Nice Fall Day

 It was Thursday and Far Guy had his weekly infusion to protect his lungs.   I ran errands; Wally World to pick up groceries, inside to another grocery store to get a few things that I wanted to pick out myself, Pharmacy, Post Office and the Bank.  I was back in plenty of time to wait for Far Guy in the parking lot of the clinic.  I didn't even get to play an entire solitaire game on my phone before he messaged me he was done. 

We had a nap in the afternoon and didn't feel like cooking so we went to a place in town that we had not been to all Summer.  Cheeseburgers and French Fries at Good Times.  It is rumored that more businesses are closing for good on Main Street....most business are touristy ( assorted knick knacks, T shirts etc)...and many stores I have never been in...shopaholic or fashionista doesn't describe me. 

Flower pots on Main Street have avoided the frost so far. 

Minnesota weather; High was 46F or 8C Low was 26F or -3C eh!

Far Side

Lotza appointments

 Now that the house and yard is mostly taken care of, we can concentrate on the medical appointments this week.   Far Guy has three medical appointments and one misc appointment. I had four appointments but I cancelled two of them...Jen can remove my stitches from the biopsy in my forehead and PT is going well so it can be rescheduled in two weeks.  BTW my biopsy came back with clean edges so that was good news!  So between us we still have six places to be on various days this week.

These Mums were outside the Farm Supply place where we went to get Tilly a new battery.  She refused to start the day before she was supposed to get her transmission checked.  Hopefully she will start now and eventually she can make it to her appointment one day soon.  My baby brother and his bride helped to get the battery loaded in the car so we could take it for an exchange.   My baby bother was also here several afternoons taking care of leaves!  We appreciate all the help!

Supper was homemade pizza.  It was really good!  I think a twice baked crust was the secret!

Minnesota Weather: High 51F or 11C  Low was 34F or 1C eh!

The last outside water hose was disconnected. All the misc "stuff" that was in Ranger Blue was put away.  We went to town for a prescription with stops to recycle and to drop off outgoing mail, and a book to the local little library.

The Ben Franklin store in town is now closed...they moved the store to a different town...not sure where...but as nasty as that guy was I hope the door hit him in the you know what on his way out of town. (he let it be known that he could not survive on the Winter time locals, there would be no going out of business sale and to stop asking because all inventory would be moved to a new location and there would be no warning as to when the store would close)

Far Side

Day off

Today is a day off.  Not sure what I will do.  It has been a busy week.  I took my Dad to Bingo last night...I bingoed twice and he bingoed once so it was a good night and we can go back again next week.   Dad takes his walker along now and his cane...the walker just incase he needs to sit and rest or be pushed to the vehicle.  I told him "The walker must go along to Bingo."  So far so good...he likes going to Bingo.

Supper will be leftovers  so I don't need to cook!

While Far Guy was at Pulmonary Therapy  I did some shopping for stocking stuffers for the Grands.  Basically I just wandered around looking at "stuff" until something caught my eye.  One store was promoting a sale when you were ready to check out you picked a object out of a basket...mine said 50% off...so my entire purchase was half price!  (I should have bought more stuff!) Small business promoting shopping in our small town....I was the only customer in the store. 

The roads were icy on the way home last night....I am not so sure about our new road...it seems to be more icy than the old road.  Last night there were even drifts across the road where usually there are no snowdrifts.  I drove slow...

Far Guy finished putting up the downstairs tree and it has lights on it!  Perhaps I will begin decorating it over the weekend!

 Bouquets of holiday flowers

Far Side

Shopping cause it rained

Just an excuse to get out of the house by my type A husband, who needed a special paintbrush and a new stapler.  I had a few things on my shopping list, but had given up finding them. Low and behold I found them in a tourist trap.  We wandered in and out of several stores on Main Street, two were so perfumey we turned around and left.  Incense, potpourri, candles and who knows what all.   I got an instant headache.  Me..headachy doesn’t make  a happy shopper.  To tell you the absolute truth, shopping for antiques is really the only kind of shopping I enjoy.  Of course I sent one business an email and the other had a Facebook page…so I left a comment.  I think feedback is important.

Far Guy said “Do you suppose they have that many customers who don’t shower?”  I don’t know but the stench was horrid.  Far Guy thinks that some women must be more tempted to part with their money when the perfume overwhelms them.  Not me, I headed for the door sneezing.

The two stores we finally shopped in were normal in regards to being odiferous… Ben Franklin ( a five and dime) and The Trading Post, where they still gift wrap and smile and say thank you. 

Then of course we hit the Farm Supply Store where I wandered the pet aisle looking for new stuff to entertain Chance.   There might be an odor in that store but at least it is an earthy smell.

We got an inch and a half of rain and it has turned cold, we had a high temperature of 45 F or 7 C yesterday and there is a frost warning out for this morning.  Outside projects will be on hold until it stops raining/snowing…snow is possible with freezing temperatures. 

Fishhook Lake October 12, 2013

The Pawn Shop

In our bigger little town we have a Pawn Shop.  It is in an old bank building right on main street.  So God and everyone and their neighbor can see you go inside.

I am sure the rumors are rampant.  I have never been inside a Pawn Shop before.  Today  I said “Lets stop by and see Royce.”  Royce runs the Pawn Shop now, it used to be his brother in laws.

When you go in the door a sign says “Before You Enter: Unload your gun and take off your ski mask.”  There is quite a collection of old photos in the entry, and Jerry’s old fishing reel collection. Oh and a surveillance camera.

I am not sure what I expected.  At one time the whole place had been carpeted.  It seems someone did not want to move the shelves, so they just cut the carpet near the shelves when the floor was refinished, carpet and pad were still visible.   I was tempted to dust a tad while I was there.  Instead I looked at shotguns and a camera.  Didn’t buy either…he has one shotgun that has a rosy pink stock that might be available in a few weeks.

I asked if I could take a photo of this shotgun.  Royce says that young adults don’t get the humor in this or understand why you would need a shotgun at a wedding.  The generation gap has widened and we are at the other end.

It is still a beautiful old iconic building with the clock outside.  Inside you can buy power tools of every kind, guns, phones, cameras, knives, DVD’s, electronic equipment, Native American beadwork, US Marshal Badges, Sheriff Badges and a host of miscellaneous items.

I guess there are regular customers that frequent the Pawn Shop.  I won’t be a regular but I will need to go back to check on that very pretty shotgun (for skeet shooting) in a few weeks:)  

Small Towns: Nicknames

I am not sure how some people get nicknames.   Our bigger small town has a number of characters.  Herbie, Boner, Wally, Hairlip and Weasel to name a few.  Now how the heck do you get the nickname Boner?  or Weasel?

Boner is a real person.  He owns a business in town and drives a golf cart back and forth from his home, where the yard is well kept and a flag is proudly displayed.

Boner’s trees had real pretty golden foliage the other day.

We drove by once and turned around to get a shot of trees and the old water tower. The house with the green trim used to be a neighborhood grocery ( Nelson’s Grocery then Spaeth’s Grocery).   Far Guy’s Dad would write him a note and give him 15 cents, he would walk the half a block to buy his Dad cigarettes.

I am not sure how long that old water tower will be allowed to stand…progress you know.

Not to be left out we have a lady about town who is known as Crazy Mary. She used to visit me in the museum.  Musta been drugs that burned out her brain…her latest quest was feeding the homeless, she wanted to install a drive through window so they could be served faster.

Have you ever had a nickname? :) 

Main Street America

You know what they say about small towns..they need our business.  They cannot survive without our business.  We live in a touristy area..many of the restaurants close down for the winter.  We have lots of tourist shops you know the kind..candy shops, book stores and shops with all that crap from China..some are closed for the winter and some try to keep their business afloat all year round.

August 02, 2010

Now our small town did the unthinkable to it’s downtown businesses last summer.. construction..what a mess.  Two years ago they closed main street off because of construction to the main highway..so for the last three years they have had only one year of decent business.

August 15, 2010

Every business was assessed for the sewer and water work that was done.

This is the sidewalk from the south part of Main Street on August 30, 2010.  The city fathers thought it was important to have a walk way for all the shoppers that were showing up on Main Street.

Next summer they will be doing all the side streets.

September 24, 2010

In all of these photos only the first one shows construction workers actually working. The photos were taken on various days, at various times when we just happened to be driving by on our way to the grocery store. The construction company in charge of this project was slower than molasses in the wintertime.  They could have put up lights and worked 24 hours a day on this project. The City Fathers and Mothers should have insisted upon it.

Main Street opened again in late November..the small cafe that we used to frequent raised their prices..the Hallmark Store where I used to shop has been sold and a women’s clothing store will take it’s place. Just what we need a store where you cannot buy anything under 50 dollars.  

I don’t know if you noticed or not, but the Movie Theatre  did a face lift of the outside of their building during the construction..then they closed for major renovations, what used to be one huge theatre is now three small ones. Their 3D theatre is not open yet..but the others are..on Tuesdays you can go to the movies for 4.50 each..on Mondays it costs you 6.50 but you get free popcorn.  Some things are still a bargain on Main Street.  The last time were were at the movies we took the grandboys to see “Kung Fu Panda”..I think that was back in 2008:)

Small Town

Well July is over by two days already, time to turn over the calendar.  We have had a rainy summer so far, some days I think that some of the flowers are way ahead of themselves..perhaps they just like the excess moisture...or maybe Fall is in the air.

 These flowers are on a side street in town, they are planted in a planter filled with moss..and watered with drip irrigation..it makes for a beautiful flower filled sidewalk.  It is a good thing that this side street is pretty.  Main Street in Park Rapids is going through a renovation..the water and sewer lines will be completely redone.  Far Guy says that they are doing fancy dancy corners and getting new light posts, and center parking is getting a face lift.  I guess new bike racks will be installed, but they don't allow any bike riding on Main.  They also have a no loitering policy, so when this project has been completed you better not hang around and admire it too much or you will get a ticket.  The project begins today..and will stall over the winter and will be completed next year..about a year from now.  Two summers ago the streets were tore up all summer..now the businesses that survived that will undergo another year of construction.

 Coleus

In my opinion, the work should be done in sixty days or less..September and October..work 24 hours a day to get er done. Put up some construction lights and get er done. Work three different crews.  Three city blocks..that is all it is..why in the world is it going to take an entire year?  What do the city planners have against the businesses that are the life blood of their city. The last time this construction company was in town and disrupted the entire summer it became a big joke because they were so slow that grass practically grew under their feet.


Oh what the heck, I am not a shopper anyway, I go into the Hallmark Store once in awhile because Ann is very friendly and if I need something I buy it from her if I can. Her store at least has an back alley entrance. I am not sure what all the stores on Main Street are..many are tourist traps..with the same old stuff that you can buy at any other summer tourist destination..they just change the name of the town.  Same old junk.

 Begonias

We have a Walmart in town now, it has effected Main Street.  Most Walmarts the parking lots are full..not the one in town, you can always find a parking spot near the front.  If Walmart is struggling, you can bet that the rest of the town is not far behind.  The Pamida closed after Walmart came to town, it sits vacant, it was the first discount store to come into town a long time ago.  I see more buildings sitting empty, waiting for new owners.  It must be the "recession" it has finally come to small town America:(