Serving Roseau County for over 100 Years - The Official Roseau County Newspaper
Serving Roseau County for over 100 Years - The Official Roseau County Newspaper
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Some days are better than others, even for wild animals. It was just a couple of days after Christmas and I was on my way home from the grocery store in Two Harbors. Our dog, Nova Mae, road along with me. A pickup ahead of us had its flashers on. It was dark outside and hard to tell, but it seemed like he was still in the north bound lane on Highway 61 so I began to slow down. Maybe their engine died and they couldn’t get to the side of the road. Then, an oncoming vehicle in the south bound l...
When hiring a carpenter, or contractor, you need to determine their qualifications; how much experience do they have; that’s important. Over the years, I’ve learned to ask if theirs was good, or bad experience; that’s more important. I once had two workers replacing the roof on a rental house of mine. Both men were about five years older than me. Jesse was a drywall finisher by trade, and one of the best I’d ever met. The first time I met Jesse, I asked how long he’d been finishing drywall....
Driving on North Court Street, I saw a United Van Lines moving truck on a side street to the left. I first wondered, are they coming or going? As I drove by, it looked like the driver had just opened the two side doors on the tall trailer. The homeowners were looking inside. Suddenly, I felt their excitement. At the same time, I shared their anxiety. I could imagine being overwhelmed, moving into a new home just one week before Christmas. Or, it could be they were moving out. I was curious. I...
After church this morning, I went downstairs for fellowship - donuts and coffee, which is a good choice of refreshments. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like donuts. Granted, there are some people who shouldn’t be eating them (myself included,) but it doesn’t mean we don’t like them. Most everyone will agree donuts are delicious, but they can become a source of dispute. Even the spelling causes differences; is it a donut, or a doughnut? I usually spell it donut just to appease the masses (m...
Melissa and I were on our way back to Minnesota after visiting her parents in South Carolina, for Thanksgiving. Ten hours on the road was enough for the day; we were tired and stopped for the night at the rest area near Henryville, Indiana. I had recently built a bigger bed in the back of our van and purchased a new, more comfortable mattress. Man, we slept great! Although I love walking with Nova Mae in the morning, I did not relish the thought of climbing out from under the covers of our new,...
It wasn’t exactly your ordinary Thanksgiving Day. I set the alarm for 6:15 a.m. A good time to get up to start preparing a Thanksgiving Day feast – but I was only doing part of the cooking this year. Still, sometimes plans change. The first plan had me doing cranberry relish, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, and pies. I made the relish Tuesday. (It’s best after resting at least 24 hours.) Then a friend delivered a pumpkin pie to my in-laws. One less pie to make; I was good with it either way and I...
This year, our kids will be with in-laws for the holidays, so we were planning three celebrations in one weekend. I would do the cooking for my birthday on Friday, and the girls would make dinner for our Thanksgiving and Christmas on Saturday night; both would be at my daughter’s house in Duluth. My birthday menu consisted of homemade beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, corn, and a mixed-berry pie in lieu of a birthday cake. (Low carb, right?) Even though we would have dinner i...
In August of 2023, I traveled to Texas to visit my sister Patti and brother-in-law Bill. This was a different type of trip. I wasn't sure what to expect, and yet I knew exactly what to expect. The feeling was bittersweet. I wanted to see Patti and Bill, but also knew this would be the last time I would see Bill. Bill was in the transitioning stage under Hospice care, his cancer was winning the battle, and soon he would take his place in heaven. I was going to Texas to help my sister anyway I...
I remember my uncle John from way back when I was just a young boy. He was Mom's baby brother. I would see him occasionally when we visited Grampy and Grammy's house in Mason City, Iowa. John moved to Fairbanks, Alaska when I was six. When he visited back home, we traveled to northern Iowa to see him. He didn't get back often, so I didn't get to know him as I grew up. Still, I would hear stories about John regularly, as my mother told them. I learned to know him through her tales. I always...
I don’t remember who started it. I suppose it might have been me, although I’m not usually one to instigate trouble. Regardless of who started it, it’s been going on for years, and it’s still going on. The first time I remember it happening, my wife had done something that annoyed me. I’m sure it was nothing big, but it was something because I felt a need to react. I went to the bedroom. Our cat at that time, Salem, was sleeping on Melissa’s flannel pajama pants, which were neatly folded at t...
The secret to getting along well with others is often associated with one's ability to compromise. You'll not likely get along with others if you always want things your way, being unwilling to give and take. This is true with your spouse, family, friends, co-workers, strangers – even your dog. (Note: I did not mention cats; cats do not compromise.) (Chill out, cat lovers, I'm just kidding.) (But they really don't.) Melissa and I recently returned home from our honeymoon trip to Scotland. D...
When I think of the start and finish, my mind turns to racing. The local drivers with their stock cars on the dirt track in Eldon, Iowa; the jockeys riding their horses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; the athlete putting their heart and soul into running around the football field at the high school stadium; I think of oval tracks where the start and finish line are often the same line. Of course, not all races are that way. Grandma's Marathon starts in Two Harbors and finishes in...
Melissa and I celebrated our anniversary in Scotland this year. It reminded me of a story from a decade ago. Melissa and I had planned a full day, so we decided to go to the earlier Mass at 8 a.m. After church, we went to Second Street Cafe, for breakfast. Pulling into the parking lot between Bailey's Office Supply and Hotel Ottumwa, we took the last space available; a diagonal space between two sedans. Melissa has always been methodical in her protocol for disembarking the vehicle...I mean to s...
I started school at Horace Mann Elementary in Ottumwa, Iowa. Dad was the general manager of KBIZ radio and KTVO television. Before the end of my second-grade year, Dad moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to manage WMAD radio. Mom stayed in Ottumwa with the kids to finish the school year, then we joined Dad in Madison. When I was eleven, Dad bought WGLB radio in Port Washington, about 90 minutes from home. Dad had an apartment in the radio station's basement where he worked through the week, coming...
Living in a small town sometimes necessitates going to a larger city for products and services needed. In my case, the larger town is Duluth, Minnesota, about 60 miles south of Silver Bay; usually 140 miles round trip. With high fuel prices and the cost of operating a car these days, it's important to make trips to the city count. On many of my recent trips to Duluth, I have failed to accomplish all the tasks I had planned. A few trips have been futile; some were my fault, and others were for...
The weekend before Labor Day, we had a get-together at our house to break in the new deck I'd just rebuilt. My brother-in-law, Jeff, came to join us in the celebration. Jeff brought his son, Andy, daughter Libby, Old Smokey, and Bug Zapper. The Old Smokey and Bug Zapper (prized possessions) were family heirlooms, handed down from his grandpa, Max. Jeff set the Bug Zapper on the corner of the new deck, but frankly, it didn't do anything. The Mosquitoes were not a problem, so the zapper had the...
Over the years, I have owned several different canoes. I bought my first when I was in my early twenties. It was a used, red Coleman-brand canoe with two paddles, I got it for a mere $40. Used Coleman canoes usually sold for over $100. I was so excited when I bought my canoe on that beautiful spring day that I failed to notice the red duct tape on the lower right side near the floor. As a matter of fact, I didn't notice the duct tape until my feet were getting wet on our maiden voyage. What a...
There was an old song by Jim Stafford called Spiders and Snakes. The song is about Mary Lou, a school-age girl who is sweet on a classmate. She invites him to walk her home from school. On the way, she tells him, "I don't have to go right home, and I would kinda like to be alone some, long as you would." The young man answered, "Me too." So, they took a stroll and wound up down by a swimming hole; she wanted to get romantic. But in his adolescent awkwardness, the school boy finds a frog in the...
I was on my way to northern California, pulling a Scamp trailer. It was late, around midnight, and I was in the middle of nowhere Nevada when the state trooper turned on his lights to pull me over. I wasn't speeding, so I had no idea why I was being stopped. I greeted him, "Good evening. I usually know why I'm getting pulled over, but I have no idea tonight." The officer laughed, then said, "You don't have any lights on the trailer." "Really?" I was surprised. "I just had the wiring on the car...
I was in Bloomfield, Iowa, when I first saw one; I thought it was the dumbest thing I'd ever seen. I turned my car around to make sure I saw what I thought I had seen. A pet wash? Yep, right there on Highway 63, just a short distance from the downtown square. Since then, I've seen many others, and I'd shake my head each time. "Why? Why not just bathe your dog at home. Good grief." I suppose for the same reason, most people don't wash their cars at home anymore. The car wash is more convenient. S...
I stopped at McDonald's for a cup of coffee. I sat on the end of the long bench seat, a continuous bench that runs along a wall with several individual tables in front of it. A man standing in line waiting for his meal wore a T-shirt bearing the famous green and blue Seattle Seahawks logo. But his bird wore a sombrero, and the caption read "Si-Hawks." Finding it quite humorous, I commented on the shirt. I told him I was a die-hard Broncos fan, then asked, "Why is it that when the Seahawks were...
"I could eat five tons of these," my granddaughter Addison boasted. "They are so good." I challenged her claim. "Five tons is a lot. Are you sure you could eat that many?" She grabbed a few more. "Over twenty-one days," Addison said nonchalantly. Then she smiled and walked away, returning to the container a few minutes later. What could be so delicious? Pie chips. Now, you may not remember them as pie chips, which is a name I gave them, but I'll bet you've had them before. Maybe your mom or... Full story
My wife and I take a trip each year on our anniversary, but we don't call it an anniversary trip; we call it another honeymoon; this year's trip will be a doozy, but there will be more on that in another story. When traveling like this, we prefer historic accommodations over modern motels. One of the flats Melissa rented for this trip is in a historic building overlooking beautiful sites around the city. She showed me the photos online. "Beautiful," I agreed. "But there is one thing I have to...
It doesn’t matter if it’s your kid or not; nothing will get your attention faster than a young child who screams, especially if it sounds like they are hurt or in danger. My daughter Delaney and I share adjacent birthdays; hers is November 14th, and mine is the 15th. When she was about four, I took her to a Denver Broncos football game to celebrate our birthdays together, just the two of us. I’m not a huge fan of stadium food; however, I’ll admit that I like their overly salty hotdogs on a pl...
My dad was a tad over six feet tall, while Mom barely hit five feet. Most of my sisters have Mom's short gene, and none of the boys hit six feet, but in my family, the brothers are taller than my sisters. At 5' 8", I'm not really short, but I'm not tall either. I guess I'm just right. In our house, it was common to hear Mom ask, "Can you get that down for me?" She was referring to something too high to reach in a cabinet. The boys were always happy to help; the girls had the same issue Mom did....