Genie and I got caught on the freeway and getting off at Clarks Grove to come into Albert Lea on Bridge Avenue from Owatonna. By the time we got home, a normal 45 minute drive took 2 hours. What did we get caught in??
The fog was really bad, the kind many call “Pea Soup.” It was so bad, I was afraid to go more than 30 mph, afraid at 30 mph we would either hit someone or get hit from behind as 30 mph is not a good speed under any circumstance on a freeway.
Once we got home and my knuckles were no longer white, we talked about other bad fogs:
1. We were on our way deer hunting one November. About noon we ran into what we thought were patches of smoke just after leaving Elk River driving on U.S. Highway 169. The smoke would be very bad with limited visibility. It would be bad for up to a mile and suddenly no smoke. This continued, so we pulled into the rest stop by Onamia as the tension was affecting my bladder. In talking to the rest stop attendant, he explained what we were seeing was cloud fog. The cloud fog was a rarity as he saw it only once or twice a year, always in the fall.
2. Becky and Alert Thofson, Genie and I were adult Luther League advisors at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church for the youth on an overnighter.
Alert had to go to work the next day, so I was to take him home to Clarks Grove about 10 p.m.
About 10 p.m. Alert and I went outside to take him home. It was very foggy.
We decided, if we drove slow using the windshield wipers as there was a heavy dew, we would be O.K.
(If you follow West Richway Drive out of Albert Lea about 3 miles, you will see a blue building on your left at the intersection of two blacktop roads. The blue building is used as a starting point for directions.)
Alert and I decided to drive slow to the blue building, then the next road turn right and that would take us into Clarks Grove and his house.
I would go back to church the way we came using the blue building as my area directional.
The blue building was used as a directional both going successfully and coming back successfully from Clarks Grove.
An interesting thing was neither one of us saw the blue building that night. Do you suppose we had a guide?
3. Genie is a native of Clear Lake, Iowa, so quite often we go back to her roots. On one occasion we were told of their unusual trip on Clear Lake. “Lady of the Lake” is a tourist type excursion boat they decided to go on around Clear Lake. This was the late evening cruise. They were on the cruise just after sundown when a heavy fog came across the lake.
The cruise captain got on the microphone and announced they were putting the anchor down and would stay anchored until the fog lifted as he didn't want to chance running aground or hitting something. Meanwhile, dancing to your favorite music floating across the water was the entertainment.
This became a night to remember as the fog didn't clear until just after sunrise.
Genie's relatives told the story of
how, in dancing to Burl Ives song “Tiny bubbles in the wine, make me warm all over and I'm gonna love you til the end of time,” with their dancing time ending as the sun came up!!
4. Nels Jensen was a longtime resident living on the west end of Beaver Lake. Nels fished from his small fish house about a quarter of a mile away on an almost daily basis from about 2 p.m. to sundown using his snowmobile as transportation.
One fishing trip, as he was ready to leave, a very heavy ground fog covered the lake. Per Nels it was very unusual as you could see stars overhead, but you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Even so, Nels left his fish house about 5 p.m. Trying to use the stars to find his way home. Per Nels, he found the shore four times and on the fifth time he found the shore by his house at about 10 p.m. When the fog let up!!
After he explained why he was so late for supper, wife Louise let him warm up his own supper!!
Readers – if any of you have a true fog story, I will print it.
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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 New York. 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.