By Mike Nistler
Well, since I last wrote, winter has arrived, crashing through the front door like an unwanted guests.
We in central Minnesota were fortunate. Only a couple inches of snow. Thank God. My mouse-damaged snow blower still hasn’t been repaired, even though I was supposed to receive the part by UPS a week or more ago.
Oh well, shoveling a little snow never hurt anyone, right? I just hope the machine gets fixed before we get a really big storm!
By Mike Nistler
I haven’t started my Christmas shopping.
I know this is a shock to some of you, who pride yourself on having your shopping done early. But for me, I like shopping during the holiday season. It seems a little more “Christmasy” to me to do it that way.
Maybe I’m fortunate, being self-employed and able to take off during the middle of the week to do my shopping.
No way would I be caught on Black Friday or the weekend fighting crowds.
So, sometime in the next week or so, during the week, I’ll be out and about finding my Christmas gifts. And, I’ll be enjoying myself!
By Mike Nistler
We recently had a debate in our house about whether to leave Christmas lights on over night.
Generally I do not leave them on. I figure, why burn the extra energy. However, on this night, I was too lazy. And besides, it was the first night they were on.
My wife told me they were a fire hazard.
My daughter said she has a friend whose family leaves the lights on their artificial tree burn day and night during the entire season. That way, when they come downstairs in the morning, they are greeted by a tree all aglow.
I know there are timers for lights. I actually have two of them, somewhere in my garage.
But I’m curious. What do you do with your lights? On or off at night?
By Mike Nistler
In all of my 50-plus years, I’ve never celebrated a Christmas away from home and Minnesota. That may all change this year as my oldest daughter will be gone over the holiday. She will be traveling with the Northwestern Wildcat football team as it travels to a bowl game. She is one of the team’s athletic trainers.
At this point all we know is that the team will be gone over the Christmas holiday and will likely play somewhere in Florida. My wife and youngest daughter definitely want to go visit her during this time, no matter when and where that is.
But I’m not so gung ho. What about the house? The tree? The lights? The snow? Extended family? Not to mention the cat and three dogs?
I realize that Christmas without my daughter will not be the same.
Maybe spending Christmas in Florida around a pool and in a hotel won’t be so bad as long as our family is together.
This Sunday is when the destination for bowl participants will be finalized. At that time we’ll find out what city, game, hotel and dates this will all take place. Then, arrangements will be able to be finalized. Stay tuned.
By Mike Nistler
I had a funny moment the other day as I hauled the snowblower out of the garden shed and moved it into the garage in anticipation of snow season.
I should have known something was going to happen when a saw mice scurrying as I opened the garden shed. And, I should have had another clue as a saw a mouse scamper away as I pushed the snowblower to the garage.
I wasn’t even fully aware of what was happening as my three dogs sniffed madly around the snowblower.
But when I tried to start the machine, a mouse flew out of the chute where snow usually comes from.
Darn it. Mice built a nest inside the snowblower.
I looked, but couldn’t find any evidence of a nest.
I tired to start the machine again and another mouse went hurtling through the air. This one did not escape the dogs as did the first two.
I haven’t seen any more mice since then. Of course, I haven’t been able to get the snowblower running either. I hope they didn’t do major damage to it!
By Mike Nistler
What gorgeous weather. Mid November and it is warmer than it was in early October.
This weather has spoiled all of us. When winter’s first blast hits, will we be ready? I won’t.
I did take this wonderful opportunity to hang my outdoor Christmas lights — some of them at least.
No gloves needed. No snow-covered roof to navigate. Just a beautiful day!
My backyard pond is still going. Hasn’t even been a hint of ice on it. What will this winter hold? I probably should check with the Farmer’s Almanac, although I’ve always been skeptical of long-range weather forecasts.
I had an uncle who was a meteorologist. He didn’t believe in any forecast beyond a couple days. And today, he said, our forecasting is not as accurate as it used to be. Why? Too much reliance on computers and not enough people in the field actually watching the weather.
Predictions for this winter? I’d love to hear yours.
By Mike Nistler
Well, it’s been more than a month since I have written in this space. Sorry to all of you who were expecting me to be a regular correspondent.
Life has been busy. I don’t know where to begin.
First, I am now the sole owner of Minnesota Moments. It’s a long story, but I’m trying to keep the magazine going in a very difficult economic time. I am positive that I will be succesful.
Also, my daughters have moved, one to Chicago, the other to Morris, Minn. the two towns couldn’t be more different. Chicago is a hustling, bustling metropolis. Morris is a small farm town. Both daughters love their surroundings. How can children raised by the same parents be so different?
There is so much more news to share, but so little time.
I’ll try to be better, but how can I when I’m a die-hard Twins and Viking fan? The Twins are fighting for a playoff spot; the Vikings are off to a 3-0 start and face their bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers, this Monday night.
And then there is the changing of seasons. I’m getting ready for raking and winterizing and …
By Mike Nistler
Turns out things were right that I made it to the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday, opening day. That day set a record for most people to have visited the fair on opening day, 114,000 plus. It didn’t seem that crowded, although we were gone by late afternoon when things probably got really crazy.
The weather was great as was the food.
And once I learn how to download photos from my camera on to my computer, I’ll post some photos.
But today is simply too gorgeous of a day to be typing a blog.
And if you’re reading this blog, shut down your computer and head outdoors.
There will be plenty of cold weather ahead in the months to come for things like this.
By Mike Nistler
I can’t believe it. The Minnesota State Fair opens this Thursday! Where did the summer go?
Going to the fair has been a tradition in our family for a number of years. But this year, as we face an empty nest again (more on that in a coming blog), it’s just my wife and I, and she’s coming off knee surgery.
So, it remains to be seen whether we make the annual pilgrimage down to the land of food on a stick and band shell performances.
If I don’t go, I’ll miss it. There is something about the “sameness” of the fair that is comforting. I remember traveling to the fair as a youngster with my parents. Today, many of the foodstands and exhibits are in the same place as they were back then, some 40 years ago.
Of course, as kids we didn’t get to do the daring stuff like the Midway, although one year my dad did take me and my brothers to a stock car race at the Grandstand. I just remember that it was loud. Oh, and we also got to go see a motorcyclist ride his bike up the inside of a silo. Centrifugal force, I guess they call it. That was loud as well.
But mostly, being sons of a farmer, we spent our time on Machinery Hill. We didn’t much care for hanging out with the tractors and farm animals since that wasn’t a vast departure from our day-to-day lives, but it was fun just the same.
As I got older my trips to the fair started to be with other people. Good-bye Machinery Hill, hello band shells, beer gardens and Whack-a-mole (again, more on that later).
By Mike Nistler
I had good intentions to be a regular blogger. But then I stumbled upon Farm Town.
This internet game has consumed a lot of my time of late. I didn’t mean for it to happen.
Friends Vickie and Al Ruegemer told me about this addicting game, where a person establishes a farm and plants crops and buys animals and builds barns and silos. It’s way too much fun.
Now, every time I sit down at my computer, instead of blogging, I harvest some crops or visit the marketplace or visit neighbor’s farms.
I’m having a great time, and my little farm is growing.
For any of you who grew up on a farm or who dreamed of someday being a farmer, you’ll want to check this game out.
If you do, include me as one of your farm buddies or maybe even a neighbor.
I found the game through my Facebook account. So, if you’re on Facebook, check it out. If you’re not, goggle it and see if you can join.
You won’t be disappointed.