Down Memory Lane

Terry and I spent last Thursday and Friday in North Dakota attending my Aunt Alta's funeral in Fargo ND, visiting family Terry had never met and visiting sites and places of my childhood.  Alta was my last living aunt so now that generation comes to a close and we move on with my generation-wow.
Aunt Alta was 95, almost 96, and had 44 great grandchildren!  wow  She and Uncle Halvor were always fun to spend time with and it was fun seeing cousins and family I had not seen in many many years.
Pictured is Wood lake School.  I attended school there for grades 1,2 and 3.  There were 12 students in the 8 grades my last year.  I am not sure it was a great start to my education but I know there were many fun times there.
Among the memories I shared with Terry:

• we walked the 1 1/2 miles to school most of the time
• I actually had a classmate
• we had hot lunches with government commodities
• we would try to extend our noon and recess times always
• I think I was not very serious about school in those days
• the outside water pump and play things were great

Among the other memories were:

• Lake Tewakenon which served as my water sking place, bathtub, swim place and fishing place
• where our farm was but of course now it is just farm land, no buildings left now
• where I built my 3 hole golf course and my putting serface in the ditch near the mailbox 90 yards from the house.  It was there that Arnie Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player would dual it out most Sunday afternoons and you could guess Arnie would win.  When I ended up with too many slices in the tall grass to the south I just rolled a 55 gallon barrel over the grass and each time I hit a bump I would pick up a ball--the mind comes up with all sorts of ways to survive and have fun when one is alone on the praire land on a hot summer day!
• Bergen Cementery where my brother, mother and dad are buried.  The church is gone--the place we went to church (only every other Sunday :), the place I gave my life to the Lord by giving a speech on the power of prayer when I was 16, the basement is gone where us guys would try to get away with at least 2 or 3 pieces of cake after Luther League, the place where I could pester my mother into letting me put sugar lump after sugar lump into her coffee--um so good and sweet!
• my parents last home in Veblen SD
• we had a bite to eat at the Farmer's Cafe in Clare City-the fries were enough for a meal.  The lady who served us actually bought my parents washer and dryer at the auction and she said the washer is still working and I think that was 16 years ago
• We also had some coffee time with brother Dave/Marlys and brother John/Judi
• Grandma Saunders treated us to a enjoyable lunch where she lives
• we enjoyed a nice visit with Gail's sister Deb/Dale on their farm
• got to see the Saunders farm and all the nice touches Gail's brother Mark/Mary have made to the house and yard

Oh my the list is long and we did more too!!  All happened in about 36 hours but it was fun. 
Now we are back in St. Paul and looking at yard work, house work and a list (actually the list is not written yet) that is perhaps as long as my arm.  As Terry planted some plants in the yard yesterday I took a couple of hours to clean up to some degree my wood shop so now I can get to work in that. 
As I write this morning the thunder is boooming, the lighting is flashing and we have already gotten .8 " of rain.  I am sure the trees will show their wonderful color in a hurry when the sun appears again.
I think I need to get some food and then see what work can be done today.  It would be perfect to lay around, read a book and dream of day past but perhaps another time and another place.