Tag: Rutland General Store

The Rooster Crows – April 4, 2008

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By Bill Anderson

March, the month that was put on the calendar to let people who don’t drink know what a hangover feels like – too depressing to live, too tough to die – departed on Monday, throwing a snowstorm and several inches of wet, sloppy snow our direction as it slammed the door on its way out. April Fool’s Day, Tuesday, April 1, fooled us by pretending it was still March.

The Spring conservation snow goose hunting season has been open since mid-February, but there were no geese here until the last 10 days of March. For the past 2 weeks, millions of the birds have been moving through this area, feeding in last year’s corn and soybean fields and providing some great hunting for those hardy enough to go afield and smart enough to outfox them. The purpose of the conservation season is to reduce the numbers of snow and blue geese to a level that can be sustained by their Summer range in northern Canada, so the usual rules that govern waterfowl hunting during the regular Fall season don’t apply. Hunters may remove the plugs from the magazines on their automatic and pump action shotguns, making 5 shots available before reloading is required, and there is no limit, other than their shooting ability and carrying capacity, to the number of snow and blue geese they are allowed to harvest. They must, however, have a valid North Dakota hunting license to avoid running afoul of the law. It’s not a sure thing, either, as the geese seem to fail to appreciate that all of this shooting is for their own good and continue to outsmart the hunters on many occasions, even if they are birdbrains. Hunters from Minnesota, Iowa and Montana, as well as North Dakota, have landed in Rutland, along with the geese.

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The Rooster Crows – March 28, 2008

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By Bill Anderson

Richard Bradbury of this community was a patient, or rather an impatient, at Innovis Hospital in Fargo for the past week and a half, recuperating from the effects of influenza, pneumonia and what may have been a heart attack. Brad reports that he was not feeling well, and his neighbor, Larry Christensen, drove him up to the hospital in Lisbon on the afternoon of Sunday, March 16. About 2:00 a.m. on Monday, the Lisbon Hospital transferred him up to Innovis by ambulance, where he woke up on Wednesday afternoon. The staff at Innovis sent him home on the evening of Tuesday, March 25, with medication, therapy instructions and orders to return in a few weeks for more tests. Brad retired last October, after 34 years at the helm of The Teller, and has been resting up for the beginning of the 2008 golfing season since then. His recent illness now requires that he rest more intensively, a tough job but he’s working at it.

Spring arrived at 12:05 a.m. on Thursday, March 20, and 18 hours later more than 6 inches of wet, heavy snow blanketed the area, indicating that Winter is not done with us, yet. The month of March came in on a pogo stick, bouncing from Winter to Spring and back again on a daily basis, and it looks as if it will go out that way, too. It appears that the only way we will get rid of Old Man Winter is by trickery, and with April Fool’s Day coming up next week, we might have a chance.

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The Rooster Crows – March 21, 2008

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By Bill Anderson

Temperatures ranging from the upper 40’s on Thursday, March 13, to 52 on Friday, down to 27 on Saturday, back up to 43 on Sunday, up to 52 on Tuesday and no snow on any day that it was predicted. As of Sunday, March 16, most of the snow in Rutland was gone, revealing a display of brown lawns decorated with bones, tree branches and beer cans that must have come down with the snow, because they sure weren’t there when the first snowfall covered things up back on December 1. Spring fever is in the air, evidenced by the fact that both the Canada geese and local farmers have been observed circling fields looking for a likely spot to land and begin production for the 2008 season.It was all quiet at Alley Cuts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday last week, as both Lori McLaen and Jen Christianson were in New York City –Yes, that’s right, NEW YORK CITY!- picking up information on the newest hair styling fashions and the latest beauty tips to bring back to their clients here. Folks who happened to be watching the NBC-TV show on Friday morning noticed Lori & Jen holding up a large banner reading “Good Luck Queen Candidates, Rutland ND”, during one of Al Roker’s weather reports outside Rockefeller Center on Manhattan. Lori and Jen returned home on the evening of Monday, March 17, and were back at work at Alley Cuts on Tuesday morning. They report that, despite its reputation for fashion leadership, they did not find many new or interesting hair styles among the ladies of the city that never sleeps. They did, however, enjoy a large number of sights and experiences, including: the Statue of Liberty; Ellis Island; a Broadway musical, “Chorus Line”; the Staten Island Ferry; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; fine dining at some excellent restaurants; and, many others. The 2 country girls stayed with a friend of Jens who put them on the subway on their first morning there, gave them instructions on where to get off, and told them to walk back home to experience the city. They walked through Chinatown and Little Italy, where no one spoke English, and window shopped along 5th Avenue. They had a great time, Lori reports, but they were glad to get home. New York, with its crowds, fast pace, constant activity and the sights, sounds and smells that go with a huge metropolis, is a great place to visit but they wouldn’t want to live there. Welcome home, Lori & Jen.

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The Rooster Crows – February 22, 2008

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By Bill Anderson

Well, the weather roller coaster ride continues. Thirty-five above on Saturday, February 16 was only a teaser, as the mercury then commenced a slide that hit 25 below zero by Wednesday morning. On the bright side, a brisk breeze accompanied the falling temperatures, bringing in a continuous supply of crisp, fresh air. The record cold temperature for February 20 of 30 below zero was set back in 1889, the year of North Dakota’s Statehood.

Was it romance, or was it just the aroma of delicious food, that was in the air in Rutland on the evening of February 14, St. Valentines Day? According to Gretchen Vann, 53 diners enjoyed a special St. Valentines Day 5 course steak and lobster dinner at the Rutland General Store, and more than 100 enjoyed steak and torsk at the Lariat Bar. The dinner at the General Store featured a crab cake appetizer; potato Parmesan soup; Caesar salad; the entrée of grilled steak, lobster tail and baked potato; and, lemon dessert. The Store’s regular once-a-month Sunday brunch will be served this Sunday, February 24, at the Store. A special Easter Sunday Brunch will be served by the Rutland General Store and the Rutland-Cayuga Volunteer Firemen on Sunday, March 23, in the Rutland Town Hall, and advance tickets for that event are available from local firemen and at the Store. Ms. Vann also states that another special gourmet dinner with an “April In Paris” theme is being planned for the month of April.

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The Rooster Crows-February 1, 2008

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By Bill Anderson

Both the weather and the stock market were on a roller coaster last week, starting out in a nose dive, then reversing to head upward like a skyrocket. The second January thaw of 2008 saw the mercury hit 40 in Rutland on Saturday, January 26, and hit the 45 mark on both Sunday and Monday before the bottom dropped out, again, sending the temperature plunging 57 degrees, to 12 below by Tuesday morning. A 30 mph wind, gusting to 40 mph, assured a bountiful supply of brisk, fresh air and wind chills to 50 below. By Wednesday morning, the mercury stood at 20 below zero, with the good news being that the wind had let up. A heat wave of 20-degrees above is predicted for Ground Hog’s Day, February 2, this weekend, and all, including the Ground Hog, will be glad to see it.

News was received here on Saturday, January 26, that Brad Brummond, husband of Rutland native Susan (Kulzer) Brummond, had passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly, at the couple’s home in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was 60 years old at the time of his death. Relatives from this community plan to depart Rutland on Friday to attend the funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday, February 2, in Colorado Springs. The Rutland community extends its sympathy to the Brummond and Kulzer families.

Another individual who was once a familiar figure on the streets of Rutland, Alice Barbknecht, departed this life on Thursday, January 24, at the Four Seasons Healthcare Center in Forman. She was 91 years old at the time of her death. Alice made her home in the Rutland and Havana communities for most of her life. She and her husband, George, resided on their farm in Weber Township, where they raised two daughters, Janice & Gail. George died in a traffic accident on Highway #32 back in the mid-1960’s. Alice will be remembered as a plain speaking, sometimes outspoken, observer of the human condition who was not bashful about sharing her sometimes colorful opinions with anyone within earshot. Throughout her life she was a good person who tried to help those who needed help, a truly unique character and source of local historical information whose presence will be missed. The funeral service is scheduled for Thursday, January 31, at the Price Funeral Chapel in Forman. The Rutland community extends its condolences to the Barbknecht family.

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The Rooster Crows – January 25, 2008

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By Bill Anderson

The stock market was about all that was dropping faster than the temperature this past week. The mercury bottomed out at 20 below on the mornings of Saturday and Sunday, January 19 & 20, but the stock market is still in free-fall with no bottom in sight. When it finally does hit bottom, the impact is likely to send shock waves around the world. The only thing colder than the weather this past week was the reception given to the President’s so-called economic stimulus program, seen as too little, too late and off target, unless you happen to be a major corporation or one of the super-rich, in which case it’s only seen as too little and too late.

Janice Christensen timed it just right this year, as she departed Rutland on Thursday, January 17, bound for Honolulu and a cruise in the Hawaiian Islands just in time to miss the coldest weather of the Winter, so far. Janice was accompanied on the trip by her niece, Janelle Brakke of Fargo. They are scheduled to return to reality on Sunday, January 27. Brad Christensen has been running the shop at the Lariat Bar during Janice’s vacation holiday.

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