Now that the celebration is ….

Now that the celebration is over I can get back to writing about other stuff. But where do I start? I was in Loyal yesterday to pay a visit to Traci’s and was amazed at all the changes taking place. I guess once the change of seasons starts it will just keep going. I was amazed at just how many trees have turned or begun to change. The woods at the field across 29 and a half-mile away are showing change almost every time I look at it.

It’s best you should pick your favorite fall drive and keep at it as the changes take place. I will admit I get out and drive around a lot. That probably explains the note I found in my room when I got back the other day. I really hadn’t intended to go, but we had a lot of rain the night before and Oak Road just a mile south of me had suffered some washing when the runoff went over the road. The note was from Pastor Dan, and he said he had missed me – “again”. We now have kind of agreed he’ll call ahead before he comes the next time.

The other thing that pleased me while in town was to see the little display the Chamber of Commerce had for Farm Tech Days has been updated to a fall theme. Wouldn’t it be nice if the idea catches on and something more permanent is developed in the spring?

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I was excited to read the last Cumberland Advocate newspaper that came. It had a picture of the Peterson Brothers from Comstock, Ben and John. If you remember they won gold and silver at the Olympics many years ago. Now they had their picture taken again as they were inducted into the World Wrestling Hall of Fame. The picture had been taken at Belgrade, Serbia.

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That was quite a story in the TRG last week about the future of football. Who would ever have thought there might be a discussion about merging the football teams of Greenwood and Loyal? I used to think Loyal gave up trying to beat Greenwood and decided to hire Chris Lindner as our administrator and football coach.

There was that mention of injuries that brought back some memories.

I went to grade school with a fellow named Alonzo Peer. We always called him Big Peer as he had a brother a bit shorter than he whom we called Little Peer.

Anyway after eight years of grade school we also went to high school together for four more years.

Then the Korean War broke out and I ended up going for my army physical. Al just happened to be there for that as well. I passed, but Al didn’t. Football injury they said. Well, the summer of 1951 and 1952 I was in the Army. Al was the pitcher for Cumberland city team and won 16 games each year without a loss. Never did figure that one out.

ÓÓÓÓÓ There is something new on television now besides political ads. It’s called the new fall season. The first change I saw was on Wheel of Fortune. They are now in their 40th year. Can you imagine that Vanna was only 25 when she started? The other change I noticed is that contestants no longer use that little piece of white plastic when they spin the wheel.

The Price is Right is now calling their show the 51st, indicating it is a new show. Reruns weren’t too bad, but Christmas and Valentine shows during the summer just seemed out of line.

From all the new shows being promoted it makes you wonder what happened to all the shows from last year? I guess I never watch many of the night shows. That probably explains why I never watch The Apprentice.

Who is Donald anyway?

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The little extra supplement that came with the TRG, Rural Living, had some stories that kind of prompted my memory a bit. One was the story of the school bus driver. Not the story about her driving the school bus, but the trucking of cattle. I grew up with a livestock truck coming in the yard and hauling cattle to South St. Paul.

There was an incident I wasn’t home for, but remember some of the aftermath. My brother Harold was gored by his bull. He had a habit of letting it run with the herd and never was any problem. Then one morning, as he was letting the cows in for milking, the bull took after him. Luckily it had a ring in its nose and a chain. He was able to get ahold of the chain while he was lying on the ground and wrapped it around the bull’s horns, enough so it couldn’t raise his head anymore. That gave him time to roll under the fence away from the bull.

My Mom said he came to the house without a stitch of clothes on. He was going to get some more clothes and go back to milk. Instead Mom had Dad run to the neighbors and call the ambulance. It would be 19 days before he was released from the hospital. A gash in the side had the doctors concerned.

Two things came out of that. Mom insisted that they have a telephone installed and the bull was shipped to South St. Paul the next week. Mom said when they got ready to load him in the truck they were expecting trouble, but he walked right up the ramp and in the truck.

Our trucker at the time was Walt Strasser. When Jackie was little I used to tease her about her dirty face. I told her if she didn’t keep it clean Walt Strasser would come and get her and haul her to South St. Paul. She told me years later she even shuddered when she would see Walt in church.

I guess I learned a lesson about being careful about things we do or say in front of little kids.