Winter Daze

I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of the winter season that is shaping up to be one for the records up here in North Dakota - both in temperature and snowfall depth. They say if the current cycle continues, we will have flooding as bad or worse than those that devastated the Grand Forks/Fargo areas back in 1997. That winter there was around 110" of snow, and so far we are at approximately 65", with about 10 weeks at least to go. So here are some pictures showing what we've been dealing with up here. Some times it almost feels like we are fighting our own little war with the snow - my only weapon is a shovel. I'm getting to be an expert at the various types of shovels needed for a particular snow removal task. And now my upper arms and shoulders are in as good a shape as my legs used to get in the summer with bike riding.

December 21 2008

My trusty weather vane was still flying relative high and pretty much always pointed to the northwest.

The snow was still pretty light and easy to shovel - I had lots of energy and made a walkway to the back yard for the dogs and just thought it would be good exercise (seems ridiculous now).

December 28 2008

The snow is getting higher and closer to top of fence. I still had ability to shovel a walkway. 

Rowdy is getting a little intimidated by the high walls, but he still tried to climb them when the temps weren't too cold. Snow was still too soft for him to make much headway though.

January 4, 2009

After another snowstorm, it was getting closer and closer to be over the fence, but I still tried to keep the walkway open.

Sam loves the snow and was always around to help me throw snow over the fence.

January 18, 2009

Another snowstorm and this time the wind was so strong, it made the drifts particularly hard. I gave up on my little walkway.

My little piglet is still spinning.

January 19, 2009 - Martin Luther King Day

After chasing the dogs a few times trying to get them to come inside, I decided to make my own little fence and keep them from getting lost out in the countryside chasing something or other. So far it has worked pretty well. But I had to take the day off to tackle the big job of throwing all the snow out and over the fences. My dog-sitter Cindy who lives two doors down the street came over and helped me out. We made the snow 'walls' vertical so they wouldn't be tempted to climb them. The temps had warmed all the way up to 33 (!) that day so it was pretty nice.

Below are more of the neighborhood. Kids in the neighborhood had the day off from school so they were having a great time sledding in the sunshine. I also took a few photos looking out to the western landscape and a couple of the new developments taking shape.

This is kind of hard to see, but down the road from my place was an accident - a pickup hit an icy spot and rolled over. Unfortunately something that happens quite often this winter, usually on the interstate though and not the frontage road because they drive faster on the interstate.

One of the casualities of a harsh winter - I suspect this bird froze in the 40 below temps and then became lunch for some other critter - all that's left are the legs.

This fence was put in by the farmer as a snow fence in this hay field north of my place - the fence is about 4 feet high . My shadow is still pretty long even though it was close to mid day - sun still is pretty low in the sky this time of year.

And finally, below are some mother nature's artwork I kind of liked - keep in mind these drifts are very hard and you can walk all over them without disturbing the design.

Answer Blowin' in the Wind?

I never expected to feel so excited about a new clothesline, but I was. I purchased it last winter and just this month got around to getting it installed. It is a retractable one and can be kind of hidden behind my deck when not needed.

And fortunately the very first day we had 40 mph winds, so I washed a load of dog blankets and bike shorts to get them dry and smelling fresh in about 10 minutes!

Rowdy was a little curious that first afternoon about the flapping in the wind.



Hopefully, this will help out on the checkbook a little when I pay the electric bill - they raised our rates again this year. I don't use a lot of power, but every little bit helps - besides - I just love how the sheets feel and smell after drying in the breeze.

Now I can make good use of the time when it is too windy to ride bike!

He Could Go Home Again - June 14, 2008

All spring Dale has been talking about going back home. Since getting an electric wheel chair, he has gradually ventured out of his room and even outside of the building when winter was finally gone. At first he brought up the idea of riding down to the house from the nursing home on his electric wheel chair. But after talking with a number of the nurses and aides, he agreed he doesn't have a sturdy enough chair to get across two sets of railroad tracks and a somewhat busy highway. So he agreed to let them drive him the half dozen blocks or so to his home on 3rd street. Due to a rather wet and windy early spring, and a few days of not feeling up to the trip, he wasn't able to get there in May and finally on June 14th, the weather was perfect. I happened to be in Arlington after finishing a bike tour that took me around southeast South Dakota. So before I headed back up to North Dakota, I stuck around to help with the arrangements for Dad's visit. Amy (one of his favorite nurses) told me the night before that they would take him down around 1 PM and pick him up again at 3 PM. Since we don't have any way for him to get inside the house and up the stairs, we set up a few chairs and tables next to the porch outside for him.

Mom and I cleaned up the yard the night before (we picked up 4 wheel barrows full of sticks blown down in a wind storm).

Amy laughed when she lowered him out of the van, because he took off right away and headed for the door. He said on his way down the alley - "See you later!" She said - "Don't you think I should go up and ring the doorbell for you to let them know you are here?" For some reason Mom and I were watching out the front of the house and not in the alley, so we didn't see them drive up. Amy was kind of surprised at how anxious he was to get going!

Dale adjusting his hat in the sun by the front porch with Marguerite.

The first thing we had to do was get a hat for him, the sun was pretty bright. He rode all around the house on the sidewalk, and then down the block to look at the progress on renovations on a house two doors down (he said there hadn't been much done since he saw it last fall!) Then he wanted to look at all the gutters we installed above the doors to prevent icy sidewalks, and I had to run the garage door opener for him a number of times so he could watch it from both inside and outside the garage.

Dale checking out the new gutter above the back door.

Dale making his way around the south side of the house.

Later he seemed content to sit and visit with Marguerite and just watch the cars go by just like he used to when he sat on his old porch rocker. He kept telling me that everyone has new cars.

Much to Dale's disappointment, this is as close as Nermal would get to Dale's electric wheelchair. So I carried her over so he could give her a little scratch between the ears.

I think he really enjoyed it, but he later told me he was glad to get back 'home' - and that is how he really thinks of the nursing home now I think. He tells me over and over how wonderful they are to him and the nurses and staff aren't appreciated enough.

We are hoping to get him back for a small picnic on the 4th of July if the weather holds out.

Easter Farm memories

I read this article in today's Bismarck Tribune and decided to post it to share with all the other farm boys and girls out there. Just click on the image to enlarge it to read in a seperate window. (Sorry, but the Tribune didn't post this article on their website)

I've also been scanning a lot of old photos from an album of Mom's and discovered she loved to take a lot of Easter photos over the years that I'll share here.

April 1957 Easter Sunday - Michael, Peter & Paula

April 1959 Paula, Michael & Peter on Easter Sunday

April 1961 - Dodey Martie & Paula on Easter Sunday

April 1967 - Paula, Peter, Pat & Martie

Happy Easter Everyone!

Dale's 80th birthday

This is the year Dale turned 80 on March 5th. I felt it was a milestone birthday that needed to be celebrated, even if it did happen to fall in the middle of the week. So Mom and I planned a small celebration. We knew he wouldn't be comfortable with a lot of people and noise, so we decided to have a card shower.

I was able to take a few days off and drive down to Arlington with a cake I ordered from a neighbor. The day before his birthday, he had a visit from Lyle Rapp, Helge Larson and Grace Oleson Nemitz. Mom said he enjoyed it all, but it did tire him. So when I arrived late that afternoon, I just spoke with him by phone so he could rest. Pat was able to come up from Sioux Falls to spend the day with us also.

Dale in March 1952 with his dog Chipper and piles of snow.

Even though Dale is in a nursing home, he still almost missed a celebration due to the weather. Mom told us how many birthdays he had spent over the years sitting on a snow plow clearing the streets or moving snow out on the farm. This year there was another small snow storm which may have contributed to a train/semi-truck accident in Arlington. As a result, all streets that crossed the railroad were closed until the cleanup could be finished. Dale was a little frustrated in the morning knowing we were all on the other side of town unable to get to the nursing home. By lunch time Pat, Mom and I decided we would go out of town a few miles to get around the train, but by then they opened up one street.

Dale received so many cards and he enjoyed discovering who remembered him. Surprisingly he got a card from three of his previous teachers, (one Sunday school teacher, one elementary teacher and one high school teacher) still alive and living in Arlington. He explained to me that in those days a teaching certificate only took 6 or 9 weeks to get, and these teachers weren't too much older than he.

Cards received for Dale's 80th birthday.

He also told us that he will never forget his favorite birthday gift of all time. It was back when he was 6 or 7 years old. At that time, they received a lot of goods from the Sears catalog. Any order placed by mail on a Saturday was sure to be filled and returned before the next Wednesday, unless bad weather, then it would be in the mailbox on Thursday. He made it known he liked two items in the current catalog, both pencil boxes. One was 19 cents and the other with 2 drawers was 29 cents. He said he was so happy and surprised when he opened the package from Sears that day to discover the 2 drawer box! What a treasure.

The cake was a great item and all the ladies had to ask who were all those lovely children.

Randy Ivers and his mom Elaine were in the nursing home and we asked them to join us. I think Dale liked joking around with Randy, who always takes great joy in good food - and lots of it.

As usual I couldn't get a smile out of Dale once the camera came out. Here he is waiting with Mom and Pat for the cake to be cut and served with coffee.

Dale watches the entertainer (karoke) from Dell Rapids pack up his equipment to leave.

We all left around 4:30 but Dale made me promise to come back after supper. I really think he is just so grateful to have company. It must be tough for him to see the same faces day after day and not be able to even venture outside for a little break or solitude.

David is planning on driving to Arlington this weekend to spend some quiet time with Dale. He isn't bringing his two very active young sons along this trip.

I think we all wish we lived closer to make things easier, but all are so grateful that he can be in Arlington and close to friends he has known all his life.

Siblings Reunited - Day 3 - July 21, 2007

On Saturday, Mom was up early again and making sure she had all the flower arrangements down at the church just in case she didn't make it back in time for Saturday evening mass. We all got back up to Janice's place by 10 or so that morning. Mom was glad to Delores and Jerry Kahnke.

Mike-George-Mom-Jerry-Rita-Bonnie-Paige-Peggy passing around some old photos and trying to identify ancestors

Bonnie with that big smile - showing off her son Sam to Delores and Grandma Rita (Bonnie & Sam had matching pants - they were so cute)

Mom brought up some stained glass for George and Bonnie to pick out as they requested. Later they decided to drive through Arlington on the way to the airport in Sioux Falls and look at more of Mom's stained glass and take some back with them.

I really enjoyed the ride we took later on out to the farm and then Ray drove us around the neighborhood to see all the old places Mom and Rita used to go as kids and also to see Stephanie's new home. George and Bonnie were following us in their car with Rita. We ended up back at Jenkins Nursing to visit with Jack some more. He seemed pretty good yet on Saturday and glad to have the company. He looked so much better than the other visits I'd had with him last winter. Rita had made arrangements to have supper with an old school girlfriend, so Mom decided she wanted to get back to Arlington for the evening mass. She was pretty tired again, but I really think she enjoyed her time up in Watertown.

Here is a panoramic view of the O'Toole farm - Leland is the only one living out there now - unless you count the many cats and kittens and one dog he has for company.

Leland and Mike visiting out in the back yard.

Mom visiting with Leland and dog Jack by his pool.

Peggy and Aunt Rita look over the remains of the gardens from days gone by.

The old flower bed looks pretty good - Leland keeps color all year round by using the artificial species - also a favorite shady spot for a cat.

Leland discussing a favorite old photo with Mom and Mike

Little Sam just couldn't stay awake out on the farm - wish we could all sleep that soundly!

Leland-George-Me-Mike (behind me)-Mom-Rita-Peggy

Sisters Marguerite & Rita standing in front of one of the original lilac bushes planted when they were children.

Bonnie Fleming & Ray Stern - the "out-laws"

This is back at Jenkins Home when George is getting a cheek swab from Jack to take back and get a DNA analysis done on the sample - he hopes to match it up with someone over in Ireland.

At the end of the Mom kept saying she wished she could get up there more often to be with Jack, but just can't drive anymore and Dad isn't able to get out as much as he used to. I know she was a little nervous in the days before Rita came up and worried it would all be way too much for Jack and maybe we shouldn't overwhelm him. But I think she relaxed a lot after seeing Rita and Jack both.