Georgianna Roberts, 84, of Wells, MN passed away Sunday, October 26 in Yorktown, Virigina at the home of her son Karl Roberts.

2 Timothy 4:7: I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. I am going home.

We asked the Lord to heal her or take her home. And the Lord said, “Come on home, Georgie. I have this mansion for you. I know you will be pleased. Stand tall and walk through the Gate.” So one beautiful Sunday Georgie did just that. She was led through that gate by her husband Corvin, son, Donald (standing and walking tall), and her father and mother George and Lucille Batt and was given to the Lord.

Georgianna was born June 8, 1930 to George and Lucille (Cook) Batt in Omaha, Nebraska. They moved to Iowa, where they lived until they moved to Hartland, Minnesota and took up farming.

My husband has a habit, a hobby, whatever. Instead of taking the road most often used to go somewhere, he is inclined to take different roads. Interesting, really, and it is surprising how the environment that surrounds them differs. It’s true that even on a road you use every day things that can change like magic.

This reminds me of an e-mail I recently received. The author was talking about traveling down the road often just looking at the view, especially if it is appealing. As the leaves fall from the trees, areas become bare and we are able to see things we might not have noticed before, though it had been there for quite some time. We just never noticed it.

The same is true about people. We see people all the time but often rarely see their circumstance. On the plus side they seem to have everything they could probably want — nothing that would indicate they have any discomforts of life. We have to remember there are two sides on the road of life.

Sometimes we don't look down the middle of the road. If we would take a better look, what would we see? Obvious needs and poverty are easy to see, but how many good, deserving people are struggling that we don't see? Or see and do nothing about it?

This includes the fact that some people won't accept food or fuel assistance and friendships because of pride or some ignorance, or a feeling of no self worth. They quietly exist perhaps because they don't know what else to do, are scared to ask, or think, "this is the way it used to be in my day." The goodness is there are things we can do that can make a difference.

Recently I was at a nursing home. There was a quiet, sweet little lady sitting all alone at coffee time. I tried to share some conversation with her. I had some pictures along that I shared. She didn't know the people in the pictures but she was interested. Before I left I mentioned that I used to know someone in our neighborhood who had the same last name as she did. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "I am the last one of my family. There is no one else left. I lived on the farm as long as I could, but all my old neighbors are gone and new people have moved there that I do not know. I am 84 years old and all alone."

This frail little lady was supported with crutches, but when I kissed her on the forehead and asked if there was anything I could do, she said, “no” and smiled. I told her I would come again, and I will. God gave me a purpose.

So what does this have to do with a road less traveled? Sometimes we are so busy assessing those who have enough and forget to look at the middle of the road and see the ones we tend to overlook.

When faced with obstacles that seem overwhelming, open your eyes, look for a new road and head in a new direction. You might find a wonderful surprise waiting for you, just around the corner.

Our road will be smooth and untroubled no matter what life may send, if we travel the pathway together, and walk side by side with a friend.

For those of us still out "running with the world," time goes by so swiftly we wish it would slow down. For those whose life is now in a comfortable "caring" home, or nursing home, but not the home they may have lived in for most of their lives, they may have too much time. The amenities may all be there, but there is always a need for friends to talk about old times, new times, and an outlet for any concerns they might have.

Take time, even if you don't think you have it. Even a "pop in" shows them they are not forgotten, that they are still important and thought of. Share a picture, a story, a hug, a note, a phone call. It is always good to get back to the basics — like sharing our hearts and caring for one another.

I also spent the afternoon visiting at one of our local "caring homes" on Halloween. The home opened their doors and encouraged local children to come and visit. How happy the residents were to see all the kids and their smiling faces, as they made their way around the fellowship area in their Halloween costumes. The kids received more than treats; they saw a great number of smiling faces too.

How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it. Your life will unfold, doors will open and any goal you set for yourself can be reached. Listen to the angels. You will be blessed.

As we grow in our capacities to see and enjoy the joys that God has placed in our lives, life becomes a glorious experience of discovering His endless wonders.

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Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented they like to read about events such as family and school reunions, birthdays and anniversaries, and birth and wedding announcements. In order to read about these important things we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us. Also if you have an idea for a story that you think would be of interest to our readers, please contact me.

If you have birthdays and anniversaries you would like include, or news to share please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; by postal mail, P.O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035 or telephone, 507-256-4405.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, November 6th: Brody Richards, Makota Grahm Misgen, Mary Ann Lund, Dylan Paul Moen, Jon Beck, David Hagen, Doug Klemmensen, Lauren Jo Draayer, Chad Ayers, Toni Roberts, Taylor Roberts, Kellie & Ryan Benning

• Friday, November 7th: Ella Dobberstein, Solveig Adelaine Mattson, her 4th birthday; Ava Leigh Wangsness, her 5th birthday; Alymra Seath, Jolee Johnson, Travis Diederrich, Linda Dobberstein, Scott Olson, Mark Sundwall

• Saturday, November 8th: Sydney Larson, Andrew Jensen, Brian Hughes, Burton Nelson

• Sunday, November 9th: Phyllis Hagen, Tami Lund Wacek, Scott Coxworth, Jon Aronson, Kent Kruckenburg, Cindy Gould, Tim Westrum, Christopher Jepson

• Monday, November 10th: Keith McDonald, Eric Anderson, Russell Reistad, Tomm Richards, Jennifer Zimprich, Jessica Kasper, Andrew Olson, Jessica (Johnson) & Dan Rebelein, Stan & Liz Reichl, Everett & Diane Jensen

• Tuesday, November 11th: Jason Tracy, Kate Laudon, Agnes Christensen, Ione Hagen, Dale Hunt, Paula Swearingen, Jennifer Jacobs, Dawn Diemer, Rachel Gould, Dave & Linda Brandt, Amanda Schimdt, Tory Lee Christensen

• Wednesday, November 12th: Harbor Lee Pence, 2012; Trinity Tracy Vulcan, Tatum Charlotte Vulcan, Samuel Henry Kaplan, Lois Johnson Aitchison, Jill Jensen, Holly Thompson, Craig Clausen, Helen Kellem, Scott & Jan Sorenson, Jill & Shannon Jensen

• Thursday, November 13th: Geoffrey Nelson. Abbey Louise Titus, Bill Johnson, Jeffrey Nelson, Diane Brighton, Earl & Janis Klinger, Steve & Pennie Ladlie

Make your special day be a day you'll never forget, filled with smiles, good cheer, and laughter!

Here we are, well into my favorite season of the year and I almost haven’t had time to stop and smell the leaves. It’s been a pretty busy time of year with hockey and work, but I’m still taking a little time to savor the moment.

There are some evenings when I can catch the distinct smell in the air of someone burning leaves. That is a smell I have always enjoyed because it was always been a part of what fall is to me. Unfortunately in the city, the smoke became too unbearable for most folks and the city has, for some time, had an ordinance banning the burning of leaves within the city limits. I sure do miss that smell and occasionally someone else must miss it also because I have from time to time detected that unmistakable odor emulating from someone’s backyard.

I have a fairly good sized pile of twigs and tree branches that old Mother Nature has seen fit to deposit in my yard over the summer months. I will be burning them in my backyard fire pit, which I still actually need to build. I know that it will be about as close as I will ever get to burning leaves again so you could probably call it the next best thing.

I am hoping to find the time to clean up the overabundance of leaves that are falling from my seemingly ever-bearing maple trees in the back yard. As I was driving home from work the other evening it was cool and the sky was clear and winds were calm and I had the window down, taking in the smell of fallen leaves that only fall can provide. I’d suppose that if I had hay fever and allergies this would not be my time of the year.

I have noticed a pair of rabbits that have taken up residence in my backyard. I would venture to guess there will be more than two before too long if they can avoid the numerous felines we have roaming and hunting in the neighborhood. The squirrels are also in abundance this fall, but that is nothing new to my backyard; the good thing is they have built nests in the neighboring trees and they are no longer residing in my shed or garage.

I have talked to some folks who have been stopping and looking at the small fish that can be seen swimming in Albert Lea Lake. This bodes well for the future of fishing in our area if the lake can indeed avoid another total freeze-out. I have been told by a spokesman from the DNR that Pickeral Lake should be fishable again in another couple of years. I know that the last time it was stocked it didn’t take very long for the pike to get to a decent size.

The only down side to all of this positive talk about the fish population is the possibility that another freezeout can happen at any time. Being the Minnesota sports fan that I am, I kind of get the same feeling about this that I do when the Twins go on a winning streak or the Vikings win a couple of games in a row – I seem to be waiting for the inevitable to happen, but hopefully not any time soon.

With the beginning of the deer hunting season upon us. the DNR reminds us of the reduced bag limit for this year’s season.

Hunters in most of the state are not allowed to use bonus permits to take antlerless deer during the 2014 season, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“Bonus permits are only allowed in seven of 129 deer permit areas this year,” said Maj. Greg Salo, DNR Enforcement Division operations manager. “You cannot use a bonus permit to tag a deer if it was harvested outside of these seven areas.” Salo added that bonus permits are also allowed in some special hunts and encouraged hunters to review the regulations as described in the 2014 regulations synopsis.

Permit areas that allow use of bonus permits in 2014 are:

• Intensive deer areas 182, 346 and 349.

• Managed deer areas 114, 287 and 343.

• The metro deer area 601.

By design, more deer will be off limits this year as a one-deer bag limit rules most of the state and opportunities to take more than one deer are few and far between. The DNR implemented these regulations to help increase Minnesota’s deer population.

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Our little granddaughter Ava has been in ICU at St. Mary’s in Rochester with a respiratory virus, but with the great care she received she is now on the mend and back home. When something like this happens it makes you realize just how precious and fragile life really is.

Until next time, get outdoors and enjoy the fall before the snow begins to fly.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

I fall asleep while watching TV.

Big deal. Everybody does that.

While walking by a TV in a store?

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: today is one of those days when it’s too easy to make a missteak.

The cafe chronicles

A group of men sat at the table, each a farmer emeritus. One said, "I’m so old and weak that I can barely lift this cup of coffee." A second added, "My cataracts are so bad I can hardly see my coffee cup." A third volunteered, "I had trouble voting because of my arthritic hands." A Pioneer-capped fellow yelled, "What? Speak up! I can’t hear you!" Another coffee drinker said, "I can’t turn my head to follow the conversation because of my chronically stiff neck." Another exclaimed, "My blood pressure pills make me dizzy." A man admitted, "I forget where I am and where I’m going." "I guess that’s the price we pay for getting old," winced the oldest, shaking his head slowly, "but we should count our blessings. Thank goodness we can all still drive here every morning."

Digging the day

We were digging a hole. My father’s side of the hole was much deeper than mine. He must have been using a bigger spade. As I shoveled, I whistled the theme to "The Great Escape." I don’t believe it was a secret tunnel, but I forget whether we were burying something or digging something up. My father grumbled a bit about my output.

"Are you saying that I'm the kind of guy who doesn't do his share of the work?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied, refusing to kindly beat around the bush.

Halloween in the rearview mirror

My granddaughter Hadley, a second grader, told me that she’d gone to a haunted house for Halloween. I asked her if it had been a scary place.

"No," she laughed.

"Did you cry?" I asked.

"Yes."

Peripatetic

I was getting a hotel room. I'd stayed there before. They offered a continental breakfast, but it was a cooked continental breakfast.

The hotel clerk asked if I wanted a smoking or non-smoking room.

"I don't smoke," I replied.

She said, "Not a problem."

I was relieved to hear that.

It reminded me of the time I’d stopped at a convenience store that was located so far from most people that it was a convenience to only a few. I was surprised with how much bread was offered on the shelves. As I checked out, I said to the manager, "You must sell a lot of bread here."

"Not really," he said, "but the guy who sells me bread, he sells a lot of bread."

In grief, an appreciation

As a boy, I listened to my father's music. He favored cowboys who sang forlornly while making their guitars cry. There was no uncontrolled sobbing, but they sang of heartache. I know heartache. Most of us do. My sister Georgianna died. She was a remarkable person who made my world a better place. I was lucky to have her as a sister and miss her dearly.

Customer comments

Pat Brey of New Richland wrote, "I was sitting in husband Ron's office and mentioned a bird outside his window. We looked at it. It was mostly white with gray on its wings. 'Do you know what bird it is, Ron?' He said, 'Maybe a sparrow.' I said, 'Sparrows have brown on their wings, don't they?' Ron said, 'Who do you think I am, Al Batt?'"

Jeff Montgomery of Alexandria said that his son played soccer, but never gave 100 percent on the field because he wanted to save himself for the buffet after the game.

Mike Veeck, owner of the St. Paul Saints baseball team, said that one board of directors voted for his dismissal from a job by a 12 to 0 vote. What really hurt was that his mother was on that board.

Talking with the Holstein

The Holstein is a retired dairy cow, so she has time to talk. I asked for her thoughts on deer hunting.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully before saying, "I can’t believe that deer don’t understand that pumpkins with legs are hunters."

Nature notes

Bald eagle mortality is highest during its first year of life — as high as 72 percent within one year of fledging. About 10 percent survive five years.

Meeting adjourned

May everyone be as kind to you as you are to them.

Every year, Mrs. Dahle brings her pre-schoolers through my classroom before Halloween to show off their costumes and recite a Halloween poem to us. It’s amazingly adorable, and it’s always fun to see what the “hip” costumes might be this year. My favorites are always the super hero costumes; these parents are clearly doing something right by introducing their children to the wonders of comic book heroes at a young age!

This year Iron Man and Batman’s sidekick Robin made an appearance. I also had Star-Lord come to my door, along with a Clone Trooper. There weren’t quite the number of super heroes as in years past, but I would wager that with an Avengers sequel movie arriving next year, Captain America and Thor might make appearances in 2015.

It’s cool to be a geek these days. This is welcome news for old-school geeks like me, who have flaunted our nerdiness for years now. (Funny side note: My computer underlined nerdiness as being misspelled. Suggested word? Neediness…hmm…) I’ve written before about my love of comic books. I enjoyed Spider-Man and Superman long before it was news that they’d be producing movies that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Back then it wasn’t really cool to like comics.

Comic book movies are a huge business. To date, five of the top ten grossing movies of 2014 are comic book related: Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America, Transformers, X-Men, and Amazing Spider-Man are all there, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles just outside at #11. Even more impressive is the scope with which movie companies are competing and planning out movies for the future related to the four-color features. There have been races over who gets what dates for releases!

Here’s the docket through 2020 (!) for super hero movies: three in 2015, seven in 2016, nine in 2017, six in 2018, three in 2019, and two in 2020. So far. Are you kidding me?

I grew up in a time where Christopher Reeve as Superman was considered top of the line awesomeness for a movie. After recent efforts to revive Superman, I still consider Reeve the pre-eminent Man of Steel. Next up is Superman and Batman together in a movie. Will it be any good? I don’t know, but I’m sure I’ll be there to fulfill my inner geek.

I grew up in a time where my friends and I would speculate on IF we’d ever see a Spider-Man movie or why the studios couldn’t make a good Captain America movie. We never dreamed of putting the X-Men or Avengers on the screen. Now we’ve got not only excellent versions of those heroes, but even little-known comics like the aforementioned GOTG breaking records.

I wasn’t a huge Batman fan when Michael Keaton’s rendition hit the screens in 1989, but I thought it was pretty cool. That franchise went quickly downhill, but Christian Bale’s version this past decade was so well done that it’s scary to think of anyone (Ben Affleck, cough) else doing the Caped Crusader justice.

Think about the billions of dollars these movies have made, especially since Iron Man hit the screen in 2008. Marvel built a movie universe by linking all its movies together. DC Comics is trying to follow suit. It’s clearly working since there are many more than just comic book fans attending these movies. I talk to people who have never read a comic book speak with glee about these movies.

Is it bringing more people into comic book shops? I’m not sure. Sales numbers are not super high like they were in the 1990s, but there are also digital comics now, which I would guess would be a more likely route for some of these movie fans. I know that comic conventions have increasing numbers though, since there are often appearances of these movie stars and sneak peeks at whatever comic book feature is next to hit the silver screen.

I’m so happy that my son loves these comics and movies as much as I do. We talk often about what’s coming next. We are even reading old comics of Ant Man since he has a movie next year. Hey, maybe with the shortness of Mrs. Dahle’s stars, that would be a perfect costume for next year!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is rounceval, which means someone that is large, as in, “Bruce Banner became a rounceval when he got angry and changed into the Hulk.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs were glad to get a few more days of warmer temps through early week, but some strange noises emanating from the Weather Eye have them worried. Is the other shoe about to drop or will our charmed weather lives continue? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of rain changing to snow by evening. Highs in the mid-50’s and lows in the mid-30’s. Partly sunny for Thursday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the mid-20’s. Friday, partly sunny becoming cloudy with a slight chance of rain changing to snow in the evening. Highs in the low 40’s and lows in the low 30’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the mid-30’s with lows in the low 20’s. Partly sunny on Sunday with highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the mid- 20’s. Monday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow. Highs in the mid-30’s and lows in the upper teens. Tuesday mostly sunny and slightly warmer. Highs in the upper 30’s and lows in in the mid-teens. On the 7th we slip below 10 hours of daylight again for the first time since February 3rd. The normal high for November 11th is 44 and the normal low is 27. The scurs will be flying Old Glory in honor of all those who have served.

November 6th brings the Full Moon for the month, known as the Full Beaver Moon. The time of year to trap beaver and other furbearers was important as it meant a plentiful supply of warm fur for the long winter ahead. The moon also goes by the Full Frosty Moon. The Ojibwe knew this as the Freezing Moon and the Sioux called this the Moon of Falling Leaves. At the ranch we’re content to call it the Moon to Plug in Water Tank Heaters.

Harvest is nearing completion in most quarters. Corn yields continue to be generally disappointing with occasional blips over 200, but yields largely in the 160-170 range. Simply too much water in June, nitrogen loss, poor root systems, stalk rot, and a mid-September frost that caught some of the same areas that were already in trouble due to the other factors. Add it all up and it’s a season most of us are glad to be done with and get on to another one. Heading into next season, conditions for fall application of anhydrous ammonia have been nearly ideal locally. The relatively light precipitation for the past two months has led to very friable soils. Fall tillage is also progressing well and despite the fact the corn started out wet, the relatively quick end to harvest was a pleasant surprise.

Some lows in the low 20’s did indeed bring out the water tank heater in the main barn as the water would’ve been frozen solid otherwise. It also meant draining hoses in order to avoid hauling water buckets around. Luckily that was short-lived, although we know full well that won’t last. Banking the well pit with fresh bales will need to happen too before too long. The old ones make good cover for sensitive plants and decompose into the garden, enhancing the soil for upcoming seasons.

At the ranch, fall has also progressed rapidly. Carrots were harvested and being left in the ground this late they’re almost ridiculously sweet. Some of the small trees were wrapped as well as the bunnies don’t seem to care that there is still plenty of green grass they could eat. The leaves were ground up ahead of Monday night’s rain. Strong breezes allowed a few stragglers to sneak across the yard behind me. Fudgie and Ruby were both tuckered out after following the mower back and forth for much of the day. They enjoyed it as it will likely be their last tire biting and lawnmower herding session of the season. 

The dense canopy of leaves suddenly being down revealed the typical large number of bird nests left behind every fall. As we’ve mentioned before it’s no wonder it gets noisy during the spring and summer months. There is the usual collection of robin, mourning dove, chipping sparrow and grackle nests along with some that after weathering it’s really hard to tell. Probably the most interesting among all the nests is likely one belonging to a catbird. It all makes sense now. Between the dense bushes and the 40 billion mosquitoes contained in them I could never locate the reason for all the scolding. Thanks Mike for the nice photos of the catbird nest from your place this summer to help cement that one!

Probably the biggest news coming out of the ranch though is the trenching in of the phone line that was residing on top of the ground for over 13 months. Not exactly sure what triggered the sudden recent activity by the phone company. Could’ve been the irate phone call from Mrs. Cheviot. Might’ve been the scathing complaint I filed with the MN Public Utilities Commission. Or perhaps it was my less than complimentary letter including the picture of Eddie Albert talking on the phone on the telephone pole. Whatever. I could go on about the actions or inactions of the phone company, but somehow we are just relieved the debacle is over. Being able to mow the lawn straight through without moving the line or concern about chopping it up for the first time all year was a moral victory. And, seeing the cable lying alongside the road less than a week ago, having it buried again meant one less thing to worry about with winter closing in.

See you next week…real good then.

Veterans invited to open house Saturday at Albert Lea VA Clinic

The Minneapolis VA Healthcare System invites military veterans to the Open House for the Albert Lea VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic on November 8 from 8 a.m. to noon, 1665 West Main Street Albert Lea, MN. Refreshments will be served, so bring a fellow veteran! Call us at 507-377-6051 if you should have questions. The Albert Lea VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic is dedicated to providing quality health care to Veterans. Please bring a copy of your DD-214 or honorable discharge certificate and join us on November 8 to learn more about VA Healthcare enrollment and available benefits in your area. 

The annual Veteran's Day program will be held at NRHEG High School on Tuesday, November 11th. The program will start at 9:15 a.m. The speaker this year is Tim Collins, Waseca Co. Deputy Sheriff and United States Army Veteran.

This year the 3rd grade through 5th grade students will be transported over from the Ellendale building to participate and watch the program. The band and high school choir will perform and the elementary choir will also perform. Essay winners for "What Does Veterans Day Mean to Me" will be announced. New Richland and Ellendale American Legion members will be at the program and of course they are the ones being honored.

Skroch defeats Swearingen in Ellendale

Elected to the NRHEG School Board Tuesday were Rick Schultz, 1,343 votes; Travis Routh, 1,052; JoAnn (Hagen) Maloney, 935; and Mark Tollefson, 924. The other candidates and their vote totals: Karen Flatness, 899; John Harrington, 755; Rich Mueller, 509.

Jim Lutgens and Amy Ihrke were elected to the New Richland City Council. Lutgens, a first-time candidate, garnered 244 votes while Ihrke, a two-term incumbent, totaled 236. Sarah (Peterson) Sundve received 187 votes. Incumbent Mayor Christine Gislason, running unopposed, was reelected with 346 votes.