All we got to watch was chasing one little stray calf back where he belonged. We'd taken too much time getting strollers out, etc. The girls had fun walking back there and checking things out on the way to and from, so they were happy.

Photo © Donna Johnson
Wyatt, Shawn & Ben watch Beaver head lost calf in right direction.

On the 4th, we got to watch McKenna and Kierra while Mommy and Daddy played in the Evansville volleyball tournaments. At 1 p.m., we took them to meet Shawn and Lori and watch a very short parade, about the right amount of time for two little girls!

Photos © Donna Johnson
Tiko hitched a ride in McKenna's stroller.

Chris joined Lori, Shawn, McKenna, Kierra, Caity, Jayce, Beaver and me to go out and eat. We had thought we'd get somewhere closer to home, but found out many were closing earlier than normal and we were running later than normal. Therefore, we ended up going to Alexandria to eat. It was late enough there were very few people eating ... or maybe everybody else was at a lake.

Beaver and I took Caity and Jayce out by Arrowwood to watch the fireworks display. We were lucky and discovered a great place to park; it had easy access out of town so we didn't get caught in traffic afterwards. Turned out to be a very lovely day.

Except I forgot my camera for the parade and the evening, so will have to make do with just a few pics.

As I look back over this week, I have three completely separate (yet strangely "together") events. I shall record them separately and you see how you think they complement each other.

Some Advice From Elaine
by Dorothy Dake
Howard Lake, MN

Monday was a really difficult day at work. First, a roll of film that we were developing just disappeared. (I think Ken put the rolls of film into the developer, and I think I took them out -- but we were so busy that I am not sure.) It made me rather ill feeling when the empty envelope told us one roll was missing. On Wednesday, the lady came to get her pictures and negatives and she had to be told about their disappearance. (Thank goodness, Ken did that!)

Ken explained to her that the pictures she had taken at a family reunion just couldn't be found. Apparently, they came loose from the little clip that held them in the tank and then dropped into the solution and were probably gradually being eaten up by it.

She was so sweet ... but I can hear her yet, "Oh, I am so sorry, but perhaps some of my sisters will have pictures they can share. Some of the people I had taken pictures of live in the South and I will probably never see them again."

And then, as if that wasn't enough that afternoon -- Harold wanted to see the ledger and found that I hadn't gotten the last two weeks' posting done. He sounded a bit put out but did not really scold, just took the daybook and got the information he needed from there. I was tired and maybe that made me more upset than I should have been.

So, of course, when Elaine came for her visit that evening she had only to say, "Dorothy, you look bushed -- just what are you doing over here to keep you so worn out?" And that was all it took to start the tears flowing ... really, thinking of it now, I feel ashamed to have been such a baby.

I will not tell you all that was said between us, but by the time we were through, I was feeling terribly sorry for myself and very put out about the bosses "taking advantage of me." Elaine felt strongly that I should just ask to be excused from all the tasks that weren't in my job description. She thought I needed to be free of the worries that were emotionally upsetting to me.

I think I told you that Harold had given me the key several weeks ago -- and I am always the last to leave Photo North ... but I always leave at the same time Elaine and Ed do. So, after our visit was over, I put my daybook away. In that "down" mood, Elaine saw me on my way, after the two of us locked our separate doors. And I went dragging back to my apartment.

A Visit With Bertha White

I think that Bertha listens for me to come home and she watches over me pretty much as carefully as Elaine does. I do think she guessed my mood, and my need for company. There my plump, white-haired, lady friend was standing in her doorway down the hall from me when I reached the top of the flight of steps leading up to our part of the house.

"Dorothy, dear, I have a huge pot of soup, and a loaf of fresh, whole wheat bread. Will you be a sweetheart and come help me eat it up? I do not know why I make so much as I really do not like leftovers. (I wonder if it is that -- more likely, she does not like to think I have gone to bed without some good, nutritious food after my doughnut breakfast and my sandwich lunch!)

Well, of course, the answer to that was a resounding thanks... I was to come in a half hour and that gave me time to wash and fix up a bit. It is such a nice, cozy apartment. We sat together at the table for two, and she dished our food up and offered thanks for the meal and then I tasted a heavenly chicken rice soup. It makes use of the wild rice from the reservations that they sell through the stores in Bemidji. It uses sour cream (I think). At any rate, with the "heel" of the bread, it really filled my empty stomach and I began to feel more cheerful. We finished off with a piece of apple pie and a chunk of cheese and a nice cup of black coffee.

So then she told me she wanted to hear what had made me so tired and unhappy. And again, I told her the whole "tale of woe" and now I added the account of the advice that Elaine had given me. When I was all through, Bertha went and got the coffee pot and refilled our cups. She sat a bit and thought some more and then she started in talking to me in the kindest and sweetest way ... and this is about what she said...

Dorothy, do you like to do all of these new things like developing, printing, tinting, and enlarging pictures? I assured her that I did, indeed, find it interesting. She then reminded me that if I were going to a training school, I would have to pay to learn how to do all of those things ... and, in my case, I was being paid and taught!

Do you think the Foley boys are unkind to you? NO, I certainly couldn't say that.

Do they leave all the work to you? No, we all work hard. And do they ever give you any praise? I was beginning to see just how things really were ... as I had to answer that they had, indeed, thanked me for the extra help, and any suggestions they made were sensible and helped make the work easier.

When Bertha was through with that part of the discussion, then she told me a little about how things were with my bosses. She knows the family and she told me that in starting a new business like this, the main thing they need is to get out and look for new customers, do advertising, give quick and pleasant service, and they really did not have money to afford any more than the average pay I was being paid ... and that they really did need any extra help I could give.

But then she explained that Elaine had given me good advice in telling me to go home at night right on time, put the thoughts of anything that goes wrong behind me, and then added a bit more good advice from herself -- be sure I eat more nutritious meals ... and don't ever skip meals. Then she gave me a hug, told me the apartment was too small for both of us to work ... and sent me home to read and relax and then go to bed so I could have a new and better day for Thursday.

I guess I would say I have two "mothers away from home!" And they both care about me!

A Visit With Harold

This morning, soon after I opened our door, Harold and Kendall arrived at the same time. Usually, we do not expect Harold to be at the shop on Saturday morning, so this was a bit out of the ordinary. Kendall went back to set up for work and Harold went into his area. A little later he came out and asked me to step into the room for a bit. I wondered a little if I might be in trouble about my bookkeeping chore not being done and it did turn out to be a little about that.

I am now busy entering the daybook information into the ledger. From now on, every Saturday morning I am to have free to concentrate on doing my bookwork and the only extra for me will be meeting any customers that might come in. Harold assured me that he and Ken do appreciate and need my help. He does think that I have been trying to stretch my help too far. (And he said that they had been careless about how much they were asking of me!) So he gave me guidelines for any help I will give and he set up my work schedule for the rest of my first year.

I have made a decision -- when Elaine comes for her next visit, I am not going to share any of the things in that guideline; after all, that is a business agreement and is not for chit chat... I will simply tell her that Harold has talked over our arrangements and that I am very satisfied. I think that would be a little more mature. I am afraid that I have become involved in what might be thought of as gossip. Now then, I feel so much more sure of myself, and of my plans, in reviewing what my bosses have set up for me.

Harold said that they are not in a position to give me a raise for this coming year, but here is what they are willing to do, if I am satisfied (and I assured him it sounds fine to me):

I will be given a paid vacation of three days to go home and get my winter supplies. That will start October 17th. They will include a $20 bonus and my regular pay -- which I will have paid to me early enough so I can have it to use for my trip.

I will be back to work by Tuesday noon on October 21st. Harold will be taking my job and he needs to meet an engagement that afternoon.

The present schedule will continue from that day until after Christmas (the shop closes for that day, of course) and then, after that, I will be coming to work at 8:30 instead of 8:00 and I will go home at 4:30 instead of 5:00 until the week before Easter. My pay will remain the same. (And from now on I am to take my full hour at noon.)

I would have lost so much if I had confronted and declared and threatened and complained. I am so very happy with the way this rather unhappy week turned out! And I can hardly wait for my vacation days to arrive!

We fall into a routine of waking up at 6 a.m., breakfast at 6:30, trekking by 7:30, mid-morning tea and snack, lunch around 1 p.m., stopping by 4 p.m. for tea, sometimes a shower, dinner by 6 p.m. and in bed by 7 p.m.

There is never heat where we sleep and once the sun goes down we're dressed in several layers and pretty happy to hop into our down sleeping bags. We don't read very much at night because if there's a light it's usually a single bulb in a room, so reading requires a penlight or headlamp and we are tired! One morning the temperature was 37 degrees in our room when we woke up. We never checked it again.

At the higher elevations there was usually some kind of stove for heat in the dining area, which made it more tolerable, but far from warm.

To be continued...

Miss Hetty's Mailbox:

Dear Miss Hetty,

Thanks for the birthday card. When a person awakes to music of a marching band on their birthday morning, they should be inspired to face another year of blessings. The evening before my birthday, our daughter and husband stopped by with a banana cream pie and a gift. The next evening another couple took us to Baker's Square -- you guessed it, another piece of pie. It's good that birthdays don't come every month, but I'm thankful for the ones that have come and gone; hopefully I'll see a few more.

Jim Smith
Brooklyn Park, MN

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Thank you for the very thoughtful e-card! Shawn and I are very blessed to be celebrating our third anniversary and have two lovely little girls as additions to our family. We are also very grateful to such wonderful family and friends.

+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
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