Fox Sports North and the Minnesota Twins sponsored a two-hour fan press conference or, as they called it, Town Hall Meeting.

First up were Ron Gardenhire, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Mauer and Morneau contributed the usual professional athlete speak. They were feeling good physically, expected the team to contend and were working hard in anticipation of a good year.

Gardenhire was his usual affable self until questioned about the re-signing of Matt Capps. He grew emphatic as he defended the Capps signing, stating the reliever was a good man and provided a good presence in the clubhouse. He strongly maintained that Capps was injured, but kept taking the ball when called upon and going out and pitching when needed. It looked to me that one of the reasons Capps was signed this year was a reward for last year — which is not in keeping with the Twins and all of baseball’s philosophy about money.

Speaking of money and the spending of it, the second hour of the Town Hall Meeting had Twins’ President Dave St. Peter, owner Jim Pohlad and General Manager Terry Ryan on the podium. The first question from the floor was, "Why were the Twins able to spend $115 million last year on team payroll and only $100 million this year?" Pohlad’s answer was that last year was an aberration. 

St. Peter jumped in to mention the Twins were in the top 10 in Major League Baseball payrolls last year and are only able to spend $100 million this year. Not knowing whether to believe St. Peter about last year, I looked it up. He was right. 

The Twins were tenth in baseball’s payroll list. If they were paying this year’s $100 million, they would have ranked 15th in 2011. This amount is particularly impressive when television contracts are considered. The Yankees receive around $80 million as do the Texas Rangers. And it is thought the Los Angeles Angels may be around $150 million per season. In comparison the Twins just signed a contract for $29 million a year. That is a big deficit to overcome and explains some payrolls larger than the Twins. Never thought I would be defending the Twins’ spending or lack of it, but there it is.

The discussion did not stray far from money, which could be expected as the money men were on the podium. When I first thought about this column, I was leaning toward writing how money dominated baseball and the Twins. But after thinking about last year and the re-signing of Capps this year, I have revised my thinking to a degree.

The Twins spent $15 million over their normal limit last year. They did it because they had hopes of winning it all, not to make more money. Granted, that would have generated additional income, but it also would have driven up players’ salaries. The Twins’ administration got caught up in finally getting out of the playoffs and winning the World Series. That’s why the abysmal showing last year compounded the disappointment for Twins’ fans, administration and players.

The Twins organization did its best to reach a goal. To put it in a romance mode, they "shot for the stars." They didn’t succeed. In fact, they were far from it, but the attempt is really all we can ask.

Nevertheless, I still believe there is romance in the game all the way from the young fan in the left field stands with his or her cap on backwards hoping for a rally, to Dave St. Peter at his desk.

We can look forward to Spring Training with its promise. Take your son, daughter or any youngster to see the Twins and pass on your love of the game to the next generation. This summer can again be about romancing the Minnesota Twins.

Here it is February already and we await the return of that once-a-year meteorologist, Punxsutawney Phil, to tell us if we will have an early spring. I am no weather man, but it sure feels like it’s been spring for most of the winter. Like so many of us die-hard Minnesotans, I am waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. I know most of us feel in the back of our minds we will pay dearly for this unseasonably warm winter weather we have been experiencing. All that I can say is “savor the moment” and enjoy.

Last weekend was actually a perfect one for outdoors activities. The parks were open; temperatures were in the 20s so conditions were perfect for some outdoors activities like skating or fishing. It was a great time for a little ice fishing, so my grandson Trevor asked his grandpa if he’d like to do a little fishing on Saturday afternoon. I jumped at the offer and was rewarded not as much by the fish, but by the opportunity to spend some quality time with my oldest grandson. I told Trevor he was paying me back for all the times I had taken him, his brother and cousin fishing at the channel or other places on Fountain Lake. 

Most of my time was spent retrieving bobbers from tree branches or trying to “horse” a sunken tree branch out of the bottom of the lake without breaking the line. This was all part of the learning experience for the grandkids, not to mention Grandpa.

There were times when I didn’t understand why they couldn’t just cast it out and leave it alone until the fish were willing to bite. Trevor was never satisfied with that; he always had to be casting or changing lures at even a young age. Luckily, he didn’t listen to Grandpa that much because he has indeed turned into quite a fisherman.

For quite a few years before buying our land up north, he tagged along to the camper we kept on Lake Tetonka. He was always fishing, but if he went over to the lake on his own, he had to always wear his life jacket. Even then, there was a good chance he would come back with at least wet feet. He was never satisfied to sit on the dock and fish; he’d make his way along the shore looking for that perfect fishing hole.

When we first had our place up north, Trevor, his grandma and I made quite a few trips up there. He and I would usually be the ones who went fishing, but his grandma also went along on quite a few of our excursions to different lakes. One of the most memorable was on a little lake not too far from our place where grandma caught about an 8-lb. northern. 

I think Trevor was just as excited for her as she was to catch it. Although I’ve caught muskies in the 20-lb. class, I’ve never caught a northern bigger than 9 lbs. This fall, Trevor surpassed my family record with a 10-plus-lb. pike.

There are times when I think back to my childhood and remember how I would dream about going up north fishing or to some remote wilderness lake in search of fish that had not seen another living person. The stories and articles I read in various outdoors magazines always kept my dreams alive, especially during the winter months. 

My only ice fishing experiences as a youth were when the folks would take me to Beaver or St. Olaf Lake for their annual ice fishing contests. The folks dropped me off at the contest and mom would make sure I was set up. After doing so, they made their escape to the store/tavern to socialize with friends. My mother would stop back periodically to check on me to see how I was doing and make sure I was O.K.

Back then, there were no snowmobile boots, just five-buckle overshoes, chopper mittens, long johns, snow pants and a parka which were the warmest clothes I had. There was no such thing as Thinsulate or Gortex, just layers of cotton and wool. 

After a couple of hours on the ice, my feet would start to tingle. Once they got chilled, you may as well call it a day because the cold would go all the way through. The sacrifice was well worth it however, because if you were lucky you might just land a 5 or 6-inch perch. It wouldn’t do much for your place in the contest, but at least it was a fish.

It’s funny, but understandable how a fish of any size can seem like a trophy to a kid. Kids don’t have to catch that “record” fish. They just need to catch fish. I guess I was reverting back to my childhood the other day when fishing with Trevor because catching just a couple of small perch while spending quality time with my oldest grandson felt awfully good to me. It was a great time fishing on Fountain Lake with him. I think it made me feel a little younger, almost like that kid again. That is just another great memory that I will always have to cherish.

MUSKIE TALK

The February meeting of Crossroads Chapter of Muskies Inc. was February 8 at the Eagles Club in Owatonna. Meetings include informative speakers, up dates, door prizes and raffle. and lots of muskie talk and ideas.

Coming events:

• Saturday, Feb.11— Cabelas kids ice fishing day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Need members to help. 

• Saturday Feb. 25th — Keep this day open. Our first chapter Bait Makers Expo, and lure Swap at Eagles in Owatonna. You may find a something different or a hard to find lure you have been looking for. Open to public 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Adults $3 admission.

Our regular meetings are second Wednesday of each month. Anyone interested in muskie fishing always welcome. Check our Web site for more info at www.michapter54.com. Need not be a member to attend. Bring a friend, help us improve muskie fishing in Southern Minnesota.

Until next time, play safe, watch out for thin ice, good fishin’ and enjoy the Minnesota outdoors experience.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the holidays and the coming year. They are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

“Great sermon on Sunday, Pastor.”

“Thank you.”

“Everything you said applied to someone I know.”

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: the traffic light is always greener in the other lane.

I’ve learned

1. Men don't like to ask directions to places they don't want to go.

2. You know you are getting older if you hurt yourself while sleeping.

3. Nothing finds a lost Lego faster than a bare foot.

Foggy days and nights

The old saying goes, “A winter’s fog will freeze a dog.” I was on the road, driving slowly. The fog was wicked thick. Taillights appeared suddenly out of nowhere in the fog ahead of my headlights. I met a car with its lights off. Yikes! A new saying came to me. “A car without lights in the fog will freeze other drivers.”

Winter worries

A visitor was amazed that I didn't subscribe to Netflix. He accused me of living in the Dark Ages. I was sorry I’d let down the drawbridge that allowed him to cross the moat. He’s a guy who has no problem watching movies on his cell phone. He is attracted to small, shiny, mental objects. We talked about the weather. We had to talk about it. We live where there is weather. The winter had been gentle, almost saintly. He worried aloud, "We'll pay for the nice weather."

“I remember when we used to have winter,” said my neighbor Crandall, with a cackle showing no evidence of worry about angering the winter gods.

A good number of folks from my neck of the woods miss winter from a distance. They aren’t where they are from. They winter in Texas, Florida, Arizona, or California. So many snowbirds left this season that winter decided to take the year off.

We haven’t had a winter to regale others with chilling stories. You know the kind. “The flames in the fireplace froze, but I didn’t know it. I was at the top of the windmill, trying to shovel snow off the roof of the barn. It was difficult because icicles were hanging from my eyelids.”

Winter is like all other seasons. We should be pleased with what we get.

The café chronicles

It was one of those eateries that offered two choices of salad dressing—ranch or none. There were four calendars on the wall. That’s typically a good sign. William Least Heat-Moon, in his book Blue Highways, wrote of an infallible way to find honest food at just prices based upon the number of calendars on a café wall. He calculated that a four-calendar café was only one away from topping the scale. This one was a place to go to feel slothful. People waited on me and it had linoleum floors. There was a dusty TV near the kitchen. A customer seated at the counter, with enough food in front of him that he would have to take vacation time to finish the meal, shouted warnings to the politicians appearing on the screen. He didn’t realize that the people on TV couldn’t hear him.

Nature notes

Coyotes are opportunistic and eat what is available. Small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, rabbits, squirrels, and hares are preferred foods. Carrion, insects, fruits, berries, birds, frogs, snakes, plants, and seeds are on the menu. Road killed and crippled deer are sources of food as are fawns. Coyotes are attracted to garbage, garden vegetables, and pet food. They will prey on unattended cats and small dogs. Some coyotes kill small livestock, such as sheep, goats, calves, and poultry. Larger animals are usually consumed as carrion. Coyotes can live six to eight years in the wild — most less than two years. Natural mortality includes disease, predation, and starvation. Hunting, trapping, and vehicle collisions are common causes of coyote death. Approximately 50-70% of coyotes do not reach adulthood. Annual adult mortality averages 30-50%. Males may roam territories as large as 36 square miles. Females generally stay within a six square-mile area. Although persecuted endlessly, coyotes are not nearly the threat to humans as deer are. 

Talking to the Holstein

I was talking to the Holstein the other day. The Holstein is a retired milk cow, so she has time to talk. I asked her how she liked listening to the candidates wishing to be president.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully and said, “The problem with politicians is that they exaggerate ten times out of every nine.”

Meeting adjourned

If you want to be happy, be kind.

The scurs were a tad too pessimistic on temperature and a little too optimistic about cloud cover. Stargazing this past week left a little to be desired. Will we stay out of the fog this week? Starting Wednesday, mostly sunny with highs of 25 – 30 and lows around 20. Mostly clear on Thursday with highs near 30 and lows dropping to 5 – 10. Mostly sunny and cooler for Friday with highs of only 15 and lows close to 10. Partly cloudy and warmer on Saturday. Highs of 20 and lows around 10. Sunday for Lincoln’s Birthday, partly cloudy with highs of 30 and lows of 20. Partly cloudy on Monday and warmer. Highs of 30 and lows near 20. Partly cloudy and slightly cooler for Valentine’s Day. Highs of 35 – 40 and lows of 20. The normal high for Valentine’s Day is 27 and the normal low is 9. The scurs remind you to get your sweetie pie something sweet or face the consequences. 

More warm temperatures last week continued to make this a warmer than normal winter. And, about the time it sounds like it’s going to cool down, we get a few days as an added bonus like last Saturday. Permanent fish houses have become an endangered species on most area lakes. By Tuesday, only a small handful remained on St. Olaf Lake. The annual St. Olaf Lake fishing contest has been cancelled and reports of vehicles breaking through the ice elsewhere in the area continue to abound. 

Bird feeding reports continue to parallel what we’re seeing at the ranch. Unless you’re in an absolute bird watching Shangri-La, you’re likely not seeing a great deal of activity and are probably saving money on birdseed this winter. Sure there are some birds and we are fortunate the chickadees have decided to hang around but it has gone up to two weeks between fillings on the feeders. Sometimes it changes from bird watching to “bird hearing”. One of the clear mornings when there was no fog, a rooster pheasant crowed down in the pond area right about sun up. Another one echoed his sentiments from neighbor Mark’s habitat area. While they’ve had a rough go of it, there are still some pheasants around. Plentiful food and cover along with lack of snow and ice should help get them by until spring.

Another Super Bowl is in the books and it was actually a decent, competitively played game with the outcome in doubt right down to the last play. It’s always nice to see some of these athletes reach their ultimate goal, like my relative Rocky Bernard for instance. He toiled many years playing for the Seattle Seahawks then came to the Giants a few years ago. He probably isn’t real closely related however as he doesn’t appear to be Irish.

Lambing season started off suddenly on Saturday. It was getting time to tighten the lambing barn up ahead of shearing and ewes starting to drop lambs. As I approached the building, one of the black ewes shot out of the door with a water bag trailing behind her. Hmmm…timing couldn’t have been much closer. After a couple hours of some painstaking measures to button up the building, there was already a little buck lamb on the ground outside in the mud. I grabbed the lamb and taking backwards baby steps was able to slowly coax the ewe back into the lambing barn. I then caught her quickly to strip her bag out and decided to let them bond for a while. It was warm out and sometimes messing with a lamb trying to get it to nurse is exactly the wrong thing to do. Besides, it was time to eat and I needed a break. Checking back in the lambing barn in a couple hours there was a little ewe lamb, making for a nice set of twins. By chore time, both lambs were up having supper. Said it before, I love it when a plan comes together. I love it even more when the shearer comes so the ewes lamb inside the buildings. 

The next afternoon following the Gopher basketball game, it was time to move some oats around. Mrs. Cheviot’s boss would’ve marveled at my ingenuity and efficiency. About the time I was finishing up that project, I spied another ewe out back of the barn. This is never a good sign. Sure enough in the increasingly low light there was a little white blob next to the ewe. All the ewes were bellering as it was nearing feeding time. Mrs. Cheviot wasn’t home yet so it was up to Ruby and I to make a management decision. If we played our cards right, feeding the brood ewes would probably separate the freshly lambed ewe from the group as she’d stay with her lamb. This would give us an opportunity to move her through the gate into the loafing pen where we’d deposited the previous day’s ewe and lambs. We made the call and it was go time. Sure enough, the ewes nearly plowed me over to get at their grain. I grabbed the lamb and got the ewe to follow slowly but surely through the gate. I needed to set the lamb down to wire the gate back shut so Ruby took over running interference. Once that was done, getting her into the shed took some patience but once inside, I set the lamb down and quickly closed the overhead door. Ruby again distracted the ewe so she was more interested in her lamb than running off through the rest of the barn to escape. In under a minute we had the ewe and lamb moved into the loafing pen. All was well. The little buck was dried off and his tummy full as he drifted off to sleep under his mother’s watchful eye. 

See you next week…real good then.

A visitation for Violet Callahan of Ellendale will be held from 3-6 p.m., Sunday, February 5th at Bonnerup Funeral Service in Ellendale. The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, February 6th at St. Aiden Catholic Church in Ellendale with a visitation one hour prior. Father Swammi will officiate. Interment will be in the St. Aiden's Cemetery.

Violet died Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at Homestead Hospice in Owatonna. She was 90 years old. 

A Freeborn County resident all her life, Violet was born on May 9th, 1921 in Albert Lea, to Harold and Jessie Stieler. She graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1939. Violet married Edward Callahan on May 7th, 1941 at the St. Aiden Catholic Church in Ellendale where both were members. They had many happy years together and had 4 beautiful children that lead to 11 grand children and 13 great grand children. Violet's happiest moments were when she was surrounded by her family. She played the organ in the church for many years and was a waitress in the Ellendale and Geneva area. She enjoyed knitting, sewing, and crossword puzzles.

Violet is survived by three of her children, Mike (Carlotta) Callahan of Mable, Minnesota, Ron (Jacqui) Callahan of Ellendale, Ryan (Edna) Callahan of Ellendale; son-in-law, Art Alders of Clarks Grove; brother Rolland (Kay) Stieler of Calispell, MT; brother-in-law, Phil (Betty) Callahan of Albert Lea; sister-in-laws, Doris Callahan of Albert Lea, Anne A. Casterson of Albert Lea, Phyllis Stieler of Albert Lea; 11 grand children; 13 great grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. 

Violet is preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Jessie Stieler; husband, Edward Callahan; daughter; Edona Alders; brother, Jack Stieler; and sister, Lorraine Babcock.

The hunt is over for the 2012 Waseca County Sleigh and Cutter medallion.

The medallion was found in a hollowed out crook in a tree at Clear Lake Park in Waseca by Katie Shifflett and her daughter, Michaela on the evening of Wednesday, February 1.

The prize will be awarded on Fri., Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. at the VFW in Waseca.

Daniel (Dan) Gilster age 71 of Albert Lea, MN died Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at his home in Albert Lea. Funeral service will be held Friday, Feb 3, 2012 at 1 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. Visitation Thursday evening from 4 until 7 and one hour prior to the service at the church.

Funeral services for Ferdinand (Fred) T. Phillips of New Richland, MN, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 4, 2012 at the All Saints Catholic Church in New Richland. Father Swami will officiate. Visitation will be held Friday evening from 4 until 7 p.m. at the Friedrich Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery.

Mr. Phillips died Tuesday evening, January 31, 2012 at his home in New Richland. He was 94 years of age. His last days were spent surrounded by his loving family.

 Fred was born January 1, 1918 in Jessop, Iowa, the son of Math and Angeline (Hubert) Phillips. He attended public school in Iowa and Minnesota. He made his home in Iowa then moving to Medford, MN, and to Hartland at the age of 14. On September 16, 1945 he was united in marriage to Marilyn Sondergard at the All Saints Catholic Church in New Richland.

Fred was engaged in farming all of his life. He was an active member of the All Saints Catholic Church and a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Fred loved to play cards and was an avid pool player in his younger years. He was an avid Twins fan. All of his life, Fred was a hard working, honest man.

Fred is survived by his children; Dale and Valerie Phillips of Hartland, MN, Lori and Michael Frafjord of Rosemount, MN, Dann and Joanne Phillips of Hartland, MN, daughter in law Julie Phillips of Hartland, MN. Grandchildren include; Amy (Chris) Beausoleil, Aaron (Jeanette) Phillips, Anne Phillips, Dr. Alison (Chris) Sorensen, Matthew Phillips, Lucas Frafjord, Thomas Frafjord, Peter Frafjord, Abby Phillips and Kacie Phillips. Great grandchildren; Madeline, Morgan, Andrew and Faith Phillips, Alex and Emma Beausoleil, and Lily Sorensen. One sister Marjorie Mueller of CA, brothers Rudy Phillips of Hartland, MN, Robert (Beverly) Phillips of Ellendale, MN, Arnold (Mona) Phillips of Pensacola, FL, sister in law Wilma Zoeller of Albert Lea, MN.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Marilyn, son Neil, granddaughter Catherine Frafjord, brothers Hubert, Tony, Rayfield and Roman Phillips and sister Margaret Rebbe.