YCGL - Tuesday, July 4, 2023 - Visiting Friends along the Way

 I stayed at Bob's as long as possible in the morning.  It was tough to leave, and since I don't plan to be back until 2025, we both know what that may mean.  But.....

I wasn't going far today. I was planning on seeing two classmates.  Its right at 100 miles from Fertile to Fergus Falls, which is where Al Frank lives.  His wife, Barb, died from pancreatic cancer four months after Sally, so I reached out to him when I learned about it.  We've texted and talked a bit since then and we've developed quite a bond.  Al was a police officer and detective in Fergus Falls for his career and has a lot of stories, both how he got there and what he's done.  He's a no-nonsense straight shooter, but with a heart of gold.  If I was going to get stopped on a traffic stop, I would want it to be Al.  

We had lunch at The Viking, which I thought was a great place for me.  He says its one of the landmarks in Fergus and I can understand why.  We got there at 1:00 and there was one table out of maybe 45 that was open.  And it closes at 2:00.  And we closed it and then some.  

I didn't take any pictures, so I'm using two from last year. 

It's only 45 more miles to Kathy's farm.  Kathy was head of oncology nursing at the hospital in Alexandria.  She and Wayne lost a son to pancreatic cancer in 2017 and then Wayne died of a heart attack in 2019.  We called her a couple of times as Sally's cancer got worse and she helped alot, especially as a friend who understood and was a life long friend of Sally's.  

Wayne was a contractor and the west side of the farm yard looks like House and Garden.  (I wish I had taken pictures of it.)  There are a variety of trees in the background and flower and rock gardens up to the house.  We sat on the flagstone patio and talked for almost two hours before going inside.  The house has two main living areas, each with a hand lain rock fireplace which they did.  Kathy is a real big Minnesota Twins fan, but when we tried to watch the game, the video feed wasn't working, so she ended up following it on her tablet.  We had a good talk until I went out to trailer.  Her daughter and family live in the farm next door and her son is only 90 miles away so she has some family close to her 

Its a nice drive and good friends that make warm and wonderful days.  I cherish them.

The Fourth of July!  

Kathy had mentioned that a hummingbird feeder that she had just bought broke and fell off a little before I got there.  I looked at it and saw that the design was flawed and there was an obvious simple solution.  I always carry a drill, so I drilled two opposing holes in the top and she strung a cord thru them  She had it hung almost before I was gone.  👍

The farm is only a few miles from the Kensington Rune Stone Park. 

The rune stone is a flat rock covered with Norwegian runes that was discovered in a field near Kensington, MN in 1898 by Olof Ohman, a Swedish immigrant.  It is a flat slab of greywacke about the size of a gravestone, about 2-1/2 feet tall and 1-1/2 feet wide.  It has been a source of great controversy since it was discovered. This is a copy of the original which is now in Alexandria, MN.

The generally accepted translation of those runes reads: “We are 8 Goths [Swedes] and 22 Norwegians on an exploration journey from Vinland through the West. We had camp by a lake with 2 skerries [small rocky islands] one day’s journey north from this stone. We were out and fished one day. After we came home we found 10 of our men red with blood and dead. AVM [Ave Virgo Maria, or Hail, Virgin Mary] save us from evil. We have 10 of our party by the sea to look after our ships, 14 days’ journey from this island. Year 1362.”

There are documented rune stones at several places throughout the Viking world.  

 

The great mystery:  Is it Real or a Real Hoax?  There are arguments both ways.  Read on...

One of the displays says this:

From Kensington to Montevideo, MN is 71 miles.  (A favorite movie, Sweet Land, about immigrant integration was filmed in Montevideo.)  But its also home of Little Angels Alpaca Farm.  Gary Meyers is a Wojahn relative (his mother was Wilbur's older sister.)  At its peak, they had about 15 alpacas.  They have been closing the operation for a few years now and they only have three left, including Rosie.  I've wanted to stop there and it was almost a beeline from Kathy's to Windom.  

The girls, Rosie is the blond.  Gary has a wild, crazy imagination, and his posts are one of the few that I get into Facebook to read.  

 

Finally, I had made a reservation at a "Boondocker's Welcome" in Walton, MN, 15 miles away for the night of the 4th.  I just wanted a quiet evening, and I got it.  

Read the next post for my take on the 4th.  Happy USA Birthday! (of sorts)....