The Crow's Nest
I woke up this morning to the most unusual sight----the sun! We have had cloudy, rainy weather for the last 2 weeks. It has been mostly a “nuisance” for us, but just east of us along the Red River there has been flooding of the planted fields. Our summer was starting to feel like last summer---cold, rainy and not much fun! I do have to give the rainy weather credit for making the landscape so lush and green. It really is beautiful.
With the sunshine comes the sound of lawnmowers. I go outside and all I hear is the humming of those mowers making every yard in Edinburg look so manicured. Unless you live in this climate it is hard to understand the joy we have being able to be outside and embrace the sights, sounds and smells of summer. Now, if we could only get rid of those pesky mosquitoes! (Edinburg is being sprayed tonight.)
The City and the Business Club are actively working to make Edinburg an even more attractive place to visit. The city is working on building restroom facilities in the city park. The Business Club is in the very early stages of working with the city to get new street nights on Main Street. We are looking at old-fashioned lights where we can hang flags, banners, flowers etc.. It is an expensive project, but it is one that will truly enhance our Main Street. Visitors so often come to Edinburg and tell us what a beautiful little town this is. The Edinburg General Store has become a destination place so it is important that those coming see a community with pride in their town. The planters are full of geraniums and petunias. We have a sign-up sheet in the Community Center so everyone has the opportunity to help water the plants.
The Troftgruben family is having a reunion the first part of July. They expect over 300 people to attend! Edinburg will be overflowing with visitors. What fun that will be. They are planning a Sunday Church Service at Odalen church among many other activities for all the Troftgrubens.
Some of us who “grew up” in Odalen met a couple of weeks ago. It has been decided to “close off” the basement. There is mold and for health purposes that option is best. Odalen is used once a year on Memorial Day. The program will still be held there, but we just won’t be able to use the basement. It was decided we would sell the plates and cups as mementos of Odalen. They have OLA (Odalen Ladies Aid) imprinted on every plate and cup. We are asking a donation of $10 per plate and $5 per cup. There is upkeep to the church so monies earned from the dishes would go towards that.
We keep busy mowing out at “the farm”. Lots of lawn to cover, but that is coming to an end very, very soon. We have sold the farmstead to Andy Berntson. He is at least a 4th generation farmer in this area. We are very pleased he will be living there. Every time I go out to mow nostalgia hits me with a real whammy. Memories just flood through me remembering 60 plus years of that being my “home-base”. I think one of my fondest memories is the summer after our house burnt to the ground February 1948. I remember my days spent in the cook-car listening to “Ma Perkins” and my nights spent in a renovated grain bin. I imagine it was rather crude accommodations, but to me that summer was the joy of my life. I felt like I was a pioneer and camping out. I guess it is good at that age I really did not understand the harsh reality of our house burning and then trying to build again when supplies were hard to come by. I used to ring “ANKER” (Anne Christine Haug) on the phone---2 long, 2 short----and have her meet me at the mail box so I could go over to her place. One of my funniest memories of that summer was my cousin, Keith Sorbo and Myron Gestson chewing Copenhagen and getting SO SICK!! Keith had to climb an outdoor stepladder to get to his bed. It wasn’t an easy task when he felt so yucky. Life changes but memories are forever. Have a good day and will talk with you later. Hi Lisa in Minot, and thanks for being a faithful reader of the “Crow’s Nest”.
