Revision!

      Upon my arrival here yesterday, I opinionated that corn harvest was half done. Now, being here a bit longer, I'm revising that estimate. It looks like harvest is more complete than that. The local grain elevator, after successfully marketing corn last year, has again purchased much corn which is stored in the long white bags on the ground.

     The rain gauge behind The Little House registered 5" since I left ten days ago. It's great timing for a significant rainfall. Beans are safely harvested. Rain doesn't s impair corn. The corn husk sheds the moisture. There is some harvest delay while the ground dries. Decreased sunlight and lower temperatures preserve the moisture. The ground is not yet frozen allowing the water to soak into the soil. Moisture is essentially banked in the ground for next year's growing season. Alfalfa fields and pastures are recharged before freeze-up. Frost doesn't penetrate as deep in wet ground. Trees, too, are strengthened by fall rains.   

    Takk for alt,

     Al

Bags filled with corn.

Mass Die Off!

      The windshield wipers were on the whole trip from the OFH to The Little House. Sinai has recorded 4.5" in two days not counting today's rain. Tomorrow I'll check my gauge to see what's accumulated in 10 days. Minnesota corn harvest is almost complete. Locally it's about half done. Yields are very good, in the 200+ bushel per acre range with moisture at 14%. That means no artificial drying is necessary saving time and money. It's been too wet to harvest since Friday. For the first time this year getting stuck is a hazard.

    In the 10 days of my absence boxelder bugs did a mass 'die off'' in the house. They don't bother me; I just gently move them out of the way. Joanne didn't like them. Kaia ate any she caught. Odie hasn't revealed himself.

Takk for alt,

Al

Look familiar?

Run away to join the circus!

      Boys running away to join the circus is a thing of the past. Perhaps some boys actually did join a circus. At least it was familiar trope in the past. It was a way get out of town and not be easy to trace.

    Across the street from the Disc Golf Course, in which Odie runs, is a permanent big top. It's for Circus Juventas, which is non-profit that teaches youth circus entertainment skills. Evy and I attended once. The performance was professional level. It even included high wire.

   This morning at 6:00 am as Odie and I approached the car to return to the OFH, he ran over the hill in pursuit of a rabbit(?). He didn't return. When a bit of time had passed, I made the necessary calls; St. Paul Animal Control and Pawsboost, an online lost pet site. Then I drove the area crisscrossing the neighborhood in hopes of spotting him. I left a towel where the car had been parked in case he returned there. That worked years ago when I was separated from a dog in a huge hunting area. Nothing...imagine my devastation. He is chipped and my phone number is on his collar.

  At 9:00 a woman called and said she had Odie at Circus Juventas. He was sitting at the door when she came to work. He'd run away to join the circus.  You can imagine my relief. 

Takk for alt,

Al

   

Rain...

     The morning routine is to take Odie out about 6am. Last night the forecast was for rain beginning at 6. That's a dilemma easily solved. I, being a rain wimp, Odie was happy to go outside at 5:00. Then, too, there weren't any other riff raff in the park at that time. There were a few deer, which seeing Odie, made a hasty retreat. It's rained most of the day.

   With WNBA season concluded, college basketball is picking up the slack. Several of the better teams (women's) are playing in Paris. A Big Ten Team, Maryland (#20), took on South Carolina (#1) this afternoon. S.C. won 101-93, but at one point had a 31-point lead. S.C didn't handle Maryland's full court pressure well. Addi Mack, a Maryland player from Minneapolis who played high school ball at Minnehaha Academy, had 35 points but a S.C. player with only 20 points was designated "player of the game."

   Life returns!

Takk for alt,

Al

A good Sunday School experience could have avoided this!

 

"Well, then?

     Shortly after I moved into the OFH, I met Pattrick. Sitting in my recliner one afternoon, the door opened and in walked Patrick. We were both surprised. He thought he was entering his dad, Tom's, apartment, but that was two doors down. I didn't know who he was. 

   Kaia greeted him as he entered and Patrick turned out to be a 'dog person.' We chatted awhile before he left. After that he'd frequently knock on my door with treats for Kaia. Conversations ensued with some regularity. Tom also entered the category of 'friendly acquaintance' and occasionally we shared meals. He had taught philosophy at St. Thomas University for 35 years. His health was frail and for years was in and out of the hospital. 

  Tom died last week and his wake was this afternoon. Four of us inmates of the OFH attended. Much of my motivation was to express my condolences to Patrick. However, Tom's family, which is large, wasn't at the wake, with the exception of one son whom I did not know. 

   Rest in peace, Tom, good and faithful servant.

Takk for alt,

Al

WNBA Final

      For the first time ever the WNBA final went the full seven games. The Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63, in the 7th game tonight. Golden State has only been in existence for two years.

   My Lynx got eliminated in two games early in the playoffs.

   Rain predicted Monday and Tuesday so will delay my departure until Wednesday.

Takk for alt,

Al