Another Wintery Weekend


Another Wintery Weekend
By Allan Olson
It’s the gift that keeps on giving, this winter season (yes, to me it is still winter) that just doesn’t want to give way to spring. While I haven’t closely inspected the trees, it appears that they have yet to bud. However, some the squirrels are starting to run around, and the geese and ducks are starting to trend toward what little open water there is, and other animals are starting to appear from their winter hideouts.
This weekend, it dropped down to a chilly 16 degrees overnight Friday, and for that I was thankful. We decided that the whole family was going to go to the big rummage sale in Bemidji on Saturday, but the only way that could happen was if our road froze. We were up and out of the house by 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, taking a chance that the road was frozen enough that our van wouldn’t get lost in the mud hole our road has become – and it was! Seeing that, we all piled into the van and headed to town for the first rummage sale event of the year.
While there were lots of vendors, we had a difficult time finding what we went looking for – more jeans for the kids (even the last new ones we got them are getting holes in them). In the end, we found two pairs for the oldest, and that was it. Nikolai also scored big, spending funds he earned by helping his aunt on two large framed fighter plane posters. The other kids settled for small trinkets, and after an hour we were on our way to get some groceries and head for home.
Once home, we transferred a few items to the truck and headed into the house – knowing there was no way we would be driving our van down that road when it was soft. The township supervisors inspected the road Saturday evening, so hopefully it will be in better shape soon.
That afternoon we got a phone call that my wife’s oldest brother and family were in town and wanted to come by for a visit; with a little straightening up we were ready for company. The kids headed off to bed early that evening due to some “hearing problems” earlier in the day (perhaps it wasn’t their hearing that was the problem, it was just the listening).
On Sunday afternoon we were getting ready to visit the Foster farm when it started to rain/snow – (ugh, I am so tired of this). We proceeded out anyway. The kids got to see the baby lambs, but it was too wet and mucky to venture out to see the calves. The girls insisted that I get out and take some pictures of the lambs; I tried to convince them that I didn’t have my camera, but they knew better.
After visiting awhile longer and snapping some pictures of the lambs, we headed home for supper – or so we thought. We had put supper in the crockpot at noon, and put it on low, but when we left we forgot to turn it to high. We figured it would still be done by the time we got home, but we were wrong. It wasn’t done because the head chef forgot to plug the crockpot in, and so when I turned it on, and I didn’t notice that the light wasn’t one. I guess we both screwed up on that meal. Time for plan “B” – we found a quick throw-in-the-oven-and-bake meal, and soon the kids were ready for bed, which was a good thing, because that “hearing” problem was still a problem.  
In all, it was a fun weekend. Despite the rotten weather, we still managed to get out and about, had some company a couple of times and went visiting. Hopefully the weather will finally improve – it HAS TO eventually, right? – and we will have seen the last of this snow for the season.
My cousin’s son put it best: His mom said: “It's snowman kind of snow.” His response: “I don't care, I'm done with snow.”
Thanks for reading, and remember to watch out for school buses on the roads; they are carrying a precious cargo – our children. Also please exercise caution when venturing out on the lakes. Thanks for reading, and have a great and safe weekend. For more of my columns visit: http://allan-crazykids.blogspot.com

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