Fall is in full force in western Nebraska, and if predictions are correct, we will have our first "killing" frost tonight.

We had a busy summer that included a job change for Harold. He is now working as a department supervisor at a Home Depot store in Sterling, Colorado, south of here.

I started work this fall as a "special education para-educator" (teacher's aide) at an elementary school in Sidney. Another aide and I work one-on-one with two severely mentally delayed 5th grade boys. We switch boys each month. So far it has been both challenging and rewarding. Interestingly, Uncle Don and Aunt Dorothy, the resource teacher I work under is from Alexandria, Minnesota. They moved here this fall when her husband took a job as administrator of a nursing home in Sidney.

Eric was here for a few days visit recently. He is in the Beaverton, Oregon, area this year. At the moment, he is in Alaska for some special meetings.

Cody is continuing his college studies full time at the community college in Sidney this fall. He does some math tutoring at the college and works on a ranch for some of our friends on weekends during the school year. His son Austin, who will soon be 16 years old, is coming for a visit next week on his fall break from school.

We enjoyed meeting Justin, Melody, Wade, Callie and Amy in Laramie, Wyoming, for the day last Saturday. The men and boys went to a University of Wyoming (Harold's alma mater) football game, and the women and girls just visited and did a little "window shopping."

That evening, we came through a heavy, wet snow storm over the summit between Laramie and Cheyenne on our way home! Fortunately, we won't expect that sort of thing at lower elevations for a while yet.

Thomas Logan Johnson

Caity is an auntie again! Her brother Ryan's wife, April, had their third child. Here is Caity's sister Bec's announcement about their new nephew:

This is my Mom [Sherry] and Dad [Larry Dake] and my nephew Levi Steinhauer, at Hunter convention about two years ago! (I think we can all recognize them, as they haven't changed much, at least not the older two. ;))

Amy (Dake) Harrison
Crookston, MN

Thanks for ... the picture of Larry, Sherry and Levi. They had sent it to me, but I didn't know if I should, or could, write in an answer.

Bergit J. Swenson
(Sherry Swenson Dake's mother)
Oklee, MN

Editor's Note: I do want you to know that we welcome guesses from anyone who knows, or thinks they know, the people in our Guess pictures. Thanks for your answer. --Dorothy Dake Anderson

In the history of our nation, few conflicts have fostered emotions bitter enough to pit brother versus brother and friend versus friend, generating deep-seated divisions that can only be settled through violent conflict on the battlefield. This past Saturday's clash between the University of Minnesota's Golden Gophers and the Bison of North Dakota State University was one of these earth shattering battles, settled once and for all on the synthetic blades of the Metrodome gridiron.

The stage for this war to end all wars was set one year prior, when the Bison made their first foray into the unfriendly confines of the Metrodome. As a mediocre team at the NCAA's top Division I-A level, the Gophers were heavily favored over NDSU, whose football team plays in the lower I-AA classification. However, the game ended up going down to the wire, with the Gophers sealing a 10-9 win with a last second block of an NDSU field goal.

This year's game promised to be a worthy encore to last year's thriller. In the past year, the Gophers' football program had devolved from mediocre to truly lousy, while NDSU had attained the top ranking in Division I-AA. The Bison and their fans viewed this game as a chance to validate their great season by knocking off a Big Ten opponent. The Gophers and their fans viewed the game as their last realistic chance of tasting victory during the 2007 season.

The tension surrounding the game was enhanced by the unique fan dynamics of my immediate family and closest friends. As a University of Minnesota alumnus, I have remained a fan of the University's sports programs, particularly the football team. In fact, my brother-in-law and fellow U of M graduate Shawn, along with a group of our friends, have bought Gophers football season tickets for each of the past two seasons, and plan to continue this tradition long into the future.

While Shawn and I would remain loyal to the Gophers as they clashed with NDSU, a few of the guys in our season ticket group are NDSU graduates and would be shifting their loyalties for this one game. Furthermore, my brother Wyatt and stepbrother Chris would be making the drive down from Fargo-Moorhead to join us for the game, placing two more votes under the NDSU column.

Because Shawn, Wyatt, Chris and I had all missed out on the Gophers-NDSU game in 2006 for various reasons, and because the teams are not scheduled to play again in future seasons, we decided to go all out for this game. Wyatt and Chris made their way down to the Cities on Friday night, and by 7 o'clock on Saturday morning, no fewer than 15 of our football fan friends had gathered at my house in Maple Grove. From there, we all piled into cars and drove to a parking lot near the Metrodome, leaving us a few hours of tailgating before the 11 a.m. opening kickoff.

This being the fifth home game of the season, my fellow season ticket holders and I now have this tailgating thing down to a science. A few days before the game, one of us sends an e-mail to the group with that week's food contributions, with each member charged with bringing brats, burgers, buns, chili, chips or other such essentials. In order to provide us with an identifiable landmark in the parking lot, we even chipped in and bought a 10' by 10' canopy emblazoned with the University's "M" logo. This week took a little more planning, as our usual group of seven had more than doubled in size. However, we all chipped in and treated ourselves to a two-course feast.

We started with a breakfast of donuts, bagels with cream cheese, orange juice and milk. After breakfast, the Gophers fans in the group made our way to the plaza in front of the Metrodome for the Victory Walk, a new tradition started by the Gophers' first-year coach, in which the players and coaches make their way from the team buses through the crowd to the Dome's player entrance. The Victory Walk is a nice gesture, as it allows fans to shake hands and offer words of encouragement to the players as they prepare for the game. However, the name of this march has taken on an unintended irony as the Gophers have stumbled to a 1-6 start.

Following the "I Hope We Can Get a Win This Week" Walk, we Gophers fans returned to the parking lot, where the NDSU fans who stayed behind had fired up the grills to prepare round two of our feast, which consisted of chili, cheeseburgers and brats. We enjoyed our early lunch as fans of both teams continued to fill the parking lot and engage in some good natured ribbing.

As game time neared, we cleaned up our camp and walked back to the stadium. As luck would have it, Wyatt, Shawn and I ran into Ben, Heather, Dan and Gina Henderson as we neared the entry gate. It was fun seeing them, but their green and gold gear told me that their rooting interests would not agree with mine.

Shortly after we made our way through the turnstiles, I happened upon another Henderson. This time it was Curt, who also wore NDSU colors. This was turning into a regular family reunion, but I was starting to feel like the black sheep in my maroon sweatshirt and cap.

Finally, the long awaited game kicked off. The Gophers quickly scored a touchdown on a trick pass play. NDSU answered almost immediately on a long run by their star running back. The rest of the game continued in the same back and forth manner, as the Gophers and Bison halves of our contingent took turns shouting with delight and groaning with disgust.

The Gophers held the lead entering the fourth quarter, but NDSU mounted a comeback, then held on for a 27-21 win, perhaps the biggest win in the program's history. On the flip side, losing to a Division I-AA school at home marked a new low point in the long, sad history of Golden Gophers football.

As the final seconds ticked off of the game clock, I quickly made my way to the exit. There is no worse feeling at a football game than when the opponent's fans take over your home stadium and celebrate their defeat of your favorite team. Although part of me was happy for NDSU and their fans, particularly my green and gold-clad friends and family members, I have to admit that my overwhelming feeling was disgust with my Gopher squad, and I had no desire to remain in the Dome while 25,000 Fargoans threw a party at my team's expense.

In time, I got over my disappointment. After all, it was an exciting game and it had been fun to have such a large group of friends in attendance. And I take solace knowing if the Bison ever dare to venture back to the Metrodome, the outcome will be much different. Maybe next time, the Gophers will only lose by three!

Donna Anderson Johnson
Ashby, MN