News from home

 There was a storm through Minnesota on Friday night, many people are without electricity. Luckily our home in the woods is okay. Grandgirls Savannah and Paige both had trees down…in fact a tree blocked Savannahs door. My sister has no electricity and my friend Susie has no electricity either. It will be a number of days before electricity is restored. The weather people are calling it a hurricane.

Neighbor  Leah sent me a photo of the Flax field blooming across from our driveway! I wish I could have seen it, maybe next year!

Such a beautiful sight to see! 

In other news, Miss Minnesota was crowned…and she is the beautiful Emma who lives near us and just so happens to be dating our great nephew Mason! You can check out the Miss Minnesota Facebook page to see a photo.  She is a nursing student and her platform is Water Safety Knowledge which is perfect for all the lakes we have in Minnesota.  Onward to Miss America..wouldn’t that be something!  Just so you know she is as beautiful on the inside as outside. 

Far Side

More Art

 This is called "Hidden Treasures"

I  would have liked to see the piece of wood before he started carving...is it two pieces or just one?

What is inside?  Maybe nothing ...perhaps it is the hands that are the treasure...

We had a quiet day, the snow storm fizzled out we got just a skiff of snow.  

Our neighbor Steve had his open heart surgery and is doing well, we are so thankful for all the prayers for him and Jo.  Jo said  "Surgery successful and the nurses have helped him to sit in a chair with his legs up late this afternoon. We are so thankful this part is over— now to heal and go through the therapy and get home. Thank you all for your prayers - God is good!"

Far Side

Keeping on

 The Christmas Greetings keep on coming in the mail!  Kansas and Minnesota! 

It is always great to get something in the mail! 

We are having quiet days.  Far Guy is coming off the steroids so he is catching up on some of the sleep he lost over the past few weeks....Elvis and I supervise the nap time.   It is a rough job but Elvis and I make a great team!

Our neighbor Steve had a heart attack last week and will undergo open heart surgery on Friday, please pray for a full recovery and maybe an extra prayer for his wife Jo as they head down this road together.  They live just down the road from us and we have known them for years, they have three beautiful daughters and have had many dogs...Hooch, Odda, Putz and Titus most recently.  They are good people and good friends. 

Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: Neighbors

Last week was a hard week for long time neighbors.  People that I have known nearly all my life…well since my parents moved to their farm in Carsonville township  in 1952.

Ruby.  What  a gal, she celebrated her Christmas Eve birthday of 100 years and lived 16 days longer than that.   She and her husband Bob owned the Texaco Station in Ponsford.  Bob and I shared a dog one summer.  A German Shepherd showed up at the farm, she would stay a few days and then be gone, a few days later she would show up again.  I named her Princess.  I snuck her food, but we had other dogs on the farm and didn’t need another.   One day we stopped at the Texaco station and there she was…the mystery was solved…Bob couldn’t figure out where she (Patsy) went or why?  We lived just over 4 miles away.  Ruby always loved that old memory of the shared dog.  Bob has been gone a long time (he died in 1999) and now sweet Ruby has joined him.  Their lake place on the west side of Shell Lake was a great place to swim in the summer and we were always welcomed. Hot summer nights before air conditioning spent on their dock is a fond memory for me as a kid. Last summer Ruby invited me to her birthday party and so when it rolled around I went…she was so happy to see the good turn out for her birthday. She made it to 100!  She said she would and she did.

The old Texaco sign still marks the spot of the old station in Ponsford.

Jim.  Jim died the day after Ruby.  Since they were good friends that used to play cards together all the time it is fitting that he died the day after Ruby.  They lived just a mile apart all their lives.  Jim was 94.  We used to have coffee with Jim and his wife Irene and talk about area history. Jim’s Grandpa Nunns family and Far Guy’s Great Grandfather Abbott family were neighbors up in Eramosa Township, Wellington County  Ontario Canada. They all made the trip together to Eunice Township Becker County first in 1889 and shortly therafter settled in Carsonville Township.  Jim used to say that his Grandpa was sickly and would have died in Canada, but the healing air of the pine boughs saved him here in Minnesota. ( Then he would wipe away a tear or two.)  Jim used to say that there were many Indian mounded graves in the area…one was right along the road.  He had lots of stories to tell.  One story I will share; Jim had a pretty good looking Stallion.  Our daughter Trica worked out a deal with him to have her horse “visit” the stallion for awhile….when asked what we owed for feed…he replied “The good Lord provided the rain and sunshine for a good pasture and there is no way I am charging you for that!”

Jim and his wife Irene were married for 72 years before she died in 2016. Up until that time they were constant companions.  Their children took turns caring for them on the farm until 2015 when Irene needed extra help so they moved into assisted living and away from their farm.

In years past we would enjoy seeing a team hitched up to a sleigh or a wagon taking kids and grandkids for a ride the old fashioned way.  “There goes Jim.”

Saying goodbye to really old friends is hard.  Not many old timers around anymore.  Soon we will be the old timers….maybe we are already.

Busy Week

Three Doctor’s appointments, errands and suppers with friends and playing cards has kept us busy this week.  Our friend Barry is here from Oklahoma.  Steve and Jo hosted supper one night; pork burgers, potato salad and corn.  We brought brownies to enjoy after a couple of games of Golf (a card game.)

I took this photo on Wednesday evening after it rained.

Just like that another week is behind us.  It has been a fun week, with lots of laughter and remember whens.  We hosted supper last night, coleslaw, pizza and cheesy bread were on the menu.  Jo brought over a dessert in a cast iron skillet, a pie of sorts, with a crust and peaches, topped with raspberries…it was really yummy.

Our Drive on Saturday Night

The wheat in this area is ready to be combined.  There were three combines out in the field.  (Corporate Farming)

In this photo two are working close together.  The third one was off in the distance.  We were glad that the breeze was from the east today…blowing the grain dust away from us.

We finished our drive…didn’t see any deer…I suppose the combine noise kept them in the woods.

Stopped by to visit with Chance’s friends  Odda and Putz.

Putz and Chance played ball and then Putz talked Chance into a game of tag…herding dog games!

Odda just likes to be close to us and enjoys being petted.  Here she is cuddled up as close to Far Guy as she can get!

Steve was out in the field combining peas.  ( Non Corporate Farmer)

The peas will be hog feed.

The weather is about to turn from hot and dry to hot and wet with storms.  So farmers are hustling to bring crops in. 

I didn’t take a photo of the corn field..the non irrigated corn fields are shriveling up and dying…the rain will be too little too late to save the corn.

Stranded Not Once But Twice

How do you get to see your other baby brother or get invited in for coffee at the neighbors?

Last evening Chance and I wanted to go to the lake..so we did..Far Guy drove.  He proceeded to lock his keys in the car.  Luckily he had his cell phone in his pocket.  My other baby brother ran by our house and grabbed the extra set of keys. Chance was off leash.. I didn’t grab his leash out of the car because the public landing was empty.  He was entertained by splashing water and luckily no leash was needed.  My other baby brother delivered the keys.  We headed home happy to have been rescued. I guess I need to have another key made and put it in my camera case.

A storm came up just before dark.  Lots of thunder and lightening.  The phone rang.  A neighbor down the way reported that one of Steve’s calves was in the road. She wanted to know if she could help..Far Guy said “Bring a rope”  ..of course she just laughed.  Far Guy, Chance and I went to see what was up.  Steve and Jo were not home but we located them by phone.

We found the calf..Far Guy opened the gate for the little devil..and he just ran the other direction…of course.  We talked to Steve on the phone some more..as we left for home (because the calf will most likely stay close to the other cattle) ..maybe..not this wiley creature..here he was in the middle of the road again.

We wrangled him with the car..he was not a bit afraid of the vehicle..if I would have had a rope we could have rustled ourselves a steer.  We set up watch on the side of the road.  Far Guy ran out in the rain several times to wave the flash light and holler “Get back in the fence” (Like that did any good.) We kept the calf off of the road and out of harms way. His Mama was bellering for him..the lightening and thunder was most likely scaring him..and the fence is electric..and there are weird lights and a guy hollering at the poor little thing..talk about over stimulation.

Steve and Jo came home..and when they checked the little monster who should be named “Steaks and Roasts” had jumped back in the fence with his Mama.

NOW whilst we had been sitting there along the road..Far Guy kept turning the car ignition off and on.  We needed the lights to watch out for the escapee.  Our battery went dead.  Stranded twice in one day.

Steve found his jumper cables and we got the car started and went in for coffee and a visit.

Moral of the story: it is good to have neighbors and relatives that will help you out…us country folk have to stick together:)

September 10, 2011

Jo invited us over for supper last night..it was wonderful..she is a good cook. Roast pork and  potatoes and slices of tomato..and Angel Food cake and raspberries for dessert.  Yummy!!

 

Chance and Odda.  You can see that the trees are starting to turn and the grass has gone dormant.  The dogs only sat still for a minute.

The moon is almost full over a potato field.  The harvest should be starting soon..the weather is most likely too warm, it was 90 degrees today:)

The Neighbors Farmhouse

It was a landmark, the big white farmhouse with the big red barn and a windmill. The lonely house stood empty. Memories are all that remain. The children all grown with grandchildren of their own. The old timers both now gone one to heaven and one to the nursing home.

They moved from Nebraska back in 1954, to the big old house, full of hope and possibility. We welcomed them as neighbors. They were friends of my parents, when my Mother went to work at the Osage Boat Factory their house became the daycare home for my brother and I .. and the lovely lady became our "Second Mom." Through the years, they have welcomed us back to the neighborhood twice, we lived across the road from them when we lived at the resort, presently we live just down the road. You couldn't have asked for better neighbors.

Cookies warm from the oven, kids to play with, warm loving hugs.

A piano on the porch, playing hopscotch in the yard, a windmill turning.

A claw foot bathtub, fun in the girls room, memories made.

Laughter, old stories, blueberry pies, cookies made with lard and egg coffee.

Red Christmas doilies, Christmas bread braided, warm cinnamon rolls and a pickle in the Christmas tree.

Church quilts, a precious white puppy and plants in the kitchen window.

Tango red geraniums, pretty plates, Cardinals, and orange begonias.

Buttercup squash and cucumbers, jars of pickles shared, recipes freely given.

Coffee is always on, the door is always open, the sweet voice always hollers "Come on in" Welcoming hugs. Then silence..

The house, had stood for 109 years. It had served its occupants well, it was time to move on.
On Saturday it was used as a control burn for the local Fire Department to train firefighters. For many young firefighters this was their first time being inside a burning house.

Early Monday morning, the elderly gentleman was called home. It is the end of a generation. The windmill keeps turning, the next generation is in place. Wonderful neighbors they are, part of the family that moved from Nebraska so long ago. You couldn't ask for better neighbors:)

Photos from Saturday May 23, 2009