I did it! I picked ….

I did it! I picked my first dandelion of the season. It wasn’t the first day to be outside, that was yesterday, and was part of an afternoon out for some of the residents. Our special place was right in front of Memory Gardens. It had just been completed the year before Florence came to stay and we spent many afternoons walking out to the gazebo and just enjoying the outdoors.

We also got to see the workmen filling the dumpster with debris from the old east side where I assumed my new home will be this fall.

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Meanwhile, life back in the Rehab section continues, and always a surprise or two. Yesterday I was watching one of the maintenance men putting new mulch around the shrubs and flowers growing next to the building.

I just happened to notice his cap was from the Loyal Corn Festival. I tapped on the window and pointed to the cap. He said, “Is that you Bob?” Then he lifted his jacket so I could see his Northside Elevator shirt.

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Another good event is that Kevin Flink got the press running again and Kris O’Leary fixed whatever was wrong with the mailing and yesterday my TRG was promptly delivered to my room. Just smiles all around from this old guy.

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Earlier this week I ventured out and drove back to Loyal. Actually it is a piece of cake. I don’t even need to go or come back on Highway 29. The overpass, just to the west, is Cardinal Avenue, which takes me down to Oak Road, which then intersects with County Trunk P.

I did see an item where Gov. Evers signed a bill to provide some bridge improvements. It will mean the bridge might be closed for a bit, but shouldn’t be a problem since all the employees here will still have to get to work every day.

That was my first trip back since coming here on April 14. It was nice to see a new home being built in the Bluebird sub-division. Slow but sure and the dream of former mayor Art Olsen will be a reality. A couple of homes with for sale signs now have sold signs on them so things are looking up.

I do anticipate making a few more trips down this summer. One of the items I brought along was a gift certificate for the Schecky’s Snack Shack. I sure wouldn’t want Shelby and Gary to think I just threw my Christmas present away. Today I see the first opening is May 16 at 11 a.m. That might interfere with lunch time, so I will jot it down in my little black book.

Meanwhile if you think I’m making too good to be true, all I can say is, “come and look”.

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I’ve asked this question before and don’t recall ever getting an answer. Doesn’t Wisconsin have two United States Senators? Almost every day I read on Facebook about where Senator Baldwin has been to observe something going on somewhere in the state. I do recall Mr. Johnson saying he only planned to serve two terms. So every day he is out there promoting a third term, is that really lying?

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I mentioned when I came about the lift chair being right below the television. So I’ve made it my reading chair and it seems to be working well. When I was packing to come I kind of sorted through my books thinking I’d take those I’d never read. I have a number of them and they are all about baseball. Mostly Minnesota Twins.

Then a couple I thought were special and figured I might have read them before. Tom Brokaw had written one on the Greatest Generation, which I read and thoroughly enjoyed. I found another Brokaw book in my collection called “The Greatest Generation Speaks”. Apparently I’d never read it as nothing I read in it sounded familiar.

Then I saw one I thought I’d read, but it too doesn’t ring a bell yet. It is one on Richard Bong who grew up in Poplar, Wisconsin, just south of Superior. He was credited with shooting down 50 Japanese planes, then was brought home thinking it was too dangerous over there. He died days before World War II ended when a new plane he was testing crash landed in Arizona.

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It is always interesting to read about something different that a community might try just to help someone out. Such was just something that the community of Cumberland started doing It all started with one businessman coming up with an idea. He called it “50 People Who Care”. The idea was to find 50 people who would contribute $100 every three months to be awarded to any business showing a real need.

Well, that was two years ago when the first $5,000 was awarded. The latest was for $11,000 and the group has grown to over a 100. This couple had just purchased a building in downtown Cumberland and started a coffee shop. Then they discovered the building had a leaky roof and their oven couldn’t keep up with demand for pastries and scones.