kids to the north. When we played on the north turf it was usually in the Boyer’s backyard and the south games were played in mine. 

Some Saturdays we’d organize a “Really Big Game” with kids from outside the neighborhood. Whether it was baseball or football, those games were usually played at Hammer School which had plenty of room for a big time game. Those non-neighborhood games usually involved older kids so there were times when we were overmatched because most of us were all at about the same age. It was usually always a good time even when the visitors brought their own rules. 

One thing about kids playing games outside in those days; there was no rulebook to follow and the rules were sometimes different depending on whose interpretation was used. It was great to be a kid back then and we didn’t even have any electronics to help us have fun.

— — —

While talking about football – how about those Vikes! They’ve really been hitting the free agent market to shore up the team. They got rid of Percy Harvin to build for the future; but rest easy fans because they re-signed old what’s his name the wide receiver and Aaron Henderson the linebacker. Super Bowl here we come!

Until next time, get outside and enjoy a winter walk or just take a drive in the country and enjoy the beauty of 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.

A fictitious account:

I had not seen Old Foolish Fan since last summer, and I was a little worried about the old codger. Someone even stopped me in the street concerned about his whereabouts and also asked where the phrase "You mean" had come from. It seemed that it was almost magical in getting past the blather and bull roar of a typical big-time athlete’s response to questions.

My answer: Old Foolish Fan had probably first come across the phrase on a radio program in the late ‘40s. A popular comedian, Fred Allen, used it. 

He had a weekly feature called "Allen’s Alley" in which Allen strolled through an alley asking questions of the neighbors such as Titus Moody, a dour New Englander. The question would be asked, followed by a long winded answer. Fred would then say "You mean" and give a short simple truthful answer. It worked for Allen and it seems to work for Old Foolish Fan.

The other day, I celebrated my birthday at the Branding Iron with my wife and two sons.  On the way out, I saw Old Foolish Fan sitting in the lounge. He looked fit and tan. 

I asked if he had been to Minnesota’s spring training talking with some of the Twins. He said he had. I wondered if he would share some of the information he had garnered. Old Foolish Fan was a little hesitant at first, but after I offered to buy him a beverage, he asked us to sit down.

He had talked with Manager Ron Gardenhire and the following was the gist of their conversation.

OFF: “Tell me Mr. Gardenhire, how does the future of the team with you remaining as their manager look?”

Gardenire: “I am really encouraged by what I see this spring. It’s a little early to tell, but we are rounding into shape and looking toward the start of the season. As far as my future is concerned, I don’t have any worries and am just pleased that I have had these years with this fine organization.”

OFF: “You mean?”

RG: “I just hope I can hang on ‘til next year.”

Josh Willingham was through pounding balls into the left field stands during batting practice and was getting ready to take his place in left field for some fielding practice.

OFF: “You know Josh, there is an old story about Ted Williams playing left field with Dominick DiMaggio in center. Whenever a ball was hit anywhere near left center, Ted would holler ‘You take it Dommy.’ “Tell me Mr. Willingham, how do you feel about your possible new centerfielder Aaron Hicks?”

Josh Willingham: “The centerfielder is the captain of the outfield and I look forward to working with another good fielder out here.”

OFF: “You mean?”

JW: “You take it, Aaron.”

Old Foolish Fan was able to find Terry Ryan in his office to ask a very important question.

OFF: “Can you tell me what you feel is the future of the Twins’ program?”

Terry Ryan: “We have had what I believe to be a successful off-season. There is promise for the future in the air. However, we look toward having a very interesting and competitive team on the field this season.”

OFF: “You mean?”

TR: “Keep buying those tickets.”

I wish we could have talked longer with Old Foolish Fan, but his beverage was finished and he looked anxious to be on his way. We bid him farewell until next time.

Echoes from the Loafer’s Club Meeting

"I didn’t get any sleep. My wife twisted my nose all night."

"Is she mad at you?"

"No, she dreamed that she’d forgotten to turn off the water in the sink."

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: people tend to fall back when they first spring ahead.

I've learned

To check for toilet paper first.

Yours is never the weirdest family.

If you are worried about getting a disease from biting insects, don’t bite any.

The times they are a-changing

I’ve watched a number of basketball games from rock-hard gym seats this year. Few players wear eyeglasses anymore.

I went to a funeral to pay respects to the deceased. There, I was reminded that if I want to see a necktie, I should look in my closet.   

In a hotel room, I watched a few minutes of "Gunsmoke" on TV. It was an episode starring Festus more than Matt Dillon. I prefer Festus to Chester for reasons I cannot explain. The old western’s Dodge City was much different from anything today, but one of the most noticeable differences was the complete lack of beeping.

Ask Al

"How do I find north when I’m in the woods?" Face south and then turn around quickly.

"How far do you live from town?" Three or four miles, depending upon the traffic.

"What would you do if the boat you were in started leaking?" I’d put a pan under it.

My neighbor

My neighbor Still Bill, he’ll allow anyone to use his snow shovel to clear his walk, has a brother who was married recently. Still Bob, the brother, tied the knot with a girlfriend of longstanding. We were all at a basketball game in Mankato. Somehow, his wife brought the conversation around to how nice it was that they were doing something together, instead of Still Bob spending all his time in an ice fishing shack. She suggested that he retire his ice auger.

Still Bob was stunned. He fell silent. She asked, "Darling, what’s wrong?"

"You sounded just like my ex-wife," replied Still Bob.

"Ex-wife!” she screamed, "You never told me that you were married before!”

"I wasn’t!"

Talk nice

Daniel Otten of Hayward said that his aunt told him, "Whenever many Ottens get together, nothing good happens."

 She had a point. Families gather to find comfort after a death. That was true in this case. Daniel’s uncle had died.

My mother was fond of saying, "It’s a shame he had to miss his funeral. It would have been good had he heard all the nice things people said about him."

That is the truest of cautionary tales. We need to make an effort to say nice things to those important to us.

Right before Daniel’s uncle died, he’d told his family, "Don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right."

Comforting words.

Teatime

I stopped at a fast food restaurant to get a cup of hot tea. It wasn’t my favorite tea, but it was better than none. The person ahead of me purchased a numbered meal and paid for it with cash pulled from a battered wallet held together by duct tape. The cashier gave the customer change. The man counted his change twice and was about to do it a third time when the cashier asked, "Is it all there?"

The man put his money away and grumbled, "Barely."

Cafe chronicles

The old stove was battered. There had been a run on pancakes. My nose rejoiced. Why can’t more foods smell like bacon? I feel like I belong a little bit in many places, but the smell of bacon in a small town cafe tells me I’m home. A place where I find foods that I’d forgotten I’d liked; foods that could be reasoned with--not too spicy. Patrons who remember what it was like before they were held up at the point of a gas pump. Men who are willing to teach more than they know. Where everyone gets a slice of the baloney.

"These pancakes are fluffy, yet crispy. Golden brown and delicious," said a diner.

"You like them?" said the surprised waitress.

"Well, they could be rounder."

Congratulations

To not only the NRHEG Panthers girls’ basketball team, but to all the students of that fine school. You make us proud.

Did you know?

In a University College London study, participants chose a new behavior that could be repeated daily. On average, it took 66 days to make it a habit. 

Nature notes

Melting snow reveals narrow runs of meadow vole trails across lawns. 

Meeting adjourned

The best exercise for the heart is an act of kindness.

On a Tuesday morning blizzard day, four young-at-heart old guys went on a pilgrimage. The problem was to keep the van in between the ditches as we headed to that great Mecca, home of many walleyes, known as Lake of the Woods.

Paul Proft of Owatonna, Bob Goetz of Austin, Ray Thompson of Frederic, Wisc., and Bob Hanson of Albert Lea were the four excellent fishermen in the van. (Our rating has dropped to Not-So-Good fishermen after this pilgrimage.)

The four of us had four things in common: 1. Lutheran; 2. Health issues; 3. An excellent wife; and 4. Lacking in common sense, as per the Highway Patrol we should not have been traveling.

After nine-plus hours on the road, our great driver Paul Proft pulled into Walleye Retreat Resort. Paul managed to keep the van in between the ditches, even though the drivers of a lot of other vehicles did not.

Terri and Pete, owners of Walleye Retreat Resort, greeted us at the lodge door. They questioned our intelligence, as the rest of their reservations had canceled. They informed us that, seeing as how we were number-one fishermen, we would be staying in Cabin #1. The bombardier driver, Tony, would be picking us up each morning at 7 a.m. to take us to the heated, holes-open, ready-to-go fish house.

How many of you readers can say you have had hot pizza with pop delivered to you by a bombardier while you’re in a fish house? We traded a sack of corn each noon for pizza and had pop delivered by Tony. (Tony looks, talks, and acts just like his Canadian counterpart, Red Green, without the “eh.”)

In two days of fishing, we kept 13 walleye and sauger – not very good compared to our other times at Lake of the Woods. The fish were on the small side (all less than 13 inches). Ray managed to catch a small walleye with the hook from each of his two lines in its mouth at the same time (you’re allowed to fish with two lines). Bob Goetz tried to catch a huge Northern that managed to tangle two other lines at the same time. The net result? No Northern caught while stealing Bob’s Little Jig lure!

We calculated the cost of the 13 fish we kept at $80 per fish. We were very happy that we didn’t catch any more, as that was very spendy per fish. Ray pointed out that at least $75 per fish was for esprit de corps. Thus, we all felt better!

We drove over to the Amusement Center in Warroad to see the dome roof. The admission was free, but to get out was not. It is the only casino in Minnesota with a domed roof. They are building a new casino to open in 2014.

On County Road 8, driving by Walleye Retreat Resort, we saw huge owls just at dusk. Tony told us they were feasting on grouse nightly. We also saw a fisher cross the road in front of the van as we were driving.

Trivia You Must Know – Rick Jeddeloh is in charge of Daffodil Days selling in the area. Rick’s dad, Mel Jeddeloh of Waseca, is a faithful reader of this column.

Last but not least – NRHEG Girls’ Basketball team, two years in a row! Wow!

———

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.

After this past week’s cool conditions, the scurs are wondering if Mother Nature’s thermostat is broken. Will the repairman arrive to repair it anytime soon? Starting with Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs in the upper teens and lows around 5. Mostly sunny for Thursday and slightly warmer. Highs in the low to mid-20s and lows around 10 above. Partly cloudy and warmer for Friday with highs in the mid to upper 20’s and lows of 15 – 20. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow. Highs around 35 and lows near 20. Cloudy Sunday with another slight chance of snow. Highs again in the mid-30s and lows of 25 – 30. Mostly cloudy Monday with a chance of snow. Highs inching close to 40 and lows around 30. Partly sunny on Tuesday with highs in the low to mid-40’s and lows near freezing. The normal high for March 20th, the first day of spring is 42 and the normal low is 24. The scurs are predicting with the vernal equinox upon us once more hens will be crabby while setting on all those eggs standing on end. 

Yes, the first day of spring is happening and that’s going to be about it. Looking longingly at last year, many are of the opinion that this could be a late spring. Well, at any rate it’ll be later than last year. As we’ve mentioned before, radishes were planted on St. Patty’s Day and I can recall grilling lamb chops on the grill in my T-shirt. The relatively minor amount of small grain was going in the ground as it should’ve been. Some corn was put in the ground in late March, although reports were mixed on its performance. Corn planted the first week in April seemed a much safer bet! Last week’s snowfall was indeed a wet one with another .95” of water melted out of it. Much of that still remains on the frozen soil surface, so while it benefits streams and wetlands, it does little to recharge soil moisture for crops. You can bet it will still make for some messy road conditions though.

I should’ve guessed on the morning of the 11th that spring was a ways off yet when walking across the yard to the barn. A relatively large group of snow and blue geese was overhead, winging their way south! Their higher pitched call made their identification easy and the intermixing of older blues (dark bodies, white heads and necks) had me recalling my early post-college days living in the flyway in North Dakota. Always a sight to see the hundreds of thousands making their way south. But wait! That used to be in October and November! 

Around the yard, rooster pheasants continue to make their presence known in the plum and sumac thicket, probably great grandsons of Little Jerry by now. One rooster was in the ash tree outside the sliding glass window so after grabbing the camera he naturally high tailed it out of there so no photos. There are at least two pair of cardinals visiting under the feeders during the day and they’re often there until after the sun sets. The redpoll numbers appear to be starting to tail off somewhat. I hope so. Spring needs to spring and they’ve eaten a lot of thistle seed. Kestrels were spotted in the area so I need to get to the wetland area yet to get some spring housecleaning done in the wood duck house they’ve staked a claim to the past several seasons.

The skunk finally met its maker on Saturday. After Fudgie had a close call with our uninvited stinky guest in the barn as I was feeding lambs, it strengthened my resolve to do away with the pest. I secured the area, making sure the skunk was no longer in the barn, then I cracked some eggs into the live trap upon the advice of my trapping consultant. Sure enough, a few mornings later, there was skunk odor emanating from the granary. Peeking around the sliding door, it was obvious to me the trap had been sprung. Chores were done first and then I morphed into commando mode. 

I grabbed my trusty blunderbuss, chambered three shells, then quickly slid the granary door open. Yep, it was the skunk all right and a big one at that. I had beforehand attached about 30 yards of bale twine to the trap so I could pull it out in the open and get a good shot at it. I’d heard if you put a cover over the skunk so they can’t see you they won’t spray. However, I wasn’t taking any chances on getting that close. As I pulled the trap out of the granary the critter became agitated, letting loose an enormous cloud of spray. The stench was putrid, almost nauseating, even though I was well upwind. When the trapped skunk was where I wanted it I pumped a #4 20-gauge shell into the enemy, dropping it like a sack of dirt. I muttered a few invectives in the direction of the conquered and went inside to let the air clear before disposing of it. As I told one of my little fat buddies earlier in the week, I’ve never felt bad about shooting a skunk. Still don’t.

Lambing thundered along last week to the point where we only have about four ewes left to lamb. There was even a set of triplet ewe lambs born but what to name them? They’re a novelty and fortunately the ewe is raising all of them. Thus far they haven’t needed any help from a bottle. The barns have been getting full and the weather needs to break one of these days so we can let all of the ewes with new lambs outside. 

Congratulations to the NRHEG basketball girls on winning the Class AA championship! While we were unable to attend the tournament games, we faithfully listened on the radio or watched them on TV. After all, our neighbor girls were playing and leading the team to victory. Probably the most impressive thing about their big win came on Sunday morning; they were all in church at 9 a.m.  As Mrs. Cheviot said, I think we found names for the set of triplet ewe lambs, namely Carlie, Maddie and Marnie. Way to go girls! Kudos on your tremendous accomplishment! We don’t name sheep after just anyone.

See you next week…real good then.

When Jade Schultz and Carlie Wagner got moved up to the varsity basketball team in 8th grade, I happened to wear a sweater vest on a home game day. Being the wonderful kids they are, they naturally mocked and ridiculed my “new look.”

They won that game. It just happened that I wore the sweater vest later in the season, and they also won that game. The following season, when I wore it for the home opener, those two hooligans laughed about it. Then they won again.

Since then, I have worn a sweater vest to school on home game days, and we haven’t lost a home game since.

Isn’t it amazing the superstitions we hold? Does my sweater vest do anything to help the girls’ basketball team win? Of course not, but it becomes a state of mind. I make sure I find Jade and Carlie every day when there’s a home game, just to make sure.

When I found out the Panthers were the home team for the state championship, I wasn’t taking any chances; the sweater vest had to go to Target Center. After all, as the commercial says, “It’s only crazy if it doesn’t work.”

Anyone ever involved in sports has had superstitions. In basketball, you probably had the same routine before every free throw, the same before an at bat in baseball or softball. What happened if you deviated from that routine? Well, if you didn’t have success, you knew what to blame.

Even in everyday life, many of us have these obsessive-compulsive tendencies. If our morning routine is ruptured in some way, we fear we’ll have a bad day. It shouldn’t matter if I shower before I eat breakfast, should it? Again, it’s all a state of mind.

I had an interesting set of occurrences this past week or so. The Friday of the sectional final basketball game, I was walking toward the offices of the Star Eagle when I noticed a penny on the sidewalk. Even though it was tails up, I picked it up and put it in my pocket. The girls demolished St. Peter to advance to state.

A funny thing happened on Wednesday, the day of the opening round of the state tournament. I had some students in Mankato at a writers’ conference. Walking through a parking lot, I saw a penny on the ground. Again, it was tails up, but I picked it up anyway, and I now had two pennies in my pocket. Despite some struggles in the first half, the Lady Panthers pulled away to a good win that night against Pelican Rapids.

Despite my best efforts looking, I didn’t find any pennies Friday or Saturday. In my superstitious mind, that explains why we had to work so hard to win those games. The funny thing is that on our way into the school Saturday evening to celebrate a state championship, my daughter noticed a penny lying on the sidewalk. Yup, tails up.

Why do we believe in these things? It’s probably because we really don’t have much control over a lot of things, and we feel this gives us a little more of that control. No matter how much we anguished over every lead change or official’s call we didn’t agree with, we couldn’t change what was happening on the floor. But by golly, I had my lucky pennies and my sweater vest, so we couldn’t lose! Yeah, that’s real control!

I feel like I’ve said so much the past week about our Lady Panther state champion basketball team. However, it deserves to be said again: these ladies represented NRHEG so well in so many ways. Not only are they the best team in the state, but they are the nicest, most respectful group of student-athletes you will find in the state as well. Congrats, girls, and thanks for letting us tag along for the ride!

Oh, and I may have to go shopping to expand my sweater vest selection for next year…

Word of the Week: This week’s word is schadenfreude, which is pleasure derived from the misfortune of others, as in, “NRHEG fans felt much schadenfreude when Braham’s leading scorer fouled out of the game and the Panthers won the state championship.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

Nothing can stop NRHEG in thrilling state tourney

WE WIN! — NRHEG girls’ basketball players and fans erupt after the final buzzer in Saturday’s unforgettable 60-59 triumph over Braham for the Class AA state championship at Target Center in Minneapolis. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

MINNEAPOLIS – The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva girls’ basketball team overcame some incredible odds to win its first state championship last week. It was the third time and second straight state tourney appearance for the Panthers. 

NRHEG had to overcome the loss of two starters, plus three average shooting nights, to win three consecutive games and close out a second straight outstanding season with a Class AA title. 

Leading the charge, as usual, was the stellar play of junior Carlie Wagner. “The Dagger” averaged 43 points per game at the tourney, breaking last year’s record scoring pace of 112 points by 17 points this season. She also set five other state tournament marks. 

By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

Some things are so sad they are hard to talk about.

A 2-year-old child died in an apparent farm equipment accident on private property in rural Hartland Friday, March 15. Community wide thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Benjamin Albert Fenton, who was born on January 25, 2011, to Albert and Shelly Fenton of Matawan.

Whether we knew him or not, shock, and disbelief stay with all of us as we mourn the life of a young child taken so quickly. Today, the thoughts and prayers of the entire community go out to the parents. 

The following information was gleaned from talking with the Freeborn County Sheriff's Department. The mother was ill and like most little boys, Benjamin was more than happy to go with his dad to work.

 

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The incident took place at 32603 670th Avenue, rural Hartland, according to the Freeborn County Sheriffs' office. Initial reports indicated that a skid loader was involved.

Benjamin’s father was operating a Bob Cat skid loader and was moving snow for a friend. The cab was completely enclosed and at no time did Benjamin ever fall out, but instead was hit accidently in the head by the operating arm.

Albert Fenton was able to drive the child to the Hartland Fire Department while calling 911.

A Freeborn County Deputy said, "The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Department, the Hartland Fire Department, New Richland Ambulance and Gold Cross Ambulance crews all responded and provided medical assistance. They had called for a medical helicopter, but weather made its use impossible. Benjamin was taken to Mayo Health Systems in Albert Lea where he was pronounced dead.”

Only three years ago, the family lost another son in a tragic ATV accident.