Tis the day that Saint Urho is celebrated!
We missed the parade last Saturday. Maybe we can be there next year! (Photo from last year)
Today is the day that Finlanders all over Minnesota celebrate Saint Urho's battle with the pesky grasshoppers that threatened the grape crop. He chased the grasshoppers waving a pitchfork hollering "Heinasirkka, heinasirkka, menetaalta hiiten"...Grasshopper, grasshopper get the hell out of here.
Far Side
St. Urho saved the grape crop in Finland from the pesky grasshoppers….at least that is how the legend goes.
Every year we try to go to the St.Urho’s Day Parade in Menahga Minnesota. I made a trip over to the bakery before the parade they were almost sold out…I managed to snag one of the last loaves of flat bread. Yum! We had fun people watching before the parade began.
My camera card malfunctioned so I got two photos…I was disappointed but what can a gal do except learn from a mistake. FYI just because you think the card is in the slot correctly…the little door can still close…and when you finally look at your screen it says No Card In Camera… OH BAD WORD.
I managed one photo of St. Urho.
St. Urho was handing out Tootsie Rolls after the parade.
It was a wonderful 10 minute or less parade and the weather was beautiful! There were purple and green beads, purple and green licorice and purple grapes all handed out by The Nytes of St.Urho to the crowds lining the streets.
Nytes of St Urho handing out candy last year.
Chance got in the mood with the wearing of the St.Urho beads.
So where ever you are and what ever you do…a Happy St. Urho’s Day to you!
Gosh I hate going to the Dentist, but I am done again for six months. Far Guy is not so lucky, he is scheduled for Oral Surgery, he has a wisdom tooth coming in sideways and a fistula. (Left over from a root amputation or a wayward bone fragment.) He is not crazy, many times over the past few years he has said “Something is not right up there in my mouth.” Well he was right and not crazy..the X Rays prove it. He doesn’t get the famous Olympian Hockey playing Baker this time but another fellow. I will let you know when it is over. I have asked that they gel foam the incision and stitch him up to try to avoid a dry socket..we will see. He has asked for Nitrous. This is his last Wisdom Tooth…he should have had them all removed at once when he was younger…he had two done at once and swore never again…well never again is on round two.
We go to a further away little town to the Dentist. He is a Finnish lad. His wife who shoulda been a Dentist is the hygienist. We schedule our appointments back to back, since it is a 40 minute drive over there.
Chance and I went wandering about town and the immediate area while Far Guy was in the chair.
We stopped by St. Urho and then headed out to the forest fire area.
This area burned last summer. It was part of the Green Valley Forest Fire.
Sad to see wide open spaces that used to be filled with pine trees. There are huge piles of brush and some wood is being chipped into small pieces. What logs could be salvaged are long gone.
I found this great bunch of Halloween decorations. Someone has the Halloween spirit!
While I was in the chair Far Guy and Chance went to visit a classmate of his who is in assisted living. He has a memory problem that was induced by overindulgence in alcohol following the death of his girlfriend. He can remember everything in the distant past, but cannot remember if he ate today or who visited him. He always remembers Far Guy. I am not sure how much company he gets…but if he cannot remember does it really matter:(
The parade was wonderful all five minutes of it..it was about 60 degrees and overcast.
The Finnish Flag Bearer
You can see the grasshopper dragging some of the grapes on the way out of town.
The cutest grasshopper
There were two of these little grasshoppers, just as cute as they could be.
There were even some of our relatives..imagine that.
Helen and Archie driving the Wolf Lake Royalty.
The Knights of St. Urho
Resplendent in their underwear over their long underwear.
Even some weekend wannabees!
Chance could even read this sign ROOWF..ROOWF!
It was a fun parade, I will look forward to it again next year!
We took Chance down to the St. Urho statue for a photo!
If you are ever in Menahga Minnesota around March 16th you might want to put the St. Urho’s Day parade on your schedule:)
