Another New Year
January 22nd, 2010I hope your New Year has been off to a great start. Thank goodness it’s finally began to “warm up” to the balmy 20’s and 30’s. I still find myself laughing when I see people in shorts at these temps. I have lived in Minnesota since I was nine months old and I am still not totally used to the cold. But I would not want to live anywhere else!
We were in Florida last week, helping my hubby’s parents. Daddy is doing well after the stroke last year. He is up and about, doing gardening and surfing the Internet. He does have limitations, but it is to be expected.
Wow, we certainly picked a banner week to go there! One would think you could pack some shorts or sundresses, but we packed sweaters and wore our coats. We landed in Florida to enjoy the tropical breezes that took us to a fabulous 25 degree temp at night. And, it rarely got into the 50’s during the day while we were there. Poor Mickey!!!
Cold in Minnesota is a good thing; we have great snow and welcome all you snowmobilers to hit the many trails in our lovely area. A long cold snap can make for a wonderful trip across the lakes or make for a scenic walk on the creek. Patrice Winfield, a Duxbury resident, took her doggies for a walk on the Tamarack River this past weekend and saw many tracks of wildlife. Coyote, turkey, raccoon and wolf abound in this piece of heaven. She did give me quite a giggle as she mentioned that she fell through the ice at the edge of the river. Luckily, it was just one leg and was not deep. She said it did make for a cold walk home!
Our fire department continues to train; ensuring your lives and property will be taken care of if the need should arise. Last week’s winter training was at night. According to the Duxbury Fire Chief McCullen, they drilled holes in the ice to fill up their pumper truck. Having this dedicated group of caring people makes me sleep much better at night.
Mike and Shawn McCullen were in Chicago a couple weekends ago for a Sports Show where they were showing their wares from Fudally Tackle. Mike said they enjoyed their trip and always look forward to chances to enjoy the “culinary faire” of the town they visit. “Some people go bar hopping, but they go restaurant hopping!” Can you say YUMMY?
Pat and Ron McCullen had a welcome visit from Roz Hannula from Annandale for the week. Her husband Brad passed away before Christmas from health complications. Together they were a staple in this area. Brad helped to wire the Wilma Town Hall and was always available. If you needed help, he was there. Roz worked at the Duxbury Store for over ten years and would still come up during hunting season to help them out during that very busy time. This is yet another testimony to the beauty of our little piece of heaven.
As I sit and enjoy the splendor of nature, my hubby and I have both cried at the terrible aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. We have been following it and seeing both miracles and sad tragedies makes your heart happy and heavy. If you were watching you understand. For several hours a couple days ago, they worked to free an eleven year old girl stuck on thousands of pounds of collapsed rubble. After working for endless hours, watching her suffer, they finally freed her, only to find out that she died a couple hours later, due to lack of medical assistance. This is so hard!!! The people of Haiti need our help. If you can, please contact the Red Cross or other reputable charities and give as much as you can.
Be thankful everyday and pray for Haiti, pray for your neighbors and pray for the world.
Thanks for reading. See you in two weeks.