Saturday, August 29, 2009
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.
By Mike Nistler
Despite today’s hot and humid weather, I decided to do a bit of therapy. My thereapy isn’t done on a counselor’s couch, but rather outdoors among my gardens and ponds.
It had been a while since I paid attention to my vegetable and flower gardens. The weeds had started to take hold.
It was time fo rme to fight back. I had a good time pulling weeds, turning soil and transplanting some overgrown hostas and flowers.
I also re-worked one of my water features, something I love to do.
It was relaxing getting my hands dirty, sweating, and stepping back to see the progress I had made.
I always thought if I weren’t a writer, I’d be a landscape artist or professional gardener. Maybe I’d install ponds for a living. The only problem with that career path is that I’d much rather be doing all that hard work in my own yard instead of someone else’s. Of course, if I were to get paid…
By Mike Nistler
More than a couple people have asked me this summer if I’m planning on taking a summer vacation.
Unfortunately, my answer has been “no.”
Not since my daughters were young and had the summers off from school have we taken summer vacations. Instead, we now look forward to taking a week or two off in the winter and getting away from the snow and cold. A couple years ago my wife and I went to Jamaica. It was great, mon! We’re looking forward to another such trip this year.
I’m curious as to how many people take summer vacations as opposed to winter vacations. If you’re reading this, let me know. If not, you’re probably on vacation.
So, here’s a picture from that trip to Jamaica.
By Mike Nistler
OK, here it is, Sunday, and it’s been several days since I wrote in this space. What happened to the time?
I guess I could lie and tell you that my computer washed away in all of the rain we’ve received in the last few days. Rain measurements in these parts were as much as 4 inches, which is great for the crops, good for the lawns, but not so good if you had weekend plans. At least we were spared the tornadoes and damaging winds that parts of the metro area received.
Today’s weather is hot and humid, which is appropriate for this time of summer, the dog days, as they are known by some. My dogs don’t much care for the rain, nor the heat and humidity. They prefer sunny skies and temperatures about 20 degrees cooler. Chasing tennis balls when you’ve got a coat of fur on isn’t all that comfortable in this weather.
By Mike Nistler
I got a call this morning that the CashWise store in Hutchinson sold out of Minnesota Moments magazine and wanted more. That’s the third call we’ve got from them.
Initially, only 10 copies of the magazine were sent to the store. They were sold out immediately, as the cover story boasts that Hutchinson is Minnesota Moment’s Best Home Town for 2009.
So, I shipped them 140 more.
They sold out of those.
Then, I personally drove 140 more magazines to Hutchinson.
Those were then sold.
Now, I’ve shipped them my last 70 copies.
Plus, today, I got the nicest letter from a Hutchinson resident, George Quast. If you want to read it, pick up a copy of our next magazine, our September/October issue. Meanwhile, George must be quite the artist, because he doodled a sketch by his signature.
It’s nice when people appreciate your work. George, I appreciate your work.
By Mike Nistler
For all of you who were anxiously holding your breath to see if I’d continue my blogging streak - even on a Sunday - here it is.
No days off for us writers, I guess.
I’m not sure why that would be expected. Even God took a day off every now and then.
Today was relaxing for me. It started as most of my Sundays do - by reading the Sunday newspaper. Alas, I must admit, the Sunday newspaper isn’t anything like it used to be.
Corporate ownership of newspapers have ruined what once was one of this country’s strengths. I know. For more than 20 years I was a journalist. The Sunday paper was something people relished pulling from their mailbox. Now, I do a double take to make sure I’ve got the whole paper. It seems so light, so thin, so small.
It makes me sad to see what newspapers have become.
I’m not optimistic about the future of newspapers. I think they will continue to exist in some form, but they will be nothing like the product they were in their glory years.
I believe that niche magazines, like Minnesota Moments, will take their place. They will provide strong writing and intriguing stories for people who grew up reading newspapers.
By Mike Nistler
We Minnesotans are funny when it comes to the weather and talking about it.
Here we are on August 1 and I, along with others, are lamenting the end of summer, looking forward to the cool days of fall and dreading winter.
We like to get a jump on things, I guess. Sure, the weather during July was cool, and today’s high is not supposed to break out of the 60s here in central Minnesota, but why the jitters about summer’s passage with at least a month to go?
I think it has everything to do with the harshness of winter, especially as we age. It just seems to get more and more difficult each year to enjoy the winter season.
And, as you age, time seems to pass more rapidly, thus making summers seem as though they are here and gone before we know it.
Why then, doesn’t winter seem to pass in the same fashion?
