Grouse Hollow for December 29, 2016 by Greg Koelker

Grouse Hollow for December 29, 2016 by Greg Koelker

We picked up Mark at the La Crosse Airport this morning (Tuesday, December 20).  He said he sat with a mother and daughter and 6 week old baby on their way home from California for Christmas in Melrose.  What a great asset this airport is (or any airport for that matter) for everyone in the area.  I mean airports are places of business and coming and going, but most importantly they are places of connectivity where loved ones hug and hello for special times.  Anyway, we had a big hug in front of the terminal and had a big breakfast at Nutbush and then just had a big day of hanging out at the ranch enjoying some time with our younger son.  

On Wednesday Mark’s life-long friend Adam Remus drove over from Madison to see Mark.  Adam brought a Snurf board and those two dropped 25 years off their ages and played on the fluffy snow around the farm like a pair of ten-year olds.  They took pictures and video of each other riding the board on the ridge and down through the yard.  Last night with the yard light on, I realized the snow in our yard had a distinct zebra stripe pattern.  Adam and Kate are expecting their first child in February.  We wish them so much love and good fortune.  

On Thursday, El and I drove the Explorer up to the Twin Cities to collect number one son, Benjamin.  He said he had the best flight experience ever on Sun Country, Denver to Minneapolis.  We were able to catch up with him on the way home.  He and Christine are getting their ranch cabin in order with a lot of insulating and fixing plumbing and wiring, but the place is warm now and the power and plumbing works.  His pictures of their Christmas decorations were beautiful.  Spanky, one of their cats, died last week and that was tough.  They have also had range cattle from a nearby ranch break the fence and get in their yard.  Ben said their dog, Scout of the West has a lot to learn about cows as she almost got trampled when she tried to chase them.  A neighbor told them to keep an eye out for elk as there were 30 bulls wintering near their place last winter.  Cool.  While they have our old Ranger 4x4, they are fixing up a Jeep Cherokee they bought from the owner for $200 to better cope with the snow when commuting.  

This is the first time that both of our sons got home for Christmas since like 2001.  Anyway, we’ll spend lots of time together, watch the Pack and Vikes go at it on Christmas Eve before we head south to the family Christmas in Chaffie Hollow on Christmas Eve, stay with grandma and have breakfast with her on Christmas morning and stuff ourselves again with Christmas dinner at Ellen’s sister Kathy’s.  Just spending time together makes this one of the best holiday seasons ever for us.  

Back at the ranch with an early deadline looming, I asked Ellen what the date for the Thursday between Christmas and New Years was.  She glanced at the calendar and said, “The Thursday between Christmas and New Years is a date that will go down in infamy!”  Okay, she really said history; today is our 43rd Anniversary!  The day we got married in 1973 would have fit right in with the weather we had a week or so ago.  It was 29 degrees below zero!  My beautiful bride’s bouquet of roses froze from St. Charles front door to the car.   We didn’t fly off to someplace warm that next day either.  I had to work at WKBT on Monday and make music with the GMC band on New Year’s Eve at the Holiday Inn in Winona.  The winter of 1973/74  would have been the perfect cold winter to escape somewhere warm for a honeymoon, but back in the day we probably couldn’t have afforded it.  Full exclosure here, I did get a raise at work because I got married - $7.50 a week, I am not making this up, so we honeymooned in August with a camping trip to the Black Hills, Colorado, Yellowstone, and Idaho.

Another fun fact about December 29, 1973 is that this was the the last day Americans could drive 65 on most highways in Wisconsin and soon all across the US.  The speed limit was changed to the “double nickel” or 55 mph the day after our wedding, to save fuel.  (I often joke that more than cars got slowed down that weekend, drawing “The Look” from Ellen.)  I remember there was much gnashing of teeth among those of us who felt they needed to get somewhere faster than 55 would allow.  We all know the reality, that nobody drove 55 anyway, like today it seems to be just a suggestion.  The law didn’t really save much fuel, but it is credited for lowering highway fatalities by around 4,000 deaths that first year.

Until next time, get out - once a year, being short and less than petite does have its merits.  I have the near perfect body type and “ho ho ho” for being Santa’s stand in.  El and I will be off to be Santa’s helpers by standing in for him and Mrs. Claus tonight (Wednesday last week).  We were kind of hesitant four years ago when Eli asked us to do this at his school, but it has been heartwarming and heart wrenching and rewarding to read Christmas stories to the kids and hear their Christmas wishes.  My “Mrs. C” is the brains of the outfit.  When one skeptical first grader asked why I couldn’t remember his name, I turned to her with questioning eyes peeking out of my long hair and beard, and my quick thinking wife said, “Why that only works at your house!”  Later, while waiting on a skittish little brother to take a family picture, I turned to his teenage sister and asked, “Well, while we’re waiting, what would you like for Christmas little girl?”  She instantly replied, “Safety and peace for the children of Aleppo.”  That blew me away.  She moved to the head of my Nice List right then and there.  We can only hope and pray.   On that note, last week I forgot to add a Merry Christmas to readers at the end of my journal.  Better late than never, Merry Christmas  and - on time - Happy New Year to all of our friends!  Enjoy.