Monthly Archives: July 2011

Letter to Dave

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Dear Dave,

 

Had a few minutes so prepare for a note to drop your way. Our cat, Magoo, is seated in between me and the computer screen; he likes to edit as we go along. I allow him to edit for spelling and grammar but never for content. Oh yeah, Magoo says hello too.

 

This week the first grass-fed steers of the season are set for processing. I usually sort and load them the same day and then haul them into our brother Steve, for processing. This year I put them into the barn several days prior so it makes for less work the day of hauling. I am feeding them some nice alfalfa during their confinement which I purchased from Lyle Swanson. Feeding cattle one forkful at a time reminds me of the fair when we used to bring cattle in for showing. I don’t go to fairs much anymore-too many people in one place. However, when I feed our steers I have close contact with them and it really takes me back to a time when our show cattle had fresh straw each day, got fed individual-sized portions of feed from a pan stored in our carefully packed barn box.

 

Dave, there’s a huge celebration going on in town for Arctic Cat; they’re celebrating a silver birthday. Arctic Cat has meant an awful lot to the area for many years and it all started with Edgar Hetteen’s dream. I drive an little Arctic Cat 250 ATV which has helped me build fence, check cattle, spray pasture and even relax at the end of the day. I use my tractor maybe once a week, the pick-up two-three times a week however that little ‘wheeler and I spend as much time together as Magoo and I do on the couch. Thanks to Arctic Cat for my little helper and happy birthday, too.

 

Dave, I have never been more organized however I’ve never been so busy. We have more cattle than ever on pasture but they are what we need to process all that forage into meat and fertilizer. I recently had a sample done on our pasture and found that it has all the nitrogen, phosphorous, etc that it needs. Here’s the kicker-we haven’t fertilized it for three years. The legumes in the pasture create nitrogen which feeds the grasses while the cattle process what they don’t need into manure which goes back into the ground. Photosynthesis from the sun does the rest. Anyway, I will have no fertilizer bill this year and that feels good.

 

I finally had a moment for a project, Dave-it’s called a Dorothy room. A Dorothy room is a free-standing tornado shelter built to specifications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA.) I am using the specifications but am building it under the steps. The finished part which faces the hallway is made from the counter from the old Viking cafe. I am pretty confident when it comes to building fence, cattle feeders or anything rough, however indoor works makes me nervous. I typically build by eye however I am using tools for this project as foreign to me as a shovel to the average teenager. Anyway, I should finish it just as the tornado season ends and it will be the subject of a future column.

 

I hope the rain stops at your home in Carrington, North Dakota soon, Dave. In case it doesn’t, I have attached a pdf file of specs from FEMA for a floating structure-it’s called a Noah’s ark.

 

Your little bro’

Corporal James Sund follow-up

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Here is a link to a new article about James Sund’s funeral. You may have to scroll down a bit. I have also provided a link to a page that a friend of mine believes to be the battle that Sund was invovled in. He tried to get more info through the National Guard but was unable to at this time.

http://rreflection.areavoices.com/2011/07/21/coming-home/  (my column about Corp Sund)

http://www.trfradio.com/page/local_news   (local news story)

http://www.2id.org/wonju-chip.htm       (battle story)

Coming Home

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(Highlanding, Minnesota is a former townsite near the city of Goodridge-about 17 miles east of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. GN)

Recently, a soldier’s remains were identified as that of Corporal
James Sund, prisoner of war as of February 12th, 1951.

Corporal Sund enlisted in the Army during World War Two and then went
into reserve status after the war. He was called up again for the
Korean War (June 25th-1950 through July 27th-1953) and died April
4th, 1951. He was originally listed as “missing in action” but
eventually his family placed a gravestone at the Highlanding Cemetery
to mark his passing. The fact of Corporal Sund’s passing is pretty
well known, I was curious about his life.

I spoke with Sund’s niece, Marilyn Stanley. She tried to help me
create the picture of a 28 year-old man, called from his home near
Highlanding, to fight (and serve with distinction), be held captive
and die in what has been called our nation’s forgotten war, Korea.

James Sund was one of 10 children born to Evan and Marie Sund. Evan
Sund died when James was just a child. I know people who’ve lost a
father when very young (my dad) and they grow up very quickly and are
able to bear responsibility beyond their years. The children of the
Great Depression have born incredible burdens yet this pressure
created strong character. James Sund must have been like this
whether it was as he helped operate the family farm near Highlanding
or as he gave all for his country.

James Sund did the things a young man did in those times for
recreation; he liked to help neighbors, play cards in Highlanding
with the neighbor boys, did some cross-country skiing, trapped on the
river and hunted. You always hear how the Army loves us country boys
because we can shoot; I bet Sund could shoot-I bet he was a good
soldier.

Pastor Bob Dahlen shared with Marilyn Stanley a quote from a soldier
he’d met, “we went to war prepared to die, but none of us were
prepared not to come home.” I think this is the real story of a
soldier held in captivity. It must be lonely to wish for it and yet
not know when you will come home.

Corporal James Sund will get to come home, soon. I know that when we
die, our soul separates and leaves our body. I’m sure Corporal Sund
has known peace all of these years since his death, however I think
it would be natural for even our eternal souls to have concern about
what happens to the earthly body they once illuminated. This is one
of many reasons that it’s so good to find James Sund and return his
remains to Highlanding. My hope, and belief, is that Corporal Sund
knows he is coming home.

Tuesday, James Sund will see Highlanding again and find rest under
the gravestone set years ago in hopes he would eventually return. But
first a trip around the section; to see the old farmstead, swing by
Highlanding where he played cards with his friends, maybe stop and
check how high the river is, see a thicket where he flushed a deer or
stop to recall the exquisite sting of bitter cold on bare skin during
a ski trip. All of these little moments such a reminder of what it is
to live in this area-tangible evidence that Corporal James Sund is
now home.

Here is Corporal Sund’s obituary

http://www.funeralplan2.com/green/obituaries?id=224732

 

Project New Hope

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I am going to present a recipe for a bad day and you tell me when it starts to taste little familiar. First start out with three cups of fatigue then fold in hopelessness and an inability to focus-those are your dry ingredients. Now add in your spices-they will consist of anger, fear and shame. Bind it all together with isolation and sleepless nights and you will begin to hate what is cooking inside of you. In this scenario, all of your friends and family believes you to be a strong and fearless cook so you feel like you can’t ask for a little help because helpless is not as you see yourself. Instead you try to fix the recipe by adding in alcohol or other substances which only serve to make this recipe a toxic poison.

 

Did you find the taste of this recipe a little familiar? Most probably didn’t even get past the dry ingredients before the ingredients became unfamiliar and foreign. Unfortunately, for a percentage of soldiers returning from war, that mix is exactly what they are cooking.

 

I met Dale Johansen at Home Lumber just the other day. I was there for supplies but Johansen was there to help re-build lives. He chairs “Project New Hope” (www.projectnewhope.net) which is an organization that has one simple mission, “to provide veterans AND families the education, training and skills necessary to manage their lives after wartime service.” Project New Hope believes in “whole-family” healing as the veteran is probably not the only one who’s hurting. His or her spouse may struggle with the changes in their spouse and children may lack the maturity to adjust to the absence of their parent and even when the soldier returns home from war.

 

Project New Hope presently offers week-end retreats for the veteran and family at Camp New Hope which is located on Glacier Lake near Duluth. The retreat is free of charge and all meals are included. All sessions go at a pace determined by the veteran and family, everything is kept low-key and a counselor is available 24/7. Camp New Hope has welcomed veterans of every war to sessions that vary from anger management, to money management and even help with sleepless nights. A soldier’s life is such a spartan existence and it seems they rarely are able to put themselves first. This camp asks the veteran to please put themselves first and focus on what has made their life troubled.

 

Dale Johansen briefly described his life to me after his time in the Vietnam War. It sounded a lot like the toxic recipe I described at the beginning of this column. It’s clear to me that his mission is to make veterans into good cooks with a recipe for a better life. If you’re a veteran and would like to attend a week-end retreat or know someone who could use these services, please contact Johansen through www.projectnewhope.net, email to dale@projectnewhope.net or write to Project New Hope 72530 CSAH 27, Dassel, Mn 56586. You may also donate to this mission using the same points of contact. Project New Hope will also have a booth at the Pennington County Fair in Thief River Falls, Minnesota which begins July 20th and runs through the week-end. 

I think the best way to end this column is with a phrase that not only frames healing for the soldier but also challenges them to gain control of his/her life; “what happened before was beyond your control…what happens next is up to you.”

One Empty Chamber

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It’s back to the “bullet” format this week. I give five bullets
points that do not warrant a column on their own but together fill
the cylinder quite well.

Bullet One: Whenever I am in Thief River Falls,Minnesota and need fast food, I get a generous handful of mixed nuts from the vending machine at the Farm Service Agency building and a fifty cent soda from Fleet Supply.
I am consistently astounded by the generous handful of peanuts,
walnuts, pecans and almonds I receive from that little vending
machine and a fifty cent soda takes me back in time to a place where
you only hand to pay ten-fold for five cents of flavored and
carbonated water. These are two of my most coveted gustatory secrets
and have served me well. I typically eat at home so this little blast
of beneficial fat, water, caffeine and artificial flavoring gets me
through until I position myself in front of our refrigerator, door
open, and graze.

Bullet Two: I know there are those who write poetry about the beauty
of making hay thick enough with nostalgia that you can smell the
sweetness of the alfalfa and feel your head swoon. However, haymaking
has always engendered anxiety for me and the only anticipation it
creates is that of squealing baler bearings, untimely rain, twine
knotters that don’t and breaking metal shearing against its own
weight. This summer I am harvesting my hay with-a trailer. I
purchased hay this year and will haul it home behind my aging
pick-up. I prefer it to the beauty of arising early to gather forage
for my cattle, plus I get to sleep in a little. See you Sunday, Dick.

Bullet Three: If you thought this was the bullet where I would
mention the Casey Anthony trial, the State of Minnesota government
shutdown or some really important celebrity news; it is not.

Bullet Four: I will mention a few entertainment items here, however.
There is to be a new “Muppet Movie,” released this November. I have a
love for the Muppets goes back as far as Sesame Street. Our friend,
Nancy Thompson, does a fantastic Miss Piggy which makes me lonely for
felt-covered puppets with detailed back stories so a new Muppet movie
always interests me. I also have a television recommendation,
“Wilfred” which is on the FX channel Thursday nights. It is for
adults only but it has the combination of humor and sentiment which I
find endearing. The main character is played by a talking dog who is
actually a man in a dog costume-that should be enough inducement to
check out at least one episode. Remember, I said this was an
adults-only show, anyway at nine on a summer evening the kids should
be outside playing. (Yes, I know, only after a good spray of deet and
only to play non-competitive games that artificially bolster their
self-esteem)

Bullet Five: It’s fair time now so please enjoy yourself and stay
safe. Also if you show animals at the fair, take care of them as if
you’re being judged on your ability to do-because indeed you are.
Finally, in the old West, men kept their revolvers on an empty
chamber for safety. I plan to do the same-no bullet six.

The Politics of Parking

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Before I start today’s column, I want to remind you to pay particular attention to shade and water for any animals under your care as it is finally hot!  GN

I would like to talk about the politics of parking your car. Politics
usually brings to mind the management of counties or cities but it
can also be used to describe how people relate to each other in
society. On-street parking is quite well defined with colored curbs
and signs, although some folks go “selectively blind” around such
signs or insist that that these signs are meant for other,
less-important people. The real creative minds, the great
free-thinkers, remove themselves from streets and roads when they want to truly flirt with their own insanity by finding harbor for
their car in a private lot-the lawless wild west of parking.

First off, one law that does apply to privately-held parking lots is
handicapped parking. If you see a signed and blue painted spot in a
lot then you may not park there unless you have the proper
handicapped signage for your vehicle. Law enforcement may ticket you for this and if I find you first the cost of the ticket may seem like the easy way out.

Private lots are highly-unregulated and here is where the creative
among us really pop. I frequent Pennington Main in Thief River Falls, Minnesota at least daily and find some real Picasso’s in the parking lot. I especially love the folks who park at every juxtaposition in front of the building. A large vehicle may have to park at an angle but most of us can park at 90 degrees to the building and make the most of the space available. I’ve also watched pick-ups with trailers park the full length in front of the building leaving mere scraps for the rest of us. Pick-up and trailer combinations should park on the street, although I realize laws regulating such street parking remove all of the fun of the anarchy enjoyed by some in a parking lot.

I have a suggestion for those trying to get in better shape, park
further away from the front door of the store you’re visiting. Hugo’s
has a nice big lot which would work well towards this end. I’ve
noticed many people miss this fact as they like to park either in the
fire lane or on top of the yellow slash lines that clearly mark an
area not meant for parking. I used to be more understanding about
folks who park on the yellow lines as I thought they must be older
and have trouble walking; however recently I’ve observed that most of them are young and could use a little parking lot exercise. As far as those of you who like to park in the fire lane, please know
that unless the vehicle you are driving is painted red, has a
Dalmatian on board and is marked “Fire Truck” then you have no
business in the fire lane-even if you’re just “running in quick.”

Here’s a simple rule for parking lots; be decent. Take your time,
make eye contact, let the other guy go first and use some common
sense. Also, remember that the rules insurance companies use to
determine liabilities in an accident are pretty much the same as they use on public roads. Yeah, think about that next time you decide to race another vehicle for a choice spot in the no parking zone.