FROM MY BACKYARD

By Byron Higgin, Publisher

I’m standing at the end of the Bug Race during Boxelder Bug Days when a woman approached me and said, “Have I got a story for you.”
Turns out she was Joan (Olafson) Detloff of Somerset, WI. Her father Ray was an insurance man in Minneota a few years back.
“I’m from Minneota but I live in Somerset, WI, not far from where you were from in Grantsburg,” she said.
She went on to say, “I’ve run in every Bug Run since it began, except one,” she said.
“I love coming back to Minneota. She and her husband Barry met on a tennis court in Minneota so there is a lot of sentimental value in returning home.
This was just the start of many stories I would hear during Boxelder Bug Days.
What seemed so amazing was how my past kept coming back to me during the celebration.
Ed and Phyllis Polman of Clarkfield are old friends from my Clarkfield days. When I bumped into them strolling through Memorial Park, we had a nice reunion, then I discovered they’d once operated a restaurant in Minneota, have relatives here and have many friends here. Ed is a Minneota native and Phyllis is from the St. Leo area.
Then I ran into Mike Gunlogson of Clarkfield (notice the Icelander-type name here?) and I introduced him to Jon Guttormsson, our former publisher.
Well, I thought they were old buddies or something. I guess those Icelandic folks can talk for ever when they find another one.
I’ve been wanting to meet Jim Meger, the famous Minneota wildlife artist and suddenly I heard, “He’s at the Fire Station.”
Sure enough, there he was. Another hometown boy came home for the festivities.
I also bumped into Joan Almich (formerly Joan Christianson) of Minneota.
We knew each other through the Super Valu store her and husband Bill ran in Granite Falls.
Suddenly, there she was, talking with Jim Meger as an old friend. The roots do run deep.
As the weekend went on, I became more and more aware of just how much time and effort the Boxelder Bug Committee put into the festival.
They did a tremendous job.
Thank You, each and every one. And to all the volunteers, well, this was really a great event. I’ve never seen one quite like it.
Minneota should be very proud.


LAUGH A LITTLE: Bob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife was really mad.
She told him "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE !!"
The next morning he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway.
Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, brought the box back in the house.
She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.
Bob has been missing since Friday.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: As my Ole Pappy used to say, “You can kill more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Ole Pappy had something there. It sure is easier to get your way when you lift the corners of your mouth upward and toss out a compliment. Good work Ole Pappy.