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Sunday, January 4, 2009
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Photo © Virginia McCorkell
Winter shadows on the deck.

Updates -


Lois Elaine Gandy Dake
January 20, 1924-December 27, 2008

Lois Elaine Dake, a long time resident of Waco and Woodway, Texas, passed away Saturday evening, December 27, 2008, in a McGregor nursing home at the age of 84. Funeral services were held Wednesday, December 31, 2008, at Cole Funeral Home Chapel in McGregor. Lois's grandson Eric Printz and Kevin Naillieux officiated. Interment followed in Valley Mills Cemetery.

Lois was born January 20, 1924, in Waco, Texas, the daughter of the late Coy William and Burah Sophoronia (Henderson) Gandy. She was reared in Abilene, Texas, where she attended school from 1929 through 1941.

She was united in marriage to William Everett Dake of Minnesota May 1, 1943, at her parents' home in Abilene. Attendants were her sister Coy Nell and his cousin Roland Mellon (who was also in the military in Texas).

After 23 years of marriage, Bill preceded her in death on August 11, 1966.

Lois and her husband operated a feed store in Valley Mills for several years; after his death she moved to Waco.

Her joy and passion were her children and grandchildren. She truly enjoyed family gatherings and she really enjoyed reading when there was no family to entertain. She centered her whole life around God and her family. She lived by the Gospel story of Jesus and portrayed that throughout her life.

Also preceding her in death were two infant great grandchildren.

Survivors include two sons, Bill Stanley Dake and wife Janice of McGregor, James Dake of Oracle, Arizona; three daughters, Carol Printz and husband Harold of Sidney, Nebraska, Kathleen Stahlecker and husband Earl of The Grove, Patricia Meyer and husband De of Moody; a sister, Coy Nell Goodloe of Sugar Land; 16 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.

For those desiring, the family has suggested Providence Hospice, 4830 Lakewood Drive Suite 5, Waco, TX 76710; American Cancer Society, 1311 New Road, Waco, TX 76710; or National Down Syndrome Society, 666 Broadway Eighth Floor, New York, NY 10012, or www.ndss.org for memorial contributions.

Please visit our memorial at www.mem.com to leave a tribute or fond memory about Lois.


Photo © Earl Stahlecker
Siblings: Carol Dake Printz, Kathleen Dake Stahlecker, Patricia Dake Meyer & William Stanley Dake. Not pictured: James Dake; he came and spent time with his mother a few months before her death.


Photo © Earl Stahlecker
Justin, Cody, Eric, Carol & Harold Printz.



Photo © Sarah Steinhauer
Thanksgiving dinner 2008, our last with Grandma Vonnie Dake. Clockwise from lower left: Michael Steinhauer, LeRoy & Vonnie Dake, Carolyn & Ernie Dake, Larry & Sherry Dake, Levi & Kira Steinhauer, at Larry & Sherry Dake's home.


Photo © Michael Steinhauer
Day after Grandma Vonnie Dake's funeral; clockwise from lower left: Virginia & Larry & Suzanne McCorkell, Amy & Ken Harrison, LeRoy Dake, Larry & Sherry Dake, Levi, Kira & Sarah Steinhauer.



Photo © Sarah Steinhauer
What a beautiful Winter Wonderland!


UPDATE -- Snow delays Rick Anderson's return
by Janie Anderson
Wahpeton, ND

I really like snow when I can stay home! However, today Rick's flight was to leave at 1:15 p.m. We checked the flight status and it still said "on time" when we needed to leave at 10 a.m. It was snowing a lot and the roads weren't that great. We normally don't go anywhere when it says "travel not advised," but this time Dwight and I, Rick, and Barb took off in the pickup with 4WD engaged!

We got to the airport and had lunch at the Barnstormer, during which time his flight was changed to "delayed 30 minutes." Actually, that was good because we could finish lunch at a leisurely pace. Rick went through security and we had some errands to run, so we said we'd not leave town until he was actually on the plane.

We got periodic phone calls from him that it was delayed again ... and again ... and again... Finally, we got a call that he was in line to board. Followed shortly by another call that the flight had been cancelled! It was because Minneapolis had the snow now, so they wouldn't be able to land.

So we went back to pick him up, stopped at another couple of stores so Rick wouldn't feel totally cheated out of our shopping trip, had supper at Famous Dave's, and got home about 8 p.m. Rick flew out from Fargo to Minneapolis Wednesday evening and was to continue to Indianapolis Thursday morning. Barb is to leave here Friday for her return to Portland. We'll see!



Photos © Sarah Steinhauer
Levi Steinhauer decorates gingerbread men, at his request, left; all lined up, right.


Photo © Sarah Steinhauer
More delectable holiday season sweets!



Photo © Gert Pettit
Front view of the new Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School

UPDATE -- Howard Lake High School upgraded
by Gert Dake Pettit
Howard Lake, MN

I talked to Mr. Day, who is the high school principal, to learn some facts about our new school, which opened last February (2008). Instead of the Howard Lake Public School of my day, it is now the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School. Instead of the three bus routes we had, Mr. Day told me that the present school has 12 route buses, plus a spare.


Photo © Gert Pettit
Front door of the new Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School

When I graduated in 1950, there were 36 in my graduating class (and Dorothy reminds me there were only 27 in hers in 1944) ... and in the whole school the year I graduated there were about 425 students. When I asked Mr. Day what the school population is now, he said it varies a little from year to year but averages about 1,000.

And Sammy talks about the electives she wants to take. When I was in 9th grade you didn't have a choice of what subjects you would take. That came in 10th and 11th grade. We had four subjects we had to take and then got to choose two other ones. They were generally business courses or algebra, biology, or chemistry. Three of us girls were good friends all through high school. Two girls wanted the secretary type classes, so guess what the third girl took, even though she was interested in biology!


Photo © Gert Pettit
Skylights illuminate the new school's commons.

I really loved our old school, but I am very pleased with the beautiful, up to date one you have now. I just hope the students who attend will make good use of all the learning opportunities available in their new school!


Photo © Gert Pettit
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School gym, home of the Lakers.


The Matriarch Speaks W
by Dorothy (Dake) Anderson
Alexandria, MN

Quite a while ago, in some of the early editions of The Bulletin, I told you some stories from the times of Dorothy Dake. Last night I was re-living some more of those times. I had just read the electronic obituary and memorial for my dear sister-in-law, Lois Dake. I hope you won't be distressed to hear that I was not one bit depressed.

You see, I was trying to decide what I should write in the testimonials ... and in doing so I was dredging up memories of those days when Lois first entered the Dake family. What a lot of wonderful memories! I can not possibly include them ALL in the message that I will write later for that testimonial. But a purpose came to me to share my memories with all of you.

I want to explain that storytellers have the privilege to tell things the way THEY remember them. One's view of things is certainly not guaranteed to be totally reliable. I have been remembering real events in the early days of Lois's introduction to all her new relatives. Those events may be plumped up a bit. They will be told in a general order; they may get a twist or two that appears in my memory that really happened to someone else, or in some other place ... BUT they are not made up; they are the story of a Texas girl's arrival in a Minnesota boy's family life and heart!

I plan to begin this new memory series in next week's Bulletin. Perhaps these memories will bring up other memories that you would like to share in The Bulletin, too.


Who Is This?

Let's Play a Guessing Game: Whenever it is handy to do so, we will run a picture of someone of the subscribers or staff members of our e-magazine. Tell us who you think it is -- we will let you know who was the first to guess it right -- and the correct guess -- in the following week's Bulletin.

(Send us some to run; we will line them up in our staging area to take their turn. Donna Anderson Johnson supplied last week's mystery photo.


How many can you identify?

Answers to last week's mystery pictures (click here to review them):

Editors' Note: Correct guesses appear in bold face type and incorrect guesses in normal type ... generally in the order we receive them, so the first guess received is on top.

I hope it is not too late to submit my answer to last week's "Who Is This?" picture. I just returned from a quick vacation in Tempe (more to come on that next week) so didn't get around to reading The Bulletin until today (Friday).

Anyway, I happen to know that the humans in that picture are my sister-in-law Jessy Chap and my niece Caity Chap. The intimidating guard dog watching their backs is Paisley, who belongs to Chris and Jessy (which I guess would make her my dog-niece).

Weston Johnson
Maple Grove, MN


The picture of Jessy putting out her homemade goodies made the GUESS picture pretty easy this time. Same person! Plus Caity, who is truly a lovely young lady now. So, I am sure I'll have a right guess for once.

Betty Weiland Droel
MoundsView, MN


Memory Lane


Howard Lake School in 1900. This is the school where Amy Dake took her "normal school" (teacher training), along with her senior year of high school. She then taught in a one room rural schoolhouse, not in the high school in this picture.

Schooling, Howard Lake, Minnesota
by Gert Dake Pettit
Howard Lake, MN

I am proud to call Howard Lake School my school. The school was attended by a lot of my family: my mother, my siblings, my nieces and nephews, my children, and some of my grandchildren.

It's amazing to me how long those 12 years seemed to take, but how fast the next 58 went.

Just think, the three teachers in my family graduated from Howard Lake. Our mother had her "normal training" in her senior year, 1917-1918. Then Miss Amy Mellon taught "country school" for one year. She had 17 students in different grades. I remember her saying that Dad had to do her 7th and 8th grade math for her (and to help her learn how to teach it to the kids) because she was not very good with numbers.*

And think of the cold Minnesota winters! The heat in the school was furnished by an old wood stove; that was another part of her job, building the fire ... and as for indoor plumbing -- nope! If I remember right, I think she said she received $35 a month. For what she had to do, I think the pay scale was kinda low!

In September of 1919, she became Mrs. William Dake, so she was done teaching! In those days, a married woman wasn't allowed to teach.

Besides my mom, my two sisters went to Howard Lake school. Blanche took a year of teacher's training at Buffalo. She went on to teach the two years of the certificate and then had it extended because of the shortage of country school teachers. During World War II, she was given an emergency extension to that certificate and taught another four years.

Dorothy took her teacher's training at Litchfield, then taught a couple years and went to St. Cloud for several different years until she got a degree in teaching. Then she taught, off and on, until she retired in 1987. She taught about half of her years in the Howard Lake system -- as Mrs. Anderson -- how times changed!

*Editor's Note: I remember Mom telling that Dad also had a woodworking class for her big boys, while she taught handwork to the girls ... once a week ... probably on Fridays. --DMA


Miss Amy Mellon with her students at her country school, spring of 1919.


Homesteading Days at Effie, Minnesota, as toldby Bruce McCorkell

Larry McCorkell sent us a manuscript he transcribed from his father's tape recorded memories and made it available to The Bulletin for a series of excerpts. These stories were originally tape recorded by Bruce McCorkell of his growing up days on the homestead near Effie in northern Minnesota. They were recorded from a period of the mid 1980's until the early 2000's. These are Bruce's words of happy, sad, funny, good, and hard times.


Bruce, David, Raymond, Olive, Edna held by Don McCorkell.

PUTTING UP ICE

In those early days, before electricity and before people could afford electric refrigerators, everyone put up ice. In fact, they still put up ice in some places, such as resorts. It was a community affair.

When it came time in the spring, when there was still snow on the road so you could still use the team and the sled to haul the ice home from the lake, why, it was a community thing, just like cutting wood in the fall. About half a dozen people or however many people were on the road there would get together and go down and cut the ice, what they called "put up ice."

We got the ice out of Round Lake. Round Lake was about two miles west and about a mile east on the old road, that cutoff there to go to Highway One now.

In the fall of the year, before it froze, you usually cleaned out the icehouse. You'd shovel all of the sawdust out of the icehouse, except about two feet around the edge of it. Usually, after it'd been there a while, it stayed in place. It didn't cave in. Fresh sawdust caved in. This sawdust would stay in place.

They didn't like fresh sawdust because fresh sawdust was hot. If you needed more sawdust, you went to a sawdust pile where they'd been sawing lumber and you got the old sawdust that had been there a year or two. I don't know how long, but I suspect it would take a couple of years. It went through this heating process. So you'd clean out the icehouse and leave three walls and part of the fourth wall. It had a kind of a door on the front.

Actually, it was boards that you took out as the ice went down, like maybe a board four foot wide. You'd take out this board, whatever width it was, six or eight inches or ten or whatever it was. You'd take those boards out to the bottom. You'd leave a foot or so sawdust on the bottom and the sidewalls. Then, come spring, you wouldn't have to chisel out that frozen sawdust. It would be all set there.

Then somebody would go out to a lake and shovel the snow off of it and get down to blue ice if they could. A lot of times you never got blue ice because it was slush ice. It wasn't good ice. There would be maybe six inches of slush ice and that was honeycombed stuff. We had cold winters so we didn't have any trouble, usually, getting a couple feet of blue ice. The honeycomb ice as they called it, or the slush ice, would be four inches or six inches thick.

A spud is just like an axe that has a horizontal handle. With this spud you could chisel along between the blue ice and the honeycomb ice and just give a little jab and that honeycomb part would fall right off the blue ice. They never took that home. They wanted the good, clear ice, what they call "blue ice." You'd get down to blue ice.

They'd take some 16-foot boards and lay them down and take something and scribe lines. They'd make these blocks probably 20 inches square. It depends on how big you are, how much you want to handle. You scribed these off both ways. You took a sharp instrument and made a line alongside, just like you'd make a pencil line on a piece of paper. You'd "x" them out for however many cakes of ice you'd need. If there were three or four people, you had quite a big area.

Then they had what they called ice saws. Some guys were pretty good. My dad was good at cutting ice. You'd chisel a hole to start with and saw it. It was just a saw with the teeth pointing all one direction. They were different than a crosscut saw for cutting wood, but they could really saw ice. You'd lay a board down beside this mark and go right down the mark. It had one handle on it and you just pulled it up and down and cut the ice and you cut it both ways.

They lifted the blocks out of there with ice tongs and slid them up on a couple of planks, up onto a sled, until you got a load of ice. Then you hauled them home. You'd drag them in the icehouse and stack them up. You put a layer on the bottom and just kept stacking.

I don't remember how many layers of ice we had. We had a pretty high icehouse. The house must have been 14 feet square. It was above ground. Some were underground. It had a roof on it but you left a board out of the eaves so that the air would go through there.

When you got the ice up two, three rows high, then you could shovel some of that sawdust in. That was usually somebody's job that didn't go down to the lake. I was always afraid of falling into the lake, so I didn't really want to go down there and I was too little to do anything anyway. I guess I shoveled some sawdust in.

You would shovel sawdust in there a ways, then put in a board on the front there that was out. You would keep raising that. It would take two or three men to push the cakes of ice up that plank up to the top row. We had two-foot ice a lot of times. If the blocks were two feet thick, four tiers, that's eight feet high. I would guess we had about that much, usually.

We never had an icebox. Once in a while we'd make ice cream. We'd have to go and take a little hatchet axe and knock off a few corners from a block of ice. The ice would last plumb into fall.

The icehouse was where she kept everything. It was our job to go to the icehouse. Whenever Ma would have cream, she'd put it in a container and we'd bury it; we'd dig a hole on top of that sawdust. We used to have a foot or so of sawdust on top and we'd scrape that off and set that container down on the ice and cover it up with sawdust. We did that until I left home.

Ma didn't have electricity until way after my dad died. Maybe they put up ice after I was gone, I can't remember. I suppose they did. Maybe David and Raymond and all the other neighbors did it.

When the war came, things changed. Everybody went off to war and after that people just left those old homestead places. They went off to the factories and went off to the war. Those that were old enough to retire just retired and existed. They did whatever they had to do.


Travelogue t


Photo © Sheldon Swenson
The sun continues to rise over a lower mountain to the east.


Photo © Sheldon Swenson
Looking down at more glacier & the rest of Africa; the horizon shows some curvature.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
by Sheldon Swenson
Dickinson, ND

Day Five, continued

Kjirsten's feet are really freezing, so after about 1/2 hour we start down. We meet many groups of trekkers still ascending. Many look like they don't feel real great but there is a look of determination on most people's faces.

We are back down to high camp by about 9 a.m., have some tea and more breakfast prior to breaking camp and descending another 5,000 feet to our final camp.


Photo © Sheldon Swenson
It is much easier, faster & warmer coming down from the summit.

This has been a long day, with minimal sleep in the last 36 hours, but we are excited to have completed something we have planned and looked forward to for about 1-1/2 years.


Photos © Sheldon Swenson
Camp 5, back in the rain forest at about 9,000 feet in time for tea, and then supper. We started out at 12:30 a.m., about 15 hours ago. We have gone 4,400 feet up & 10,000 feet down & who knows how many horizontal miles.

We are both extremely grateful to have had the time together on the mountain and this opportunity for a "once in a lifetime experience." We have a special feeling of thanks and appreciation to Dismus and his group of cooks and porters, who have taken such good care of us these past six days, adding to the joy and "almost comfort" of this mountain adventure.


Photo © Sheldon Swenson
Sheldon & Kjirsten with their guide, Dismus, (at left) & his crew of cooks and porters, ready to leave their last camp on Day Six.

Next: Meanwhile, back in Arusha...


Greetings from the Netherlands
by Ary Ommert, Jr.
Maassluis, The Netherlands

Thanks for the mails I got from you, read from it that you have unusual heavy snowfall in some parts of the country. Must indeed be beautiful outside but as I read in another it's dangerous to be on the road.

We are having winter in the Netherlands too, no snow but it freezes 7-10 degrees in the night and during the daytime it's around -1 degree. On small canals people have skated today and in a few days it will be possible on lakes, too. That has been several years ago people could do that.

Tomorrow the last day of 2008, a year that passed rapidly; in the evening, I'll go to friends' in the neighboring town Vlaardingen.

It's starting to get busier at work; some people have removed the Christmas tree and are buying new plants. We also started to sell fireworks since Monday and hope to sell more than last year.

Here all is fine, working on my update for The Bulletin but it isn't finished yet.

Greetings from the Netherlands,

Ary Ommert, Jr. Maassluis
The Netherlands



Frans catches a whopper in Florida.

Frans and Koen Vacation in Florida
by Frans de Been
Oosterhout, The Netherlands

Hallo Everyone:

Yes, we are back home after two weeks of holiday in Florida. It was a fantastic holiday for Koen and me. Good weather and lodging. We have seen a lot and many things where we for many years talked about that "someday" we are going to visit this place.

And we have been visiting many things in Florida. First after a flight of 8-1/2 hours we came to Miami airport. Got a car and went to the Hotel (Days Inn). Then, next day, to the Keys and the marker point of Key West. We went fishing and looking around the neighborhood. We stayed at the motel on Deer Key.


Key Deer at motel on Deer Key.

After a few days, we went in the direction of the Mexican Ocean. Everglades and Fort Meyers Bay. What a nice place it is here! Funny that we know that the rest of the Americans have snow and ice and we are walking around on the beach and in shorts with Santa!


Koen with poinsettia decorated palm tree.

Then we went north to Orlando. Saturday we went to Sea World. What a place to be! We had one day but that's too short when you like animals. Sunday we went to NASA Space Center. This was SUPER. This was the highlight of our holiday. Oh, what a big massive rocket! This was always a dream of mine to see this.

After Sunday we went down in the direction of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach. Then, Sunday, it was time to go home after two weeks of nice places and temperatures.


Koen & Frans on Florida beach.

So this was a short story of our trip. Click here for a web gallery of the adventures of Frans and Koen in Florida.

We say to you and all our friends in the USA, happy holidays and a good start and finish of 2009 from your Dutch friends.

Frans de Been and family
Oosterhout, The Netherlands


Celebrations & Observances
From the Files of
5
Hetty Hooper

This Week's Birthdays
January 4---Harry "Junior" Anderson
January 4---Nathan Hill
January 5---Jayce Michael Chap (10 years old)
January 5---Krista Rae Weiland (9 years old)
January 6---Sean Thomas Cannon (10 years old)
January 7---Logan Benjamin Henderson (1 year old)
January 8---Rosanna Miller
Happy Birthday!

More January Birthdays
' 
January 3---Brandon Hellevang
January 3---Virginia (Dake) McCorkell

January 11---Brandon Harvey Lehtola (6 years old)
January 13---Russ Riesenberg
January 15---Shea Ashley Birkholz
January 19---Trevor Jayce Roberson (8 years old)
January 20---Lois Dake
January 22---Timothy Mellon
January 24---Marloes de Been
January 30---Whitney Johnson
January 30---Madilyn Mae Larson (2 years old)
January 31---Larry McCorkell

January Anniversaries
Z
January 24---David "Beaver" and Donna Anderson Johnson (15 years)

January Special Days
O
January 1---New Year's Day
January 19---Martin Luther King Day

Miss Hetty's Mailbox:

Dear Miss Hetty,

Thank you for sending birthday greetings to me. I celebrated my birthday in Sisseton with my dad, Merna and Lindsay, and my two brothers and their families. Merna made my favorite cake: oatmeal with brown sugar/coconut frosting.

Ken Hellevang
Fargo, ND


It was a wise choice when Don and I picked to retire to Alexandria. The Interstate (94) goes through the south edge of our fair city and on the north edge we have Arrowwood with its water play area. So that helps get people close enough to stop by for a chat.

Today, Saturday, the 27th of December, brought a very nice couple: Verlaine and Rich Weiland. (I imagine lots of you know that he is Betty Weiland Droel's brother.) They had spent a winter break at Arrowwood. Glad they came by for a "cuppa" and a chat. It certainly lightens the winter to have visits from the "outside!"

Dorothy Anderson
Alexandria, MN


Photo © Don Anderson
Verlaine & Rich Weiland & Dorothy Anderson.

Keep Us Posted!

Please drop Miss Hetty a line and tell us who, and what, we've missed. And how about a report (photos welcome) of YOUR special celebration?

'Many Thankse
Everyone!

Miss Hetty


+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Click here to review last week's Bulletin

I had forgotten to comment on the picture of my great grandfather Bennie, until I read Betty's review of last week's Bulletin. I, too, sat mesmerized by that picture, and by the one below it of my aunties skating. I thought of Weston, too, as I looked at Bennie.

On the lower picture, I remembered skating on that same pond as a kid. Kathy holding the cat reminded me so much of something my girls would do. I also imagined Grandma Twila in the hospital with Dad. But I think what struck me most about that picture was how much Bobby looks like pictures I've seen of Dad when he was younger.

I completely enjoyed both of those pictures, and probably spent more time looking at them than I did reading the rest of The Bulletin!

Wyatt Johnson
Moorhead, MN


To answer Betty's question about Aaron's trophies, those you saw were his own, plus more. He won 1 first place, 11 second, 5 third and 1 fifth. Those were the taller trophies; there were 11 small ones. He didn't go to that many races, though, as at most races he competed in two classes with two different bikes. One was a 50cc oil injection for 4 to 8 year olds, and a 50cc chain for 7 and 8 year olds. (That information was from his dad.)

I think we should all stand and give a much deserved ovation to Jerrianne for all the time and work she puts in to give us an enjoyable Bulletin to read each week. Thank you so much, Jerrianne.

Gert Dake Pettit
Howard Lake, MN


I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to Kjirsten and Sheldon Swenson for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro! It is truly an accomplishment that very few achieve. I have been glad to read the chronicle each week and live vicariously through their adventures, since I do not have a desire to climb it or any other mountain. I am glad to read about it through others. Their accounts each week about their experiences have been very interesting. Thanks again.

Judy Riesenberg
Great Falls, MT


I thoroughly enjoyed the web gallery on the setting up and appreciation given to the Epcat Center. I can see how much they loved their gift! That was fun. Good thing they have a room large enough to accommodate; those are beautiful, big windows! Good viewing for cats to watch birds and small animals. Perfect spot!

Donna Johnson
Ashby, MN


Last Week's Bulletin Review JKL
by Betty Droel
MoundsView, MN

That unbelievable first picture of the snowman held more for me than just the awesome reality of someone packing and packing snow on that poor fellow until he dwarfs the person and the huge tree and the truck. The link said that it wouldn't melt away until likely spring or summer.

The reason it held more for me than the awesome size of Snowzilla is the pink cast on the background of trees. One time I had the unforgettable, once in a lifetime opportunity to go to Alaska on the rounds from Washington state. Anchorage, to Copper Center, to Fairbanks, and the southernmost central area by Homer. These are precious, vivid memories, but the one that brought tears was as we were lifting off from Anchorage to make our return trip to Seattle. I looked back at the PINK mountains, and trees and it was a sight I will never forget. The pink was typical, I heard, for the sun shining on the earth in that atmosphere, so when I saw it again on this Snowzilla picture, I could hardly quit looking at it.

Roy was so interested in how they created that Snowzilla. Being a machinist and custom building any kind of forms, he was impressed with the details of how it was put together. The Alaskan photo editor cleared up his question as to just how it was built from the inside out.

We had seen the sundogs as we were driving along 35W in Minneapolis one day and remarked at the rainbow appearance, standing like a pillar on both sides of the sun. So, when we saw Janie Anderson's photo of the same thing in Wahpeton, North Dakota, we were thrilled. We are glad you captured that on film, Janie. It is most unusual.

This Bulletin #341 held so many detailed updates of people we had not heard about for so long. It was great to get caught up with Lori and Keith's affairs there in the sunny south in California. Also all that Doris Anderson included in her news. Wonder if they had a white Christmas?

I was so surprised to see the picture of the piles of snow on the berries on the tree taken by Susie Holman. I had just gotten a photo video from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, with almost the exact same picture. I was so impressed with the snow standing on the berries. I don't know how to copy and paste that picture in here (sorry). It was great.

We have been hearing about all the snow in the west. Rare, and very dangerous when it isn't something one is used to driving in. Actually, walking is treacherous as well. When I was in Washington, Seattle had gotten about three inches of snow, which was unheard of, and schools were closed and everything stopped. What must it be like now? Thanks for telling us your snow experience and delays, Barb.

When I saw the picture of Char, I thought "that looks like Mavis," and it should, being family. Thank you for an update about the visit to the Morgans in Florida. From Grand Forks to Florida. What a contrast! I loved studying the background on that meal picture. Such a cozy home away from home for Tom and Mavis. Beautiful salmon!

The picture of Frans de Been says a volume. No words needed. He is there in Florida, and the snowman is likely not made of snow. Quite different from his winter days at home. Thank you for the greetings, Frans.

I wonder why the three-cat perch was so intriguing? Probably because we wouldn't see one like that again for maybe years. Epcat Center. A good name for it, and looks like the three cats are totally accepting of it. Do I see green leaves outside that window behind them? Not snow.

The web gallery was well worth the time to look at. It shows the three cats "choosing" their perches (I think), and it is really a fun gallery if you enjoy grandkittens. Thanks, Miss Kitty, for directing us to it.

Happy Birthday, Beaver. And Christmas at the farm meant another great occasion in that new room with all the windows to see each direction. It will soon be the most used room in your house. It will never replace steaks in the fireplace, though.

School programs are fun for everyone, and since I have been reading the Bulletins, Caity and Jayce have certainly grown in these school pictures. Donna Mae and Beaver are proud grandparents of these performers.

I thought it was unusual for someone to remember the smell of the home after all those years between the time Bruce visited the Storests' and the time he wrote the Homesteading Days chapter. Come to think of it, seems each home does have a scent. Sometimes cookies, but not often enough Roy would say of our kitchen.

Sheldon sharing Day Five with us proved they did not quit this hike to the summit. They kept quite a detailed diary to share all of their days and nights, and feelings, and weather. All that it took to pose before that sign could never be told or written or even remembered, maybe. The total satisfaction and accomplishment is beyond words. It gives one a sad feeling to think of the glacier projected to disappear.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Virginia (Bitzi), on January 3rd. The very day you will be sitting with the next Bulletin in your hands (or on the screen). Then January 5th we hope to have something to share with Miss Hetty about Krista Weiland's 9th birthday.

I think I will send this picture of Lorraine and Brent Slotten to my special friend Lorraine Slotten Jacobson in Montana.

So, Diego won't be making the trip to Minnesota right now. Good thing. Will be interesting to see how he remembers you by next spring.

How very darling to have that old photo of Sarah Dake Steinhauer printed now when her own daughter is about that age. She is SO cute.

The Quotation for the day is suggesting that one kind word can warm three winter months. The first thing that came to my mind was maybe three words ... spoken by Tom and Mavis saying, "Come, see us." That would warm up three months, that is for sure. They would be safe in saying that, as who could ever spare more than a few days? We love home, Mavis, so don't worry, we won't be visiting you in Florida.

Roy is patiently waiting for Xmas dinner leftovers today. I wanted to write this LTTE first so I could thank those that took time to share all they did for this Bulletin #341, and to thank our editor and photo editor for all the dedication and untiring day and into the night efforts.

And to wish all a Happy New Year for 2009.

Betty Droel


CHUCKLES


Photo illustration © Virginia McCorkell
Ethan Horne discusses strategy with Suzanne.


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Quotation for the day: The last day of the old year was one of those bright, cold, dazzling winter days, which bombard us with their brilliancy, and command our admiration but never our love. --Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne's House Of Dreams

EDITOR'S POLICY: If you wish to subscribe to The Bulletin, simply send me a statement of that fact. If you wish to keep receiving it I hope you will contribute to one of the columns that are running in this family epistle (at least occasionally!). My e-mail address is dma49261@juno.com


This Bulletin is copyright Dorothy M. Anderson; the contents are also copyrighted by the authors and photographers and used with their permission, and the contents are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the explicit consent of the creators.


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