More Photos from Sinclair Lewis Days Parade, 2015

Sunday, July 26, 2015. Stearns County Fair starts next week, and I've still got photos from last week's Sinclair Lewis Days parade to show.


Some folks get quite imaginative: like this furry unit. (July 18, 2015)


A tip of the hat to the River City Rhythm, for a particularly lively performance. They did a very good job. (July 18, 2015)


Here's the head of the parade, coming back past the corner of Ash and South 9th. (July 18, 2015)


And one of my favorite parts of the parade: the Coborn's grocery cart. Make that grocery carts this year. (July 18, 2015)

Next week, I'll have photos from the Fair. That's the idea, at least.

Mostly the Sinclair Lewis Days Parade

Sunday, July 19, 2015. It's been an interesting few weeks for the family. Among other things, my son-in-law and son have been designing and programming an industrial robot for Spiral Light Candle. That brought me and the other Sauk Centre Gills to North Dakota earlier this week. It's not quite 'life in Sauk Centre,' but — I'm a proud in-law/parent.


Spiral Light Candle factory, after hours. (July 13, 2015)

Meanwhile, back in Sauk Centre, the downtown mural on Sinclair Lewis Avenue is getting closer to completion.


Work in progress: the mural on Sinclair Lewis Avenue, at the corner of Sinclair and Main. (July 15, 2015)


Road work near the Interstate. (July 15, 2015)

It's an old joke. Minnesota's four seasons: fall, winter, spring, and road work. There's something to it.

Sinclair Lewis Days is over now. The parade route went by our house twice: which took a bit of coordination, letting an  outbound unit through the intersection while a returning one waited for its turn. It worked out fine, though.


Sinclair Lewis Days parade begins. (July 18, 2015)


Someone observed that the kids running out before another unit came, to pick up candy, reminded him of chickens going after seed. I see his point: and they were having fun. (July 18, 2015)


Sauk Centre fire/emergency department has at least one new(ish) vehicle - - - (July 18, 2015)


- - - and one that's very vintage. (July 18, 2015)

I've got more photos from the parade: but will spread them out over the next few weeks: along with pictures from the county fair. That's the plan, anyway.

Ding Dong Café For Sale

Sunday, July 12, 2015. The Ding Dong Café has been around for 69 years, this week's Sauk Centre Herald says. It is not, the current owner says, going to become a bicycle shop: according to the Herald. Amazing, the rumors that get started. It is, however, for sale. The current owner, Judy Bailey, says she's getting ready to retire: after 20 years as owner, and four before that working there.

The Ding Dong is a cultural/community landmark here: small wonder this news made top story on the front page.


Ding Dong Café: front page news. (July 9, 2015)


Lots of lightning, thunder, and rain. From my webcam. (8:46 p.m. July 12, 2015)

A big thunderstorm has been rolling over Sauk Centre, and a large swath of central Minnesota. There've been reports of wind damage in Albany, St Joseph (Semaphore traffic signal down): and trees down here in Sauk Centre. Still, it could have been a lot worse.

St. Paul's Construction, Re-Roofing the VB Building, and a Raffle

Sunday, July 5, 2015. There's a severe thunderstorm/flash flood watch on for a swath from eastern South Dakota to Minnesota's arrowhead region. One line went over a bit earlier, but it looks like there's more behind that one: so I'll be up for another hour or so, at least. It's an 'abundance of caution' thing.

St. Paul's construction/expansion continues. That's a huge project.


Construction at St. Paul's continues. That "Road Closed Ahead" sign was on the street west of the church. (July 1, 2015)


I'm glad to see a new roof going on the old Vocational Biographies building. (July 1, 2015)


Sign announcing/advertising a Holy Family School fundraiser. The drawing will be at Greenwald Pub, August 14. (July 1, 2015)

I was glad to see a crew on the old Vocational Biographies building roof, putting a long-overdue new set of shingles on. That's a fine old mansion/funeral home/office building: with a remarkable fraction of the original woodwork intact.

That Holy Family School fundraiser sign caught my eye. It's in the Our Lady of Angels parking lot: a logical place, since the St. Paul's lot is part of the construction project. Folks in the two parishes cooperate pretty well.

That's all I've got this week: and more than I remembered, when I started writing it. Next week: who knows?