Just Touching Base

A few hours after getting an automated call from the Sauk Centre Public Schools, I learned that all Minnesota public schools were closing. The Governor said they should. I'm glad that someone showed good sense. It's going to be - brisk.

I've seen a doctor about my left shin: again. The good news is that the two new open spots aren't infected. The bad news is that even when these heal over, I can expect more of the same. It's an incentive to keep my diabetes under control, and lose weight. Lots of incentive.

It's also frustrating: but I've had lots of practice dealing with "frustrating." I think having substandard hip joints helped me learn, from infancy up, to deal with limitations: not quietly, or calmly; but to deal with them.

On a happier note, there was a big family get-together today over at my father-in-law's place. A really big one. I stayed here, partly because I'm just about the exact opposite of a 'party person,' partly because I'm having more than the currently normal trouble with my legs, and partly because I had a post to get ready for tomorrow.

My wife, son, son-in-law, and daughters # 2 and 3 were there. I gather that they had a good time. For that, I am very glad.

Related post:

• "Spilled Coffee, Reality, and a Wind Chill Advisory"
  (December 9, 2013)

Living in Central Minnesota with Central Air

We got central air conditioning installed late last week. My wife set it to keep temperatures inside at 74 degrees Fahrenheit or less. That's a little warmish: but we like seasonal variations, and it's fun to wear summer clothing in summer.

Then came storms, and highs in the 50s. A few minutes ago the heating part of the system kicked in.

I like living in Minnesota: the weather isn't boring.

Related post:

• "Central Air: After Only Three Decades!"
  (May 17, 2013)
• "Sin, Death, Tornadoes, and Getting a Grip"
  A Catholic Citizen in America (May 21, 2013)

More Excitement This Summer

Mhr>Updated 8:17 p.m., August 12, 2010

"Statement as of 8:14 PM CDT on August 12, 2010

"The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a

"* Tornado Warning for---
eastern Stearns County in central Minnesota---
northwestern Sherburne County in central Minnesota---
Benton County in central Minnesota---

"* until 900 PM CDT

"* at 809 PM CDT... radar indicated a storm capable of producing a tornado. The most dangerous part of the storm was near Waite Park--- or over Waite Park--- and moving northeast at 30 mph."
(Sauk Centre, Minnesota, Wunderground.com)

That's almost an hour's drive east by southeast of here. I've got in-laws, nieces & nephews living near there.

I'll say this for Minnesota climate: It's not boring.

---

Updated 7:42 p.m., August 12, 2010

Thunder has merged into a continuous rumble to the west, with occasional crescendos.


Radar, about 7:32 p.m. CDT, August 12, 2010.

---

There's a tornado watch up for my part of Minnesota, effective until 10:00 tonight.

As Wunderground.com passed the message along:

"...At 655 PM CDT--- National Weather Service radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. These storms were located along a line extending from Willmar to Lakeside to Gibbon--- moving northeast at 55 mph...."
(Sauk Centre, Minnesota, Wunderground.com)

Based on what I've seen on radar, a really heavy part of this storm should reach Sauk Centre in about a half hour.

I've lived either here in Sauk Center or in the Red River Valley of the North for the bulk of my life - and we've got a lot more information to work with now, than back in the "good old days."

I took a few photos, to show what I mean:


That's where I work - and, now, monitor the storm. About 6:40 p.m., August 12, 2010.


Even without the watch and warning, I'd have figured that something was going on. Those clouds promise - interesting - weather. About 6:41 p.m., August 12, 2010.


Radar, with the bow-shaped line that's typical of strong storms. The system is headed northeast. About 6:44 p.m., August 12, 2010.

I'm posting this, and then getting back to keeping one eye on the storm, and the other on the writing I'd normally be doing this evening.

Related post:

• "Tree Removal: We've Had Enough Excitement This Summer"
  (August 4, 2010)

Another Dim Spring Day

Make no mistake: We can use the rain here in Minnesota.

But the dull overcast, and wondering if I should turn on a light, here by a window, is - dreary, I suppose.

We had fog last night - and it seems to have moved into my head. I've got 'creative' tasks to get done, and no clue what to do about them.

Time for some concentration, and maybe coffee.

Rain, Snow, and Thunder: Springtime in Minnesota

Thunder, in the late morning. Rain. Snow on the ground: maybe a foot deep outside the window.

It's springtime in Minnesota.

Snow's melted off part of the yard, across the street. My desk's on the north side of the house, so the yard outside is in the shade. We'll probably have a small drift of snow there, when the neighbors mow their lawn for the first time this year.

Another Sunday Done

#1 daughter's gone back to Alexandria. She visited family friends - and their baby rabbits - late this afternoon, after spending the weekend here.

I've read Garfield and sung with my son: a pleasant routine.

And, the New Orleans Saints are going to the Super Bowl: Which is quite a big deal. It's the first time the team made it that far.

I'm a bit divided in my feelings about the Saints' win. I'm not a really huge football fan - but they were playing the Vikings, and I've a long and deep history with the state of Minnesota.

And, since late January of 1986, as I recall, I've been living near the center of Minnesota - and loving it.

Thursday: Thunderstorms, Hail, and a Tornado Watch

Minnesota's weather is not boring. Right now, we're in a tornado watch, and will be for another hour and twenty minutes - unless the Weather Service lifts the watch.

Thunderstorms have been going by, dropping much-needed rain.


Part of the after-storm show, 9:23 p.m., Sauk Centre, Minnesota

And, about 10 miles down the road, hail.

"06/18/2009 0307 PM

"2 miles S of Osakis, Douglas County.

"Hail e0.88 inch, reported by trained spotter." Local Storm Report On Wunderground.com

I didn't see any hail in the neighborhood, but that's not surprising. Hail's even more localized than thunderstorm cells. Can't say that I feel left out. Chunks of ice as big across as an American nickel are a phenomenon I wouldn't want to get up close and personal with.

"It Could be Worse," as We Say in Minnesota

Austin, Minnesota, south of the Twin Cities, had a bad night yesterday. According to the police chief, three tornadoes went through the area.

The good news is that someone's lacerated hand, bad enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, was the worst injury, and nobody was killed.

The bad news is that 15 or 20 homes were damaged, around 600 trees ripped down in the city parks, and millions of dollars damage done to homes and businesses.

It doesn't look like we'll be seeing anything like that here, tonight. There's just over twenty minutes left in the watch as I'm wrapping this up: and nothing really close, apart from a clump of rain on the other side of Alexandria, some 20 miles west by northwest.

Austin, Minnesota, Tornado Video

I checked out YouTube, and found this collection of video clips taken by a storm chaser near Austin, Minnesota, last night. The video is quite striking, and the language of the people with the storm chaser fairly mild by contemporary standards.

"06 17 09 Storm Chase - Austin, MN"

BradNelson100, YouTube (June 17, 2009)
video 2:29


View Larger Map

In the news:

• "Tornado Watches, Warnings Hit Minn."
  MyFOXTwinCities.com (June 18, 2009)
• "Clean-Up Underway After Austin Tornado"
  MyFOXTwinCities.com (June 18, 2009)
• "At Least 1 Tornado Rips Through Austin Wednesday Night"
  MyFOXTwinCities.com (June 18, 2009)
• "More storms expected as tornadoes batter Midwest"
  CNN (June 18, 2009)

Friday Morning: Retrospective on My Son's Field Trip

My son went with his class to the Minnesota State Capitol yesterday. We were expecting him back around 6 or 6:30, but he arrived around 8:00. I'd told my wife and #3 daughter that they might as well go to Soo Bahk Do - that was around 7:30 - so I had the treat of having some one-on-one time with him as he talked about the trip.

They toured the capitol building, including part of the roof. My son was quite impressed by the statues at the front of the building. And, at how long the stairs leading up there were.

The Minnesota historical museum was on the itinerary too. What my son rated as #1 there was a tornado simulation: a room that gives occupants an impression of what the worst Minnesota tornado would be like, for someone inside. The simulation includes a tree falling. Sounds impressive.

And, the Ramsey House - 1st governor's mansion. Peter says that he'd been leaning on a wall when the guide said 'no leaning on the walls' - he bounced off the wall, then: and someone laughed. He thinks it was his teacher. Those two get along famously.

I'm glad he had a good time with the trip: I remember my 6th grade field trip to the capitol. There wasn't a tornado simulator that time: but the capitol building part of the trip seems to be the about the same as when I had that experience.

The rest of yesterday, in fact most of the week, was fairly routine. Except for a promising job possibility for me. There's a company that needs someone with marketing and business-to-business telephone sales experience. Which is right up my alley.

It's Tornado Week

I got a surprise a few minutes ago, when the sirens went off here in Sauk Centre. There are a few clouds in the sky: but nothing that would yield more than a drizzle. Maybe. And, it's not the first Wednesday of the month, when the system is routinely tested.

One of my brothers-in-law was over, helping my wife and #3 daughter get a car started. He told me it was Tornado Week. I looked it up at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. It's a five days, five topics, week:

• Monday - Thunderstorms, Hail, Straight-Line Winds, Lightning
• Tuesday - Severe Weather Warnings
• Wednesday - Floods, Flash Floods
• Thursday - Tornado Drill Day
• Friday - Heat

Pretty good idea, I think.

Winter Storm in Minnesota: Not Much, So Far

Albany, down the road, had five inches of new snow on the ground around 5:30 this morning: and the National Weather Service has a "Winter Storm Warning" in effect until 3:00.

So far, the heaters in the house are keeping the place at a comfortable 60 to 64 degrees, more or less, depending on where you're standing.

"Comfortable?" Have I mentioned that I grew up in the Red River Valley of the North? A half-century ago?

Here in town, so far, we've got a nice, fine, snowfall, and not all that much wind. Still, I'm just as glad I don't have to drive anywhere.

You can take a look out the window with the webcam, at Small Town America: Minnesota . We didn't have that back in the Good Old Days. Why, in my day, we didn't even have wood-burning webcams!

Sacrilege Down the Road: A Very Serious Post

Morris is a little over an hour west of here, on Minnesota Highway 28. Since I grew up in the Red River Valley of the North, I think of that as "pretty close."

I've got happy memories connected with the town, but the recent news from Morris isn't good.

Sacrilege in Central Minnesota

An associate professor of biology at the University of Minnesota, Morris, is bragging that he put a rusty nail through a consecrated Host, and did the same to some pages from the Quran and from a book written by atheist Richard Dawkins: and threw the whole mess in the trash. (More at my "Quran, Eucharist, Atheist Book Nailed by Equal-Opportunity Desecrator" Another War-on-Terror Blog (August 4, 2008).)

As a devout Catholic, I'm appalled.

I learned about the incident in yesterday's homily at Our Lady of the Angels, here in Sauk Centre. After the mass, my son asked me why I was "moody" during the homily. Under the circumstances, "moody" was doing pretty well. For me, anyway.

Desecration of the Eucharist by State University Associate Professor

Aside from telling what happened, the parish priest passed along what I'm copying out of TheCatholicSpirit.com, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (Reprinted as "Diocese 'horrified' by blogger's attack on Eucharist" in The Visitor, St. Cloud Diocese (July 31, 2008)):

"Father Baltes [parish priest at The Assumption Parish, Morris] addressed the issue in his parish's July 20 bulletin. He said that, while the attack on the Eucharist is grievous, it can be a teachable moment.

" 'The scandalous article that was written can become for us a golden opportunity to deepen our fath and love for the Lord in the Eucharist,' he said.

"Father Baltes wrote that Catholics can respond by doing four things:

• 'Let us be clear about what we believe,' he wrote. 'At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's body and blood,' he said, citing a passage from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
• 'Let us give evidence to what we believe in the way we approach and receive holy Communion,' he wrote, urging reverence and 'full awareness of whom we receive.'
• 'Let us pray for this professor and others who may share his opinions,' he wrote. 'Only the power of prayer, spoken out of love, can transform any human heart.'
• 'Let [the university] know the outrage we feel at such a blatant attack on the Catholic Church's beliefs and what she holds to be most holy.'

" 'We want people to know we find this offensive,' Father Baltes said. 'At the same time we want to react appropriately and give witness with our lives in how we respect the Eucharist and live out what we celebrate in the Eucharist.' "

What to Do?

It seems pretty straightforward:

1. Pray.
   • For personal understanding of, and appreciation for, the Eucharist
   • That we show reverence for the Eucharist when we receive it
   • For a loving transformation of the hearts of Paul Myers and others who share his opinions
2. Act
   • Respectfully but firmly, let the university leaders know how we feel about this outrage.

TheCatholicSpirit.com provided contact information for two key people at the University of Minnesota, Morris:

• Jacqueline Johnson
  Chancellor
  University of Minnesota-Morris
  309 Behmler Hall
  600 East 4th St.
  Morris, MN 56267
  (320) 589-6020
  jrjohnso[at]morris.umn.edu
• Robert Bruininks
  President
  University of Minnesota
  202 Morrill Hall
  100 Church St. SE
  Minneapolis, MN 55455
  (612) 626-1616
  bruin001[at]umn.edu

(In each case, I am not making the email addresses active, out of consideration for whoever handles their email. (An exact, live, email link could be found and exploited by spammers.) To use the addresses, copy them into your email software, and replace the [at] with the usual @.)

How Do I Feel About This?

My son's "moody" is a pretty good start. I'm appalled, horrified, saddened, angry: well, you get the point.

On top of everything else, since I live in the state of Minnesota, I've been helping to pay associate professor Myer's salary. And, will continue to do so.

I have some sympathy for the U. of M., Morris, administrators. They may be torn between their allegiances to tolerance and "academic freedom." On the other hand, as soon as I get a good night's sleep, and calm down a bit more, I'm going to put together a letter, explaining just how much I appreciate being forced to support this sacrilege.

---

More, at:

• "Desecration of Eucharist leads to calls for action, prayer"
  TheCatholicSpirit.com (July 29, 2008)
• "Let us be clear about what we believe" (Father Timothy Baltes' bulletin article)
  Father Timothy Baltes
  Assumption Parish, Morris (July 29, 2008)
• "U of M prof's actions reprehensible, but school fails to act"
  TheCatholicSpirit.com (July 29, 2008)
  (Opinion)

About the Eucharist:

• "Article 3 The Sacrament of the Eucharist"
  Catechism of the Catholic Church, at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' website
  (1322-1419: Father Baltes drew attention particularly to 1333 and 1374)

Thursday: Beautiful Day with Road Work

The Ash Street Project is coming from both ends now. North of here, the street is a broad trench a couple of yards deep, as near as I could see. To the south, they've dug a strip on the east side of the street for the new sidewalk.

I was out, enjoying another 'typical' Minnesota day, getting in the day's exercise, and picking up a fan for the attic window. I was up there earlier in the day, looking for software boxes and disks. Even with today's mild temps, it was overly warm up there.

I've got plans for the Memorial Day weekend that include getting some serious reading done, and the attic would be a good spot for that. We'll see what happens.

My wife, our son, and #3 daughter went to Soo Bahk Do again tonight.

I'm sure that more happened today, but it isn't coming to mind right now.

Saturday: Springtime in Minnesota, the Sequel

There was almost a half-foot of snow on the ground this morning.

I had to shovel a spot in front of the grill, before fixing lunch today. While moving the snow around, I discovered that it was almost perfect for snowballs and snowmen.


I made a small snowman, about nine inches tall, while grilling lunch: setting it on one of the grill's shelves. It didn't last through grilling the burgers, but it was fun to make.

My wife and #3 daughter were at my father-in-law's shop this morning, while he was out of town. He made it back safely, for which I'm grateful. Interstate 94 was closed, from Osakis to Fargo, for part of the afternoon today.

Our son had instructions for starting the French fries. He went through the whole process without prompting: and they came out pretty well.

I grilled the burgers without scorching them: demonstrating that it can be done. It'll be more impressive, if I manage to do the same tomorrow, too.

At #3 daughter's urging, we watched a movie called "Game Plan" today. Pretty good: about a football star adjusting to a pre-teen daughter he didn't know he had. It's a familiar-enough plot, but the show was well done.

Supper, evening routines, and reading Garfield with our son wrapped up the day.

Something we've got to look forward to, starting next week, is the Ash Street Project. There's a lot of work to be done. Street crews started putting signs up Thursday of this week.

A crew from public utilities came around, checking our sewer, about 10 days ago.

Happily, there wasn't snow on the ground then.

Tuesday: Taxes; Family; Beautiful Blue Skies

Minnesota: We don't have climate, we have weather.

Today, it was wind that reminded my of my native Red River Valley of the North, with a beautifully blue sky, bright sun, and temperatures in the sixties. I had an excuse to get outside twice: and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm applying for a job in town: maybe this one will pan out. Being one's own boss is a fine thing: but even with this year's improvements, I'm still not paying myself enough.

Our son's first pimple is going the way of all flesh. #3 daughter claims, in a friendly way, that my wife and I never made so much fuss over her pimples. She may be right. I think she's enjoying being a big sister to our son.

Our son and I did our usual "Garfield" routine, and briefly discussed pimples. And, I demonstrated that I remembered his 'log off' tip from yesterday.

I need to get a good night's sleep tonight, so this will have to do for now.

Friday: Not Quite a Blizzard, but It'll Do

#3 daughter discovered that the rabbit, Giol, had chewed the #4 button off her calculator. She was none too pleased about it. It was a giveaway from a local bank, from when she opened an account there, and had been a very useful tool. I checked, and the bank had run out of that item.

No surprise, but it was worth checking on. We'll be keeping an eye out for that button. There's a chance that the rabbit didn't swallow the thing. A remote chance, but a chance nonetheless.

We stayed inside today. Except for our son. My wife sent him out several times, to shovel. He's got a fair percentage of the driveway done now.

This snow isn't going to last long. It's been above freezing today, and the forecasts are talking about warmer weather coming.

This is what it was like, about 10:20 this morning.

It isn't very cold, but we got a lot of snow.

It's April 11. Springtime. Minnesota-style.

Looks nice, but not exactly inviting as a seat.

That snow's heavy, but the evergreens are built to take that sort of weight. A lovely scene, as long as you don't have to travel in it.

Thursday: Winter Storm Thunder

I'm wrapping this up about 2:15 Friday morning. It's been a crazy day, thanks to a couple of deadlines I had to meet.

A flash and lightening and thunder a few minutes ago let me know that this is not an ordinary winter storm. No surprise, really, since it's April in Minnesota.

We got an automated call from the school this evening. They're showing remarkably good sense, and delaying school for two hours tomorrow. With the snow, rain, and mutant combinations of that nice, normal, precipitation, the roads are going to be in rare condition by morning.

Our son got out for a few minutes this afternoon and had a high old time in the wind and snow, before my wife caught him. He's still recovering from that bug, and she had no intention of letting him get sick again.


He sat for a while after that, looking out the back door.

Speaking of back doors, when I did a routine late-evening check, I found that the back door of the garage had been left open. It's on the east side: the direction the wind is coming from. There was quite a bit of snow caked on the wall, floor, and a few other surfaces, by the time I discovered that.

I was not a happy camper for a while after that. It's awkward, trying to jam a door shut, with a Minnesota storm trying to blow it open.

I got the job done, though, with a shovel and a half-filled garbage can. Elegant, no: but it got the job done.

Thursday: Winter Storm in Progress

I like Minnesota. We don't have boring weather here. Earlier this week, it was blue skies, sunshine, and temps in the sixties.

Now, it isn't.


This morning, about 10:20, it felt like rain, and that's about as far as it went.

Around 4:00 in the afternoon, spurts of snizzle started coming down. Or, rather, across. Snizzle: that's a drizzle with snow in it.


About 20 minutes ago, at 5:08, we're starting to see some real snowfall. It's supposed to be 9 to 13 inches before it's done: we'll see how that turns out.

Meanwhile, feel free to keep an eye on Ash and 9th, at "Small Town America: Central Minnesota," the first on-the-street webcam in Sauk Centre.

Saturday Morning: Bad News from Pelican Rapids

Pelican Rapids has a place in my heart, from experiences in my boyhood and youth. I remember a park and a dam, with an enormous statue of a pelican. Later, in the sixties, a speech contest brought me to the Pelican Rapids high school: a small labyrinth of hallways and an inexplicably-placed stairway or two.

I know: trivial. But that's what got stamped in my memory.

So, news that someone was killed, and dozens injured, when a bus carrying Pelican Rapids high schoolers back from a Chicago band trip tipped over, was a little more personal than it might have been.

Pelican Rapids PSD 548 seems to be doing a good job, handling things. I noticed right off, that they were mercifully reserving one room for the parents and surviving students, and another for all the people who would be coming.

All that condolencing can be tiring.

The accident has hit the regional news:
"One dead, others injured after Pelican Rapids bus tips on interstate"
In-Forum News (April 5, 2008)
"One dead, at least 40 people hospitalized in rollover bus accident"
KARE11.com (April 5, 2008)

The Minnesota State Patrol website puts this accident in perspective. (I clicked the "Media" button in the lower left corner of the screen, and followed links to get this information.)

The high school tragedy near milepost 202 on westbound I-94 wasn't the only traffic fatality that the State Patrol has dealt with lately.

4/5/2008 5:48 am:
The Pelican Rapids high schooler accident - one dead
4/2/2008 5:12 pm:
Two dead in a collision on Highway 14, near milepost 160
4/1/2008 5:55 am:
Two dead in a rollover on U.S. Highway 52, near milepost 70

Minnesota: We Don't Have Climate, We Have Weather

A young man wanted to know what sort of weather to expect when he came to Minnesota, late this coming March. #2 daughter said that she didn't know.

He's in for a surprise, when he learns more about Minnesota.

"We don't have climate, we have weather" isn't a joke: it's the everyday reality we live with.

Recently, 24-hour weather forecasts are fairly accurate, on average, most of the time.

But anything much beyond that is a sort of educated guesswork.

When my wife was growing up, she once went to Easter Mass through five feet of snow. It's been conventionally warm and flowery on Easter, too. And everything in between.

Even so, it's possible to narrow down the possibilities for a day in late March in our part of Minnesota. These numbers are rounded off.

• Record high: 75
• Record low: -15
• Record rainfall: 1.5 inches.
• Record snowfall: 10 inches

There are averages, of course (low of 20, high of 40, more or less), but those are more statistical concepts than "typical" weather.

Minnesota weather doesn't spend much time near the 50th percentile.

So, in late March, a visitor could expect: temperatures between 75 and -15; thunderstorms, tornadoes, a blizzard, or a drought; overcast, clear blue skies, or anything in between; and winds anywhere between dead calm to gales that keep trucks off the road.

Whatever else Minnesota is, it's not boring.

Minnesota's Wild Night

Sauk Centre wasn't the only place to get wild weather last night. Twin Cities news services reported that 100,000 Excel customers (that's a big power company in Minnesota) were without power at one point. The Twin Cities had trees uprooted, but no one hurt, as of this morning.

A friend of one of my daughters lives near Alexandria, about 20 miles (30 kilometers or so) up I-94. They were without power for 5 hours.

Here in Sauk Centre's south side, we didn't have more than about a minute of no power. But that was enough to add resetting clocks to today's task list.

The storm kept me up well past 1 this morning. I don't like having every member of the family asleep with weather like last night's brewing. Friday had been hot, humid, and with a strong south wind. Even without National Weather Service warnings, it was pretty clear that odds favored a storm.

There was another reason for staying up late. More about that at Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind.

The St. Cloud Times says that last night's rain brought their monthly rainfall total up to par, plus some. That's good news, considering the drought we're in, but I'd have preferred the rain to come more gradually.