Then & Now
GRANDMA PAT, “formerly of rural Roberts, Wisconsin”: “Fifteen years ago, when I was just 75, I had a 2-mile route that I regularly walked near my Wisconsin home. On that route, I could feel the wind on my face, hear the rustle of cottonwood leaves above me, and see bright green watercress in the clear water of a spring-fed stream.
“Now I take my 1-mile, 25-minute walk through the carpeted hallways of my senior abode. It is quiet and safe, no gravel or ice or snow. Instead there are art pieces, plants, photos, etc., to enjoy outside apartment doors.
“Occasionally, I do have to assure someone that I am not lost, just exercising. That’s all right; they mean well. I count my blessings.”
Our birds, ourselves
AL B of Hartland (our Official Ornithologist) writes: (1) “Nature gives me bearings and values. Birds brighten my days.
“A new birdie’s headlights illuminated a recent morning. It was a stranger to my yard.
“The chestnut-capped and white-cheeked visitor was slightly smaller than a house sparrow.
“A Eurasian tree sparrow was hanging around with a gang of house sparrows in my yard. I’m thrilled it was where it shouldn’t have been.”
(2) “A little snow goes a long way on a chickadee.”
And now, THE HASTINGS CRAZY QUILTER: “Subject: Just a spoonful of peanuts makes the woodpeckers come ’round!
“With the COVID-confinement, my husband (the Naster Maturalist) and I made a commitment to really keep our bird feeders filled with a variety of tasty temptations for our feathered friends. In addition to feeding thistle and sunflower chips, cardinal mix and peanuts, we have been stocking our suet baskets very regularly (four times a week!). We also have a heated birdbath.
“This has been pretty successful, as we’ve attracted some birds we haven’t seen for a while: flicker, red-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, and flocks of cardinals — they really brighten up the view. \
“We’ve also been getting the woodpeckers. Now there’s some open space across the road from us, and we occasionally would get a pileated woodpecker. This year, however, they have been coming in numbers. When they come in pairs, they can really go through the suet!
“Our neighbor, seeing all the activity at our feeders, decided to put up a feeding post by the window by her reading chair. Their daughter’s cat likes to sleep in the sun on that chair back. The first time the pileated landed on their feeder, it scared the cat out of the room!”
Life in Wisconsin
Pandemic Division
DENNIS FROM EAGAN reports: “Subject: Minne’s meet on the Kinni.
“My wife (Lori) and a Blaine couple (Sam & Sally) went to River Falls, Wisconsin, on Sunday afternoon. Junior’s Restaurant & Tap House on Main Street has eight heated igloos on their outdoor patio that each features waitress service, Wi-Fi, decorative lighting and plenty of room for four to eight people.
“The owners also manage the Swinging Bridge Brewing Company a few blocks away, where we met a Lindstrom, Minnesota, couple at a table. Ironically, both small towns have a St. Bridget Church in them, and we joked about them being ‘recovering Catholics,’ which is OK now because they don’t serve wine at Mass during the pandemic. As expected, bartenders fill pints and growlers at the counter, but the men’s room does put a retired keg to good use.”
Verbing of America
ELVIS: “ELVIS just read that the social-media giants are working to ‘deplatform’ the president.”
DONALD: “Commenting on a speech that was being discussed on a cable news channel, a pundit commented: ‘Obviously, he was woodshedded.’”
Life as we know it
Education Division
THE ASTRONOMER of Nininger: “Some may rightfully argue about the process of learning and how best to enhance desired learning outcomes. I submit that if we make the process itself become an adventure rather than just a task, it can be transformed into a desirable challenge, something tangible that will never be forgotten.
“For many years, I had the good fortune of being able to share the excitement of science by taking students on travel studies abroad during the January term. We typically enrolled students from a number of campuses, so the diverse background of the learners themselves and their home-campus educational environments provided a healthy mix that enhanced the classes to begin with. Then, traveling to different parts of the world enabled us all to share a global excitement that kept our learning interests peaked for the entire course. Our focus was always on the educational objectives and where they could be met best.
“When I think back to the various courses I have led, I sort of stop and find myself riveted to the ground. I hear some music playing in my mind: that of John Williams and ‘The Raiders March,’ from ‘The Raiders of the Lost Ark.’
“Like Indy (Indiana Jones) seeking a rare artifact, we had the opportunity to seek knowledge with the world as a backdrop.
“Imagine what it would be like to be on the beaches of Bora Bora and be shown the Southern Cross for the first time.
“Between classes, we engaged in an arduous trek to find the Tiare Apetahi, a rare flower that grows only in a specific locale atop a mountain on Raiatea in French Polynesia. Twelve kilometers each way, but this was how we studied astronomy in the Southern Hemisphere. Not only did we learn astronomy, but we got to know and understand Polynesians in Pago Pago, New Zealand, Hawaii and many other islands.
“To study the science of climate change, we traveled to the Antarctic among penguins, orcas, icebergs and international science labs.
“To get there, we rocked and rolled on a ship across the Drake Passage from Ushuaia, Argentina, the place they called ‘Fin del Mundo’ (end of the world). We measured solar radiation and what is happening that affects the globe. Since water vapor is concentrated in the tropics, we stopped in Costa Rica on our way home. And found how difficult it is to predict global atmospheric weather and climate patterns. We gained respect for Shackleton that likely was heightened by our adventures. We probably never could achieve such perspectives in a four-walled classroom. Additionally, our class did a real ‘polar plunge’ where salty sea water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water.
“In Europe, we studied the Crossroads of Science and Theology as applied to the nature of matter and the origin of the universe. A theologian from a neighboring university joined us so that while I tried to share the essential elements of string theory, elementary particle physics and cosmology, the theological perspectives could help us reconcile that interface between science and theology. We visited the Gran Sasso neutrino laboratory outside of Rome and the Large Hadron Collider beneath the border between France and Switzerland. Being there, we could experience how complex this issue is. Looking at other ideas over the centuries that politicians and theologians developed for the origin and development of the universe, we visited the Vatican Observatory, where the church tested theories of Copernicus and Galileo and others. Being there took us back in time to when various theories were formulated.
“These are only a few of the experiences we absorbed and participated in. But every time, we were part of an adventure — an adventure of learning. Even today, as I try to learn something new and different, like how to get Alexa to engage in some complex functions, I hear echoes of the ‘Raiders March.’ Don’t take that away from me.”
The highfalutin bemusements
GRAMB of Nisswa: “Subject: The day I met Alexa.
“I’m getting better, but I’ll never be known as a techie!
“A couple of years before the COVID virus hit our country, I was playing Bridge one afternoon in one of our members’ homes. During the game, this member turned her head and I heard her shout: ‘Alexa, turn that thing down!’ At the moment, I thought to myself: ‘I didn’t know her granddaughter was visiting! How fortunate she is’ — but I also thought: ‘She doesn’t speak very kindly to her granddaughter.’
“As the afternoon went on, she shouted a couple more orders to her ‘granddaughter,’ and it made me uncomfortable. It was only when another player asked her where she got Alexa, and she replied ‘Amazon.com,’ that I realized we were talking about something other than family!
“Oh, well, live and learn!”
Blindsided by the lyrics
THE RETIRED PEDAGOGUE of Arden Hills: “Subject: A tune from the past.
“The other day, I heard the opening lyrics to ‘I’m Sorry’ by Brenda Lee. It reminded me that years ago, when grandson Jack was playing youth hockey, the person in charge of the audio system at his home rink would play that same opening when one of their players was called for a penalty: ‘I’m sorry, so sorry, that I was such a fool.’
“Not sorry to see that go.’
Keeping your eyes open
Pandemic Division?
LEOJEOSP writes: “I have lived in Woodbury since 1999. There is a large retention pond behind the house. The pond adjoins five houses. I had never seen anyone using the pond for winter activities.
“I was surprised to see a young mom and one of her children shoveling the snow off the pond. A few minutes later, Dad appeared with a snowblower. Accompanying the three people was a very large black Lab.
“I could not help but smile.”
Band Name of the Day: The Colliders
Your stories and photographs are welcome here: bb.onward@gmail.com
