Photo © Jim & Kristi Indermark
The Indermarks in front of Rich's condo -- Jim, Kristi, Jordan & Tyler.

Update -- summer's done in Alaska
by Miss Kitty
Anchorage, AK

The leaves are turning red and gold and Miss Jerrianne and the rest of the gardeners are starting fall cleanup, weather permitting ... which it hasn't been this week. She went to pick chokecherries and they still don't seem to be ripe enough to strip off the trees. Now we are wondering whether they will even get ripe enough to pick this year.

Despite the cool, damp weather (and sometimes because of it) the flowers have been gorgeous this year and everything has stayed green and lush right through until fall. We're hoping for a bit more time before the frost hits, but every day of above freezing temperatures now is a gift.

Mai Tai and I know it's fall, because we both went to the vet for our annual checkups this week. When Miss Jerrianne tried to stuff me in the pouch, I threw a hissy fit and got away with it -- I thought. She picked Mai Tai up and took him to the vet in my place and he got two shots. That made my day! But a couple days later I found myself in a brand new carrier and going for a ride. I got a shot, too ... though I didn't make it easy on her or the vet.

The grandkittens are being homeschooled again this year and at last report they are doing well.

Photo © Ken Carson
Oreo prefers to do his homework in the library.

Photo © Donna Johnson
One of many tractors in 1-1/2 hour-long tractor parade at Rollag.

Photo © Donna Johnson
Can you spot Beaver on the train?

Photo © Donna Johnson
Jordan Indermark & Jayce Chap, at the Rollag Western Thresherman Show, checking out how kids used to ride to school.

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Caity started playing volleyball this year, for the first time, with her 7th grade class. It's fun to go and watch her games. Her first game, Shawn, Lori, McKenna, Becky, Jayce, Beaver and I were able to attend. We went out to eat afterwards, while she had to watch the 6th grade class play and then ride the bus back to Ashby. Sad to say, they did not win a game, though they came close. We enjoyed watching them, anyway.

Photo © Donna Johnson
Caity & Lori practicing volleyball on Labor Day at the Ostendorf lake home. Caity is in volleyball this year and her aunt has played volleyball for years.

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Human Anatomy Online
http://www.innerbody.com/

I went over in the pasture. They weren't very far away and I got them home. The old cow was a little bit uneasy that night. There were a few flies, but not really bad, but I sprayed a little bit with some spray dope. She didn't want to sit still, so I just took a rope "standstill," it was called, that we had there. She was about maybe six feet from the fence. The rope was just a little bit too short so I laid the rope on the fence wire and just laid it over her neck and didn't tie it. That did the trick. She didn't move any more.

I was sitting there on a one-legged milk stool and milking away and she wasn't milking much anyway. They were mostly dry. My dad used to dry them up in the summer time, pretty much there. And don't you know, up almost a quarter of a mile by the fence anyway, the fence wire was nailed to a maple tree. Lightning hit that maple tree.

I was hanging on milking, so I had a hold of her with both hands and boy, I'll tell you, she let a beller out of her, just one long bawl. I think her hind feet sunk right down in the ground about six inches, because she just took off like a rocket. It stunned me and I did a kind of a somersault right in the air there, it seemed to me. For a moment I was stunned. When I kind of come to, I was on my hands and knees, but the milk pail hadn't tipped over. It didn't have much milk in it anyway. But the manure just flew out of that cow for about six feet. Just a regular....

That really gave her a jolt. She just went, "Wraaaaaaa!" It was the funniest thing. We had quite a few young stock. In this corner of the pasture, there wasn't any brush or anything. It was all open, just a few stumps. When she let out that beller, all the other stock came from all around. They just ran right out of the woods. They were in the brush and around out there. Even the horses. We had three or four horses and they all ran right over to that cow. That's what kind of noise she made. I'll tell you, that was really something.

We make the initial climb in the early morning shade. There is still frost on the ground as we climb and icicles along the small mountain stream. We reach the top by about 8 a.m. and enjoy early morning sunlight on the heart of the main range stretched before us, with glaciers descending into high mountain lakes.

We see Mount Siula Grande and think of the movie and book Touching the Void, which describes the experience of a climber who fell while attempting to summit this mountain. He suffered a broken leg and other injuries from his initial fall. He was roped to a partner but the partner was unable to help him get back up or to safely let him down. The partner was forced to cut him loose and he fell farther, suffering more injuries. The partner was forced to leave him and to try and get some help. The injured climber crawled for four days before he was found and evacuated.

When children lived near our camping area sometimes they would come to watch us set up camp. Sheldon could hardly resist when they asked for candy and Kjirsten gave him a stern talk, from an anthropologist's view, about how it affects their culture when they are rewarded for begging. Sometimes Sheldon would give them a piece of hard candy if he took their picture. We should have brought little notebooks and pens to give the children, but we didn't think of it ahead of time.

Nicol was fascinated with our gear and would have liked to keep a backpack, hiking poles, headlamp, tent, etc. He enjoyed looking at our Ziplocs full of dried vegetables and loved the little packages of tuna and chicken we gave him for lunch (packets that we brought from the USA).

Miss Hetty's Mailbox:

Photo © Mavis Morgan
Tom, right, and Mavis Anderson Morgan visited Don & Dorothy Anderson recently. Mavis did the snapping so therefore is not on the photo.

Keep Us Posted!

Please drop Miss Hetty a line and tell us who, and what, we've missed. And how about a report (photos welcome) of YOUR special celebration?

'Many Thankse
Everyone!

Miss Hetty

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On the guess last week -- I was embarrassed by not remembering Rose Noonan but I had little Ellen Johnson's name in my thoughts and couldn't come up with Rose! I called Jim and he was lost, too! He said we needed Phoebe or Lenore to ask! That shows how much we depended on those two for our "stored" knowledge.

Oh, that beautiful Butterfly on the Black Eyed Susan was outstanding. On the screen it is so sharp and clear and beautiful. It's so interesting to study all the small and large markings, with colors that blend perfectly. What a magnificent creator we have!

Paul Bunyan. I felt a wave of nostalgia as I saw that picture of this lumberjack that has been a Minnesota idol as long as I can remember. I was glad Don and Dorothy took time to tell us each detail of their trip. What a nice opportunity to just get away! The destination of seeing her brother LeRoy and Vonnie made it worth all the effort. It would have taken careful planning to arrange for handicap facilities. It sounds like all worked like clockwork, so it would have been comfortable and enjoyable for both.

To have seen the Bergeson Gardens would also be a highlight, as well as Fargo and Wahpeton family. Now winter can set in and they can sit and look out the window without wishing they had done this or that before being snowbound. I smiled to read "There is no place like home." There just isn't!

Thanks, Rachel, for sharing your news from Ecuador. Looks like you have a very cozy, accommodating, place there, and a computer can keep you in close touch with home.

I won't go into blueberry picking days in the Silver Bay/Finland area of northern Minnesota, but seeing the vivid blueberries brought back those memories, including flies and mosquitoes and the fear of bears -- also delicious, fresh blueberry pie. We were at the Kuehl's and Carol Sorenson was there. Wish I could find that picture of us.

The Update of Virginia Adair heading home was one we have also looked forward to for weeks and weeks now. What a grand homecoming that will be! The best part is the wheelchair ramp that will be installed. That is a must! Can you just imagine Virginia standing in the middle of the room just looking and looking at HER home?

So, we now have the next chapter of the New York account by Wyatt. It made great reading, and I'm still laughing over the prospect of spending a day looking at various types of sandpaper if it were air conditioned. That was a grueling trip of walking, if you ask me, and not one you would repeat very soon, I'm sure. I hope the grand finale will end on a pleasant note, and not more exhausting, hot days.

Thanks, McKenna, for your Update on the state fair visit. I won't let on to Miss Kitty that you are getting to be such a gifted storyteller. Made me wish we had gone to enjoy the fun fair food, but Roy is not able anymore for that kind of day. We went when we could. I wonder if chocolate covered bacon will ever be repeated?

OH, what a thrill! There were those two people sitting alongside the huge 907 lb. pumpkin, and immediately I recognized them. My very dear and special friend, Kathlyn and Arg. I fully enjoyed time with Kathy and Arg almost too long ago to remember.

That was quite a story about the Alaska State Fair, and the fact that the bees could not make honey enough to even open the booth at the fair, due to the weather. So Alaska is 50 years old this year! That was a clever painted salmon Dot Bardarson did.

We like keeping up with the children as they grow. First their baby picture, and all too soon the first birthday, like Camryn. It goes fast from then on, and even Becky is having a birthday dinner. Looks like Jayce loves his mommy. Donna Mae, is that your plate there with just salad on it? That's no fun at the OCB, where you should load up. Or was that just the first course?

I was quite surprised to learn that it has been six years since The Bulletin started. Can you believe how fast it has grown? It takes constant dedication to keep it as a family paper, without bringing in a lot of things that would change the tempo. I value it for the family news, which is always so clean and wholesome and safe. It would take some editing to keep it at that level. I certainly appreciate being included.

Bruce McCorkell's story on Roosters said it like it was. Pretty interesting how they have this instinct to protect the flock, even in the presence of a hawk.

The Peru Trek was relating the day-five experiences. DAY FIVE -- and they were still walking into nowhere. I am sure that warm water was welcome to those hikers. The more I read, the less I would have chosen such an excursion. Below freezing, rehydrated vegetables, dirty hiking clothes. Now those people are macho!

The Appalachian Trek, which followed, with those pictures of the rocks to have to mount and descend, was almost more than I could take. I had to just skim over it quickly as I was so fearful for them. How did they ever find their way? How did they ever keep the smile that Kyra had? I just can't believe it. It is easier to read the book as there are no pictures to tell it like it really was.

Even so, I can hardly wait for the next chapter of either trek!

Ethan Horne has gotten to be a real boy, or should I say tough soldier! I could hardly recognize him, looking that big. Same with Hunter Holman. It seems like each week he's changing.

I am sure the reason it is so much fun to be grandmother, as the quotation for the day said, is that you can enjoy them, and when they cry, hand them to the mommy.

This is lacking it seems. Lacking some kind of sparkle, but it's my contribution for this week to keep my subscription valid. Thank you once more for The Bulletin that has taken so much time and effort and work and doing and redoing. When we get the finished product it looks like it all went slick and smooth.

Betty Droel