Horse Manure Park

Things can change fast around here.  The phone rang yesterday and an old friend called.  Steve Anderson, the band director at Central Lake College, gave me a jingle and wanted to know if I wanted to play drums in the Fourth of July parade on Sunday in Brainerd. I hadn't heard from Steve in seven or eight years.  We worked together a lot in the late '90s, including several seasons with the Geritol Frolics (including a trip to Las Vegas), several years of community jazz band and multiple community theater projects.  He went on sabbatical from teaching in (I think) 1999, so we lost touch and I stopped playing drums at the college.  But he must have kept my number on his speed dial. When he called yesterday he was looking for someone to drum with the Central Lakes College community band float.  I figured if he was calling me on June 29th looking for a drummer on July 4th, he must be pretty desperate and I was probably his last hope... especially considering...

I haven't been near a computer for a while, so I thought I'd better update things before I head off to work tonight. Just spent the last four days at the Dau's in New York Mills, camping out and doing family stuff.  I would love a good night's sleep tonight, but that's obviously not going to happen.  That will have to wait till morning. My father-in-law took us around Wadena to see the tornado damage first hand.  I've never seen anything so horrible and sad in my life.  We also went to the rural areas, something you hear nothing about on the news, and many farmsteads were damaged and destroyed - some were completely obliterated.  People escaped with their lives, but little more.  The power and destruction can't even be described and pictures do not serve justice.  It was incredible. But on a happier note, we did have a good time, ate and drank more than a person should, had pretty decent weather for the most part  and we had a nice campfire ...

Its the end of a week that we will not soon forget.  The clean up continues in Wadena and will continue for weeks to come.  We are going to my in-laws this coming week to camp at their place in New York Mills and help in any way we can.  Governor Pawlenty declared a state of emergency in Wadena County, so at least the local agencies can get the help they need.  The Governor surveyed the damage on Friday.  Senator Amy Klobuchar was in Wadena on Saturday and stopped by what used to be my father-in-law's business.  The Fargo Forum snapped this picture, which I think is heartbreaking.  It was printed on the front page of the Fargo Forum newspaper today.  It is my father-in-law receiving a hug from the Senator. Perhaps the biggest news here is Scott Dau actually hugged a Democrat !  (sorry, I had to lighten the mood a bit)...  Happy Father's Day to my father-in-law.  I think a very large bottle of Crown Royal, a big bag of Snicke...

June 17, 2010 will be a date none of us will soon forget in this area.  Wadena was devastated by a tornado and my father-in-law's business was completely destroyed.   I wasn't aware of how terrible the damage was until I saw pictures, a sampling of which I am posting here.  The saving grace is no one was killed in Wadena, although two people in Almora were killed, as was a man in Mentor. Thanks to my cousin Tammy, my sister-in-law Sara and my nephew Kevin for letting me "borrow" these pictures from their Facebook pages (even though they don't know I'm doing this!).  It makes me so sad to see these pictures, but the force of a tornado is truly mind-boggling. Kevin took this picture at Highway 2 near Mentor, MN.  A man was killed at the Cenex station in town during this tornado. The next five pictures are from Sara.  This is what used to be my father-in-law's business, Leaf River Ag. My father-in-law's business, Leaf River Ag.  What loo...

Hello out there bloggerland.  Yes, I'm am still alive.  Haven't found a lot of time to sit and write much.  Kids do that to you.  Keeping an eye on the sky tonight - tornado warnings all around.  We are fine, but the folks in Wadena were hit hard.  Two people were killed in Almora, which is just a few miles from Oak Valley Township.  ...I wonder if the farm is still standing?  I'll be heading out that direction early next week to finally mow the place.  I've been waiting for a dry day when I'm not working.  That's been easier said than done. Meanwhile, I posted this on Facebook, but I will post it here too.  We had our first rehearsal for Farm Fest 7 and things went really well.  Here's most of the band as we rehearse our break....

My niece, Lisa, posted a song by this band on Facebook and I thought the drummer was so outstanding, I had to find out more about these guys.  I can't tell where they hail from, but they play all over the country from Florida to right here in Minnesota.  In fact, they are at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, MN tonight through Sunday night. It's not so much the band, but this drummer is just awesome (and this is coming from someone who has played drums his whole life and has a very discriminating ear when it comes to drummers). His name is Steve Moore and this guy has got it. Here's the original video Lisa posted on Facebook... the drummer seems to have mastered Keith Moon and about six other drummers all rolled into one! Thanks Lisa!

I am sad to report the passing of Beth's grandfather, Dr. Harold Piltingsrud, who died peacefully last evening, June 2, 2010, at the age of 92. He served as a medical doctor with the U.S. Army during World War II, then went on to become the "town doctor" in Park River, North Dakota, for many, many years. He was a good, kind, decent man, respected by all who knew him.  He treated me like family from the first day I met him and I am honored to have been asked to be a pallbearer in his funeral. Godspeed, Pilt.  You're finally free.