Hens Do Crow! Jan. 3, 2020

On January 3, 2020May 7, 2020 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster Crows, Rutland HistoryLeave a comment

Rutland native Rev. Ann Hoflen arrived in Rutland on Friday, December 20 to attend the Hoflen Family’s Christmas get-together at the Andrew Hoflen farm in Ransom Township on the next day, Saturday, December 21. Ann reports that since retiring from her long-time ministry at Paw Paw, IL she has moved to Roseville MN, near St. Paul, and has been doing some traveling. Earlier this year she accompanied her brother, Robert Hoflen of Rutland, and sister, Allison (Hoflen) Glarum, of Fargo, on a tour of the British Isles that included some stops in Scotland to visit the ancestral home of the McPhail clan, the land of Ann’s maternal grandmother, and also to make a couple of stops at some world famous distillers of scotch whiskey. Ann states that she did not taste any of it, nor did she buy any of it to bring home, but she cannot say the same for Rob. She states that she is enjoying her new home at Roseville, and that, for the time being at least, she is enjoying just sitting back with her feet up and letting others worry about the fate of the World. Ann departed Rutland for Roseville on the afternoon of Monday, December 23.

Nobody is quite sure when the practice of Christmas Caroling, groups of singers going door to door to entertain friends and neighbors with songs associated with the Christmas season, began, but the earliest mention of it in England comes from documents written back in 1426, during the reign of King Henry VI, nearly 600 years ago. On the evening of Monday, December 23,a group of singers armed with beautiful voices carried on the ancient tradition in Rutland by going door to door with the gift of music, spreading the spirit of Christmas throughout the community. The Christmas Carolers were: Hilary Mehrer; Shannon Mehrer; Thomas Mehrer; Jacob Mehrer; Chuck Anderson; Mary Beth Anderson; Pam Maloney; Taryn Jensen; Cohen Jensen; Megan Means; Kaci Millette; Cora Millette; Cruise Millette; Kathy Wyum; Phyllis Wyum; Pat Renner; Vicki Renner; Kyla Temple; Morgan Temple; and, Marlee Nebben. The Rutland community extends its thanks to the Carolers for sharing the gift of music with all during the Christmas season.

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The Rooster Crows – October 4, 2019

On October 4, 2019 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

“Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head” has been Rutland’s theme song throughout September. The approximately 2.4 inches that fell on Sunday evening and Monday morning, September 29 & 30, brought the total for the month to well over 8 inches. Paul Anderson reports that his electronic rain gauge has recorded more than 26 inches of precipitation since January 1, with three months remaining until 2020 wades in. County Commissioner Richard Ruch reports that his farm west of Brampton received more than 3 inches of rain from the Sunday evening-Monday morning downpour that turned the entire area west of Brampton into a lake. It’s a good thing that Richard’s farm was too wet to plant this past Spring, as it would surely be too wet to harvest anything this Fall.

Travelers, as travelers will do, have been arriving in and departing from Rutland lately. On Friday, September 20, Chuck & Mary Beth Anderson arrived back home at their Weber Township farm after a 6 week journey that took them through the northeastern portion of the country. The Andersons took the northern route, skirting the southern boundary of Canada. They towed their 5^th wheel travel trailer across the Mackinac Bridge and just kept on heading east until they reached the Atlantic Ocean. They stopped for a couple of days in Rutland, Vermont, where Chuck wore his Uff-Da Day T-shirt that has the question “Where’s The Lefse?” emblazoned across its front. Chuck said that a couple of ladies asked “What’s lefse?” and they got an invitation to Uff-Da Day in Rutland on Sunday, October 6, where they could enjoy some. The Anderson’s brought back some Rutland VT bumper stickers which they were distributing to friends last week. Dick Meyers stated that the “VT” stands for “Very Thankful,” which is what he is whenever he is in Rutland. Chuck reports that, with Mary Beth navigating and Chuck doing the driving, they by-passed the huge metropolitan areas of Boston and New York City, but still managed to see plenty. One of the highlights of the trip was a stop at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown NY. North Dakota native Roger Maris, who hit 61 in ’61 to break Babe Ruth’s single season home run record, is still not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Chuck said that he did not see any mention of the Rutland Roosters, either, but it is understood that folks back east are kind of intimidated by the character and competence of individuals like Maris, and teams like the Roosters of old. For the Andersons, though, the biggest highlight of the trip was arriving back at their own home on the prairies of North Dakota.

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Welcome to the Windy City

On March 26, 2012 By rutlandramblingsIn Life In General, NatureLeave a comment

We may not be in Chicago but Rutland sure can give that city some competition. The winds are blowing across the plains today and gusting heavily to who knows how fast (45 mph was predicted). I know it is extremely windy when the corn chaff blows off the field and piles up around the shelter belt; when the cats outdoor ‘kennel’ tucked by the house surrounded by a shrub, steps and a large storage container blows 100+ yards away and is in pieces in the shelter belt to the North and other parts headed South; when kids toys and trucks, once stacked neatly under the play set, are out to the road; and when the basketball hoop, with a base heavily loaded with sand and rocks, rolls down the driveway (one that takes two+ people to move from its place). Thankfully, this windy March day, is void of snow or no one would be venturing out.

“Owl: This is just a mild spring zephyr compared to the big wind of ’67. Or was it, uh, ’76? Oh, well, no matter. Oh, I remember the big blow well.” Winnie the Pooh and The Blustery Day. 1968.