Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Pour me a green beer while I get my bib so I can tuck into some of Ellen’s excellent corned beef and cabbage. Ellen’s family, on the Uppena side anyway, can trace their large, yet close family back to the emerald Isle. Marge, her mom made the best corned beef and cabbage. She even made it just for me a few times. I am thankful that Ellen learned so much from her great mother.
Last week on Monday, I drove by De Soto Bay and I was surprised to see a dozen or more ice fishermen on what appeared to be dark, slushy, rotten ice. Sue Flick told me her husband, Les said it was the last day - maybe. When I went home that afternoon there were even more ice anglers out there! On Tuesday morning though, there were only two and by afternoon - none I could see anyway. By Friday afternoon - I am not making this up - the fishermen were back! Okay, they did have good solid aluminum under their boots at least.
I stopped to photograph a pair of tom turkeys in full strut for half a dozen lady turkey admirers along a field Friday afternoon. “Gobble gobble!” The canada and snow geese are coming back in large numbers. I saw a pair of sandhill cranes in the field one morning last week. The river is full of mallards and other ducks. There are robins are checking in at the bird bath and puddles up and down the coulee.
For the first time in three years, I got to say, “Thank goodness it’s Friday!” last week. I subbed at De Soto all week for new mom, Melissa Noelte. Mel is one my favorite former students and a star Forensian in high school when I was her forensics coach. Now she is the forensics coach at DHS. I enjoyed working with some of her team during the week. On Saturday, I chaperoned her team along with assistant coach Lucas Gilman at the District Forensics Festival at UW La Crosse, and I judged in Melissa’s place. What a great day! I enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces and old friends in the coaches lounge and I got to see some really talented teens perform and it didn’t snow, rain, or pelt us with ice. The Pirates have 17 students going to the WHSFA State Festival in April. Good job, Kids.
Ellen has been raking the gravel out of the yard along the driveway, tossed there during the winter by the beast. She also trimmed the black raspberries on Saturday. (I procrastinated long enough!) She has flowers testing the air all around the house and in several of her flower gardens. I am keeping an eye on the rhubarb as we had a rhubarb crisp under ice cream Saturday night; the tart delicacy was made from the last of the last season’s frozen stalks from the freezer.
I also took a long, hard look at the lawn mowers on Sunday. They’ll need fresh oil and sharpened blades and who knows what else. I can wait a bit I hope.
Until next time, get out - Sure and begorrah! I hope you find a four leaf clover for luck or a leprechaun for his riches. Not me, I’ll be busy watching El put some German and Swiss ingredients to good use in making me a rueben sandwich with the Irish leftovers. Enjoy.
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