By Bill Anderson

The rain that began on Wednesday evening, September 19, and continued throughout Thursday and into the early hours of Friday, September 21, proved once again that while it may rain on the just and the unjust, alike, it does not rain in equal amounts. Neighbors Norbert Kulzer and Roger Pearson report .9 of an inch and .8 of an inch respectively, while a block down the street Paul Anderson’s electronic gauge measured 1.11 inch of precipitation. Jim Lunneborg reported “an even inch” at his farm in Shuman Township, and Mark Wyum’s rain gauge also recorded an inch at his Ransom Township farm. It was raining “pennies from Heaven,” in Havana, though, reports Rutland Bank Station Manager Shawn Klein, as her rain gauge showed 1.4 inch of precipitation on Friday morning. After 3 days of pleasant weather for the weekend, a drizzly rain settled in on Monday and Tuesday, September 24 & 25, bringing harvest activities to a halt, but only leaving ¼ of an inch of precipitation in its wake. The weather forecasters are projecting the first frost of the season for this weekend, and that should get the combines rolling at full speed. Soybean growers have been informed that the $12 Billion Trump Tariff Bail-out fund will pay $1.62 per bushel on ½ of their soybean bushels, or ½ of $1.62 on all of their bushels, whichever makes them feel better. The cost bases for beans in Sargent County is now at $1.75 per bushel, so it won’t come close to making anyone whole, but, as the old-timers would say, “It’s better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.” Can’t argue with that.

Nineteen volunteers, some veterans of the 2018 Uff-Da Day Lefse Campaign along with some new trainees, gathered at the Rutland Town Hall on the morning of Thursday, September 20, and made 1,261 sand cakes for this year’s Uff-Da Day event. Another crew of similar composition worked on Krumkake, those paper-thin cone shaped pastries, on Tuesday, September 25. The following report was obtained from Uff-Da Day Chairperson Marcia Brakke: “… We made 917 krumkake on Tuesday, September 25, in the Town Hall kitchen. Half were packaged for sale in packages of 5 and the rest went into tins to serve at the Scandinavian Dinner at the town hall on Uffda Day. We finished this task in approximately 2 hours, made 11 double batches, and had fun to boot. Takk skal de ha!” There is no report on how many sandkaker and Krumkake had to be taste tested by Quality Control at the time they were made, but it appears that all involved had an enjoyable time, and justifiably so. The schedule for Uff-Da Day XXXIV on Sunday, October 7, is as follows: 8 AM The “Uff-Da Day Classic” 5K Walk/Run commences at the City Maintenance Building on the south end of Main Street, at the corner of First & Cooper; All Day – Rutland Depot Museum and 1 room School House exhibit on Main Street; All Day – antique, classic and downright interesting Car Show on Gay Street; 10 AM Craft Booths at Bank, Rutland Oil Co. building, Erickson Building (the former Ink’s/Bohn’s/Lariat Bar building) and at other locations in the downtown area of metropolitan Rutland; 10 AM Sale of Packaged Lefse, Sandkaker, Krumkake and Uffda Day 2018 T-Shirts at Legion Hall/Rutland Fitness Center on the corner of Gay & Bagley Streets; 11 AM Old Parsonage Antiques & collectibles shop, with Wine Tasting on the Front Porch at 217 First Street; 11 AM “Bounce house” games for kids on Gay Street, across from the Rutland Town Hall; 11 AM Scandinavian treats, Demonstrations & sale, at Senior Center on Main Street, with Live Musical Entertainment; 11 AM Abelskivers, hot from the pan, in front of the Legion Hall/Fitness Center; 11 AM Uffda Tacos at the Rutland Fire Hall on Bagley Street; 11 AM Scandinavian dinner Featuring Rutland Scalloped Potatoes, made with real Hand-cut Ham, real potatoes and real Cream, Scandinavian Delicacies and Live musical Entertainment; 1 PM Uffda Day Parade commencing on Dakota Street, west on Gay Street, north on Ross Street, west on Front Street and south on Main Street; 1:45 PM Nickel Scramble on Main Street, in front of the Depot Museum and the Erickson Building; 2 PM Pedal Pull Challenge on Main Street; 3 PM “Nor-Ski” 1st Annual Competition at the corner of Bagley & Gay Streets. There’s Free Parking all over town; Handicapped Spaces are Available at convenient locations; and there’s an Information Booth on Main Street in case you get lost and need a hug. Come early and stay late! Rutland is the place to be, and Uff-Da Day is the event to see, on Sunday, October 7, 2018.