The Rooster Crows – May 19, 2023

On May 19, 2023May 19, 2023 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Last week’s thunder, lightning and rain knocked out most of the remaining frost pockets and settled the soil for Spring planting. Here in Rutland, the combined rainfall total from the Friday afternoon downpour and Saturday’s day long drizzle amounted to .7 of an inch but other areas of Sargent County were drenched with considerably more precipitation. Mark Bopp, who farms northeast of Cogswell, reports 2.5” of total precipitation from the Friday-Saturday double whammy. Sunshine, temperatures in the 70’s & 80’s, and light winds from Sunday through Wednesday, May 14-17, helped to get fields in shape to hold machinery, but more rain is being predicted for Thursday & Friday of this week.

Despite the gray, hazy appearance of the sky, and the reddish-orange appearance of the Sun at daybreak, local weather experts have been telling us that there are no clouds and that the sky is perfectly clear. So, what’s going on. Is this the new, “artificial intelligence,” technology at work, telling us to believe what they say, not what we see? Well, not exactly. The gray, hazy appearance of the sky is actually the result of an old-fashioned natural process, wildfires burning in the Canadian Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, producing smoke that is carried across North America by upper-level air currents. The smoke is so high, the experts say, that we can’t smell it right now, but an approaching cold front is expected to bring the smoke down to Earth to torment creatures, including us, here below. So, that’s the weather story for North Dakota. Always something to look forward to.

Mark Wyum, who is helping his son, Rob, get the 2023 crop planted, reports that the hilltops are in good shape, but the slough edges and low spots are marginal, at best. Rob is planting some spring wheat this year, the first wheat in the Wyum Farm’s crop rotation in 30 years, just to see how it goes. He expects to have his planned total of 600 acres planted to wheat before day’s end on “Syttende Mai,” May 17. Other crews were just getting started on corn and beans, and hope to be hitting it hard by next week.

It is finally Spring, and that means that it’s also time for the Rutland Cemetery Association’s annual meeting. Association President Roger Pearson had scheduled the meeting to be held at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, in the Community Room of Stock Growers Bank’s Rutland Station. The meeting was called to order by Vice-President Paul Anderson. The big items of business were: approval of a budget for normal 2023 operating expenses; approval of the appropriation of approximately $7,000 from the Perpetual Care Fund for straightening and repairing a number of larger tombstones in the cemetery; and, election of a new Director to replace Norbert Kulzer on the Cemetery Association’s Board. Norbert said that, by his estimate, he had been a member of the board for at least the past 152 years, but Secretary Casee Carlson said that she could only find records to indicate that Norbert had been serving as a board member since the early 1980’s. Jerry Woytassek was elected to the board for a 4-year term. Members of the Rutland Cemetery Association Board are now: Roger Pearson; Paul Anderson; Casee Carlson; Chuck Sundlie; and Jerry Woytassek. Greg Donaldson serves as the Cemetery’s Sexton. The next meeting of the Rutland Cemetery Association’s membership is tentatively scheduled for the 2^nd Wednesday in May 2024. The members of the Association expressed their congratulations and thanks to Norbert Kulzer for his 4, or 15 decades of faithful service on the Cemetery Board.

Continue reading →

The Rooster Crows – May 21, 2021

On May 21, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

It was a million-dollar rain that fell on the evening of Thursday, May13 & the morning of Friday, May 14, less adjustments for interest, inflation, carrying costs and additional charges. The grumble of thunder and the angry flashes of lightning that preceded the rain belied its gentle nature. Greg Donaldson reported .6” of precipitation in his rain gauge on the east side of town, while Andrew & Katie Woytassek gauge situated a quarter of a mile further east showed .5” on Friday morning. Other readings included: .75” in Mahrer Construction’s gauge on the north side of town; .6 at Jesse Brakke’s farmstead between Rutland & Cayuga; .6” at the Joe & Patty Breker farm in Tewaukon Township; and 1 full inch at Rick Bosse’s farm near Brampton. The rain was enthusiastically welcomed by local farmers in the process of getting the 2021 crop planted. “We had about 3 days of planting left to do,” said Jerry Woytassek on Friday evening, “but I’ll take the rain when it comes, and be happy about it, too!” Obviously, this rain will not make the 2021 crop, but it will help give it a good start. There are many travails to endure and worries to bear before the grain is in the bin, the cash is in the sock and the checks are in the bank. Until then, let it rain!

Rutland native Dan Narum stopped in at The Lariat Bar on the evening of Wednesday, May 12 for a meeting with his cousin, Trent Nelson, and to get together with old friends for some visiting in the old hometown. Dan currently serves as the Presiding Judge of North Dakota’s Southeast Judicial District. Dan said that the covid-19 pandemic made it difficult to maintain court schedules during the past year, but with remote hearings made possible by electronic technology, court services were able to be kept up throughout the North Dakota Judicial System. Dan also reports that he has once again been sharpening a skill he learned from his Dad, the Late Dennis Narum, back when he was growing up in Rutland. He has acquired 3 registered quarter-horse colts and has been training them on the acreage at his home in Lamoure ND. The colts are registered descendants of the famous Doc Bar bloodline, Dan said, and the American Quarter Horse Association exhibited its sense of humor by assigning the name “Hanging Judge Bar” to one of his colts, the one that Dan calls “Little Tex.” Dan said that he, Caroline and their 2 children, Asher, and Ellery, are all doing well, and he extended greetings to all of his old friends from Rutland.

May birthdays honored at the Rutland Seniors Center on Monday, May 10, included: Janice Christensen; Roger Pearson; Rick Bosse; and Mike Kulzer. All are over 21 years of age. Those present were treated to a big slice of birthday cake baked and decorated by Ione Pherson, and to a rousing chorus of “the Happy Birthday,” song. So, Happy Birthday to all, and many more!

Continue reading →

The Rooster Crows – Feb. 26, 2021

On February 26, 2021March 8, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

The Sun always shines on Rutland, even when it’s raining, or snowing, too. The weather gods gave up on hard-core winter weather this past week. From Monday, February 15, to Monday, February 22, the mercury climbed more than 70 degrees. The high on the 22^nd was still only 47 degrees above, but it felt nearly tropical after the below zero siege of the previous week. The thermometer reading had slid below the freezing mark on Tuesday, January 19, with the below zero stuff clobbering us from Feb. 9^th to the 16^th, and didn’t get back above freezing until Saturday, February 20. It wasn’t a record, but it was beginning to feel like one. The nice thing about winter is that, like hitting your thumb with a hammer, it feels so good when it stops. Don’t worry, though, it’s not over, yet. Like the 45^th President of the United States, until it’s melted down into a puddle in the middle of the street, it’ll be back!

The recent spell of very cold weather thickened the ice on local bodies of water, allowing more anglers to get out on the ice to go fishing. Mark Breker of this community reports that he has been fishing recently, and has caught some fish, but, in adherence to the Fisherman’s Code, he is unable to reveal when he was fishing, where he was fishing and what kind of fish he has been catching. If you want to find out, watch for Mark’s Snowbear out on the ice somewhere within 20 miles of Rutland.

Meanwhile, in the Lone Star State, where everything is bigger than life, including winter storms, excuses, lies and cringing politicians, it took a small group of North Dakotans to give Texans an example of how to behave in a disaster. Once the power, heat and water had been restored to the winter home of Rutland native Judie Seavert and her husband, Steve Grohs, they reached out to others who were not so fortunate and provided a warm respite from the ice, snow and cold, complete with Judie’s home cooking, to other Sargent County folks, including: Mike & Cheryl Zirnhelt; Harris & Carol Hoistad; and Bill & Denise Huckell. While the Governor of Texas tried to blame others for his failure to prepare his State’s power grid for the disaster, and one of Texas’ U. S. Senators tried to blame his 2 little daughters for his cowardly decision to skedaddle to Mexico when the lights went out in Texas, North Dakotans in Texas did what North Dakotans do, and shared the comfort of their home, the warmth of their friendship and the products of their kitchen with those who were temporarily not so fortunate. Texas may be bigger and better in a lot of ways, but, when it comes to character, compassion and cookin’, North Dakotans take the prize, hands down. Thanks to Judie & Steve, Mike& Cheryl, Harris & Carol and Bill & Denise for being North Dakota’s ambassadors in Texas.

Continue reading →

The Rooster Crows – Feb. 19, 2021

On February 19, 2021March 8, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

Below zero at dawn; Below zero at dusk; It’s getting old; should all be told; we’re tired of this incessant cold. Burma Shave! It’s not a record, but some communities in eastern North Dakota have just experienced 10, or more, consecutive days during which the thermometer has failed to claw its way above the zero mark. In Rutland, the mercury dropped below zero on the evening of Wednesday, February 10, and did not get into positive territory until the afternoon of Tuesday, February 16, and then not by much. The cold weather is not just local, either. Rutland native Judie (Anderson-Seavert) Grohs reported on Monday, February 15, from her winter haven at Port Aransas TX, that the temperature there was at the 21-degree mark and that the entire Texas Gulf Coast community was without electricity and covered in ice. The only folks moving around, Judie said, were the winter refugees from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota, who were the only people down there with the know how to walk or drive on the ice. Judie also reported that the ice had taken down power lines all over Texas, leaving more than a million Texans without electricity. So, spending the winter in North Dakota, where ice, snow, wind and cold are part of the daily winter routine, isn’t all that bad. The residents here prepare for winter, and, as a result, the plumbing isn’t frozen, the electricity works, and central heat keeps folks comfortable. As the late Clayton McLaen of this community often observed, “There are two seasons in North Dakota: winter; and getting ready for winter.” We’re ready! We’re ready to be done with it for a while, too, now that bragging rights have been established. The TV weather gurus are predicting temperatures in the 30’s and 40’s above zero for the upcoming weekend. Bring it on!

Mr. Alex Marcovich of Madison WI and Mr. Joe Diaz of Chicago IL were visitors at the Jesse Brakke residence in Ransom Township last week. The two have been visitors to the Rutland Community several times in the past, most frequently for community events such as Uff-Da Day and Memorial Day, but this year they wanted to experience something different, ice-fishing on the prairie. They arrived on Wednesday, February 10, as the mercury slid below the zero mark, and headed back east on Saturday, February 13, having caught their limit of ice, as well as some nice perch, walleyes, and northern pike. Their best catch of the trip, though, was on the evening of Friday, February 12, when they stopped at The Lariat Bar and ordered the walleye special. Alex had the pan-fried walleye and Joe ordered the deep-fried walleye. They agreed that both were outstanding. Alex is a commercial pilot flying charter flights for SC Airlines of Madison, and Joe is an IT Specialist employed by the Home Chef division of Kroeger Foods in Chicago. Alex was first introduced to Rutland by Jesse’s daughter, Claire, when they were students at UND in Grand Forks. Alex and Joe have been friends since boyhood days in Chicago. Claire, the real fisherman of the bunch, wasn’t able to take time off from her duties as an Occupational Therapist in the Madison area to show the boys how to catch the big ones. Maybe next time. They are hoping to be back in Rutland for Uff-Da Day on the first Sunday in October, if not sooner.

Continue reading →