Water, Water Everywhere

If Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, North Dakota must the land of 100,000 lakes. Another thuderstorm just passed over us. It dropped some rain on Hannaford, but mostly just BOOMED. ND is near record rainfall. There is water standing everywhere. Many roads are under water. The swimming hole below our home is twice its normal size. The dock is completely under water. The creek is so swollen that it is running along the road.

Our friend, Nathan Lunde stopped by yesterday. We are praying for him to be able to gather in the hay before any more rain makes it impossible. He is a cattle rancher and registered nurse. Interesting combination!

Oh well, at least the temperature is mild (around 70 degrees).

Today we travel into Fargo. Nadine & Darrell Nelson (Erleen's cousin) are hosting a reception for some second cousins from Louisana. There will probably be 70 or 80 family members there. I love these get-togethers. It reinforces the sense of family.

Hannaford is having a parade, picnic and dance this evening. We hope to be back in time.

Our friend, Shewanna, has her two grandaughters for an indefinite period of time. Erleen and a friend took a couple of bicycles into Coopstown for the girls to ride.

I went to a meeting at the Cooperstown Medical Center yesterday. It is the hospital and nursing home for Griggs County. It is nearly impossible to get doctors to locate here. Fortunately the federal government offers foreign doctors a shortened path to citizenship for serving a rural community for three years. I always wondered why our doctors spoke only minimal English. Ah the joys of life on the prairie!

I am trying to get our senior center's nonprofit status reinstated. It was revoked for failure to file returns. I am also embroiled in a battle with the Oregon Department of Revenue on behalf of one of my former clients. And I though I was retiring. When am I going to have time to put the new roof on the shed?

Somehow it seems we are always busy. At least we don 't have to be in the office at 9:00 am.

HOLLYHOCKS, HERBS, LILIES AND MEMORIES

We are forever greatful to our children and friends for the beautiful, fun retirement party you blessed us with before leaving CA. It helped give closure to our lives as we knew it in CA and hello to the new beginning on the ND prairie.

We left a partial garden in CA for the renters and only had time to plant herbs here. The flowers you see were planted years ago by my aunt Bernice and uncle Dennis who sold us this this lovely little house on the prairie. They took very good care of this home. We planted some of these flowers last fall also. I have spent the last month reflecting and comparing the differences and similarities of the prairie I remembered growing up, and how I see it today. Warren and I have had so many pleasurable memories here in the last 7 years, with family, friends and getting to know the people of our community here.

The weather is phenomenal. Don't ever remember the raging summer storms like we've had this year. It's exciting, scarry and something that is always a topic of conversation with everyone. The prairie winds are hard on the hair and skin. Found lemon juice, white vinegar and soda are the best shampoo for hard water (at least for gray hair -ha keeps it from turning yellow-green).

Warren is in his own little rut. (still) He works in the office upstairs almost every day. Walks to the bank and post office every weekday morning. He is finishing up tax returns for those who are on extension and also those in trouble with the IRS. I keep pulling him away to do fun road trips. We are 20 minutes from the nearest hospital which is in Cooperstown, where uncle Dennis lives in a care home. We live 45 minutes from brother Dan, John, Lorraine and family in Valley City where I used to drive taxi and ambulance as a teenager. I'm praying about being trained to be a 1st responder. We have an EMT here in Hannaford. They need both in order for the City to have an ambulance here. It would take six months of training in Valley City. Don't want to be too tied down though. Too much fun running around with Warren.

We live 18 minutes from my old homestead of 350 acres. The house is not there anymore, but the old Karnak elevator 1/2 mile up the road is still standing. The government purchased the land and put up a Minute Man Missle sight there. It is one of the 100 missles that were aimed at Russia during the Cold War. They bought out all the small farmers to put these 100+missles and 15 command centers so now many of the bigger farms are 10,ooo acres. The creek I used to swim in as a kid is just down the hill from our little town. Warren and I walk down there almost every morning for excercise and up to the top of the next hill. The City of Hannaford has made it into a wonderful parks with RV hookups, showers etc. It has come in very handy for the men and their families who worked here last year on the roads and overpass, and also tourists passing through. The Parks and Recreation crew have been having a battle with the beavers over the beautiful evergreen trees. The creek has turned into a raging river this summer. The water can hardly get under the bridge. The water in ND from all the summer storms is something to behold. There are not very many outlets. I think we are going to surpass Minnesota with their 10,ooo lakes. We are very thankful that Hannaford is not very low land and subject to flooding.

Enough for tonight. I have not finished unpacking and have misplaced all of our addreses and phone numbers. This is a fine way to catch up. Sorry for the long epistle. Thought you should hear from me too.

I love our little home on the prairie. We are reflecting and remembering the good of our past and we miss our family and friends sooooo much. We are enjoying the present very much and looking forward to the future with Jesus and all of you forever. Someday, time and space will not seperate us. Luv n' prayers, Erleen

Sauna

It's 85 degrees and totally humid. The air is so thick you find yourself trying to swim through it. After washing the car (the bugs totally covered the front) coming into the house where the temperature is 70 degrees and reasonably dry feels wonderful.

We went to a musical play last night in New Rockford (about an hour away). It was titled "All Shook Up". It was a spoof on the fifties which some of us remember well if not fondly. The acting was superb. The music and dance were very good as well. We enjoyed it thoroughly.

Last Friday a neighbor invited us to a dinner theater in Devil's Lake, ND (about an hour and a half away). It was a murder mystery and included a great deal of audience participation. There's always something happening here. So far we are not bored.

We are having two older widowers from church over this evening. I think one is a Vigasau and one is a Fugulstad. Everyone at Zion Lutheran is either a Vigasau or a Fugulsad or at least related to them by marriage. Vernon is in his 80's. He was once the County sheriff.

We made the trip into Fargo (about two hours away) Thursday for shopping. Most things we need are available across the road at the the store. Some things require Sam's Club such as parts for a disabled vacuum and cilantro.

A nasty storm passed over us earlier today, but only blew hard - no rain.

I've cooled and dryed off sufficiently now that I suppose I should go out and unclog the rain gutters.

Umm - The Smell of New Mown Grass

It's a buzzing like that of a thousand angry bees. As I look out my second-floor window I see an old tractor being driven by an even older man mowing across the road. I'm just glad I'm not allergic to grass!

The City sprayed for mosquitos last night. Erleen was skeptical, but I was euphoric. Three or four days with no mosquitos. I'd much rather die from the poisons than to be eaten alive by mosquitos.

We have decided not to entertain much. So we only had eight over for goodies and fellowship Sunday afternoon.

Right after church we attended a fund-raiser spagetti feed in the little town of Dazey (population 70) just south of us. There were over 500 crowded into the little auditorium. They were raising funds to help with medical expenses for a lady with cancer. I know if Erleen or I were to get some horrible disease and exhaust our insurance, there would be spagetti feeds and bake sales for us. Community is a wonderful thing.

We went into Valley City (45 minutes away) for Bible study (ie. discussion) with the John Curtis's and the Graybills last evening. They will come to our house next week.

Where Am I?

Oh my gosh! It's 7:30 and I'm just waking up. "Erleen! Erleen - wake up, the alarm didn't go off." "Go back to sleep - you're retired.

Retired? How did that happen? For forty years I have always been in the office by 9:00. O, I see. I'm on vacation in our home in Hannaford, North Dakota. No, this is not vacation. I live here now year-round.

Okay, I remember rushing around to vacate my office by May 31, then cramming most of our belongings into a U-haul truck and trekking across the continent to Hannaford. Now that I am here and have time to think about it, I wonder if we did the right thing.

Of course we did the right thing! We sensed God's blessing on our plan to retire. all the myriad of details came together to make the move possible. The accounting practice sold and the house rented. The retirement/farewell party was a huge success. Our family and friends in North Dakota welcomed us with open arms.

But this is a momentous change in life. Isn't life supposed to go on forever without change? No, of course not. But why do I feel so conflicted? I am anticipating a glorious future without deadlines, but still....

I love the prairie with its ever-changing weather. I love the warm evenings. I love the people of Hannaford and Griggs County. I lover the family gatherings. I feel as if I have lived here my entire life, but still....


This is the beginning of a new vignette I am working on. Just thought you might like to see it early.

Mud

It's late afternoon on July 4th. It's 92 degrees and humid. But it is a cool 70 degrees in the house. We just returned from Sanborn, ND where we watched a truck-pull. Different types of trucks compete to see how far they can tow a semi across the prairie dirt.

Then came the destruction derby. Apparently we were a bit too close because one of the cars sprayed mud all over us. Here we are before our baths. That is not a tatoo on my arm.

There Are Fish in ND!

Norm and Judy Ingersoll are visiting from California. Norm and I went fishing this morning. After two hours we both had our limit of three fish each. Here is Norm with his fish.