As I start ringing the Salvation bell at Hy-Vee in Albert Lea, I decided to count each person who put money into the kettle. My objective was to get to 100 before my shift ended. I let each person know what number they were and why they were given a number. I was amazed at how many people, on their way out of Hy-Vee, would ask what number I was at. Did I make it to 100? Yes, with four minutes to spare. Crystal Serrano was the 100th person; her prize was getting her name in a newspaper column read by many VIPs like you.
One person asked me if it was okay to put out-of-state money in the bucket. I asked him where he was from and he replied, “New Mexico.” My supervisor gave me the okay to accept the brand-new U.S. 20-dollar bill.
Have you seen the new speed flashers as you drive into town? If you’re going over 30 miles per hour, it flashes red and reads “Slow down.” If you are going 30 miles per hour or less when you reach the flasher, it turns green and reads “Thank you.”
According to the latest Minnesota census, Johnson is the most common last name in the state. According to the last U.S. census as reported by AARP, Johnson is the second most common last name in the country—Smith was the most common.
I was very lucky to have an enjoyable conversation with a gas meter reader from Minnesota as she read our house usage meter. In my book, her name was most certainly first class here in our state. (She asked me not to give her recognition. This is the best way I know how to tell you her last name is Johnson.)
I debated with myself as to whether or not I should tell you my true deer-hunting story of 2018. I finally decided that you, the reader, deserve a true, factual deer-hunting story. This is my story, and I’m sticking to it:
Adult male deer, known as bucks, mark their territory in two different ways. One is to rub the bark off a tree with their antlers—this is called a “rub.” The other is to scrape all the grass away from an area, thus creating a bald spot of ground called a “scrape.” This is done during the height of mating season, known as the “rut” with a female deer, or doe.
The first few days of my 2018 deer hunt were nice with sun and warm temperatures. There was no sign of activity to be seen.
Overnight it turned cold with about five inches of snow. The rut was on. Early that morning I walked to my on-the-ground stand that I’ve hunted since 1958 on the shore of Lake Winnie between Grand Rapids and Bemidji, Minnesota. Just as I got to my stand I saw a scrape that had been started, but no deer around it. I stayed until dark, but no buck showed up.
I made the decision to be by the scrape before daylight the next morning, as I was sure the buck would be there to finish the scrape. I arrived early, using a flashlight to get there, as it was overcast and dark with a two-below temperature. T’was then I tipped my cap and saluted, as the buck had been there and completed the scrape by breaking two small branches above it, relieving himself in the middle. (Steam was rising from the puddle, but he was gone.) I never did see the buck then, or on other days guarding the scrape.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.