Flowers, Sign Work, an Anniversary, and a Sunset

Sunday, June 8, 2012. Another week, with the usual bright blue skies, leaden overcast, sweltering heat, and chilly evenings. I like Minnesota: the weather isn't boring.

I noticed a sign being set up - or possibly repaired - at the Central Minnesota Credit Union on south Main Street. 'Set up' is more likely, since the framework is where the CMU's sign-on-a-pole used to be.


Looks like Central Minnesota Credit Union's going for a lower-profile sign. June 8, 2012.

Yards and gardens in town are looking good: we've had a pretty good mix of sunshine and rain. My webcam, "Small Town America: Central Minnesota," shows mostly lawns, streets, and sidewalks. On the other hand, I nudged it over a little and fixed the focus: so the view of the hummingbird feeder is a little better.

Now that I've got that shameless self-promotion out of the way, a couple more photos.


Flowers. Sign. Bright colors. June 8, 2012.


Sunset Friday's sunset, south and west of Sauk Centre. June 8, 2012.

Finally, Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas has been a deacon for 25 years, as of this weekend. He's attached to Our Lady of Angels and St. Paul here in Sauk Centre; and St. Alexius in West Union. He spent another 25 before that, serving around the altar in one capacity or another.

Gray sky, Bright Birdhouses, and Flags

Sunday, April 22, 2012. Today is Earth Day. That might explain the flags downtown. I remember the first E.D., back in 1970, and told what I think about environmental awareness in one of my blogs. ("Earth Day, 2012: This Catholic's View") Or maybe the flags are out in anticipation of Administrative Professionals Day which comes Wednesday. Or National Jelly Bean Day, which is today.


Sinclair Lewis Avenue, overcast, and flags. April 21, 2012.


Unger's liquidation sale is in its final week (extended). April 21, 2012.


Even on a gray day, these birdhouses stand out. April 21, 2012.

Let's see: holidays; damp streets; stock liquidation sale; really colorful birdhouses. Yep, that's pretty much what I have this week.

Easter Sunday, 2012

Sunday, April 8, 2012. Easter Sunday. Ducks have returned to SaukLake, flowers are blooming, and bugs are in the air.


Sauk Lake, near St. Michael's. April 4, 2012.


Ducks in Sauk Lake. April 4, 2012.


Not a big bush: but lots of flowers. April 7, 2012.


The Easter Express? I like that yard decoration. April 8, 2012.


Easter Sunday, Our Lady of Angels church. April 8, 2012.

I'm looking forward to consistently warm weather: which shouldn't be too far ahead.

Hummingbird Feeder, a Look at Downtown, and Golden Star's Open

Sunday, June 12, 2011. I got around to putting the hummingbird feeder up today: a bit late, but we had a cool spring this year.

I was downtown, yesterday afternoon, mostly to take  few photos. ("The Original") Main Street doesn't look all that different than it did last year - apart from a new eatery at the corner of Sinclair Lewis and Main. There are changes, though. Heartland Gallery offers a laser engraving service now - I didn't ask when they started doing that.


Heartland Gallery's new(ish) service. June 11, 2011.


Main Street ("The Original") west side. June 11, 2011.

Across the street, Gold 'N More has a going-out-of-business sale. They've been a downtown feature for quite a few years. I'm sorry to see the gifts-and-stuff store close. I've mentioned Gold 'N More before: April 3, 2004, November 14, 2003, October 16, 2003, October 5, 2003, September 19, 2003.

On a happier note, Sauk Centre has a Chinese restaurant again: Golden Star: "Take Out or Dine In," as the sign says. I understand the place has new owners as well as a new name.

This is at least the third Chinese (or Chinese/Mexican) restaurant at that location. Watching their efforts has been an interesting ride, so far. I've written about that on June 22, May 16, and April 4, 2008. There was another Chinese restaurant in the same location: June 24, 2007. More recently, I've mentioned Andy's Wok in the Sauk Centre Journal Blog:

• "Chinese Restaurant: New Owner Coming"
  (January 12, 2011)
• "Moonrise, Freezing Rain, and a Chinese Restaurant"
  (November 21, 2010)
• "Andy's Wok License Revoked, Buildings in Transition"
  (September 1, 2010)
• "Andy's Wok in the News, and the Stearns County Fair"
  (August 1, 2010)
• "Beautiful Weather, Trouble at Andy's Wok, Fireworks"
  (June 30, 2010)

I don't generally keep track of one business like that - but the Chinese restaurants have been a colorful part of downtown Sauk Centre, and I'd like to see this one succeed.


Gold 'N More: They've been around for a while. June 11, 2011.


Golden Star: New owners, I understand, and new name. June 11, 2011.


Golden Star's heads-up to my parish. June 12, 2011.

So far, the new owners seem to be a great deal more on-the-ball than previous ones: at least as when it comes to letting folks know that their Golden Star is open and ready for business.

It's a beautiful evening: There's still time to sit outside and enjoy it, which is what I'm going to do now.

A Duck, a Drake, a Yard, a Lake

Sunday, April 18, 2010. We've been having wonderful weather lately: clear blue skies, warm(ish) winds, lots of sunshine. That's probably why so much of Minnesota, north of here, had a 'Fire Weather Warning' a few days ago.


The 'other' specialty coffee shop in Sauk Centre. April 14, 2010.

I mention Jitters Java, the specialty coffee shop near downtown, from time to time. There's another place where you can get specialty coffees, too: The Main Street Coffee Company, on Main near the corner of 6th, across the street from Marc'ette Floral. Main Street Coffee Company is quite a combination: They've got specialty coffees (and that "famous bread pudding" you see on the sign) and a few tables. There's an antique store integrated with the coffee shop: and it looks like they rent bikes. That last actually makes sense: They're close to Lake Wobegon Trail.


Sauk Lake. Waves. Another month or so, and most of this view will be obscured by leaves. April 15, 2010.

I haven't run into many daft ducks this year. The fact is, I've never actually run into - or over- a duck. But a few addled avians have had close calls in front of my vehicles.


A duck following a drake. Both apparently oblivious to everything but each other. Lovely, romantic, and a traffic hazard. April 15, 2010.

One of Sauk Centre's more decorative front yards, during spring cleaning. April 15, 2010.

One of my favorite front yards in Sauk Centre is on the north side. I've made a point of driving by, at least a few times a year, to enjoy the view. Last week I found out a little more about the place. Apparently the same person has been living there for about 40 years, adding to and adjusting that remarkable collage bit by bit.

The yard was in the middle of what I'll call 'spring cleaning' when I took a look last week. I was assured that it'll look better when the job's done.

A pair of peacock statues moved in last fall. I plan to be back later, when the place is more presentable.


Main Street, Sauk Centre, looking north from Lake Wobegon Trail. April 18, 2010.

Here's something I read in the St. Cloud Times online edition:

"Safety project to cause I-94 lane closures"
St. Cloud Times (April 17, 2010)

"Motorists will encounter lane closures beginning Monday on Interstate Highway 94 while a 17-mile median guard rail is installed between Sauk Centre and Albany...."

There's a little more: like how much it's expected to cost ($1,800,000) and just where it is (I 94 from Stearns County Road 186 to just west of County Road 157). The important part, for most of us, is that the project should be finished by the end of July<

That's "weather permitting," as the St. Cloud Times put it.

Nursing Home Request; Both Sorts of Autumn Weather

Sunday, September 27, 2009. Quilts were on display in the 1st State Bank when I went in on Friday: One of them has something to do with a West Union sausage supper and a raffle. I didn't notice what the other one was about. I've been a little distracted lately.


Quilts being raffled, a boy and his dad in, attending to some business: another Friday afternoon at the bank. September 25, 2009.

At church today, I heard that the nursing home has asked that anybody with a respiratory infection stay home and not come to visit. Makes sense, I'd say, H1N1 or no.

We've had both sorts of typical Minnesota autumn days: bright and clear, when it's a joy to be outside; and grimly overcast with rain and wind. Birds are either on their way south or making ready.


Gulls. Lots of gulls. West of Wal Mart. September 25, 2009.

It wasn't raining around noon Saturday or Sunday, though, so I didn't get wet while I grilled burgers.

Rapist Pleads Guilty, Swine Flu's in Town: Not Exactly Mayberry, RFD, But I Love it Here

Wednesday, September 23, 2009. The headlines at the top of this week's Sauk Centre Herald are "Trail rapist pleads guilty" and "H1N1 is here / What to do to protect yourself" - and after that, a feature about Kevin Kerffeld's dealing with lung cancer.

The sky was as somber as the lead stories yesterday.


Ever have days like this? September 22, 2009.


Some trees were turning: but what I mostly noticed was the unsunny sky. September 22, 2009.

The "Trail rapist" pled guilty, with no plea bargaining. Turns out he's probably in the country illegally, and came here from Guatemala. Given the minimum sentence, 144 months (12 years), he probably won't be back in circulation for a while. Which is a bit of a relief.

Our Lady of the Angels' priest, Fr. James Statz, was the first person the victim met after the attack: my family is in that parish, which brings this incident a bit closer to home.

The paper gives some good, common-sense advice about not getting H1N1/Swine flu this year: Basically, wash you hands, don't get sneezed on, and don't sneeze on others.

I walked down to Coborn's this afternoon to get my annual flu shot. Which doesn't cover H1N1. Well, can't have everything. I'll just have to be a bit more careful than usual. (I've been keeping track of H1N1/Swine flu in one of my blogs, and collected a fair amount of information about the bug, and what's being done about it.)


Flu shots inside: I got the point. September 23, 2009.

There's something new inside Coborn's: a hand/handle sanitizer pole. The idea is to take one of the wipes, wipe it across the handle of the cart you take, and do your hands while you're at it.

By far not the worst idea I've run into.


Swab the handle and your hands? Yeah, it takes a few seconds: but I think it makes sense. So, apparently, did the folks who'd used the pole just before I took this photo. September 23, 2009.

The sky's cleared up today, I'm hoping to attract chickadees - plus a whole lot of sparrows - at the birdfeeder this winter.