Still Upright!

      In the OFH a popular farewell when leaving another person or group is, "Stay upright!" Today I visited my civilian, as opposed to the one at the VA, primary care physician. She thinks I have a good prospect for staying upright, if I don't trip over Kaia, etc. It's been six and a half years since I was last sick, bronchitis in Asia 2020, so I hope to continue that streak. Consequently, I got a COVID booster hoping to remain among those who've never had it. This record of health fills me with gratitude.

   This medical appointment is one reason I've remained at the OFH this week. Last week's presence here was to keep Kaia from 4th of July fireworks in Sinai. They don't scare her but she gets agitated thinking that firecrackers are the sounds of shooting and she wants to be out hunting. The fireworks perpetrators have no sense of bedtime, lighting fireworks far into the night. 

Takk for alt,

Al

There is so much I don't know. Hearing about mangroves on ocean shorelines I always imaged huge trees, like a big cottonwood...not so!. These are mangroves on the coast of Cambodia. A recent news article reported an uptick in the world's mangroves, good conservation news. These trees are a part of a deliberate reforestation project we visited in 2020, while I had bronchitis, my last illness.  

Apologies to both my readers!

    The computer education classes at both Brooking county Rural District 21, and Sinai High School were lacking. Consequently my technical skills are rudimentary. Tangled up with an internet issue time escaped me and know I'm too tired for a longer post.

   There was a particular high point today when an author friend presented me with his first gift copy of his newly published book of haiku poetry. This will prompt much reflection...thanks PMFJ!  😀

  More another day!

Takk for alt,

Al

Greetings to you both!

    Guess what, I watched a basketball game today!  It wasn't "my" team. However, almost always I favor one team over another, pure prejudice. The preferred team won today, but these games evoke little anxiety. Watching as much as I do I can identify most WNBA players by sight. There, too, there are favorites and others for which I have less affection. Case in point; one of the excellent players in the league I've not liked. Learning about her has revealed a very fine person. So, why my dislike. Eventually I puzzled it out, it's because on the floor she never smiles, always playing looking dour. There, now, you see how arbitrary and subjective I am.

   The day ended with a delightful meal on a patio with, what for me is perfect weather; clear skies and 83 degrees. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Now there are five.

      My oldest aunt lived at Baalaton, MN. She'd accompanied her father, my grandfather, there to teach Vacation Bible School. She met and married a local farmer. Some where around 1910 she died of uremic poisoning after childbirth, her son and my first born cousin, Clifford, drown in a water tank when he was 3. His father died in the flu epidemic. Thus ended that family.

    This is story of my surviving cousins who made it to adulthood, grandchildren of my grandparents. Last week there six surviving cousins. Yesterday my oldest one, surviving at age 93, died from injuries suffered in a car accident. Alvin, five years older than I, was always my hero. Living twelve miles apart we had regular contact growing up. Saturday, I will attend his funeral in Aurora, IL.

   Grandpa and Grandma had nineteen grandchildren after the late Clifford. The gender breakdown is interesting. There were five boys, which included my two brothers and I, thus only two male cousins. There were 14 female cousins. Of all these grandchildren. I was second to the youngest and the youngest died several years ago. Giving some balance to this equation was my oldest cousin, Cecilia, who had four sons, one a year older than I, one my age and two younger.

  Now, surviving in age sequence: one is 92, another 91, the third 89, then 88, and 87. None have had birthdays this year. Interesting demographics.  Add those ages up and what do you get? I'm not allowed to do the math. 😀 

Takk for alt,

Al

Uffda...

     One of the challenges of retirement life is tracking the days of the week. When I was first retired I volunteered regularly at Hmong Academy for ten plus years. It was very enjoyable, satisfying with a side bonus. It kept me oriented to the day of the week.

   That volunteering gig ended with COVID. Now it would be challenging with my hearing problems but probably could be done with the aid of my hearing aid's remote mic. However, I now reside in St. Paul and the Academy is in the NW suburb  of Brooklyn Park. That's way to far to drive across Minneapolis.

  This subject comes up because tonight I spaced an event I intended to attend. In fact I even have a ticket for it. This leaves me feeling disappointed. My memory is a point of pride with me, with the exception of names which I usually remember...at 2:00 am.😉 

Takk for alt,

Al

I'm pictured with students from Noble Academy.

Shades of Thailand!

     Sitting outside at a local restaurant a bit ago, temperature 85, dew point 72, brought back my time in Thailand. Though I went in winter the weather there was very similar to what we're experiencing. Temperatures would run in the upper 80s to lower 90s daytime. At night 80 was typical. Dew points often in the 70s. This was without a/c, though I did have a fan at night. (Now it's 6:30 am in Ayutthaya and the temperature is 77 and the dew point 76.) Knowing that Minnesota temperatures were in the single digits to minus improved my attitude about the heat and humidity.  At school the students would play soccer and do other vigorous activities, e.g., jump rope, impervious to the heat. Of course this was their cool season.

   Were it not for the accident of birth I should live in a warmer climate. One positive, there are no scorpions here. At Camp Pendleton when we were in the field we'd shake our boots in the morning to be certain a scorpion hadn't moved in.

Takk for alt,

Al

Thai fourth graders, the girl in the middle is twin of the one on her right.

Power Shopping!

     In the market for a new blazer the plan was to go to a fancy men's store. The reason for that choice was there'd be measurements for a good fit. A store was identified in a suburb across town. Arriving revealed that the store was gone and it was being retrofitted for a fast food enterprise. So much for that plan.

   Checking my trusty smart phone I located a J C Penney store nearby. So I drove to it guided by GPS. Walking to the back corner of the store where men's wear is kept, no employee was in sight. Realizing that it was going to be totally self serve, I spotted a rack of blazers. After putting one on I walked to the checkout by the front door, paid for the blazer and my time in the store was no more than fifteen minutes. That was within my patience quotient. Who needs a fancy men's store? That's what passes for excitement  in my life.

Takk for alt,

Al

PS Neighbor to The Little House reports 1" in my rain gauge! 

PPS The blazer fits well.

OFH has a 4:30 dinner seating, giggle...

 

"Things happen!"

      In certain situations I've found having a mantra is helpful. Living with a Thai family for 10? years there was a mantra I often employed. Papa spoke no English, Mama had a smattering and daughter was quite conversant. Frequently outings for the whole family, plus I, were planned. Seldom did I have a clue to the nature of an outing until he was fait a comply. Before, during, until the plan became clear, my mantra was "All will be revealed." It was sweet to have interesting experiences for which I had no responsibility. Usually a Buddhist temple would be part of the plan. No two temples are alike which added interest. At one a monk engaged me in discussion of American politics. (Parenthetically, anyplace in Thailand if a local is asked to escort one to a place of interest that local will conduct the inquirer to the temple.) 

    Visiting E & MJ, in Iowa, they employ the same mysterious approach, even though we're all conversant in English. It gives opportunity to once again use the mantra "All will be revealed."  Which leads to another mantra which I used today.

   Yesterday I purchased tires at Costco. The salesman said they could be installed at 1:45 today, even writing the hour on the sales agreement. When I presented myself today at 1:45, a different salesmen said "I see where your tires were purchased but there's no record of an appointment and we're booked up until 4:00." Where upon I threw a major tantrum...not. He was very apologetic. I said "Not your fault." Then I used a mantra that I find very helpful in moments like this. I said, "Things happen!" and, said further, "I'll return at 4:00."

   Then I did what any self respecting octogenarian would do, I went home and had a nap. As of this writing there are 4 new tires on my car. 

Takk for alt,

Al

A friend shared this...

 In Ireland, around 1880, the harvest wasn’t doing so well. 

To appease his tenant farmers, Lord Erne offered a 10% rent reduction. They countered with a request for 25%. He rejected their proposal and told his land agent, Captain Charles Boycott, to start evicting them.

That should have ended the story. Instead, it started one.

Irish nationalist Charles Stewart Parnell, a local leader at the time, made a simple proposal to the farmers: don’t attack Boycott. Don’t threaten him. Simply pretend he doesn’t exist.

Don’t work for him.
Don’t sell to him.
Don’t buy from him.
Don’t even acknowledge him.

The village happily obliged.

His laborers quit.
His servants disappeared.
Shopkeepers turned him away.
Even the postman refused to deliver his mail.

Within weeks, one man became socially radioactive.

The story spread around the world. The Irish Land Reform movement found new momentum. And Captain Charles Boycott achieved something few people ever do: his name became a verb.

OFH

       "Where are you?" "Here!"  After being wined and dined in Eastern Iowa, today it was back to St. Paul. Passing by Costco in Eagan I stopped and ordered tires, they've sure gotten expensive, for installation tomorrow. They should last longer than the 20,000 of the original tires. Honda makes money but selling new cars with cheap tires. 

   After the Costco stop it was time to rescue Kaia from doggy camp. She seems to be healed from the UTI encountered in camp. Her camp counselor took her to a vet for treatment. It just was lousy timing because thee are UTI meds in my apartment.

   It was a good trip to see good friends who dote on me. Neighbor to The Little House reports that there was 1.75" rain in my gauge the other night. It was much needed and much appreciated and particularly helpful before this hot weather.

Takk for alt,

Al 

My Experience!

 

That's all for today, folks!

Takk for alt,

Al

Lap Of Luxury!

      Today I made the move to Iowa City, IA. Ensconced in the guest room of an OFH, rather the guest suite, meals included, with good friends on the floor above, life is sweet. There was a funny incident. The friends offered to let me use their internet account. This precipitated a scramble to find the appropriate password. The problem was solved when a button was pressed on the router.

   Repairing to my guest apartment, upon entering a different room there was a note with the guest apartment internet log-in and password! 😀   

  So's where's Al?  I'm here!

Takk for alt,

Al

Dubuque Iowa!

     The day included several venues in Dubuque. It began with the fascinating aquarium and attached museum. On the way to ride the funicular, which we did, a memory was tantalizing me "Where else have I ridden a funicular...was it Bergan, Norway?" probably. But then it  came to me "Kunming, China." We went to Mississippi Lock 10, and watched a huge barge and tow go through the locks. Then it was north of Dubuque up the high bluffs for dinner in Balltown.

    Yup, it was a full wonderful day! Thanks, Ed and MaryJane.

Takk for alt,

Al

Balltown sits high on a ridge with this view, the Mississippi River is visible in the distance.

Not Old, long term...

        It was 1959 and Ed and I were in Marine Boot Camp. Fortune put us in the same platoon so we were acquaintances. Geography played a part. Because we finished Boot Camp on Dec. 15, we were given leave, no choice, over Christmas. With Ed's home in Eastern IA and mine in Eastern SD, we rode the same bus from San Diego to Omaha, a two day trip, on the way to our homes. On the bus we had the leisure to talk and two farm boys found we had so much in common. Fortune again hove into view when, after leave,  we were assigned to the same company at Camp Pendleton, then in the same office until I completed my enlistment.

    Though we remained friends, and in contact, fortune again intervened when I moved our family to Davenport in 1980. This put us 25 miles from Ed's farm. Now Joanne and Ed's wife MaryJane became good friends and, of course, I got significant time with Ed.

   When I retired in 2007 we started visiting every year since, with the exception of  2020. So, here I am again, once again being treated like royalty. Tonight included dinner with Ed's & MaryJane's neighbors, who over the years, have become friends of mine. 

   Life is good, sponging off long time friends!

Takk for alt,

Al

Where's Al?

       If someone were to ask me where I am I'd say "I'm here." But, then where's here? Perhaps it might surprise to know that I'm in DeWitt, Iowa. It's about 20 miles from Illinois. In fact we had dinner in Clinton on a deck where we could look across the Mississippi and see Illinois. 

    After dinner we went troll hunting and found 3 of 4. They're huge made of reused lumber, 1000s sf pieces attached by screws.  

  Clinton, Iowa is home to four massive, interactive wooden sculptures created by world-renowned Danish recycled-materials artist Thomas Dambo. The trolls celebrate Clinton’s rich 1800s lumber history. You can search for three brother trolls—Helmut, Marvin, and Warren—and a hidden fourth installation called 'The Enchanted Branches'.  Internet

Takk for alt,

Al 

This is Helmut, who is holding a maple tree.

This is Marvin, who is reclining inside a building. Each of the small pieces are attached with screws.

OFH

     Kaia and I motored to the OFH arriving this morning. So, to the query, "Where are you?"  the answer is that "We are here." It's the first leg of a little planned road trip. This stay will be brief.

Takk for alt,

Al

Screen Time!

     After watching a video about the effect of screen time on sleep I decided to experiment. Both of you, my readers know that I don't watch much TV. On the other hand I do spend quite a bit of time on the computer. After seeing the video about screen time and sleep I decided to experiment. The initial results suggest that when I discontinue screen time an hour and a half before going to bed I wake up less at night. To be continued...

  There was also a video about eight things a person age 70 should be able to do. Naturally I tested myself. Rise from a chair with out using hands? check; walk for 10 minutes? check; climb a flight of stairs? check;  carry a bag of groceries from the car to the kitchen? check; prepare a meal? check; maintain personal hygiene? check; engage in cognitive activities? check; and, socialize and leave the house? check. Seems a very minimal list, nothing about picking rocks nor cutting cedars. Not even remembering what was done yesterday. But then I'm not 70! 😀

Takk for alt,

Al

I've posted this street sign from Saladaeng, Bangkok. What does the sign advertise on the second floor?

Happy Father's Day and Summer Solstice!

       I've long argued that you don't have to be a father to have a happy Father's Day! For some, the logic of that assertion escapes them. But, what ever, hope your Father's Day is happy as mine has been. It's a blessing to have two children who dote on me.

    However, I do have to confess to a bit of depression. It has to do with summer solstice. The long daylight hours of this time of year, in this latitude, agree with me. The lengthy twilight is delightful. Though the retreat of the sun will not be observable for some time it's the  knowledge of it that makes me sad.

    In conversation with L today we were remembering the lack of twilight in SE Asia. Suddenly the sun rises and suddenly the sun sets. Close to the Equator day and night are almost the same length. It's very near 6:00 am and 6:00 pm.

  The rooster crowing across the street from The Little House harkens to my time in Thailand. There was no clock in my Thai bedroom. There were two signals to me that it was time to arise. Roosters crowing was one signal. The other clue was the Muslim call to prayer at 6:00 am from the neighboring mosque. It's been many years since I used an alarm clock but it's helpful to have some signal of the time.

  Speaking of an alarm clock there's a funny story. L was staying with me. At breakfast he said, "Dad your alarm clock went off last night."  News to me 😀, checked and it was set to ring at 2:00 am. Without my hearing aids I didn't hear it. How many weeks had it sounded unheard?

Takk for alt,

Al

It must have been almost 6:00 pm when I took this picture over the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

Gov. Waltz commenting on the reflecting pool fiasco;

 Minnesota governor Tim Walz commented: “Found an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn’t listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably, bragged how great it went. The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell.”

Rare June Day!

         One of the realities of South Dakota geography is that it features frequent wind. Most days the wind blows and it is a rare day when the wind is calm. Thought nights are more often relatively windless. For at least a week the weather forecast has predicted that there would be little wind today. Needing to spray weeds in my corn a windless day is helpful. The forecast was accurate as I drove by the lake the surface was almost unbroken by wind and it reflected the opposite shoreline. Indeed, a rare June day.

     The necessary spraying was quickly accomplished. In the one field the corn is growing normally. In the other the corn is stunted. It should have been fertilized and illustrates the effect of growing corn year after year on the same ground, at least twenty years, maybe thirty. Fertilizer is on the agenda for next year. 

    A week ago the consignment auction sponsored by the fire department was the usual success. Gross sales were approximately $150,000. I did my part consigning a disc, buying a disc and a stalk chopper.

Takk for alt,

Al

This was this mornings view of Lake Joanne.

In Retrospect...

     The current book I'm reading is about travel adventures, or misadventures. This causes me to reflect on my travel experiences. Though I travelled quite a bit I experienced very little mis-adventure. Never was a flight cancelled on me and most of the time flights were on time. Only once was my luggage delayed.  That was on a trip to Argentina. My suitcase caught up with me after a few days.

   On a visit to New York City for continuing education, my flight was out of LaGuardia Airport. While waiting at the gate to return to Minneapolis the airline personnel announced that vouchers were being offered if a flier would relinquish a seat. When the offered amount reached $1200. I offered my seat. Apparently the airplane sent was smaller than the booked plane. The man at the counter said he'd take my name but the amount offered would go higher. It did! The voucher I received was for $2400.00 with no time limit on it's use. How long was I delayed? Two hours. 

   That was the only time I surrendered a seat. Never was I bumped from a flight. Yet, airports are a huge hassle and the thought of encountering it fills me with dread. Blessed with family within driving distance there is no need to fly to see them. 

Takk for alt,

Al

This is one of the last planes on which I flew. It was from Athens to Crete in 2023, and my knees were jammed against the seat in front of me. Fortunately it was only about a 45 minute flight.

Excellent Book!

      This novel has an exceptionally appropriate epigraph. "Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which other people find inadmissible." Carl Jung.  It accurately summarizes Elizabeth Strout's The Things We Never Say. This New York Times bestseller and Pulitzer Prize winner is out with this 2026 book.

    Artie, husband, father, high school teacher, sailor, friend...finds little opportunity to speak what's really on his mind. A tragic event has frozen the relationship with his wife so that their communication loses emotional depth. Their life is further complicated  by a significant secret which he only discovers very late.

    Strout is one of those writers that engage from the first page. Her understanding of the human condition suffuses the pages as the characters live out their lives in relationship. Typical of Strout books, Artie is a loveable character who lives with the silent frustration of few understanding him. 

   I'm very glad it read it!

Takk for alt,

Al

And to think I have an apartment in an Old Folks Home

 

Impulse buy!

      At Saturday's consignment auction I attended intending to bid on the disc that followed me home. Aware that there was also a stalk chopper for sale, after buying the disc, I wandered over to the chopper curious how it would sell. I bought it on impulse when no one else cared enough to make a couple of bids. 

   It's a John Deere, Model 27, and, judging how much of the road it covered, a 16'. After pulling it to my shop I lubricated it and attached the PTO and hydraulic hoses. Much to my pleasure it worked. Both it and the disc came with the requisite hydraulic cylinder which increases their value. The chopper attaches to the 1000rpm power take off shaft.  After replacing a couple of tires I towed it to the field where it can rest until next spring when it will find use.

   So that's how I spent my work day. What did you do?

Takk for alt,

Al

Tire Follies!

        One of the tires on the disc that followed me home from Saturday's sale looked very old and weather checked. That disc's home is several miles from town. So, it seemed wise to head off possible trouble by replacing that tire. It was removed from the disc and, accompanied with a replacement tire, was transported to a tire repair shop in Volga 10+ miles away. Then the follies began. The tired tire had a 15" rim and the replacement I brought was 14". Stretching is not an option. Dilemma? Return to Sinai for a15" tire, or try the old one?  Folly two...deciding to put a new inner tube in the old tire and use it. Back in Sinai with the tire remounted on the disc it blew out in the first block while heading to the field. Off with that blown tire and back to Volga with the 15" tire I should have brought at the beginning.

     There was a time that this scenario would have frustrated me. No more, it's more entertaining than anything. The disc is now safely parked in the field and resting until it's time to use it next spring. The day's activity is another one that's better than a gym membership. The person who consigned the disc for sale was very lucky that the tire held air until it reached the Sinai sale ground.

Takk for alt,

Al

No comment...

 

June!

 

What Is So Rare As A Day In June

"And what is so rare as a day in June?
Then, if ever, come perfect days;
Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune,
And over it softly her warm ear lays;
Whether we look, or whether we listen,
We hear life murmur, or see it glisten;
Every clod feels a stir of might,
An instinct within it that reaches and towers,
And, groping blindly above it for light,
Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers;
The flush of life may well be seen
Thrilling back over hills and valleys;
The cowslip startles in meadows green,
The buttercup catches the sun in its chalice,
And there's never a leaf nor a blade too mean
To be some happy creature's palace;
The little bird sits at his door in the sun,
Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
And lets his illumined being o'errun
With the deluge of summer it receives;
His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings,
And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings;
He sings to the wide world, and she to her nest,
In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best?"    James Russell Lowell

    Yesterday's consignment auction was at a new time. In the past it's always been the second Saturday of August. The date change didn't seem to inhibit the consignments nor the bidders. The weather was so cool that a jacket felt good, unlike the hot August days of the past. Will it be June again if there is one? We'll wait and see.

Takk for alt,

Al

Malacca, Malaysia is very interesting because of the layers of cultures. First there was Malay, then Portuguese Colonial, followed by Dutch Colonial, which was followed by English Colonial and finally independence in 1957. 

Look what followed me home!

      From a casual observer the Sinai Volunteer Fire Department consignment auction today looked like another success. There was a commercial source of many brand new attachments for a skid steer. Selling brought significant money but they sold for much less than would have been paid at a dealer. Good for the Fire Department and good for the buyer. This is one picture of less than a fourth of what was for sale.

  

    But, I did not escape unscathed. This disc followed me home as I  had hoped. There was one other interested bidder so I paid a fair, but not unreasonable, price.

 Then there was this stalk chopper, which I can use, but no one else wanted, so, it was cheap and also followed me home.

Takk for alt,

Al

Pretty much , my life!

 

Incredible!

       Every year before (and after) Sinai Firemen's consignment auction we say "It's sold now, next year there won't be a much." What happens? Next year there's more. This year is no exception. It's hard to get pictures that do justice, but I'll try. Bidding begins at 10:00 and ends ??? when everything is sold. The professional auctioneers volunteer their time and effort and their 10% normal commission goes to the the fire department. Those volunteers do an incredible amount of work to keep the department solvent.

    Perhaps the amount of consignment shouldn't be a surprise in a culture that is continuously building more rental storage lockers. In the classified section of the Minneapolis Paper there are columns of advertisements listing lockers that are abandoned and the contents to be auctioned. 

   We're slow to learn that every thing we own ends up owning us. A former prisoner of war said, after his release, "I had a tremendous feeling of freedom when everything was taken from me."

Takk for alt,

Al   

Showered!

       Sinai's been showered recently, including today.  It's been unusual. Several times there have been small rain showers. These have been up to .3" a couple of times Other's smaller as today it was .2". Cumulatively, perhaps something over 1.5" total. This is certainly helpful and an advantage is that there is no run off.

    Bird sightings: twice it has been Red Headed Woodpeckers, which have lost population numbers. They were in separate woodlands so not the same bird seen twice. Three Brown Thrashers were seen together. These birds with a beautiful song are quite reclusive.  A Mallard Hen with 11 newly hatched ducklings were swimming near the road. A local farmer reported seeing a Pheasant hen with a brood of chicks. These chicks and ducklings will be fully grown by winter increasing their chance of survival.

   Sinai Firemen's annual consignment auction is Saturday. Included in the sale is a never erected Quonset building. The final sale advertisement took a half a page in the local advertiser and late consignments continue to arrive. So far the only tractor offered is a John Deere 4020. No, I'm not bidding.

Takk for alt,

Al

The gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker is so boldly patterned it’s been called a “flying checkerboard,” with an entirely crimson head, a snow-white body, and half white, half inky black wings. These birds don’t act quite like most other woodpeckers: they’re adept at catching insects in the air, and they eat lots of acorns and beech nuts, often hiding away extra food in tree crevices for later. This magnificent species has declined severely in the past half-century because of habitat loss and changes to its food supply.

It can be tricky to glimpse a Brown Thrasher in a tangled mass of shrubbery, and once you do you may wonder how such a boldly patterned, gangly bird could stay so hidden. Brown Thrashers wear a somewhat severe expression thanks to their heavy, slightly downcurved bill and staring yellow eyes, and they are the only thrasher species east of Texas. Brown Thrashers are exuberant singers, with one of the largest repertoires of any North American songbird.

The advantage of hearing loss!

 

Book Report!

     Before passing it on to me L told me it was a very good. Reading it revealed that to be an understatement. It's one of those books that engages from the first page while getting better steadily in reading. Seldom do I read books currently on the NY Times current best seller list, but this is one.

    The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is totally in the form of letters sent and received, except for one that's more like a diary. Sybil, the primary character, a retired attorney living alone, has written, and, consequently received, letters since she was a girl. Now her pattern is to sit at her desk at 10:00 am every day and write letters.  These letters, and the replies she receives, constitute the book. A family tragedy much earlier in her life had a huge impact on her, to which she only comes to terms in her final years. 

   A brilliant and self reflective woman, her engagement with others causes her to significantly change in her latter years. The book is filled with the wisdom that comes with such reflection and her willingness to engage honestly with others. These include life long friends, family inc. a son and daughter, neighbors and young boy who's the son of a friend. She also writes  to authors, public figures and people in the news, often receiving a reply. Not only does she change with her correspondence so do others through her missives. Almost by accident long secret family members come to light.

   In her acknowledgments at the end of the book Evans give strong tribute to her husband, Mark. Then below the last line the acknowledgment is this.

   James 1:17

Takk for alt,

Al 

Shades of Thailand

        Joanne, the woman who'd go out in sub-zero weather with a wind breakers, did not like heat and humidity. She braved the tropical heat of SE Asia once, to visit our daughter. Walking in the cemetery today brought back memories of my time teaching school in Thailand. "Thailand was like this I thought." Living there without A/C was tolerable. 

      But, today?, with a cool house and good book I opted to leave the heat and humidity. There was nothing pressing on the work front. Cedars and rocks will wait. An exceptionally good book was a way to focus some time.

    Living the good life in The Little House!

Takk for alt,

Al

Find Al in this picture!

Puzzle?

        My two cornfields are 12 miles apart and as different as night and day. Field one is where the geese grazed last year. It's on a south slope with mature trees to the north. Geese grazed two thirds of it down to bare soil. With few cornstalks to bother I did minimum tillage before planting. The corn is growing nicely and weeds, especially water hemp, blanket the ground.

      Then there's the other field. No geese grazed there so there was much corn standing into the winter. When I chopped the stalks this spring the ground was yellow with shelled corn. During the days between chopping a plowing birds ate much of that waste corn...but not enough. Now the volunteer corn is no thick it's hard to determine where the rows are. Some weeds have begun to germinate. Both the corn and the weeds are much smaller in this field than in the other.

    Why is there such a difference in the two fields. Perhaps it's soil temperature. Where the growth is slow the soil was covered with chopped cornstalks acting as a blanket which wouldn't allow the ground to warm up. Then the ground was plowed, tilled and planted in a couple of days. After planting there were many days of cool or cold temperatures not conducive to warming the soil. That contrasts with the other field which tilts toward the sun and the black soil absorbing the sun's heat.

    This post is a testament to the simple life I lead.😄

Takk for alt,

Al

Erased!

     Yesterday while I was out cutting cedars, what else?, there was multi-bird serenade. Turning on the Merlin app, what else?, over twenty species were recorded. Many of the usual suspects; Bobolink, Grackle, Pheasant, Red-Wing and Yellow Headed blackbirds, Marsh Wren, Etc. Another one, very common in my experience, but one I'd never heard...a Pie Bill Grebe, a water bird.

    While standing in the grass recording, water behind a dam was not far away. In my youth we called Grebe's 'Hell Divers'. Swimming in the water a few yards away if anything alarmed them they'd dive and re-surface a long way away. In fact they were so elusive that attempts to shoot them was futile. So quick they'd be under water and away before shot reached them. (I know, shooting at them wasn't good and was even illegal.)  Recording one was a revelation to me. 

   Unfortunately I neglected to save the recording. Attempting to replay it back at the house and it was not retrievable. Perhaps I can re-record it later.

Takk for alt,

Al

 

The Pied-billed Grebe is the most widespread grebe in the New World, and the most familiar in most temperate parts of North America. Far less sociable than most grebes, almost never in flocks, sometimes found singly on small marshy ponds. When disturbed or suspicious, it may sink slowly until only head is above water. Rarely seen in flight. Often secretive in the breeding season, hiding in marsh, making bizarre whinnying, gobbling, cooing noises by day or night.

June 6, 1964

     It was beautiful June day, five days after graduating from Augustana, that Joanne and I were married. The wedding was at First Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, S.D. Pastor Marcus Gravdal presided and Joanne's father, The Rev. Dr. Oscar C. Hanson did the homily. Choral music was provided by the Augustana College Choir. The late Mary (Hanson) Trodahl was the maid of honor and David Negstad the best man.

   Here's bit of humor connected to the event. As I was living at First Lutheran, assistant custodian and night watchman, the Norwegian wedding cake, kransakake, for the reception was kept in my apartment. Joanne's mother was very concerned that ants not find the cake, though in the year I'd lived there I'd never seen an ant. She provided my with ant poison to protect the pastry. Waking in the middle of the night, I realized I hadn't placed the poison so I got up and protected it. No ants found either the poison or the cake.

   I'm very grateful that we had a big fiftieth wedding anniversary party because three years later, she died. So, now for 8+ years I've lived in the land of grief with the presence of absence. Our marriage was a wonderful blessing to me, for which I'm eternally grateful.

Takk for alt,

Al

A kransakake that my granddaughter baked.

    

Best Gift Ever...

 

  

       For her 50th birthday I gave Joanne six weeks of dancing lessons. Her family of origin saw dancing as evil, but, with her musical background she understood rhythm. Living in Germanic Davenport, IA., every wedding featured a dance at the reception. We sat like bumps on a log while others danced.

      Lost in time is what led me to give her the Arthur Murray dancing lessons. After six weeks we renewed and renewed, for the two years we remained in Davenport. We picked up on the lessons when we moved to Minnesota.

      We'd go to a lesson tired from work and soon the fatigue would lift as we concentrated on the music and our steps. Now wedding dances were fun as we joined the dancers on the floor. 

      Joanne's father wrote a pamphlet That Dangerous Dance. We were dancing at a wedding reception which was attended by on of her father's friends. That friend accosted Joanne saying "What would your father say about you dancing?" Without missing a beat she replied, "He's in heaven now so he's free from those rules." The friend was speechless but his wife laughed out loud.

Takk for alt,

al

Marking Time While Weeds Sprout!

       The corn in my modest fields was reluctant to sprout. Was it planted too deep?  Was it cold soil and weather? The fact that weeds have also been slow to germinate suggests the corn's emergence is related to temperature and not depth of planting.

     The good news is that there is no sign of goose predation. Yesterday there were no observable geese on the water. The soybean field on the other side of the water has been fenced to keep the geese out. An electric fence powered by a solar unit keeps the geese at bay. If it's anything like other electric fences I've encountered one zap should be all a goose would need to learn a lesson. Local farmers who plant sweet corn also use electric fences to keep racoons out. Racoons with access to sweet corn will decimate a patch in one night.

    With the two pastures where cedars are invading are encircled with activated electric fencing. The shock of those fences is almost enough to knock me down. The cattle in one of those pastures are removed in early July. When they're gone I'll pursue those cedars. 

    Why do they leave in early July? These cattle graze on the invasive grasses which emerge in early spring. Their cropping encourages the native, summer grasses to flourish. It's taken over 30 years but gradually the native big bluestem grass has partially returned.

Takk for alt,

Al

Story

 

       There's a story about potato beetles that Dad told. Of course this was long before pesticides when potato beetles were menace. "An advertisement appeared in a farm paper. 'Sure fire method for ridding your potato patch of potato beetles. Send $5.00 to (address).' In response the sender received this message. 'Fill a quart jar half full of turpentine, drop the beetles into the jar.'"  The $5.00 at the time of the ad would be equivalent to about $100. today. 😀 Of course I neglected to ask if he'd sent $5.00!

       When I opened the door of my truck I was greeted by a jar of strawberry/rhubarb jam and six  chocolate chip cookies! Which reminds me of this story.  "Bruce was home visiting his mother in Sinai.

When they drove downtown she made sure to lock the car doors. 'Mom, do have to lock in Sinai?' 'Yes, if you don't lock your car in August, when you come back to it, it will be full of zucchini.'" 

Takk for alt,

al

Potato Bug also known as a Jerusalem Cricket. 

Little House!

        Leaving the OFH at 6:00 allows travel across Minneapolis at posted speeds, or, faster with the stream of traffic. Proceeding down Interstate 494, the four lane thoroughfare in South Minneapolis, what did I see in the rearview mirror but flashing red lights. "What did I do now?"  Five patrol cars, "I'm not dangerous!" weren't after me. They were pursuing a motorcycle at 100?mph. Seems very dangerous.

     Being a creature of habit my route to and from the OFH varies little. It suits me because most of it is on county roads with few towns and little traffic. About 90 miles from Minneapolis I connect with Hwy 212. Driving to town Wednesday I found 212 detoured a few miles. Perhaps a roundabout is being added. So today I took Highway 169 to St. Peter, then Nicollet and Highway 14. The 169 junction to Jordon is still one lane, which wasn't backed up at 6:30. Multiple signs proclaimed "USE BOTH LANES DURING BAKCUPS."  The detour on 212 is probably better.

    Driving through Nicollet means a mandatory stop at world famous Schmitt's Meat Market. Tonight's dinner was a scrumptious stuffed pork chop from Schmitt's. That stop is a definite plus for that route.

Takk for alt,

Al

Detour, there's a muddy road ahead, detour
Paid no mind to what it said
Detour, oh, these bitter things I find
Should have read that detour sign

Headed down life's crooked road
Lots of things I never knowed
Because of me not knowin', I now pine
Trouble got in the trail
Spent the next five years in jail
Should have read that detour sign

Detour, there's a muddy road ahead, detour
Paid no mind to what it said
Detour, oh, these bitter things I find

Should have read that detour sign

Tex Ritter

Schmitt's Meat Market

Ed never did this!

 

      Field stripping, i.e., disassembling our M-1 Rifles, became second nature. Woe betide the Marine who called his rifle a 'gun'. Care and maintenance of our rifles was a high priority.

       Beetle Bailey's experience with his rifle is similar to my experience of car or tractor mechanics. It seemed every time I disassembled an engine when the re-assembly was finished? there always remained a few parts. If any proof was needed this would have been sufficient evidence that being a mechanic was not my calling. 

Takk for alt,

Al

   

Seeing how I look after a couple weeks of a field exercise on Okinawa it's easy to imagine that my rifle would need cleaning.

Family day!

       Hanging at the OFH gave opportunity to connect with family. Meeting for dinner at a Thai/Lao restaurant, new to me and not far away it was quiet, with excellent food so good opportunity to visit. My preference is for Lao food over Thai. Laos was a former French colony and I think that has influenced its cuisine. 

   Seldom do I seek out Thai restaurants having eaten so much Thai food in Thailand. It being a long time since I'd had Thai food, this was a real treat. Then, too, the food was especially good. A good time was had by all and Al, too.

Takk for alt,

Al

This is a restaurant in Ayutthaya, Thailand, at which we'd sometimes eat. 

Friends!

    This has been a day of friends, which is half of the reason I return to the OFH with some regularity, family the other half. First it was breakfast with a friend. Eating in the OFH dining room gave us a full menu of breakfast choices. Besides the total convenience of the dining room is the plus that it's quiet. That's huge for someone as hearing impaired as I. 

    Early afternoon it was coffee with friends from the condo building in which I lived downtown. Both are authors and avid readers so books are often a significant part of the conversation. His quest to read all the Noble Prize and Pulitzer Prize books, is complete. He reports that many of them do not pass the test of time.

   Then there was dinner with friends who winter in AZ. Consequently our last in person visit was in November. Words were had! Friends make me glad and grateful.

Takk for alt,

Al 

No cattle so I don't need a big stick!

 

One of those days!

     There are days with little novelty. This is one of those days. Infrequent occupant that I am in the OFH, newer inmates sometimes ask "Are you new here?" New, doesn't very well apply in anyway to me. Actually, I'm one of the earlier occupants nabbing the last apartment available in the first go around. That was 4.5 years ago, since moving in. Many have come and gone during those years, quite a few of whom I've known.

   Perhaps I'll just post a random picture and call it good.

Takk for alt,

Al

The stairway of the Budapest Opera House where we heard a Puccini Opera in 2008.

Complete the process!

      The other reader didn't comment about my failure to post yesterday. While writing that missive the Lynx were on TV. That's my excuse for failure to post, and they beat the leading team in the league and now they lead. This even though their starter had surgery on both ankles and hasn't returned to the floor yet. Go Lynx!

Takk for alt,

Al

Where are you?

     "Where are you?" "Here!" "Where's here?"  "The OFH."  It's true, Kaia and I just arrived and she's sound asleep by the desk. With the family back in town it was time for a little turn in the OFH spa. We'll spend a few days at this 'here' and return to that 'here' known as The Little House.

Takk for alt,

al

Berger and Ellen photographed on my last trip to Norway, 2018.

Grassland Birds!

       When I left The Little House for the OFH last fall I gave KK permission to hunt on my land. In thanks for being allowed to hunt she's been trapping pocket gophers there. Perhaps that's why I didn't find any today. which is good news.

      Pausing to take in the view 

I was serenaded by many birds. Can you guess what came next? Yup, I activated the Merlin Bird App recorder and in 20 minutes recorded 20 varieties of birds. 

    This is what I heard: Goldfinch, Northern Yellow Warbler, Vesper Sparrow, Crow, Marsh Wren, Brown-headed Cowbird, Grasshopper Sparrow, Canada Goose, Eastern Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Mallard, Common Yellowthroat, Dickcissel, Sora, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Bobolink, Song Sparrow and Pheasant.  It was an ideal spot to find grassland birds with over 600 acres of contiguous grass. Squared off it would be a mile on each side.  600 is very conservative estimate of its reach. 

Takk for alt,

Al

When I was a boy we called Bobolinks 'skunk birds' because of their color.

 

• The Bobolink is one of the world’s most impressive songbird migrants, traveling some 12,500 miles (20,000 kilometers) to and from southern South America every year. Throughout its lifetime, it may travel the equivalent of 4 or 5 times around the circumference of the earth.
• The species name of the Bobolink, oryzivorus means “rice eating” and refers to this bird’s appetite for rice and other grains, especially during migration and in winter.

• It may not seem like it, because seeing a Sora takes some effort, but the Sora is the most abundant and widespread rail in North America.