Ye Olde Farm House...

Andrew, the boys, and I went up to the old homestead about 3 miles out of St. Hilaire, MN and 47 miles east of Grand Forks, ND. The place looked a bit different than in 1984, the last time I visited, but in many ways it was still the same. I took Andrew and the boys on a mini tour of sorts after talking to the current owners for a bit. The current owner is a lieutenant in the Minnesota Highway Patrol and his wife coincidentally (for me at least) is the head of the RN nursing program at the local college, Northland Community. She told me I could finish an LPN program there in only 3 quarters… (Don’t get any ideas, Wil) Something to think about in the future perhaps... Their son was team captain, I think, on the high school swim team in town. The whole family is just the nicest (like just about everyone else around here) and one of the first sentences out of her mouth was "No, you can't have the house!"

We went through the old path in the woods to the back 40-acre field and checked that area out. The old farm equipment was gone, but I think I made out the handle that I used to engage the plow sticking out of the snow. It may be the same plow I used on the field at 11 or 12 years old. The current owners have built a huge fort out back with a tree house and dozens of barriers to hide behind for paintball including some discarded car hoods and plywood sheets. The trees I planted with sister Jennifer way back when at 2 feet tall are now well over 20 feet and a good 8 inches around at the base. The current owners expressed great appreciation for us having planted those there. We also made it out to the 80 acres further back and met the owner of a new cabin that's been built right next to it. Last name was Hansen, but I didn't remember his first name. He apparently has been living in Nancy Mosbeck's and Tony Ricci's old house a couple farms over. He had plowed the access road with his tractor so we didn’t have problems driving on the snow.

He’s been clearing out a lot of trees on the land out there and the current owners of our old farm wished it wasn't happening. They said he's a retiree, so he probably makes money that way, though they wished he wouldn't destroy so many trees out there. As for the rest of the place, the old barn/shed we used to have at one edge of the front yard is gone, replaced by a newer building and the garden is gone as well. I think I also found the exact same birch tree, though, that Jen and I used to eat lunch in way back when on a lazy afternoon. Pet cemetery is pretty much gone too, or covered by the new building. I'll have to bring Lisa out there later, once the snow's gone perhaps and we can see more. I was thinkin’ for an adventure with the boys this summer we could head to the ditch on the opposite side of the highway from the farm with a metal detector and see if we can find the wrench or vice grip dad threw over there when he got injured putting the dual tires on the old tractor a quarter century ago… J

We had a good time at church this Sunday and this time Daniel walked straight into his Sunday school classroom and let the teacher take off his coat, etc. with not so much as a whimper or whine. We socialized downstairs with some of the senior choir members and older members of the congregation. We sat with Don and Shirley Grochow and Ormond Johnson. The choir did great singing from the balcony and I can’t get over how good the acoustics are in that old church. They have a new soundboard and color TV system there to in order to televise services on Sundays. They have communion there every Sunday now too.

Dawn came out from the Humane Society and gave Duchess her latest shot and transferred ownership officially to us today. We also will be picking up a new bunny from her this week named Funny Bunny. It’s a mini rex. We’ll be putting her out on the covered porch in a spacious cage so the neighbor boys and Aaron and Daniel should enjoy that. So once the fish tank is up and running we’ll look like a pet store… That’s pretty much all that’s happened this weekend that’s worth printing. I hope I don’t repeat myself too much on this blog as I don’t go back and read my old posts. Feel free to add a comment, though, if I do. Take care, all, and I hope everything is well with all of you as it is here.

Jim, Lisa, Aaron, Daniel, Andrew, and Duchess