By Bill Anderson

Once again, a major winter storm has hammered the region, beginning with some rain, some snow and a lot of wind on Monday, February 20, and continuing with more ice, more snow, more cold and more wind on Tuesday, February 21 through Thursday, February 23. The wind let up for a while on Tuesday morning, but more was promised for the next several days. The temperature took a nose dive from +31 at midday on Monday to -14 at 6:00 on Tuesday morning. State highways were not closed on Monday or Tuesday, but due to ice, blowing snow and high winds, no travel was advised. The mercury registered a cozy -8 on Wednesday morning, February 22, George Washington’s birthday. As George could not tell a lie, we can have confidence that the temperature reading was accurate. The weather gurus are predicting that Wednesday will be the worst day of the storm, with several inches of snow, high winds and a misery index that is through the roof. Thursday is predicted to be a better day, not because it will be nice, but because the beating it inflicts on us is not expected to be as bad as Wednesday’s.

The return to arctic weather has local cattlemen out checking on their cows and heifers, braving cold, snow and wind to assist those expectant mothers that need a little help, and making sure that newborn calves get up, get dried off and get introduced to their self-propelled milk dispensers. Cam Gulleson reports that Gulleson Farm & Ranch has approximately 280 pregnant heifers at the home farm east of Rutland, and 500 cows at their cattle handling facilities on Pickel Hill, between Cogswell & Oakes. As of the morning of Tuesday, February 21, they had 10 new calves on the ground, and only 770 to go. According to Cameron, “We have to be out there with the cattle, anyway, and it doesn’t do any good to complain about the weather, so we might as well like it.”

This community was shocked and saddened on the morning of Monday, February 20, when word was received here that lifelong community member Curtis Silseth had passed away that morning. The memorial mass for Curtis Silseth will be 1:00 p.m. Saturday, March 4, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Forman. Rev. Fr. Timothy Schroeder will celebrate the mass. The Price Funeral Chapel of Forman has been entrusted with Curt’s arrangements. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Curt passed away Monday, February 20, 2023 at his farm home in Weber Township, surrounded by his family, at the age of 73. Condolences may be directed to the family in care of Judy Silseth, 9750 134th Ave SE, Havana, ND 58043. There will be more about Curt’s life among us in next week’s edition of The Rooster Crows.

Since the early 1980’s, The Rutland Sportsmen’s Club Great Northern Pike Fish Fry has been held on the first Friday in March. This year is no exception. The 2023 Rutland Sportsmen’s Club’s Great Northern Pike Fish Fry will be held on Friday, March 3, at the Rutland Town Hall. This year, for the first time in the history of the event, there will be no advance ticket sales. Those attending the fish fry are asked to make a generous free will contribution, and the net proceeds will be donated to the Sargent County Food Pantry. Serving is scheduled to commence at 5:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, and to continue until: 9:00 p.m.; all the pike filets are gone; or, all the hungry are fed; whichever comes first.

There’s always something going on in Rutland. The 2^nd Annual Rutland Sportsmen’s Club’s Coyote Hunt was held on Saturday, February 11, with registration of participants beginning at 5:00 on Saturday morning at the Sportsmen’s Club’s Trap & Rifle Range just north of Silver Lake. Fifteen 2 person teams paid the $50 fee to enter the competition and be eligible for a rifle raffle. A total of only 12 coyotes were shot by participants before the 7:00 p.m. check in time, proving that coyotes don’t get up as early as do coyote hunters. 15 teams entered the event, but only 12 coyotes were dispatched. Winners were: First Place and a prize of $375 to the team of Mitch Maley and Tallon Harris of Oakes & Lisbon, respectively, with 5 coyotes weighing in at 140 pounds; Second Place and a prize of $150 to the team of Brent Tabor and Greg Morrison of Fargo for 5 coyotes weighing a total of 127 pounds; the team of Steve Dudahs and an unnamed teammate won the 3rd place prize of $38, and also won the $80 prize in the Biggest coyote contest for a coyote weighing in at 40 pounds; and, Brent Tabor won the smallest coyote contest, and an additional prize of $80, for a 21 pounder. Corbin Carlson of Rutland won the drawing for a .243 Savage bolt action rifle equipped with a Vortex 4X12 Variable telescopic sight. The Sportsmen’s Club’s next field shooting competition, scheduled for May 6, is the 2^nd Annual Gopher Classic. Gophers don’t like snow & cold. They wait until spring to make their appearance.

Karen McLaen Hornseth is looking for memories and information regarding the Christmas Eve Barn services held at the Milton & Danene McLaen farm, now the Kenny & Tanya Hamilton farmstead, from the early 1970’s through the 1990’s. Anything, such as: photos; memories with years attended; which families portrayed Mary, Joseph, & baby ‘Jesus” & which year that may have been; which churches & Pastors were involved, & when; any role you and your family may have played in the presentation, noting the year; and, of course, any news articles or church bulletin notices; would be helpful & appreciated. Karen is willing to pick up, make copies, scan photos or news articles, & return them to the owner. You can email Karen at: ka.joy.h@gmail.com, or text/call Karen at 605.237.4160.

Sargent County’s globe-trotting ambassador of interesting and inexpensive travel, Cayuga native Randy Kiefer, has submitted the following report of his most recent adventure:

“As noted in the subject line, I’m in Zimbabwe, on the African Continent, home of Victoria Falls and where wildlife abounds. But I am getting ahead of myself. As the editor in chief (and in charge) of The Rooster Crows, you are interested in some real red meat. So here goes my friend, for the folks back home:

1. Started in October with a real butt-ripping climbing ride (and you can quote me on that) in Portugal through the border lands with Spain. If there is flat land in that area, after 6 days of riding it was not to be found.
2. That was followed by a month with British friends in the French Pyrenees. Helped with lawn and garden work and felling trees for firewood. And the best part was the absolute peace and quiet of the nights. Best sleeping experience ever.
3. After two months of riding and working it was time for some R&R on the beach in Portugal. Some British friends rented a beach house for a few months, so I joined them. Really not much to add. Seafood aplenty, plus walking the beach and sometime in the water. A rewarding and relaxing experience.
4. Being a beach bum is okay, but not for long periods. So off to Morocco, the land of Casablanca and Rick’s Cafe. Actually I spent most of my time in Marrakesh, city of markets, monkeys and snake charmers. A modern city with an old world flare.
5. Then on to Egypt, a country of antiquities, and they abound. The site of the Great Pyramid and Sphinx is just a subway and a short taxi ride from central Cairo. And my first sight of the Great Pyramid was humbling. The sheer mass is overwhelming, the stature magnificent and to have been built 4000 yrs ago, astounding. After Cairo it was a 4 night cruise up the Nile. Each day included a bus tour to an archeology site or two, each with more detail and feats of engineering prowess than the next.
6. From being archeology overwhelmed in Egypt to being big animal overpowered in Tanzania. Elephants, zebras, lions, giraffes, cape buffaloes, wildebeest, leopards, cheetahs, gazelles, eland, hippocampus and you name it, the Serengeti has it, in spades. And perhaps it would have been better to start with the vastness of it all. Viewing horizons in all directions are grasslands. Most with wildebeest (1.5 million) and zebras (300,000) grazing as far as the eye can see, and of course beyond. It is a magical place in its harmony. Yes the big cats have to eat (and finding a meal doesn’t appear to be an issue). So they whack one, sleep for 18 hours, and repeat. During that 18 hour break the remaining 3,000,000 grazers calmly eat in peace. In short, Mother Nature knows what she’s doing, it is humans that are the real “whackers”.
7. So now Victoria Falls, in a word “stunning”. One of the seven wonders of the natural world. The sheer 355 foot drop may be viewed a short distance across a parallel ridgeline that has its distinct sub-climate, a rain forest. A world of thunderous water, swirling wind, steady mist and colorful rainbows. A world unto itself.
   Okay my learned friend (to use that phrase properly I too am to be an attorney, with due respect I use it to recognize your achievements) cut, paste, edit, or ignore completely it is literally at your fingertips.
   As I am a month or so from returning to Southern California, this is my first and last trip transmission. Next up Botswana and South Africa for more big animals, but likely nothing already in the books. I will visit this summer when we can share some time at the Lariat. Perhaps we can even influence old friend, Kevin Oland, to venture off his estate to participate in the discussion as well. I’m always interested to hear his sardonic comments on world events and the human condition. Hi to brother Art and stay well my friend. R/randy”

Randy has circled the globe from east to west and north to south on a bicycle, and, now in his 74^th year, shows no signs of slowing down. He is a 1967 graduate of Sargent Central High School. Thanks for keeping in touch with the home folks, Randy, and for sharing your adventures with those of us out here on the prairie who are keeping the home fires burning.

Meanwhile, on the international scene, President Joe Biden has been in Ukraine and Poland this past week, lecturing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on the virtues of staying home, and Mr. Putin has been saying that he was forced to invade Ukraine a year ago because America and NATO made him do it. How about that?

Well, that’s the news from Rutland for this week. For additional information about what’s going on in the little city that can, check out the community’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com, and stop by to take a look at the Rutland Facebook page, too. Don’t forget to patronize your local Post Office, and remember to keep the pressure on the U.S. Postal Service and the North Dakota Congressional delegation to SAVE OUR POST OFFICE! Later.