Father Statz: 13 Years in Sauk Centre

Sunday, June 29, 2014. The household's Internet and phone service was out for most of the afternoon. Happily, Charter realized that something was wrong in this area, and we were connected again before supper. Then, a few minutes later, we weren't: but service was restored shortly afterward, and stayed that way.

I took advantage of the isolation to putter a bit with something that uses software and data in my computer: and even read a little of a magazine that came this week, Sky and Telescope. That was a Sunday afternoon well-spent.

Today was the last time we had Father Statz at Our Lady of Angels. He's been here for 13 years, quite a long assignment at one parish.


A crew from Charter, fixing Internet and phone lines. June 29, 2014.

I found some old photos while writing a post for my A Catholic Citizen in America blog: "'Just Routine, Nothing Special' — Thank You, Father Statz." Two of them, at least, don't seem to have fond their way into this Sauk Centre Journal. There's a larger version of the photo from 2004 in that post.


Procession of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fr. Statz. June 14, 2003.


Mural in Our Lady of Angels, by Tom Kane, adapted from Tiepolo's Immaculate Conception. July 14, 2010.


Sunset: but not the colorful kind. July 22, 2010.

I don't have much more to say this week, so this is a good place to stop. I'll see you next week.

Rain, Ducks, Old Song Lyrics: and a Corpus Christi Procession

Sunday, June 22, 2014. It's summer: the season for rummage sales, sunburn, and the occasional tornado warning. We've had quite a lot of rain lately. After a little checking, I learned that July is the only month that hasn't seen snow in Minnesota: since we've been keeping records, anyway.


Conservation Park. I thought the river looked high - - -


- - - and I was right. June 18, 2014.

I saw this anatine pair Wednesday afternoon.


If I see two ducks, is that a paradox? June 18, 2014.


"Love is a many-splendored thing" - - -


- - - "and the world stood still." June 18, 2014.

On a more serious note, our Corpus Christi procession didn't get rained out.


Corpus Christi procession: first leg. June 22, 2014.


Not everybody participated, of course. June 22, 2014.


I'd say "we're approaching St. Paul's" here: but I was across the street, taking pictures. June 22, 2014.

I put other, larger, photos of the procession on my A Catholic Citizen in America blog.

Nic's Diner Changes Hands

Sunday, June 15, 2014. It's been one of those weeks: I haven't gotten much done, and took all week doing it. The weather isn't helping: it rained on three days this week. I've heard that crops around here are not looking good. Water is good for plants: but too much at the wrong time: not so much.


Thursday's Sauk Herald. June 12, 2014.

On a happier note, the Sauk Centre Herald put the new owners of Nic's Diner on the front page: Gary and Karyn Nelson. The paper says they're planning a Grand Opening for Sinclair Lewis Days.

Rain, Clear, and Undecided

Sunday, June 8, 2014. There's a flood warning for the Sauk River, around St. Cloud, effective until next Sunday. I can believe that. We've had a great deal of rain. At one point, some of the water outside got inside, into the basement. I don't remember that happening since the time we got an unusually heavy rain while the ground was still frozen.

Wunderground.com's almanac for our area shows rain or rain and lightning four days this week, clear skies for two days, and one undecided: that was today, with leaden overcast but no rain.


Lilacs. June 2, 2014.

Between heavy rain, wind, and their natural cycle, flowers on the lilac bushes have withered or been blown away. I noticed near-ideal light on them Monday, snatched my camera, and got outside when the clouds were reasserting themselves.

Rain, Lightning, Lights Out, and Lilacs

Sunday, June 1, 2014. We had a power outage in the small hours of Saturday morning, during a thundershower. Power was back around sunrise, happily. We've been getting rain quite a bit, which I like: as long as I can stay inside.


Gardening begins. May 27, 2014.


Lilac cluster. June 1, 2014.


Lots of lilacs. June 1, 2014.


The sky this evening. June 1, 2014.

Lilacs are blooming: I like the way they look, and haven't a clue how they smell. That sense doesn't work in me, which has come in handy when a particularly pungent mess had to be cleaned up.

The lilac blooms will be gone soon. Very soon if we have more heavy rains. No matter: I'm looking forward to summer.