By Bill Anderson
Three weeks ago, the high temperatures were in the 80’s & 90’s. Last week, the temperatures were in the 70’s & 80’s. Forecasters are predicting daily high temperatures in the 60’s for next week. The endless Summer is coming to an end. According to the Sun, the Autumnal Equinox, the beginning of Autumn, occurred on Thursday, September 22. Spring, the Vernal Equinox, won’t be back until Monday, March 20. Between now and then keep your parka, snowshovel and overshoes handy.
Mourning doves, mud hens and other early migrating birds are flocking up, getting ready for the long migration that will take some of them as far as South America, and none of them have emigration, or immigration, visas, either. Although mud hens, also known as coots, are birds that migrate, no one ever sees them migrating on the wing, so it is assumed that a bus picks them up in the dark of night and drops them off, at their winter roost near the Gulf of Mexico, a couple of days later. Well, however they do it, they manage to get it done, making the trip down and back every Fall and every Spring, as they have been doing every year for thousands of years. If they were fleeing oppression and looking for work, the Governors of Florida and Texas might furnish a bus or an airplane to send them to Martha’s Vineyard, a vacation isle off the coast of Massachusetts. And some folks think that mud hens aren’t very smart!
Dick Meyers, one of Rutland’s favorite snowbirds, has informed friends here that he will be commencing his Fall migration to sun City AZ sometime during the next week, pending a conference with “The Committee,” composed of his daughters: Pam; Paula; and, Patty; and his son, Wayne. The Committee is an advisory group that listens up when Dick advises its members what he intends to do. As in the past several years, Dick has been making his Summer home at Lori McLaen’s “Bunkhouse” on Main Street, just south of the Stock Growers Bank’s Rutland station. He participated in the “Senior’s Golf Tour again this past year, and concluded the tour with last weekend’s two-day tournament at the Forman Golf Course. He complimented Kim, the golf course manager and operator of The Hole-in-One bar & grill at the golf course, on her excellent cooking and service. Seventy-two years ago, back in the Summer and Fall of 1950, Dick was in training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego CA, and preparing to be sent to the fight then going on in Korea. He arrived in Korea in December of 1950, confronted the Chinese Army as a machine gunner in the 7th Marine Regiment and fought them to a standstill. No winter fighting for Dick this year, though. He intends to be playing golf in sunny Arizona. Dick’s many friends here are looking forward to welcoming him home next Spring, just before Memorial Day. Have a great Winter, Dick! See you next Spring!
When Autumn arrives the annual influenza season can’t be far behind. The Sargent County Health Department will be administering flu shots at the Rutland Seniors’ Center from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28. The new Covid-19 booster shots are still in short supply, so they will be available only at the County Health Department’s office on Main Street in Forman until a larger supply is available. Covid vaccinations are scheduled to be administered on Friday, September 23 and on Wednesday, October 5, at the Health Department’s office on Main Street in Forman. Call 724-3975 and speak with Diane, Brenda, Briana or Kelsey to make an appointment for the covid-19 booster shot. In the meantime, get your flu shot when the Health Department’s Traveling Clinic is at a location near you, or you are near it.
Preparations for Uff-Da Day XXXVII are proceeding, full speed ahead. The following progress report was received from Rutland community Club President Katie McLaen on Tuesday, September 20: “3,038 is the total number of lefse produced by Lefse Lena and her Lefse Crew. We just finished at 8pm tonight (Tuesday, September 20) so that is the final count. Sandbakkle making is on Friday, September 23. Krumkake making will be on Monday, September 27. We are ready to rock!” Uff-Da Day XXXVII will be on Sunday, October 2. Everyone is invited, and everyone is welcome. Don’t miss it.
Rutland has three new residents. Ms. Tyler Weatherby and her two children, ages 2 & 4, are now making their home at 215 Cooper Street with Tyler’s sister and brother-in-law. They recently moved to Rutland from Frankfort MO. Ms. Weatherby was introduced to lefse making on the evening of Tuesday, September 20. The Rutland community extends a hearty “Welcome” to the Weatherbys.
Rutland’s Maintenance Specialist, Scott Haan, is reminding Rutland residents that the Fall Community clean up is scheduled for Saturday, September 24. A big roll off dumpster will be available, as well as trailers for appliances, electronics, tires and scrap iron. There will be a flat fee charged for the disposal of all items. According to Scott, the gate at the City’s Inert Landfill will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 24. The City looks pretty good right now, but this is a great opportunity to get rid of that junk, stuff and debris that has been accumulating in the backyard, basement, garage and street gutter all Summer. Let’s clean out, clean up and keep Rutland looking good!
The 2022 soybean harvest has begun. Jerry & Andrew Woytassek were harvesting beans just north of Havana at the beginning of this week. No reports of yield or quality have been received, but local farmers and local bankers are both relieved that their annual payday is near at hand.
Rutland’s official sidewalk superintendent crew has observed that Rodney Erickson has created a prodigious mound of earth next to his house remodeling project on North 2nd Street, and that he has parked a large track-hoe on top of the mound. Rodney has not yet disclosed his intentions, but, we have learned from past observation that, whatever his intentions may be, when he is done, his project will be a success, and worth the effort. You have to watch quick when Rodney is working on a project, or you will miss the end.
Jim Lunneborg and Kim Rasmussen stopped in at the Rutland Seniors’ Center for coffee & conversation on the morning of Wednesday, September 21, the last day of Summer. Jim has missed most of the sessions with The Assembled Wise Men at The Round Table since the beginning of 2020, first, because of the covid-19 pandemic, and second, due to a medical condition that temporarily impaired his immune system. He’s doing well now, though, and decided to stop in to get caught up on what he had missed. According to Jim, “It’s a lot like the soap opera, ‘Days Of Our Lives,’ You can miss every episode for more than 2 years, and when you come back to it again you haven’t missed a thing.” Consistency can be a comfort. During Wednesday’s session with the Assembled Wise Men, someone mentioned an individual who had once been a Round Table regular, the late Jack Brummond of Havana. Jack had a reputation as a frugal, some might say “miserly” individual who could squeeze a penny until it said “Ouch!” He enjoyed this reputation, and played it to the hilt, even though he had made a lot of money and inherited a lot of money, and was one of the wealthiest men in the community. Kim recalled that he had been at the Farmers’ Inn Café in Havana having breakfast one morning after an all night poker game. Paul Bergh and a couple of other regulars were also at the table with Kim. Jack Brummond stopped by their table and asked Kim if he had enjoyed any luck at the poker table the night before. Kim replied that Lady Luck had been good to him at the poker table. Jack, playing the role, held out his cap and shook it, like a panhandler looking for a handout. Kim decided to call Jack’s bluff, took out his wallet, found a $50 bill and tossed it into Jack’s cap. Jack took the $50 out of his cap, stuck it in his pants pocket, put on his cap and walked out the door. Everyone was silent. Jack did not come back in. After a while Kim asked, “What just happened here?” Paul Bergh responded with, “Two fools just met.” “No,” said Kim, “it was only one, me! And right now that fool is $50 short.” Kim said that he had to hotfoot it home to explain the situation to his wife, before the local grapevine got the story to her first. As the years have gone by, Kim has decided that giving that $50 bill to Jack was a good deal. “I get more than $50 worth of enjoyment out of it every time I tell that story,” he says. So, Jack was not really a tightwad. He was just spreading laughter, one of his duties as “The Sage Of Weber Township.”
If you’re looking for a good job, and are willing to be remembered as one of those unique characters in Rutland’s history, get in contact with Paul Anderson; Rob Wyum; Katie McLaen; Mike Wyum; or, Patty Woytassek; and submit an application for the position of Manager of The Lariat Bar. Opportunity is knocking, but, to obtain the benefits, you have to answer the door.
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 take a look at the Rutland Facebook page while you’re at it, too. Remember to patronize your local Post Office, and don’t forget to keep the pressure on the U. S. Postal Service and the North Dakota Congressional delegation to SAVE OUR POST OFFICE! Later.
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