"Humble" barn cat!

Here's to "Smokey T. Cat" 

(the T is for "the"!)
May you rest in peace or whatever cats do when they leave us!

To the companion who waited every morning on the front railing until I came out to do chores… 

And when it got extra cold outside, he listened for the bell on the front entry to ring as the signal for him to come running from the hay barn to spend the night inside with us humans.

He even took over writing my blog one time.

Here it is:

From Smokey T. Cat:  Humble barn cat that I am - although I’ve never seen a cat that thought himself “humble”!

My purpose in life may simply be to enjoy what I have - and also drive my human a little nuts.

Tricks...

One of my tricks occurs when I see it’s dinner time.
Here’s how it goes: 
I nestle in the hay in the barn.  
I watch from my perch as the horses get fed. 
When that’s finished I know my owner is heading back to the house where my food is kept under the deck.
And I am off and running.

My route goes from the barn, across the yard, behind the bushes, leaping onto the steps, then under the windows, jump to the top of the dog house, and then fly to the picnic table stored under the deck and hop over to the wood pile where my dish is kept.
No trick here yet.

Here's my challenge...

The trick is that the feed bin is between the dog house and the picnic table.
The trick is that the I am usually in hiding. And my owner has no idea when I will pounce! 

And she, poor dear, does not know if I will miss her in my flying leap or WHAP! she’s been hit by a flying fur ball!

By then you’ll see me sitting innocently by my dish waiting to eat!

Life is good.

(I miss you my little "flying fur ball".)

.

I don't see any cops… do you?

I don’t see any cops... do you?

We’d been driving for hours... it looked like we were finally reaching “the end of nowhere”... and if not... at least “you could see it from here!” as the saying goes.

It was the day before the Memorial Day weekend rush of traffic to get to the “lake”.  We were going to visit relatives near the Canadian border for a graduation celebration.

  While driving those deserted highways I wondered why the speed limit was so slow - 55 miles an hour.   

Actually, I was more concerned about deer or other wild animals running out of the woods than I was about traffic.

  Well, the next day we were driving back home.  Still not many folks on the road because now it was the middle of the holiday weekend.

But I found out that police were patrolling the highways!

Here’s my story...

I had been driving for a couple hours and was just cruising along on a  quiet highway. 

I watched a lone car coming at me from the opposite direction but I didn’t pay much attention because I saw he was safely in his lane.  

Not until I looked in my rear view mirror and saw him make a U turn.

Not a good sign.

Then I saw his lights flashing and I knew for sure it was not good!

I couldn’t believe he was stopping me!

But since I was the only one on the road I decided it was a good idea to pull over!

Here’s what happened next...

The officer came up to my window and politely asked if I knew what the speed limit was?  I just looked at him because I thought maybe I had missed a sign and it was really higher than 55!

No such luck.

He continued, I clocked you at ____.  

I smiled - like a kid caught with candy!

I didn’t deny it.

I had looked at my speedometer when I saw him turn around.

But the worst part...

I thought I heard my husband sitting in the passenger seat trying not to laugh because I was the one driving, not him!

And I cringed in my seat as I thought that the worst thing about getting a ticket was the razzing I would get from my friends in law enforcement back home!  Because I’m such a cautious wimp of a driver.

I thought about how I’ve gone through two citizen - police academies and could ride with them on duty, but I have declined because I would probably shut my eyes and sink down in the seat if we were chasing someone!

Or maybe throw up.

Anyway... the officer did not give me a ticket - just a verbal warning.

But he kept me sitting at the side of the highway for a long time it seemed - checking my driver’s license, etc. - and I would have lost any time I had made anyway!   (I think that was the plan!)

And then I thought that my friends back home in law enforcement wouldn’t have been any help because they probably would have told him... “You stopped Rosie?  Ohhh... she’s trouble!  Better put handcuffs on her... put her in the back seat... “

(They’re funny.)

What I did right...

I didn’t argue with the cop - (because I was wrong) - but also I have a good driving record.

As I pulled back out on the highway I saw my speedometer creeping over the limit already and I realized I shouldn’t get pulled over again!  So I put my cruise control on 54 just to make sure I behaved.

        I felt like I was the proverbial little old lady out for an afternoon drive. But everyone was safer... including any little forest critters crossing the road.

“Easier than Basic Training!”

Cannon Falls Fitness Trail

Improving the health of individuals of many fitness levels by adding upper-body stretching and exercise equipment to complement the aerobic effect of walking or jogging on the six miles of the Cannon Falls city trail is on its way to succeeding with the donations by several area partners.

Featured this week is the Cannon Falls Nelson-Scofield VFW Post 4452 sponsoring the Stretch equipment.

Dave Bremer of the VFW chuckled, “It’s easier than basic training!”

  Dave added: When I saw an article in the Beacon explaining what was proposed I thought it would be a good idea for the VFW to sponsor a piece of equipment for the Fitness Trail.

Representing the Cannon Falls VFW are: 

(l-r)  Sam Landon, Dave Bremer, Dewey Hermanson and Mike Landon.

“The VFW has an obligation to assist veterans, their widows and children and this is a good way for us to make a donation that not only fulfills that obligation, but it also benefits the entire community.

“The VFW donates quite a bit of money to the local area, and most of it is not visible. Here is something that everyone can see, use and appreciate.”

 The goal is to provide several pieces of equipment along the trail which will be the first one so identified in Minnesota.

By adding exercise equipment along the trail you are providing a way to exercise in an outdoor environment at the level chosen by the individual with no cost to them.

Sponsors will be noted on site with a special plaque from the city of Cannon Falls.  The city public works department with director Tom Bergeson will facilitate the development of the sites and their care.  

The first sponsor featured was Dr. Karl Molenaar, associated with the Olmsted Medical Center - Cannon Falls Branch Clinic.

Interested sponsors may contact Public Works Director Bergeson at 507.263.4626.

See updates on the Cannon Falls Fitness Trail on Facebook.

 

 

First sponsor for exercise equipment along city jogging trail

Cannon Falls Trail is first in Minnesota 

with upper body exercise equipment!

Improving the health of individuals of many fitness levels by adding upper-body stretching and exercise equipment to complement the aerobic effect of walking or jogging on the six miles of the Cannon Falls city trail is on its way to succeeding with the donations by several area partners.

Featured this week is Dr. Karl Molenaar, associated with the  Olmsted Medical Center, Cannon Falls Branch Clinic, who chose to sponsor the “Ab Crunch/leg lift”.

Dr. Karl explained that he has been “a part of the community most my life graduating in 1972.”  
He added, “I have always been active both personally and in discussion with my patients about the importance of regular aerobic activities/exercise.”  
Dr. Karl’s participation in sponsoring a piece of exercise equipment “is a way of giving back to the community.  The bike trail is a significant addition to the community, not just for the local community members but also as a way of attracting tourists and as such enhancing the trail with these exercise stations adds to the experience.”

The goal is to provide several pieces of equipment along the trail which will be the first one so identified in Minnesota.

This provides a way to exercise in an outdoor environment at the level chosen by the individual with no cost to them.

Sponsors will be noted on site with a special plaque from the city of Cannon Falls.  The city public works department with director Tom Bergeson will facilitate the development of the sites and their care.  
Interested sponsors may contact Public Works Director Bergeson at 507.263.4626.

Next to be featured will be the donation from the Cannon Falls VFW.

Is there more than what you "see"?

A six petaled Dwarf Trout Lily, rather than the usual 4-5 petals, the endangered species that only grows in this area and no where else in the world. 

Is there more than what we see?

  The chattering rippling sound of a small river as it flows over its rocky bottom...   the feel of the soft petals of a flower in your hand... the pungent odor of an herbal leaf... even the taste of wild leeks.

There are five senses used by a human being for physical knowledge.  Did you notice that one was left out?  That of sight.

Marlys Stevens is blind.  She has been since she was 24 years old due to diabetes.  Now she is in her 70’s.

For the past several years she has come to see the endangered species of wildflower, the dwarf trout lily.  She just likes being in the woodland, she says.

How do you "see"?

        She has never “seen” this flower in the normal sense.  But she has fine-tuned some of her other senses to help her enjoy what the rest of us view.

Recently another reporter and I decided to focus on Marlys and her “view” of nature.

Marlys explained that since she had previously had several years of sight, her memory helps her visualize what she can’t see.  

Memory…

Marlys recalled that “as a kid we took field trips to look at the flowers... Bloodroot, Dutchmen’s Britches, Jack in the Pulpit... and poison oak!”  Did I tell you she has a sense of humor?

Marlys continued... I remember all the flowers.  And today my memory is much better.  Actually I’m using more of my memory now because I can’t see.  I just enjoy being out here.

What do you "see"?  Rochester Post Bulletin reporter, John Weiss, interviews (l-r) Kay Molstrom and Marlys Stevens to learn what a blind person can "see" in the woodlands.

 
A friend helps too…

Walking through the woodlands and visualizing the flowers was facilitated by her friend, Kay Molstom, who narrated what she was seeing along the trail.

Kay picked a flower and asked Marlys to smell it.

Then Marlys felt it.

With her guide dog leading her she felt safe, even at one point where we were close to a precipice over the river.  Although after the walk her dog enjoyed a little nap at her feet.

Sensory impaired persons can include a variety of limitations.  Blindness is just one.

How about you?

But once in a while I will sit by the river and close my eyes to see if I pick up anything I was missing.  To focus my concentration.  

Basically I just hear the ringing in my ears as it becomes louder!  But it’s not bad and soon I start picking up other sounds.

The two tones of the frogs are particularly noisy right now.  Or are they crickets?  Actually, I don’t have to identify what I’m hearing... just notice it.

  I wonder what the responding calls of birds mean to each other.

I smell the odor of the citronella oil I put on my shoes as an attempt to keep woodticks off me.  (It’s worth a try!)

Wonderment…

Then I begin to wonder philosophically... are we humans missing any other senses?  Maybe because over the generations we didn’t use them... or we forgot them.  We hear stories of the ancients or tribes who just "knew" things.  Can we tap into that too?  Maybe we just need to pay more attention to other "senses".

  

Marlys Stevens' faithful guide dog takes a moment to relax at her feet after their jaunt along the wooded trail.

The "Ghost"… in the little church on the prairie

 The “Ghost”…   

in the little church on the prairie.

  The large white erase board stood by itself...  alone and blank... until one night... when some black lines appeared on it.

And several nights later... more lines.

And then you saw a story developing in the sketching.

And each week... the members of the Bible study at the Wangen Prairie Church looked forward to seeing what new touches would be added.

And who would find be the first to find them?

But who made the drawings?

The sketching started about a year ago.

Its story evolved around a theme that was familiar.

It showed a scene similar to the lay of the land around the church.

Rolling pastures... cropland and a farmstead.

Like a puzzle...

Folks would challenge each other to see who could find the different aspects that the “ghost” had added to the picture during the night.

Kind of like those children’s puzzles that ask you to compare two pictures and search to see what was different.

But this time they all had to remember the picture from the previous week's meeting!

The "ghost" ...

The “ghost” turned out to be the custodian, Dave Biron, who lives nearby off Hwy 57.   Until recently he had milked cows for 40 years and was a general type handyman.

When I made my first attempt to meet him I showed up but found the church empty.

But it didn't feel too spooky when I found out I just had the wrong time!

On my next attempt I had been caught in a "white-out" snow squall and was so exhausted that I cancelled the appointment.  (This is sounding more "ghost-like" all the time!)

When I finally met up with Dave I mentioned I liked his cap.  He explained he was wearing the same hat he had back in 1993.

“Good hat”, he said.

Just doodling...

Dave recalled that he has “always drawn”.  Basically in “fine point black ink”.  He says he’s “just doodling!”

He does cards too.

Dave started this style of drawing after taking a drafting class in high school.  

He doesn’t copy from a picture... he explained that he’s got “millions of pictures stuck in my head”.

And it's irresistible to him!

After Dave saw the blank erase board while cleaning the church, he found it was irresistible to him.   Although he finds it  hard to draw on a vertical surface.

Then he decided to add a new touch to the drawing each week.  Like the TV antenna on the farmhouse.  Or a plowed field.  Or a bull watching the farmer.

He likes to stay with normal farming issues... like a guy in a hurry to load milk cans... or hauling manure. 

And a year later, it seems like the church's resident “ghost” still has more stories to draw on the white erase board in the “little church on the prairie”.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

  The sketches were like the puzzles that ask you to find the differences between two pictures.  Each week folks would try to be the first to guess what changes had been made.  

Sometimes it was as tiny as putting a TV antenna on the old farmhouse... or noticing if a field had been plowed... or if the bull snorting on one side of the fence had broken through and chased the farmer!

Can you see the changes?

You did it!

 Along the way... by Rosie

You forgot you couldn’t do it… 

so you did it!

I forgot I couldn’t do it... so I did it!

Sometimes forgetfulness might be a good thing.  Because in some cases, we might limit ourselves... we might be our own worst enemy.

But even my family was surprised that I tried to do this.  You see they know how electronic contraptions (my word) and I quite often don’t work together well.

I hate hearing from a techie repair person... “I’ve never heard of this happening before!”  Or, “we should run our products past you before they go on the market!”

With trepidation…

So it should have been with trepidation that I decided to buy a “smart watch”.

Actually, I didn’t know I was buying one.  I had started out to buy a fitness tracker, one that registers your steps, etc.   I researched on the internet and from friends and decided which one to buy.

But on the way, my husband suggested we stop at the store where we had bought our cell phones and get some information as to our wireless plans.  And while he was learning about that, I was informed they had recently gotten some fitness trackers in.

They hadn’t tried them out so they would help me set one up.

But of course we had trouble getting it to work correctly.  But  knowing we were dealing with my idiosyncracies I agreed to try it out.

Getting it to work creatively…

And when I got home I  found I could get it to work by putting in on the opposite of what the instructions said and by touching it a different number of times than suggested.  

And it worked!

But I also realized that it not only told me how far I had walked or slept along with the time and alarms I could set, but warned me with a vibration if the weather was changing and flashed who was calling me on my cell phone or sending a note on Facebook!  And sometimes it just lights up all by itself!

Cool!

An “electromagnetic personality” like Greg Magnuson and his wife Carol recalled that when they married some 40 years ago “we weren’t surrounded by all these computerized gadgets like cell phones, smart watches, etc.”     

“Electromagnetic personalities!”

This is when I thought of Greg Magnuson.  He’s the only one I’ve met who really understands the challenge some of us have with what he calls: an “electomagnetic personality”!

You see Greg isn’t allowed near their TV remote control because it stops working then.  And although his two year old grandson can push the alarm button on his automobile key ring, Greg has trouble getting it to work.

When Greg was visiting his accountant, the computer screen stopped working... so Greg stepped back three steps and it worked again!

It’s not unusual at a store like Target or Sears to see Greg stand a few steps away from the check-out line while his wife Carol pays for their purchases.  You see, sometimes when the clerk is scanning their purchases the machine doesn’t work... so they call a supervisor over... and   then Greg steps back a few steps and everything works just fine.

Also his boss at work doesn’t allow him to use their computer very often.

This brought up the question as to how can he drive a car today?  Or does he have a vintage auto that doesn’t have all the computer electronics embedded in it?

Greg explained that the computer parts in cars are shielded because other equipment could interfere with them.   But he has a problem when pushing buttons on the radio.

At this point I decided to take a picture of the two of them.  You guessed right.  The camera automatically closed and signaled me that I had to “Change Battery Pack”.  This was just a coincidence, right?

.