Fall always seems like a magical time of year to me with the changing of colors which signals the beginning of harvest and the end of another summer. As fall moves ever closer to winter there always seems to be a feeling of closure in the air. Fall can mean many things to many different people. To some it means that we are getting ever closer to the dreaded winter months but to others it is a time to enjoy the crisp clear days accompanied by the beautiful colors that Mother Nature choses to paint the countryside with.

There is nothing that I enjoy more than taking a drive in the country on a cool, sunny fall day. Looking back over the years I can remember the many times that I have driven south on Hwy. 69 towards Twin Lakes where my wife lived while growing up. Each time that I drove past Pickerel Lake I would enjoy the beauty of the lake which almost gave me the feeling that I was seeing a northern lake.

The kid in me still wonders what, if any, fish are swimming below the surface of almost every body of water that I pass by. There are far too many lakes and streams in this state for me to ever have a definitive answer to my often asked question. I, at times, remind myself of that small child that asks a seemingly endless amount of questions in their quest for knowledge. I now have another question that for all practical purposes has no real answer.

This summer I have driven past Pickerel Lake many times and as summer progressed I noticed more and more weeds floating on the surface and now actual weed clumps are starting to appear in the lake. I know that the lake has never been deep but I can’t ever remember seeing so many weeds or so much algae on that lake before. This leads me to wonder if “reclaiming” a lake as the DNR calls it is all that it is cracked up to be.

I know that the Watershed Board has a plan and that this lake is at the head of the trickledown effect that will supposedly make the rest of the water in that chain cleaner. The County Board has hired an engineering firm to construct a new dam on the lake at a cost of $80,000. This is all well and good but what will that do, if anything, to alleviate the obvious weed and algae problem that has taken over the lake?

The DNR stocked the lake for the second time in a few years after the freeze out that occurred 2 years ago. When the lake was first “reclaimed” from the rough fish that were abundant in the lake pencil reeds began springing up and it took on the look of what had the makings of a good pike lake. After about three years there were some nice pike being caught and eventually it was a very good lake. Unfortunately that was short-lived and because of the freeze out it had to start all over again.

As a kid my uncle Harvey would take me to this lake in the spring to fish for bullheads. I can remember the cars lined up on the shoulder of the highway as folks fished from shore taking home limits of those whiskered fish.

This summer my grandson Trevor put his boat in and tried fishing the lake but said that because there are so many weeds that a person cannot even find an area open enough to cast a lure. This lake has had a history of freezing out for as long as I can remember but it always seemed to bounce back on its own with bullhead, perch crappie and sunfish without a stocking plan. With the opening of the waterfowl season on the 26th Pickerel looks to once again be a quality waterfowl lake and I really do hope that in time this lake will once again return to being a fishable body of water instead of the weed infested lake that it is today.

Mystery Cave announces fall tour schedule

Autumn is a beautiful time of year to make the scenic drive to Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park in the southeastern corner of Minnesota. Fall color typically peaks in early to mid-October, and cave tours will continue through Nov. 1.

“Stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones await those who traverse the passageways at Mystery Cave,” said interpretive naturalist Bob Storlie. “On a guided tour, you will learn how water has transformed the limestone, see underground pools and view fossils that are over 450 million years old.”

The popular one-hour Scenic Cave Tour will take place during the following times this fall:

Weekdays — Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 9 to Oct. 2, tours daily at 1:30 p.m.

Weekends (and during the Education Minnesota break Oct. 15-18) — Saturday and Sunday, September through Nov. 1, tours on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tours are $12 per person age 13 and over, $7 for children ages 5-12, free for children age 4 and under. Discounted rates are available for school groups (10 or more) who contact the park at least one week in advance. A state park vehicle permit ($5/one-day or $25/year-round) is also required.

For more information, visit www.mndnr.gov/mysterycave or call 507-937-3251. To make tour reservations, visit reservations  at www.mndnr.gov/reservations or call 866-857-2757.

Until next time, it’s a great time to enjoy the changing colors, mild temperatures of the day and those cool evenings.

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 walked into a room three times and I still couldn’t remember why I was there.

That’s too bad, but life is set up to be forgotten as you go. Think of your forgetfulness as an exercise program.

I know and I’ll try, but the worst part was that the room was the bathroom.

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: We are all traveling at the same speed, 60 minutes per hour. Why are "dip" and "bump" signs seldom in the right place? When a man says, "Fine," he means it.

Way up north 

My wife and I were volunteering at a crowded, but worthwhile function in Haines, Alaska. A woman had just told me that she was a triplet. I was wondering if triplets refer to themselves in the third person when a fellow standing near me started behaving in a way that could have been best described as peculiar. He was a little guy, but he was loud, very talkative and waved his hands in the air wildly. People from some parts of the world are that way, I’d guessed. This event drew people from all over the globe. I didn’t expect them all to speak English any more than I expected to be able to speak their languages. I had no idea what language he was speaking or what he was saying, but he seemed enthusiastic. That’s a fine thing that should be encouraged. I tried. I smiled and nodded stupidly. It was then that someone standing next to me said, "You're standing on his foot."

Uncle Rob and the will-o'-the-wisp

I was headed to a store. When it comes to shopping, my favorite entrance is the exit. I’m on my best behavior in stores that include bacon.

A van covered in bumper stickers passed me. I suffered from drive-by sticker shock. I’ve always been more of a duct-tape guy than a bumper-sticker guy. Bumper stickers are temporary tattoos for automobiles. The van had a video player of some kind in it. It glowed eerily, like a will-o'-the-wisp, as the van sped down the road. A will-o'-the-wisp is an atmospheric ghost light seen at night, especially in marshy areas. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to retreat if approached in an attempt to draw travelers from safe paths. A neighbor told me that the only way to make the haunting spirit go away was by throwing a handful of dirt from a graveyard at it. I’d seen will-o’-the-wisps often during my boyhood years and not once did I have a handful of graveyard dirt with me. There were many causes given for the presence of will-o'-the-wisps. I didn’t know which one to believe.

For some reason, this caused me to think of the Austin TV station, KMMT, most commonly referred to as Channel 6, and Buff Setterquist, also known as Uncle Rob. Buff, from Cloquet, joined the station in 1963 and started a program called "The Uncle Rob Show" and/or "Uncle Rob’s Funny Company." It appealed to anyone who could laugh. The station’s call letters were changed to KAUS in 1968. Flashlights acting as spotlights showcased a clubhouse and bleachers. It was a peanut gallery that was popular in those days, such as on Bart’s Clubhouse on Channel 3, KGLO in Mason City, from 1958 to 1976. Uncle Rob’s favorite drink was Blurp Cola and he was on a quest to find the perfect peanut butter sandwich. There was a safe named Sidney. Kids sent in hundreds of combinations, but Sidney the Safe never opened. Rob’s pet, Terrible Thomas the Termite, received letters containing toothpicks for food. Rob, who later became a radio disc jockey of note named Rob Sherwood, played the piano and sang, "Ah, sweet mystery of life at last I’ve found you."

With the van’s video, the sweet mystery of the modern day will-o’-the-wisp had been found.

A tip from your Old Uncle Al

Don’t forget to replace the summer air in your car tires with fall air. Otherwise your tires might crepitate.

Nature notes

"Why is bird poop white?" It’s actually brown. The white part is uric acid, the equivalent to a mammal's urine.

Meeting adjourned

"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love." - Maya Angelou. Be kind.

Labor Day morning, Sept. 7, Genie and I left from Albert Lea for our annual one-week stay at Arrowhead Lodge in the Big Horn Mountains, above Sheridan, Wyoming. This tradition began in 1973.

Our first major stop was Mitchell, S.D. to look at the new corn theme on the outside of the Corn Palace. The next year’s theme, currently in process, is Music. There are sculptures, outside on top, that look like corn leaves. At night, they change colors. Beautiful.

Four hundred seventy-five miles later we pulled into Wall, S.D. to eat the evening meal at Wall Drug and say “Hi” to my old buddy T. Rex in the Wall Drug back yard. T. Rex is very old, so he eats every 15 minutes. (formerly every 12 minutes) His favorite entrée is redheaded females. He eats so fast that you can always see red hair in between his teeth.

Our Great Place to Stay in Wall is the Super 8 Motel. The lady manager, Lane, is not so “unfriendly” as previous years. She even introduced us to her hubby, Brady. In the conversation Brady referred to her as his CEO (strange??) of their ranch.

As you entered the back door of the Super 8, a small black kitty wanted your attention. His collar read, “If you feed me, you keep me.” (On our return trip the kitty must have found someone to feed him, as he was gone.)

Tuesday morning we were on our way with cruise set on 80 (Minnesota speed limit is 70 compared to 80 in South Dakota and Wyoming).

We arrived at our destination, Arrowhead Lodge, 7700 feet elevation in the Big Horn Mountains, Tuesday evening – 815 miles from Albert Lea. With a welcome and a handshake, Richard checked us into our favorite, Rustic Cabin #3 (per Richard, this was the 11th year in a row he checked us in.) Yuki, Mike and Dale, all employees from previous years, found us later with hugs and handshakes.

As usual, three Wyoming Mountain Brothers (Dan, Fred and Frank) were there to greet us with their tales of hunting and fishing. They are in the process of perfecting Catch-and-release mule deer hunting. One drives and the other two ride in the box of the pickup truck, one on each side, with a rope tied on the end in a slipknot to lasso the deer. They lasso the deer, and the slipknot lets the deer go, thus catch-and-release deer hunting.

Jim Palmer, graduate of Albert Lea High School, along with Dan Blegen, both of the Mankato area, were there. They have decided to try Catch and Release next year, as for the third year in a row, no deer with a bow and arrow, only hard work.

Short Shorts:

1. We saw 1300 ewes and 1800 lambs taken off the mountain. 

2. The weather was 10-20 degrees warmer than normal every day with no rain.

3. After Sioux Falls, on I-90 westbound, the gas price gets a lot higher (like 40-50¢ per gallon).

4. There is a mandatory boat check on I-90 going into Wyoming.

5.Crops looked real good all the way.

6. We met Red Hatters on their way to the Wyoming State Stampede.

7. Vanessa and Sammy are friendly food servers.

8. Billboard on I-90: “Jesus is Right For Whatever is Wrong”

9. Cenex billboard on I-90: “Gas Now or Gas Can Later”

———

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.

Thank goodness the scurs got the Weather Eye to deliver some absolutely gorgeous weather. Will their forecasting warmth continue or will their forecast give us the cold shoulder? Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Thursday, mostly sunny with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Mostly sunny Friday with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Saturday, sunny with highs in the upper 50’s and lows in the low 40’s. Sunny on Sunday with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Monday, continued sunny with highs in the low 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. Sunny for Tuesday with highs in the upper 60’s and lows in the low 40’s. The normal high for October 1st is 66 and the normal low is 42. The scurs plan on exchanging more e-mails with Hillary Clinton on her personal e-mail account.

Harvest actually got rolling in earnest over the weekend in places. Soils in many areas are still plenty wet however and slowed progress. Soybean yields are a very pleasant surprise although there are still fields slow to ripen. There are also often several yields on the same field as one noted observer pointed out when I asked him last week how they were running. There’s the yield monitor yield, the grain cart yield and the one that counts, the one over the scale at the elevator. Some corn has been harvested and yields are generally making farmers smile except for the most curmudgeonly perhaps. Sure, it always could’ve yielded more, it was too wet, the quality wasn’t as good as it could’ve been and so on. We all know them and know that sometimes it’s OK just to be satisfied with the way things turned out as they can’t be changed.

Am writing this on Mrs. Cheviot’s confuser as my hard drive decided to take a vacation after I got back from mine. It’s OK as it’s a unit with which I once wrote many of these literary masterpieces. Hopefully it hangs together until I can somehow get this sent to the newspaper. Also hopeful that my regular model comes back to life once my trusted computer guru gets through with it. Fingers crossed but no guarantees.

Trees got my attention this past week. Betsy’s dad had mentioned something about a tree that had mysteriously appeared in Verna’s yard. It had shiny leaves on it I was told. Scratching my head as is my wont, could not based on the description come up with an idea of what it might be. “Bring a hunk of it in here and we’ll check it out”, I said. Sometime Friday he must’ve dropped it off as it was crispy by the time I found it Saturday. Examining it more closely, I spied one leaf that was lobed before it snapped in two. Then it clicked: A mulberry! 

We have some mulberries growing in our windbreak among the dogwood bushes that probably should be removed. Apparently they were spread there by the birds. The berries are popular with them and humans too I guess although it’s rare event to get one before the birds do. The white mulberry is native to China and while a rather invasive tree it is also the tree that serves as the main food source for silkworms. After introduction to the southeastern US long ago, attempts at producing silk were unsuccessful. The mulberries on the other hand have been very successful and have spread across much of the country.

The birds are continuing to make more moves as we head deeper into the fall. The hummingbirds were a “no show” Sunday making me wonder if they had moved on. Monday afternoon I slipped home to make a sandwich and much to my delight one descended from the tree to the feeder below. There was still one at suppertime feeding on some of the flowers. The flowers are starting to wane though so it’s a matter of time. The robins and waxwings are busy gobbling down the nannyberries as fast as they ripen. They’ve also hit the crabapples hard. Think I discovered where a lot of the goldfinches are hanging out. As I made a trip to Matawan on the back roads Saturday, hundreds of them flew out of the CRP that was covered with Maximilian sunflowers. There is a lot of food out there and checking the seed on some of the native plants including oxeye, it’s probably a lot more to their liking than some of what we put in the feeders. Once it’s gone, it may be easier to mooch off us. Other “fall” birds are becoming more common in the yard though. Flickers continue to be common, jays are active and the red-bellied woodpecker found the ear corn once again, when the squirrel isn’t using it of course. The squirrels have lots of red oak acorns across the driveway this time around and I almost nailed one upon our return from a cruise Sunday with the Silver Hawk.

Ruby has been up to her old TV watching antics again. A few weeks ago Auntie Mar Mar was amazed by her reaction to an elephant on the tube and later some giant insect that set Ruby off on a barking and growling frenzy. Mar Mar was in disbelief that the dog would react as she did. Ruby recently added another person to the list of people she doesn’t care for. After seeing her bark and growl regularly at such notables as Clint Eastwood and Julie Andrews, nothing really surprises us anymore. It was a little embarrassing though when Mrs. Cheviot informed me that she had been watching Pope Francis on TV and Ruby had another of her patented meltdowns. Well, maybe she doesn’t like guys wearing short white coats and beanies while talking about climate change I thought. Or it could be as simple as she’s just a Protestant. Never can tell about these Border Collies.

See you next week…real good then.

To answer a frequently asked question, I own about 50 ties. And no, that doesn’t count the multitude that we used at school last year in our weekly tie-cutting votes to recognize outstanding qualities in our students at NRHEG – those were all donated after people cleaned out closets or visited the Salvation Army.

Most days at school you’ll see me with a tie wrapped around my neck. It’s not a practice that is used frequently anymore by most male teachers. Long gone are the days when all men wore dress pants, shirt and tie while women wore a dress or skirt of some sort. Every Friday, both at school and at many professional businesses that usually have more formal dress, you will see casual Friday with employees wearing jeans. NRHEG, along with many of those other businesses, asks for a donation for a charity in exchange for the comfort of blue jeans.

Still, most days I like to wear my shirt and tie along with dress pants and shoes. I have ties that range from various color patterns to more fun ones that show off some of my interests like Star Wars, Dr. Seuss, sports, and even a batch of Christmas ties. I even added a Mark Twain tie this summer while visiting his hometown. One of my most prized ties is one I don’t wear anymore. One of my basketball teams from years ago got a white tie with a Panther logo and they all signed it for me. I wore it occasionally for a year after that, but am so afraid of staining it that it has been retired.

So here’s a conundrum that I thought about while looking around church before mass one Sunday. I rarely wear dress pants or a tie to church. As I glanced around at others entering the church, I found that I was not alone. Growing up, church was much like those aforementioned businesses: men and women alike were dressed in their finest. I could count on Dad to wear a suit coat to church, no matter the weather. I don’t even own a suit coat that Michelle would allow me to wear out of the house.

So what happened? Have we just become a much more casual society? And is there anything wrong with that? There might come a day when I stop wearing ties to work, though I’ve grown so accustomed to it, and it certainly helps to have a professional look when meeting with parents. There really is no functional use to the tie; it doesn’t hold a pen for me or anything.

While researching the history of ties, I found that some form or another dates back over 1000 years to ancient China where neck scarves were a badge of honor. Another style of those was used mainly in a military sense during the Middle Ages. The cravat became the height of fashion come the 19th century, and the modern-day tie evolved more into the 1920s. When I was a teenager, the skinny tie was all the rage, and I keep waiting for those to return, even though I’ve ridden myself of most of the ones I owned.

Some folks still dress up nicely for church each week, though they tend to belong to the older generation. When I played piano for church, I would dress up for Christmas and Easter; I’ve always believed that I perform my best in situations that I dress nicely for. That was something one of my college speech professors stressed, and I’ve stood by it. That’s probably as good a reason as any as to why I still dress up for school: every day is a performance!

I’ve struggled a bit with seeing my own kids wear a T-shirt and shorts to church at times. I’ve decided it’s not a battle worth fighting. If the kids are more comfortable, maybe they’ll be better prepared to pay attention during the ceremony. And it’s clear I’m not the only parent who has decided to forego the issue. After all, Jesus and his disciples wore the equivalent of togas and sandals, right?

And see, there’s one thing that bothers me a bit: footwear. I’ve never been one to walk around barefoot or to wear anything on my feet that show off the actual foot. I like to keep my feet covered up; they’re not my finest feature. I always worry about if they smell too. If I’m walking around outside in the summer, there may be sweat involved. Eww.

I think I deal better with seeing people in sandals than those horrid flip-flops. The latter are just nasty. Have you ever looked where your foot goes after wearing them for about a month? Folks, the color has changed. There’s that sweat factor again. Ugh. And that’s to say nothing of the sound; flip-flops may actually be onomatopoeic, making the sound of their name. If your footwear is so loose that it’s flip-flopping down the hall, that can’t be good for your foot, can it?

Who knows, maybe I am a bit old-fashioned after all. I do know this: I’d much rather wear a tie seven days a week than expose my feet to the general public as I go tramping along in flimsily-constructed footwear!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is pullulate, which means to swarm or teem, as in, “The flip-flops were pullulating with germs which increased by the day.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

Hartland Evangelical Lutheran Church will commemorate the 125th anniversary of its organization Sunday, Oct. 4.

The Anniversary Festival Service will be held at 10:45 a.m. with former Pastor John E. Smith serving as the festival preacher. A catered meatball dinner will be served at noon by the Hartland Lutheran Ladies‚ Aid. A free will offering will be donated to ELS missions.

Also Oct. 4, Manchester Evangelical Lutheran Church will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of its organization. There will be a 2:30 p.m. Anniversary Festival Service at Manchester with Pastor John Smith serving as festival preacher. There will be a fellowship hour following the service with refreshments served by the Manchester Lutheran Ladies Aid.

Join us in praising and thanking God for these many years under His grace and blessings.

NRHEG Community Education will travel to one of  the largest Old Order Amish communities in Minnesota and travel to several Amish farms in the area. Folks will have the opportunity to browse and purchase Amish crafts, baskets, quilts, leather goods, hardwood furniture, canned and baked items, soaps, and fresh garden produce in season. Stopping at specialty stores in Lanesboro will also be on the agenda.  Along the way, they will also be viewing the fall leaves in this beautiful area. 

The event is Thursday, Oct. 8, leaving Ellendale at 8:10 a.m. from Gopher Stop (intersection of I35 and Hwy. 30). Cost is $45  (lunch will be extra). Register with Community Education at the school by calling 507-417-2667.

The Steele County Humane Society is teaming up with Oakview Nursery's Pumpkin Patch (7921 S. County Road 45) in an effort to find homes for homeless puppies and kittens. While you are checking out what the Pumpkin Patch has to offer, stop by the Steele County Humane Society canopy and meet some of the animals looking for forever homes.

The Steele County Humane Society will be staffing the canopy Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4 from 12-4. We hope to see you there.

The annual Cub Scouts Holiday Wreaths and Popcorn Sales are set for Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Fall Crafts Show in the High School Gym and in the public parking lot in front of Wagner Foods from 3-5 p.m.

Please support the local Scouts and beautify your home for the holidays at the same time! 

Clifford J. Bartsch, age 86, of Owatonna died on Tuesday September 29, 2015 at his home due to kidney failure. 

Clifford was born on May 17, 1929 in Geneva the son of Lawrence and Magdaline (Larson) Bartsch. He attended school through the 8th grade in Geneva and then graduated from high school in Ellendale in 1949. After graduation Clifford worked at the Standard Oil Station in Geneva until he entered the military in January of 1951. He attended basic training in Fort Riley, KS. Then he attended heavy duty equipment school in Iwo Jima, Japan for several months before serving in Korea. During his tour in Korea, he helped build roads, dams, and the Kimpo Air Base. He received 19 months of combat pay for his tour in Korea. He completed his military service in 1953. Upon returning from Korea, Clifford worked at a creamery in Clarks Grove for about a year before working for Sorenson Construction for several years.