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Weather Still Dominates...  Is
it coming or isn’t it? Spring, I mean. The flood waters have
receded, for the time being as several snowstorms have replaced the
rain and warm weather. One could be tricked into thinking that March is
just arriving rather than leaving. I can’t even remember if it
came like a lion and left like a lamb or vice a versa, or if the lamb
ever was a part of the equation... Whatever the case, the weather seems
to be moderating even if Wormy, Ronnie and the rest of the area
snowplow drivers are still regularly honing their snowplowing skills.
Thankfully, the flood waters seem
to have receded somewhat for our Fargo/Moorhead neighbors without any
major levee failures, although one school was heavily damaged in the
one major dike leak.
On the bright side, the sleet/snow/frost/sunshine sequence
makes for some great photograph opportunities so enjoy some samples
from the Southwest Angle News and Views staff here and on the back
page.
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Southwest Angleby Rob Crowe I
think I’ve found the world’s ugliest Sno-Cat. I
didn’t have to go far, Trapper has it stored up near the rafters
in his shed, in amongst the old tires and used fuel filters. It is a
true Pol-Cat, an old Legend
is that Trapper was running his trap line in the ancient past with this
classic when he ran into Edgar Hetteen on the Beltrami Forest trails.
Edgar was escorting some people he wanted to impress and wasn’t
too glad to see Trapper running this particular version of Arctic Cat.
Trapper says Edgar looked it over, wagged his head and said,
“Small wonder we can’t sell any new ones…” If
you think you can top this one, let me know. It’ll be hard to do.
The little Star engine still turns over, so don’t be surprised to
see this one at a vintage event next year. I
have the full account of the Minnesota Hill Challenge up on the website
now. Just go to www.southwestangle.com and click on the multi-colored
Polaric Colt to see lots of pictures and my ramblings. LeRoy Norstebon
also alerted me that there are some videos of the races on YouTube. I
had to go in to see my friend Ralph at Countryside Tire. The Aerostar
was becoming a bear to drive, taking near Hurculean force to keep it
from veering into the other lane. Once he had a tire off, he commented
on the belt separation and asked if I was having problems. I should
have told him, “no, it drives just fine,” and let him
wonder, but told the him the truth. A new set of Firestones cleared up
the handling, although Ralph did have some problems installing the one hubcap I had left... A
recent severe head cold has caused Management some grief. She
didn’t have it, I did. I can’t take credit for this one,
but as the saying goes, Management has an easier time taking care of
all three little girls with the flu than taking care of me when I have
a hangnail... I
made it into the Warroad Dairy Queen at an opportune time last week.
Veterans Service Officer Jeff Parker was buying all the fellas sundaes
because of a recent birthday. Thanks for the hot fudge, Jeff. Jake was
there trying to call all his buds to come over and partake to inflate
Jeff’s bill. I left before someone noticed that I hadn’t
yet bought for my birthday this year. Got to keep up my image of a
moocher. John Heneman was there, fit and ready for battle, back from
the banker’s convention in Arizona. He and Parker claim they
almost ran into each other out there, but each can tell a whopper so I
couldn’t take that one to the bank. I
finally figured out where John McCain went wrong. He didn’t have
the right campaign manager. He should have had Harvey Corneliusen. On
township election day, ol’ Harvey was running a stealth write-in
campaign for Mark Harder for one of the Lake Township supervisor
positions. You should see the guy crank an arm! He proudly reports that
his candidate won, so expect him to be hitting the national election
scene any time now. Another week in the great north, see you next week! |
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Do you know your tractors?
Trivia. I’ve never been much for a trivia quiz. 1. Which tractor was manufactured during World War II? ___ 2. Which two tractors are green with yellow wheel rims? ___ _____ 3. One tractor is red, which one is it? _____ 4. One night I had to take the carburetor off the diesel, which tractor was I working on? _____ 5.
One tractor is a descendent of the vaunted 8-N. It is a yellow
industrial model with a backhoe and loader. Which one is it? ______ 7. All of the tractors can run on some form of diesel, but which three of the tractors are called diesels?_____ _____ _____ 8. How many spark plugs amongst the four tractors? ___ 9. How many diesel injectors amongst the 4 tractors? _____ 10. Which tractor has a 10-speed automatic transmission? _____ 11. Which tractor has a torque amplifier? _____ For
most of the males in the Southwest Angle, this quiz is probably fairly
simple, with a little thought you could work through it, a simple
challenge. Even if you aren’t familiar with all the tractors,
using the process of elimination, you can figure out the answers. The
rest of the populace probably has no clue. Hint #1 for tractor quiz: the above tractors are listed in order of age, oldest first. (Answers and Score ratings after the new arrival story) |
Farm Ads Wanted—Single Row Potato planter. Contact Danny Dybedahl -424-7230 For Sale—Big Round Bales Second, Crop Alfalfa. Contact Ms Toyota -689-4841 |
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Bovine TB Update: Enhanced Feed Ban Rule Delayed Submitted by MNBAH Packers, renderers, and stakeholders have worked to delay implementation of the new rule due to hardships already experienced in preparation for the change. The rendering industry has made commendable strides to accommodate the needs of Minnesota’s cattle producers. Rendering services are expected to continue as usual thanks to the industry’s foresight and procedural adaptations. On-farm pick up service will still be available in Minnesota with an additional fee for cattle over 30 months of age. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health and the Department of Agriculture are working to educate the state’s producers on alternatives to handling on-farm mortalities, such as composting. Details on the
comment period and how to submit a comment are forthcoming. For
questions about on-farm pickup services, please contact your rendering
company. You can find more information about the rendering rule at
www.bah.state.mn.us/bah/carcass_disposal/rendering.html. Minnesota Board of Animal Health Keeping Records Submitted by MNBAH
Included
with this newsletter is an inventory worksheet; copies of the worksheet
were also included in the MA Zone producer binder. To order additional
worksheets, please contact the TB Hotline. |
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Track Results Submitted by Rick McBride Paul Bunyan Invitational Indoor Meet Girls Results: Warroad Results Warroad Results |
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Home on the Ranch...a new Arrival. 
Emily and Shea Novak of rural Falun Township reported to Grandma Karolyn Roseen that Dad’s horse gave birth to a colt on March 31st at 8:30 PM. Mother is a registered Quarter Horse named Autumn, a pretty palomino with light spots across her front shoulders. As of yet, the colt is unnamed. Shea and Emily are the children of Todd and Berdinya Novak.
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1.
A; 2. A; 3010; 3. 400; 4. 400; 5. 4500;
6. A, 400; 7. 400, 3010, 4500; 8. 6; 9. 11; 10.
4500. 11. 400. Explanation: The
oldest tractor is a two cylinder John Deere A, built about 1944, the
second tractor is a Farmall 400 diesel, unique in that it starts as a
gasoline engine and then switches over to run as a diesel, has 4 spark
plugs and 4 fuel injectors. The torque amplifier actually worked after
I rebuilt it with rollers fashioned from the chain links of an 851 New
Holland baler. The third tractor is a John Deere 3010 - 4 cylinder
diesel row crop and the fourth tractor is a Ford 4500
Industrial—3 cylinder diesel, 10 speed Select-o-matic with loader
and backhoe. Now for the rating: Guys 100% correct, no use of the hints - I’d considered this average for a Guy in good standing in the Southwest Angle until Trapper and sidekick Earl both blew the test. Give yourself a Superior rating. Trapper’s Missus is looking for sources for buying a Nebraska Tractor Tests manual... 80% or better - Pretty doggone good anywhere else, study up to get up to par here… 60% -80% - Buy a Nebraska Tractor Tests manual and get studying Below 60% – You didn’t grow up here Used the hints—Buy a Nebraska Tractor Tests manual and get studying Gals 100% - You must be Bethany Erickson Showed it to the man in your life and he scored 100 % - Superior rating. Scored better than the male in your life – Buy him a Nebraska Tractor Tests Manual, but he has to take you to all the 2009 Tractor pulls within 120 miles or other Ag events of your choosing. Any other score – Great effort, thanks for trying. If you need
extra credit to bring up your average score, write up a great trivia
quiz about Southwest Angle culture and send it in, you know the address.
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Sharp-tailed “dancers” to perform... From the MN-DNR—MARCH 31, 2009 - Sharp-tailed “dancers” to perform near Lake Bronson State Park – Reserved seating available The sharp-tailed grouse will be returning to their lek, or dancing grounds, near Lake Bronson State Park this spring to perform their annual courtship dance. Spectators, who make reservations and arrive early, will have front row seats to the annual spring spectacle. From early April to mid-May, up to 25 male sharptails are expected to gather daily in the grassy opening to dance and attract a mate. The males will find a small territory on the dancing ground, with the most dominant closest to the center. They will dance, stamping in circles, while the females strut around looking for the best dancer. “It’s a fascinating and often comical display,” said Pete Harrison, Lake Bronson State Park assistant manager. “Our viewing blind offers an ideal vantage point from which to witness the entire ritual. The dancing usually begins just before sunrise and continues for about two and a half hours.” The blind can accommodate three to four adults, or one adult with up to five children. It may be reserved at no charge for any day of the week by calling the park office. Only one reservation is available per day, so early reservations are recommended. Each group will receive an information packet via mail or e-mail prior to their reservation. Spectators need to be in the blind at least 45 minutes before sunrise. They should dress warmly and are encouraged to bring binoculars and/or a camera. There are no seats in the blind, so individuals should also bring a kneeling pad or bucket to sit upon. To make a reservation, call Lake Bronson State Park at 218-754-2200. For more information about sharp-tailed grouse, visit www.mndnr.gov. Lake Bronson State Park is located two miles east of the town of Lake Bronson in northwestern Minnesota. The park access is on County Highway 28. Media contacts:
Colleen Coyne, DNR communications director, 651-259-5023; Pete
Harrison, Lake Bronson State Park assistant manager, 218-754-2200. |
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Picture of the Week
 Whose Red Barn, freshly re-painted last summer, is seen here on a bright, frosty morning? Last week’s picture was taken from County Highway 28 just northwest of the old Malung Town Hall looking west toward the Mitterling homestead. Another Scene
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More Southwest Angle ColumnsWarroad Winter Sports Schedules and RostersWarroad Fall Sports Schedules and Rosters |
