Table talk

Discovered today that Dad has his biography on Wikipedia. Don’t know how long its been up there, my brother's Tucson golfing partner mentioned it.

Quite a nice and extensive write up.

But, alas, as my brother pointed out, there’s not a mention of his six kids.

Oh well. Please pass the potatoes. Wikipedia will have to wait.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erling_Nicolai_Rolfsrud

Rolfsrud clan, 2007, Keene, North Dakota

 

Cheers!

 

One hour later. . .

An hour-long battle in Mexican waters yielded a 200-pound striped marlin this week. Veteran ocean fisherman and former workmate, Hai Dang, fought the monster, then had it cut up and shared with his fellow nimrods who didn’t do as well this trip. The sea gulls got the rest. He’ll tackle the coveted blue fin later next week. His biggest accomplishment, this week, however, was marking a two-month smoke-free success, much more difficult to do than boating one of these monsters. We say Congratulations Hai! Oh. The fish is nice too.

Kathleen shot a deer on Leaping Deer Lane

 Bright and early this morning, Kathleen and Birdie were outside, tending to their usual business, when. . .

Lo and behold, a deer on Leaping Deer Lane, a rare sight just across the street, well within Kathleen’s throwing range, prancing down the street, a doe in magnificent condition. Birdie stiffened, as did her awestruck master on the other end of the leash. Silent. No camera.

And then, before it totally disappeared from view, there followed a huge buck, focused on his intended one, paying little heed to transfixed bystanders. He eventually sauntered between neighboring townhomes, and Kathleen, no longer frozen, rushed indoors for her cellphone. By now in the backyard, the buck continued its horny pursuit, his rack as big as any seen lately in these parts.

She snapped a few from long range, and we’ve blown them up here, not great wildlife photography, just undeniable evidence of a large male deer on Leaping Deer Lane.

Old Birdie took up her usual position on the couch, unimpressed, starting her morning nap.

A celebration of sideburns

Steve checks this blog from time to time, so herewith is presented evidence that he didn't always look like a judge or a lawyer. That's Amy Jo on Erling's lap, and, parents Becky and Al,:Virgil, Stan and Mom and Dad round out this photo found on a google search last week.

Documenting the pour

 

No calls, please. Text only.

Big cement pour starting 8 a.m. Monday on light rail construction project. I will not be able to take calls, as supervising responsibilities will not permit interruptions. Visitors must wear hard hats and masks while standing on observation platform. We only have one chance to get this right. No do-overs.

Give me shelter

Wild though he may be,
I bet this never happens to Byron.

They were giving free jars of all-natural organic non-gmo, unsalted peanut butter at Byerle’s Thursday, so Kathleen took one, with me in mind, of course. A good sport about such things, this guinea pig found a layer of oily separation on top that needing mixing. Then, feeling a bit like Elvis Presley, he smeared it over a smashed banana on a slice of white bread.

It was a mistake, realized at 2 a.m. later that night.

Fall has brought its usual incursion of pests, seeking shelter and sensing warm drafts and inviting scents emanating from every minute house crack in the neighborhood. Their aggression found a weakness somewhere in our walkout foundation and evidence of their presence was noticed by observers. We’ve trapped a few, but the battle is not won.

A brazen scout caught the corner of my eye while watching the Twins bow to the Reds yesterday. The mouse scampered along the baseline seeking whatever mice seek. If I had my old school Nikon handy, I would have at least six evidentiary photos in quick order for your inspection, but unfortunately I only have an iPhone now. It can do so many things that it takes a while for it to figure out that you want to use the camera now.

By the time I was locked and loaded, the mouse was under the bar fridge gloating, having evaded the humane Victor traps awaiting him and friends, which was very disappointing because I had just got done lathering them with all-natural organic non-gmo unsalted peanut butter.

Come On. I dare you.
I double dare you

Back to watching the Twins, it was not long before the vermin had poked his nose out and was looking at me with his beady eyes. Perhaps inspired by Byron Buxton, my new hero, I seized a broom and made a wild swing which would have been most deadly if only I had connected. I did not. Hey, Byron often doesn’t connect either and merely strikes out.

My swing and miss was catastrophic, however. I had failed to reseal the peanut butter jar on the baiting table and now the oily separation was oozing all over the basement shaggy carpet. I fell to my knees, limited the damage, and started scrubbing. Simple water will do on all-natural organic non-gmo unsalted peanut butter products, I learned. Two beady eyes monitored my progress from under the fridge.

Finally returning to the game, I wasn’t the only one losing. But before the end of the next inning, for crissake, there he was again. I thought I had thoroughly cleaned the carpet. Not so. He was feasting like a late-night Elvis with his favorite snack.

Wary of my broomstick, I couldn’t get near, but I inched a trap closer to his last location, thinking he would return. He did. Drunk now on un-salted peanut butter, he ignored the trap, and reveled in his new-found riches, the essence of which he was finding between my scrubbed shag fibers.

 

The better mousetrap is 
at the right.

Outraged now, and a losing Twins game not helping, I employed stealth and patience. Delicacy prohibits me from giving a full accounting. Suffice that I became a Kepler, a Rosario with greatly improved accuracy, earning full rights to the rally robe, if only for a moment.

The inspector comes Monday to find the crack and fill it. Maybe there’s more than one place. He’s a professional. He will find it. I will take his picture for you, if I can get him to stand still long enough for my iPhone.