Ash Wednesday and a Wind Chill Warning

Sunday, February 22, 2015. Depending on a person counts the days, this is the first Sunday of Lent, the 22nd day of February, or 53rd day of the year, according to the Gregorian calendar.

It's also a day when a wind chill warning became a mere wind chill advisory by evening. Can't say that I'm disappointed.

Wunderground.com reports that "a record low maximum temperature of -2 degrees was recorded today at the St cloud Airport. This easily retires the old record of 1 degree set in 1965."

I stayed inside all day, and plan to do the same tomorrow.


Chaplets, a crucifix and knotted cord worn around the neck, before Ash Wednesday Mass and Our Lady of Angels. (February 18, 2015)


Last year's palm fronds, now ashes. (February 18, 2015)


Chaplets being handed out, after Mass. (February 18, 2015)


And, of course, the ashes. (February 18, 2015)

This week's Sauk Centre Herald reports that Centre Lumber closed its doors for the last time Friday, February 13. The Herald says Phil Pfieffer started Centre Lumber in 1998, and that it was owned more recently by Ken Arens.

Rob Polipnick, who owns Steiner Lumber, bought Centre Lumber, but doesn't plan to move to the Centre Lumber site. We'll see what happens to Centre Lumber's building.

I haven't talked a whole lot about Centre Lumber, but I did take a picture of their sign in August of 2008.


Centre Lumber has a new sign: at least, I hadn't noticed it looking this fresh before. August 21, 2008.

Another, not so happy, time I mentioned that business was in my July 24, 2003, post. Dennis "Whitey" Hoeschen, co-owner of Centre Lumber, had died in a traffic accident.

That's about all I've got this week. Next week, I hope I'll have more. I also hope that I get over the its-not-quite-a-cold I've got by then.

Last Sunday Before Lent

Sunday, February 15, 2015. We've had a few light snowfalls, the latest one touching up the ground - and making driving a little more interesting this morning.


Arvig's antenna farm, near Main Street and the Lake Woebegon Trail. (February 11, 2015)

This is the last Sunday before Lent, so I brought last year's palms to church this morning. They'll be burned, and used as ash on Ash Wednesday.


Last year's palms at Our Lady of Angels church. (February 15, 2015)

That's all I've got for this week. I all I remember tonight, at any rate.

Snow, Changes in the Church, Chilly Weather, More Snow, Ash Wednesday: and Still More Snow

Sunday, March 2, 2014. It's chilly this evening: -9.6 ° Fahrenheit. There's the usual wind chill advisory. This time it's not all that cold, and there's no blowing snow to speak of, so schools will probably open on time.

I've gotten a few robocalls from the public school, with 'two hours late' or 'no classes information. I've lost track of how many of which happened. This is a winter when I've been very glad to not have an 'outside' job.

The first photo is from last week: but it's about the same scene I've seen out the window this week, too: and the week before last. We don't have a shortage of snow, and I've said that before.


Some folks shovel, some folks use snowblowers, and then there's more snow. February 21, 2014.

Our Lady of Angels church carved out more space for folks with wheelchairs. Whoever did the carpentry on the two pews did a fine job. It looks like 'it's always been that way.' A few indentations on the carpet tell a different story.


More space for folks with wheelchairs at Our Lady of Angels church. March 1, 2014.

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the kickoff event for Lent. I'm looking forward to that.


Snow, blue sky, sunshine. It's nice to be inside. March 2, 2014.

Like I said: we've got a lot of snow this winter.

Storm Watch Postponed - Due to Lack of Interest?

Sunday, February 26, 2012. It's been snowing, although the winter storm watch got postponed. As of this evening, the forecast is for wind and maybe a foot of snow to show up between Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
Storm Watch Postponed - Due to Lack of Interest?

A smudge on my forehead, marking the start of Lent. February 22, 2012.

I don't have all that much to report this week - aside from some commercial space being available on the west side of Main, downtown. I noticed the sign when my son and I went to an eye clinic this week. Actually, he went: I just tagged along.


That space is still for rent. Or maybe 'again.' If memory serves, that's where Gold 'N More was, until last summer. February 24, 2012.

That's it for now. See you next Sunday!

Snow's Fallen, Steve Ray's in Sauk Centre, and St. Patrick's Day is Thursday

Sunday, March 13, 2011. St. Patrick's Day is coming up this week, and last night we went through the 'spring forward' part of Daylight Saving Time. Which Ben Franklin apparently thought would be a great way to save on candle wax:

• "Ben Franklin and Daylight Saving Time: Even Homer Nods"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (November 7, 2010)

I experienced something like 'jet lag' this afternoon, but went to the Steve Ray Lenten kickoff this evening. That's not what it's called, though. "Lenten Parish Mission 'Contemplating the Passion & What Christ Has Done for Us' " is what's on one of the fliers.


Sauk Centre High School auditorium this evening, a few minutes before Steve Ray got started. March 13, 2011.

There's something about the Stations of the Cross tomorrow at 3:00 in the afternoon, at Our Lady of the Angels, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 4:00 to 7:00, and something about St. John the apostle from 7:00 to 9:00. It's going to be a different sort of Monday for me.

I've been sharing a cold, or something, with some of the family last week: and am duly grateful that it cleared up by the weekend. For me, anyway. Let's see, what else? We had a winter weather advisory Friday night and Saturday morning, which left an inch or so of heavy, wet snow on the ground.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Good night, and see you again - probably next Sunday.

Burning Last Easter's Palms

Sunday, March 6, 2011. Ash Wednesday comes next week, the beginning of Lent. We get ashes for that day from last year's Easter palms: and today was the day the palms were burned. Our Lady of the Angels church has been using a wire-mesh burner for a few years now: a big improvement over what we had before.

This year the weather cooperated, with just enough breeze to blow smoke - reliably - in one direction. Last year's 35-mile-an-hour winds, I'm told, made burning the palms something of a track-and-field event: what with chasing down wind-blown palm bits.


Some of last year's palms reduced to ash, loading more in. March 6, 2011.


Those bits on the ground got gathered and burned a few minutes after I took this picture. March 6, 2011.

We got re-introduced to Scrip today, again at Our Lady of the Angels. I've written about it before. (February 17, 2008) Quite a few businesses in town have agreed to pay a percentage of what's bought with a Scrip card to Holy Family School. Sounds like a good idea.


Really brightly-colored poster, illustrating how Scrip works: at Our Lady of the Angels church. The kids at far right had been singing. March 6, 2011.

We've had quite a bit of snow this winter: more came down today. It's picturesque, and easier on the lungs than open winters where wind-blown dust turns the sky a tannish brown.

On the other hand, all that snow can be an inconvenience. Or worse. The roof of Wagner Hardware, over in Glenwood, collapsed back on February 1, if I'm getting the date right. 4:00 p.m., according to the Pope County Press. They've got an article about the collapse that starts with:

"It's a miracle of God that Dave (Guindon) and Sam (Martin) weren't skewered by broken wood timbers," said Garrett Wagner, who owns and operates Wagner Hardware in Glenwood.

"There were five Wagner Hardware employees in the building when the west side of the store's roof came crashing down at about 4 p.m. last Tuesday...."
(Tim Douglass, pctribune.com (February
7, 2011))

The Wagner Hardware roof collapse reminded me of when the Pamida store roof caved in, quite a few years ago now. Nobody hurt then, either. I've heard that Wagner plans to rebuild, starting this summer.

Like I said, we got more snow today: a nice, gentle, steady snowfall throughout most of the day. Nice to look at, from inside: and enough to keep me away from the grill. I've been out grilling burgers in much worse: but I'm getting over some sort of bug, and decided to be smart. Actually, my wife pointed out the prudent choice.

Finally, Our Lady of the Angels' Lenten Parish Mission with Steve Ray: starts a week from today, March 13th. The Sunday thing starts 6:45 p.m. at the Sauk Centre High School auditorium, I understand - then there's another session Monday at Our Lady of the Angels Church. I wrote about the mission and Steve Ray last week. Well, I mentioned it anyway.