The Invisible Trail By Roy Klipping

 Chapter 1. 

I had just graduated from high school and had always been drawn to a hiking trail somewhere up close to the boundary waters on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Every summer I have always sensed or felt something pulling me there. Well, this was my chance to go see what had always been such a deep desire inside of me. I loaded up my truck with what I thought was the right gear to be out for about a week; tent, sleeping bag, matches, and a backpack full of things I was sure I would need to survive whatever was in front of me. I lived about 5 hours away and I wanted to get an early start, so bright and early the day after I threw my graduation hat in the air, I set out on a venture that I have always known I would take.

Life as I Know It!

Life as I Know It!

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Thank goodness Taleteller Teresa did the post yesterday. I was in bed by 9:00 last night and I think I am finally come out of this. Maybe I will go to bed that early again tonight and I will be in top form tomorrow. ha ha.

Lets talk about that virus that is originating from China. China believes a mysterious pneumonia outbreak that struck 59 people is caused by a new strain of virus from the same family as SARS, which killed hundreds of people more than a decade ago. Now that's pretty scary. I told Allen we are so not ordering anything from the website Wish because things come from China and I would be scared I could get it somehow that way. Yes, I know that is probably not true. lol.

I saw in the cities that a man had cut of the oxygen supply to a large hospital. I think that man should have his oxygen cut off forever. What the hell is wrong with that guy? Anyway, they noticed it before anything bad happened to anyone.

It was my Aunt Maggie's birthday (my mom's only sibling) yesterday so I sent her 80 pages of this blog we do so she can see what Teresa and I are up to. The first year book has 385 pages. Holy writing, right? lol I hope she likes it.

Did You Know? All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

Joke of the Day!

An old man, a boy, and a donkey were travelling. The boy rode the donkey while the man walked.In the first town they went to, the people all said; "How hard for that old man who has to walk!"The two travelers heard this and decided that the boy should walk and the old man should ride.In the next town, people whispered, "What a shame, he makes the little boy walk!"So the pair decided that they should both ride.In the third town, people all muttered about how cruel it was to make the donkey work so hard.So the boy and the old man decided to carry the donkey.On the way to the next town, they had to go across a bridge. As they walked across it, they slipped and the donkey fell in to the river and drowned.The moral of the story is - If you try to please everyone, you will eventually end up losing your ass.

In Cahoots Cindy

Life As I Know It

Wow, it's been a long time since I have posted a blog.   My sister Teresa and I have started a page on facebook called Just Saying.  She and I both post daily.  We tell about things we have seen or read about and I give a Did you Know each day.  We both post a joke on our post each day also.  It's kind of fun knowing we are not only giving information but making people laugh while they are reading our posts.

I've been down lately.  Life isn't where I want it to be right now and I know it's up to me to change it but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to.  This too shall pass.

There have been so many good people that I know lately that have passed away.  Three of the saddest ones besides my mom were Ed Pettit, Vaughn Thorfinnson and my cousin MaryAnn Solie.  All wonderful people.  Ed and Vaughn were older but it didn't make it any less sad.  Mary Ann was four years younger than I and left behind two boys.  One had graduated but one is still in high school.  He went to live with Mary Ann's sister and I know he will be cared for there.

My dad is going to be 82 years old this fall.  I can't believe it.  Where does time go?

I'm going to stop for now but will come back and finish this later.

Fact or Fiction- A view from two perspectives

He might come off as arrogant, maybe even a know it all.  But like he and a little town way up north, people wouldn't know who he really was until they got to know him  and that little town personally.

Chris Ingraham spent most of his time working figures and charts using analytical methods to decide what was fact.   Using these methods he posted a article on his blog saying that Red Lake County, MN was the worst county in the United States.

Much to his surprise not only Red Lake County attacked his reasoning, the entire state of Minnesota chimed in with their two cents raging against his article.

The reporter had given the local hangouts at morning coffee plenty to talk about.  Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat were the breeding ground for angry comments and remarks were bitter. Pride came out in full force from community members.

Red Lake Falls dug in their heels and used his article to their advantage. Restaurants named burgers after the "name of shame" the town had received.   Jason, a business owner took it a step further. He decided to officially invite Chris to the worst county to prove that fact can sometimes be fiction. For some reason by the time the word got around Red Lake County, instead of it being the worst county in the United States, it became the ugliest county.

 Chris came in to town apprehensive and unsure of what his welcome would be.  Much to his surprise and delight he was greeted warmly and shown all the beautiful sites in the county and met some pretty incredible people.  He agreed that his factual information sometimes needed a personal touch and would revise his view of Red Lake County by writing another article.

A lesson was learned.

Not only did the community and scenery change Chris Ingraham's view, he changed the community's view.  No longer was he the arrogant reporter from Washington that didn't know what he was talking about, but a kind, down to earth reporter that was going to change the way Red Lake County was portrayed and put them on the map in a positive light.  And he did.

And that's a fact.

The End of Summer.

When I was looking at the calendar today and saw it was August 6th, a desperate feeling came over me.  It is the end of summer, and I never did anything fun outside, never took a few days off for a vacation to enjoy time with my husband outdoors (even if it was just sitting outside), never even went to a fair, concert or to the lake.

Now what do I have to look forward to?  Bad roads, school cancellations, being trapped in the house instead of enjoying the outdoors.......... oh yeah, I didn't do that when it was summer anyway did I?  Ha, ha.  Mostly I'm just nervous about the driving in the winter on my way to work.  I didn't know how lucky I was before to be three or four blocks from my job instead of a half hour away. 

You know what?  I'm pretty sure I still have time left before winter and can at least enjoy some of the summer.   You know what else?  Fall is actually my favorite time of year anyway.  Crisp cool evenings and warm days.  Yep, it is the end of summer.  I can't wait until fall.  :)

Changes in our Schools

 

Changes

 

This year, we lost a lot of wonderful staff from ISD #630.  First and foremost our superintendent.  He was one of the best bosses I ever had.  I will really miss him.  We also lost one of our special ed teachers, Sarah.  She was like a breath of fresh air to me and brought out the little devil in me trying to get a reaction out of her........grins.  Sandy, one of our paras was with us for 14 years and she knew things front and back.  She was fun to be around too and was always up to date on things. And Bonnie, another para at the high school.  Not only is she my sister in law, she also knew how to get the students to do their work and still like her, and also has a great sense of humor. She is ready to retire, so now she will sub for us occasionally.  These ladies touched their students lives by the way they cared.  Then there is Lonie.  She worked at the elementary school and was our food service manager.  She was with us for 10 years and she is really going to be hard to replace.  She followed the state rules to a tee and you never had to tell her what to do, because she was always on top of things.  And Ashley.  She was a para at the elementary school and had the patience of a saint.  I think she would of stayed with us if it would of been year around employment instead of 9 months.  And last but not least there is Chad.  We not only lose him as a math teacher, but also a golf coach.  He was well liked by students and the staff.

 

Some changes are a good thing, but I can honestly say I don't think that pertains to the above.  They will all be missed and I'm sure they will always be remembered fondly.

 

As for me, I am going on my 20th year at the school.  I've met a lot of wonderful kids and I can honestly say none of them have treated me unkindly.  

 

Since I moved to another town and have to drive 1/2 hour each way every day, I have been thinking of finding work closer to where I live now.  But like a old comfortable pair of shoes, I find it hard to even start looking. 

It's not that I don't love my job and the people there, don't get me wrong.  But things are changing so much that the thought is there in the back of my mind. 

I work with some wonderful people.  Bonnie in the high school office who I've worked with as long as I've been here.  And Pam and Judy who I work with for 6 hours of the day,  Karrie in the media center, Lois and Gloria in the kitchen and all the teachers.  I couldn't ask for better people to work with. 

 

So, sometimes changes are good.  Maybe if I left they would find a better secretary.  Who knows.  I guess time will tell.  :)



Long, Long Winter



 

It's been a long, long winter.  Not only has it been cold, stormy and icy, the roads have been 


Submitted by Roy Klipping

frightful.  

I've never been a great driver.  I never really had to drive anywhere too far from where I lived. Maybe three blocks both ways.....
 When I moved to another town and had to start driving 60 miles a day, I like to think I learned how to "keep the car on the road".  I moved in December a year ago, and thought I was doing pretty well with the driving to and from work.
Boy was I wrong.  I thought that winter was scary driving, but this year topped anything I have ever driven on.
If it wasn't poor visibility from blowing snow or drifts so high my vehicle had a hard time getting through, it was ice and more ice that made traveling unbearable.  I would get to work and my neck was stiff, and my shoulders felt like they had been pulled by a semi with a load that was well above the weight limit. 

Seems that the weather is all most of us have been talking about lately.  When I get to work it's "how were the roads?"  Were your roads as bad as mine?"  "Did you have any trouble getting here?"   I swear when I pull up in the parking lot I just want to kneel down and kiss the ground on some days.

Maybe I am embellishing a little, but just remember I told you that I have never been the greatest driver.   The main reason  is because I have no sense of direction.  Can you imagine trying to drive somewhere and getting lost in a town of 1,500.  Yes, I swear that has happened.  I don't even think poor old Sally our GPS could help me get where I need to go. 

That said, I haven't gotten last to and from work, though it is a straight road with no turnoffs to get there. 

I figure if I survive this winter, I can survive any winter.  The only thing that makes me feel better is that we in Minnesota are used to this kind of weather, whereas the states that have been getting snow this year, don't have the tires or the knowledge to drive in that kind of weather and I really feel sorry for them.

Guess I can suck it up and smile the next time I am on a icy road, because at least I know to drive slow in bad weather.