Superman... in Zumbrota, MN?

It's a Bird...It's a Plane... 

It's Superman in Zumbrota!

Just like Clark Kent of Superman fame. Although there probably isn’t a phone booth for him to change into his flying outfit in all of Zumbrota, MN - there is an optometrist whose friends think he comes pretty close to the flying hero!

Dr. Kevin Kish opened his office early one morning and was surprised to see the cabinet doors were open.  Then a man came out of another room and threw a punch at him and ran out the front door with a bag of cash and stuff.

No time to change into his superman outfit - but Kish chased after the burglar!

  He explained, “There wasn’t a lot of speed here - we were two 60 year old guys!  Anyway I hollered at someone on the street to call 911 and I kept chasing him.”

The duo headed down Main Street.  

Kish continued, “He’d run a little and I’d run...  then he’d turn at me and I’d go back... he’d yell at me and I yelled back... in Norwegian!” (Ya Shure!)

Anyway, they got to the east side of town and the burglar fled into the woods where Kish lost him.

By this time law enforcement and a K9 unit had arrived and the suspect “got nailed in some tall grass.”

  And friends sent Kish a Superman shirt and shorts!

It’s stories like these that we get to hear at the TRIAD meetings - local citizens and law enforcement - on the second Wednesday of every month at the Shepherd’s Center. 

Look what was found along the road... 

Another man told a story about what he found when walking along a road near his farm near Rochester, MN.  (We’re keeping his name private at this point.)

It was just a piece of paper... a receipt from a tire company in Wanamingo.  When he got home he tossed it in the garage.

A few days later he was going down the road when he noticed something further in the woods - it looked like a money bag!   It had a lot of checks inside so he called the sheriff’s department.  A local bank had been robbed.  Two men had taken a bag with $4000 in cash.

The police had a picture of them on the surveillance tape from the bank but no names.  Then our man recalled the receipt he had picked up along the road.  Would that have any connection?  Well, the police checked it with the tire store’s surveillance tape and they had a perfect picture of the robbers along with their names on their purchase.

Just borrowing a car? 

 

Then Rod Johnson told this story.  His wife Bernie had called him at work and explained that someone had come and asked to borrow a chain because he was getting a car from their neighbor.  After she gave them the chain she called the neighbor and he said he hadn’t given them permission!  He proceeded to walk down to the men and asked what they were doing and then called the sheriff’s department.

The men were stuck and couldn’t leave!  Their story was that they were just pulling the car out to pull their pickup out.

No eye witnesses were available but Rod explained that the next day when the deputy was talking to another neighbor about this concern he was told that a member of their family had recorded the whole thing on video!  And that helped prove what the guys were really doing. 

Suspicious van... 

Another local citizen became suspicious of a van driving without lights after midnight.  Especially after it parked and some of the passengers got out and started walking around the dark neighborhood.  This area had been targeted for burglaries earlier that year. 

So Jay Sjoblom followed the suspects in his vehicle and kept up communication with police in order to keep them under surveillance until they could be apprehended.   

Looks to me like we have more “Clark Kent/Superman” heroes around here than we thought!

Pioneer Day at Chapel Hill

Hear the sounds of memories...

Listen carefully and you may hear the sounds from the memories echoing on the wooded hilltop...  the laughing of children pulling tricks on each other, the singing of the congregation and the sorrowing of mourners as they buried their loved ones in the small graveyard.

  

It’s a steep climb to the old St. Paul’s Episcopal Church built 140 years ago in Belle Creek Township southeast of Cannon Falls.   Rev. Samuel Poole Chandler helped build it and it was dedicated in 1873.   

His great great grandson, Orland Chandler of Wauwatosa, WI has been restoring the site for several years.  (Pictured with wife Kay and the remodeled chapel.)

It was an enchanting Saturday recently when the first annual Pioneer Day was held on the site.  Volunteer Coordinator, Nancy Ellison, organized the festivities.     

A Civil War encampment was demonstrated by three members of the Third Minnesota Company C.  It was led by Captain Randy Kuznicki (r) and the gun salute was demonstrated by Blair McNamara and Terry Norton.  There are between seven and possibly nine Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery.

Demonstrating the technique of using a bayonet during the Civil War is Blair McNamara.  Interestingly, this method was not popular with soldiers.

Kids played tricks on each other too!

“I kinda thought you’d do that!”  One of the boys playing the old game of ”Tug of War” dropped the rope and sent the other boy sprawling in the grass!  Want to guess which one did it?  See video on Youtube or www.paulrosie.com (OK - it's the boy on the left.)

Various crafts of the times were demonstrated like spinning, weaving, candle making and wood working.

Jonya Pacey

Gayle Dahl

And today... using a modern “memory maker”, ( a little point and shoot camera like we did), you can add these moments of celebration to your own.

Win... or lose - what can you gain?

To win... when you lose an argument?

      What’s more important?

A relationship or an argument?

It’s a no brainer to some folks I suppose.  Unless you have been taught to enjoy the challenge of a quality “discussion”!  

There aren’t many of these nowadays it seems to me.  Folks just get nasty.  And I have fallen into that trap too.

But I smile as I think of many years ago when I decided to lose an argument because I saw a higher purpose.

Not trained to lose...

Actually, losing an argument isn’t part of my upbringing. But my father had a purpose in teaching me to stand up for my position.

I believe he was trying to help me avoid some of the stupider teenage episodes by teaching me not to follow whatever the “crowd” was doing.

And... I think he secretly just loved to “argue”.

Training...

The only time I remember well though is when we were arguing over a particular religious belief.  About who was God.  

Kind of a hard topic at any age and I think I was only about nine years old.

I was no match for my Dad.

I struggled to convince him with everything my childish mind knew but I finally conceded defeat.

Afterwards, all he did was walk by me as he left the room and quietly said, “You should have stuck to your guns.  You were right.”

I was totally shocked!

And I was “hooked”.

So when I grew up I still enjoyed a good “discussion”.

What happened later...

“Fast forward” many years later.

We had a distant relative that we only met at gatherings once a year or so.

He was a brain surgeon.

What I have discovered from some of these medical specialists is that they are convinced they are always right.  And I figured they needed this psychologically because of the traumatic decisions they had to make.

But that didn’t mean I gave him any leeway!

And it also didn’t mean that I enjoyed losing an argument!

But while traveling on the way to one family gathering, I decided I would lose the first argument we had.  (Notice it was just a practical conclusion that we would argue!  But also, I only had control over what I did.)

So what happened?

 I remember him standing in front of the fireplace in the home and I was so relieved when I discovered  the subject wasn’t that important to me.  I really didn’t care which way the argument went!

And I lost the argument.

But what I gained was so much more important.

I gained the ability to really enjoy the presence of a wonderful man.  One who was very intelligent (doesn’t mean he was always right though!) and one who had gone through many struggles.

This became a “teaching moment” for me that I recalled many times when I was challenged to argue.   

Although this episode happened many years ago, I was surprised when I heard he had recently asked a relative about me...  and if I was still arguing!  (I guess you can tell that after that one time of losing an argument I didn’t give up challenging ideas!)

At his funeral recently - he was 88 years old - I know the world is going to miss him and his “suggestions”.

I do.

(Rest in peace Dr. Al.)

 What’s better than a miracle?  

Do I really want to see a miracle?

Or would I rather just go quietly along in life without needing one?

Some time ago I thought there were probably lots of miracles, (or unknown actions as they may be called,) happening but we just don’t recognize them.  

So I decided I wanted to be aware of them.

Now, I’m not so sure.

I like to be in control.  Or choose someone else that I trust to be in charge.  (But that’s still holding on to being in control isn’t it?)

And miracles tell me I’m not.

Paul was mowing trails when his tractor started to flip over.  It’s an 8N Ford with a five foot mower attached.

No roll bar - no seat belt.

It's tipping!

The right wheels of the tractor had driven over a heavy branch-log that had been hidden in the high grass and gotten stuck in the mower.

The tractor started tipping over.  Paul found himself falling off to the left but his right foot got caught under the brake pedal.   

Then -  amazingly - the tractor "righted itself"!  And his leg accidentally pushed the gear shift into neutral so it stopped moving ahead.

Paul was still pinned and in a lot of pain, with one leg up over the transmission and his head and shoulders on the ground.  But he believed he was no longer in danger of being run over by the huge rear wheel and chopped up by the mower.

Then he also realized he could reach up to the ignition switch and turn off the tractor.

But he still couldn't get loose.

Any help?

His cell phone had flown from his pocket.

He was about an eighth mile from the house.

No one heard him call out for help.

Or did they?

For some reason at that time I decided to ride my bike the half mile to get the mail at the county road.  Haven’t done that this year. 

I had heard the tractor turn off about 15-20 minutes before but that’s not unusual if Paul is working on a project.  He had been chainsawing trees in the woods by himself previously and stopped many times.  (Every time I heard it stop I had thoughts of chopped off arms, etc. but figured I had to control my imagination.)

So as I pedaled along the road I noticed the tractor stopped down the hill on a trail from our entry gate.  I might not have seen this if I had been driving the car.

I called out, “Are you OK?”

No answer.

I figured he had just gone off somewhere but I called again and heard a small voice respond: “No.”

I leaned my bike against a fence post and went to check him out.

Power Lifter?  Nope.

       Remember hearing those stories about a 90 pound woman who lifts a car off someone?

Not me.

I’m more than 90 pounds anyway - and Paul is a chunk - so I told him he was going to have to pull himself up but I would help!

He was probably still in shock so he just did what I told him to!

And thinking what it might have looked like if the mower had run over him, I told him that I would not have wanted to be the one to find him then!

We finally got him back up and he raised the PTO lever and got the mower lifted so I could pull away the log that had tipped the tractor.

And off he went to finish the job.

We were concerned about his back surgery from a few months ago but he seems to be recovering with just scrapes and scratches.

So what really happened?

Paul believes God and the angels were helping him.

I don’t know much about miracles.

But now I think that “not needing” them is a nicer way to live!

Although, with all the bad stuff happening in the world, maybe just living a “quiet and peaceable life” is the real miracle!

Amen.

.

 

Hope found...

Even with all the turmoil in the world... hope appeared. At a funeral, no less! Even though disastrous headlines may show the cruelty of man... and the emptiness of souls... I found hope at a gathering of broken-hearted folks as they mourned the death of the individual who was their mother... relative... or friend. She wasn't a famous person, this Mary Olson.  Even her name was not unusual... we're in Scandinavian Minnesota ya know!   Nor was she highly honored... except in the hearts of those who knew her. As I sat in the balcony of the little old church on the prairie for her memorial service, I was encouraged by the words of those who had known and loved her. The pastor went though the old liturgy as you would expect.  The songs were ones I presumed she would have loved. Although I, with my usual wandering mind appreciated it... at the same time I worried if the old balcony I was sitting in was strong enough to hold the crowd of people jammed in!  And then I thought about all the chores I could be doing... and so on. But my concentration came back when her son Wyatt spoke.  He explained how Mary had passed away after heart surgery.  And it was "not surprising" that her heart was prematurely worn out, he concluded.   "If the heart is where love comes from, then (hers) got a real workout. "She empathized with people.  She made them feel special.  She brought them comfort.  She put her heart out there for others." His sister Cammy told the congregation that her mother "has given me great inner strength.  I don't mourn my Mom today, I celebrate her life.  What she gave to the world, her family, her friends... "The good deeds she has done.  The smiles she has brought forth.  She always helped people.  She saw a need and acted.  She taught her children to help." And because of this training, when Cammy was on her way to the church she had stopped at a gas station.   The lady at the next pump had realized she had forgotten her purse and asked for $3 so she could just get a gallon of gas and could get her grandson in the car to his destination. When going inside to pay, the clerk explained to Cammy that she didn't see people help a stranger very often. But Cammy had been taught by Mary. And she concluded that "There are people all over this world who need us to help them in their daily lives.  People all over this world need our kindness.  They need that spirit of giving without expecting anything in return." Cammy pointed to a table filled with angel figurines that Mary had collected over the years.  It was the wish of Cammy, Wyatt and their sister Deanna that everyone take one home and remember Mary. Cammy concluded, Let it be a reminder of "what good and kindnesses you can share with the world each day.  Be someone's angel." Thereby you will be continuing Mary Olson's legacy. Because of this experience, I have been given back some hope in mankind.   And so I thank all the quiet and hidden "Marys" in the world... and the folks who honor them. .

No where else on the planet!

    Rare species blooming here.

The larger and more common Trout Lily is surrounded by the 

endangered species of wildflower, the tiny Dwarf Trout Lily.

It's that time of year in the Cannon Valley!

The budding of the rare and endangered forest wildflower, the Dwarf Trout Lily (Erythronium propullans), that only grows in in this area and nowhere else on the entire planet.

Each spring, folks search for the tiny flower in the river bottoms, also in state parks and along trails.    

Concern this year is due to the effect of flooding and the deposit of sand on some of the known colonies.

The Dwarf Trout Lily is only about six inches tall with four to six petals that may be pale pink to whitish, about the size of a dime as compared to the larger Trout Lily which has a flower size  of about a quarter.  

It is found on fewer than 600 acres of woodland habitat, rich slopes that are dominated by maple and basswood and adjoining floodplains dominated by elm and cottonwood.  It grows before the deciduous trees develop their leaves and in approximately three weeks it has  bloomed, generated its food reserves for the coming year and disappeared.

“The Minnesota dwarf trout lily possesses a genetic and chemical makeup unlike that of any other plant... (and) is potentially valuable to all of us... (as) ingredients in medicines and other useful products." It is listed as federally endangered with a penalty for violation set at $25,000.  (Information from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.)

For more information look at the video on www.paulrosie.com or contact Paul and Rosie Schluter, spiritsonghorses@yahoo.com or Pat Anderson at the Cannon Falls Chamber of Commerce, www.cannonfalls.org.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

              A place where even a

       “Nobody” is a “Somebody”

A couple of days before 14 time Grammy Award Winner Ricky Skaggs and the Kentucky Thunder came to perform in Cannon Falls, I was exchanging phone and e-mail messages with  his staff to find out how I could cover his concert as a photo journalist.

Their legal statement seemed to say there could be no flash photos and no audio recording.  

But how do I report on this public event to the newspaper and cable channel with that prohibition?

The result was that after they checked out my request including my website (www.paulrosie.com) so they could see my previous programs, columns, etc. they decided to allow me to take photos during the first three songs only.  They requested approval rights of all photos to be published.  Any video would have to be pre-approved.

This was getting a little irritating for someone who has been a journalist for 50 years.  But on the other hand, I could understand their concerns.

And I have had so many wonderful stories resulting from frustrating circumstances in the past that I just figured there’s another good one hiding in here somewhere!

(Not the paparazzi point of view perhaps.)

So why not respect their request?  At the worst I would still get to hear some fantastic music.

Now consider that it was my first exposure to an entire concert of bluegrass music.  I didn’t recognize any songs.  But you had to be amazed at how fast they were played!    

And I got to thinking of all the work involved in the performance.  It was a fundraiser for the local Shepherd’s Center and involved a lot of effort and dedication from sponsors and volunteers.  I’m sure it was a scary venture too because it costs a lot to get a world famous group like this here.

Shepherd's Center Director, Rod Johnson, Ricky Skaggs and 

SC assistant, Twyla Geiken.

Then I pondered all the work the musicians had to do to perform.   

Consider all the years of practice to get to be the awesome performers they are.

Consider the energy they need to set up their equipment, the travel time, and what about if they aren’t feeling so good?  What if they had worries of their own?  The show goes on... you’ve got a lot of folks depending on you.

After the performance this night, the happy crowd milled around outside the auditorium as the musicians manned the tables selling and autographing their CD’s.

Several local folks kidded me that although the audience had been warned not to take pictures or record the performance, they had seen me with my camera videoing close to the stage.

And they chuckled when I told them some of the restrictions I had been given in order to do this.  I revealed that I had been a bit frustrated when flashes from the audience betrayed “illegal” photos being taken and I couldn’t let myself be tempted to do this!

Later some folks were getting their pictures taken with Skaggs himself.  So when I was talking with him I decided I would do that too... to prove to my kids that I really met him.

After my photo was snapped I started moving away so others could photo Skaggs.  But one local resident called out, “Stay there Rosie!”

So I was in their picture too.  And Skaggs commented, “They know you here.”  

I just smiled.

You don’t have to be famous in a small town.

Many years ago after we moved to Cannon Falls from a big city suburb I had coined the phrase: “Everybody in a small town is a Somebody... even if you’re a Nobody.”  

That’s the fun of it.

(Check for video coming on www.paulrosie.com)