An Old Letter to my Grandmother
She got this a few months before she died.
I hope it brightened her day.

Life in the Great White North is certainly white. I wouldn't call it great, but it is white, and also cold. It's surprisingly easy getting used to -30s (temp's are farenheit) at night and sub-zero daytime highs. I've shovelled the sidewalks and drive with -65 to -79 wind chills on several occasions now. We've weathered three blizzards and an almost-blizzard. The December blizzard was said to have been the worst since 1984. I'm sure the 17 January blizzard was worse. The paper called it "Blizzard Bruno." The wind chill factors for the December blizzard were down to -63 and the January blizzard chill factor was below -80. We got around 7" of snow in the Dec storm, and over a foot for the one in Jan. The amounts weren't much, but consider that we had a dry, bare sidewalk in front of the house and thigh to waist deep drifts about 15' down the sidewalk which ran the 20' to the driveway, across, and turned down the whole length. Our almost-blizzard of 28/29 January only put about 2" of snow on us, but the winds piled it all conveniently in our "drift route" to about knee deep on me. This last blizzard of 10 February is supposed to have dropped about 4" of snow. I have no idea where it went, as we had next to no shovelling to do.

Da kids are lerrnin a nuu langgwitch or at leest der tokkin witta purty goot nordern accent. Dey're learning proper use of "uff-da," "you-betcha," "by golly" and are learning to eat lefse. I don't know if dey're ready for lutefisk, but we got one in da freezer. (I better qvit dis!) The kids are adapting well to the flat geography of the area - perhaps a bit too well. Just into Minnesota on a recent trip, they got nosebleeds on an overpass due to the high altitude. We do have a decent hill or rather a river cut out some nice terrain about 15 minutes west of the base and the kids, after only twice, are addicted to sliding.

Well, several days have passed since I began this letter, and I had no idea where it was going to be sent, but since I had an appointment with my pastor to discuss ministry possibilities, I decided that I'd send it to you, Grandma Askov (died 1997). Part of my preparation was to see how some of my childhood experiences could relate to Church service. I got to thinking about many things about many different places. I think most of my fond memories came from your old place on the farm. I'll write some of these things down for you to see if they jog some good memories for you as well. They'll be a bit disjointed, as I'll transcribe them in the order I wrote them down.

SNAKES AND FROGS IN THE YARD: At the south end of the yard near the road was a low spot which stayed quite damp. I remember catching many a frog in this area, and remember many snakes disappearing into the long grass by the road.
CATS, BATS, RED SQUIRRELS, CHIPMUNKS, THE POND ON THE HILL: Pausing at the pond, I remember going with the B.B gun for lots of boyish targets. I also collected many fairy shrimp, daphnia and assorted other stuff from that little body of water. There were often turtles, snakes and always frogs to be gotten. Along the fence, I remember getting my feet wet often while trying to negotiate the little clumps of dry grass-covered dirt left between the cow tracks.
LIZARDS IN THE BANK BY THE ROAD: Jeff and I would spend a lot of time on the eroded bank by the road near the pond. We'd dig with sticks until a lizard would come tumbling out of its burrow, and it'd remain our prisoner for a while until we'd let it go, it'd escape, or die a horrible death in a glass jar (Sometimes we'd forget about our captives.).
HAYBALE FORTS IN THE HAYMOW: Long summer afternoons were spent up there. I remember getting hot and sweaty. Chaff and bits of straw were stuck all over us, inside and outside of our clothes. I guess all the mazes of tunnels and rooms made the discomfort worthwhile. I can't picture myself enjoying it now.
BEES: I think all boys enjoyed tormenting a bees nest. Jeff and I had a good time with the one in the milkhouse wall. I remember, after a long while of successful harassment, stepping on a honeybee with my bare feet. I think he got in the last shot - in the side of my foot, in the tender skin. I wonder how many tried, and got the tough sole.
FISHING AND SHOOTING AT THE CREEK (where it crossed the road just east of your place), THE FORT (made from pieces of loose lumber and rusty nails. It got to be quite a structure before we lost interest in it. I asked Mom if she might have any pictures of it, as I spent lots of time out there. It made a great hunting blind from which to take red squirrels at the corn cribs.)
GRANARY, PUGSLEY AND LERCH, SHOOTING CATS WITH MILK RIGHT FROM THE COW, SMELLS AND SOUNDS FROM THE BARN - WHILE MILKING AND EMPTY, SWALLOWS, SPARROWS, BLUEBIRD HOUSES ALONG THE FENCE NORTH OF THE PASTURE (These were often occupied by mice, which Jeff and I took great joy in catching.), WOODPILES (for fort material and for catching basking lizards and snakes. I remember when Allan stepped on a nail and we could see it through the top of his foot.),
GRANDPA RIDING THE BIKE BACKWARD, THE BROWSED WOODS AROUND THE NORTH OF THE BARN TO THE WEST OF THE HOUSE BY THE POND (I think these woods were my favorite hunting grounds),
ELECTRIC FENCES (You may not know this, but Jeff learned to definitely NOT pee on the fence.),
THE MILK POND (swill, whey, or whatever it's really called. I remember the INTENSE aroma.),
THE BEAVER DAM (west of the place where the road came to a "T" -nice clear water. Dad said there were trout in there. I never tried for 'em.),
HUNTING IN THE WINTER FOR SQUIRRELS AND GROUSE, CAMPING IN THE PASTURE (I was awakened by a cow who stepped on the tent while I was in it),
SPIKE, REX, WATCHING THE FIGHT OF THE WEEK WITH GRANDPA,
MURIEL'S ROOM (and NO, I did not let a lizard go in her bed), THE HEAT VENT OVERLOOKING THE LIVINGROOM, THE SUN ROOM (or your sewing room),
THE WOODSHED (I have fond memories of this place, as great fun to explore, catch mice and as a neat alternate route to outside. I know it was used for other things as well. "Do we need to go to the woodshed?" was a question I didn't like hearing, but I apparently don't remember any exceptionally ill experiences following the query.),
CLOSET AT THE END OF THE HALL UPSTAIRS (fun shelves and stuff in which to snoop),
YOUR WINE RECIPE (Did you know I got that? I produced some good stuff, and some not so good stuff from that. My dad can fill you in on some of that. Ask him about my brewing experiments in my closet in the basement.),
WALKING-STICKS IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE, THE BIG BASSWOOD AND PINES IN YOUR FRONT YARD (I remember them as imparting a cool, relaxing feel to the yard.),
YOUR BUG COLLECTION (I particularly remember luna moths, and the fact that mice had eaten some of your specimens. I had a mouse eat the head off a nice stag beetle in Missouri. I collected bugs, and now Nicholas and Renee are doing it. Thanks for the fun pastime.),
TREADLE SEWING MACHINE (I've always thought that was an interesting machine.),
THE FOOT POWERED GRINDER BY THE FORT, THE TIRE SWING,
WHEN THE BLUEJAY POOPED ON MY STRIPED HAT (I think I might have been about 4 at the time. I remember it as getting me quite upset. I wish I could have seen it; I think I might have had a hard time not laughing.),
COOKIES, RYE KRISP, GRANDPA'S PLACE AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, THE KITCHEN BENCH AND THE COLORING BOOKS, THE BREAD AND MUNCHIES DOOR BY THE PHONE, THE TOASTER IN THE CORNER, THE GREAT TASTING WELL WATER (I loved it!), GRANDPA'S READING GLASSES AND GOLD CARNIVAL GLASS CUP, THE RADIO ON THE FRIDGE ON WCCO AND GETTING INTERFERENCE FROM THE FENCES, HEARING SOMEONE DRIVE UP TO THE HOUSE, THE MANURE SPREADER, STANCHIONS, THE BARN-CLEANING SYSTEM, LIME POWDER, FEED, BALE HOOKS, PITCHFORKS, CALVES, MUD OUTSIDE THE BARN DOORS, YOUR GARDEN AND EATING FRESH BEANS, CHOKE CHERRIES AND BERRY PICKING, CANNING SMELLS, BURNING NETTLES, THISTLES, PHOTOS ON THE PIANO, THE BIG PEOPLES' TABLE IN THE DINING ROOM (I remember it as being so HUGE.), THE BUFFET, BAY WINDOW, BUBBLING CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS, EGGNOG, WAFFLES,
THE HAYBALE ELEVATOR (We'd climb up and use it as a place from which to reach bats, and to get pigeons and starlings from the cupola. The adults didn't really like us up there, and NOW, I can see their point.), GRANDPA'S "HERE-HERE.", BURNING TRASH AND THE OCCASIONAL AEROSOL CAN, THE PUMP HOUSE, PICKING ROCKS FROM THE FIELD WITH GRANDPA, FENCING, FINDING NEW CALVES, BROWN AND GREEN TREE FROGS BEHIND THE HOUSE, BLACK AND WHITE SALAMANDERS, THE FLAT ROCKS BY THE STEP AND GARAGE, LOCUST TREES HUMMING WITH BEES, CORNBREAD, GRANDPA AND THE "RIGHT SIDE" OF THE BREAD, ROOTBEER FLOATS, GRANDPA'S COMMENT WHILE YOU WERE IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER YOUR LEG OPERATION ABOUT RENEE, "WELL, SHE'S GOT MY HAIR.", A WOOD THRUSH'S SONG, DRUMMING GROUSE BEHIND THE HOUSE, WARM BED IN A COLD WINTER ROOM, PLAYING WITH ICE AND FROST ON THE WINDOWS, STOVES IN THE LIVING ROOM AND DINING ROOM, OVEN DOOR OPEN FOR HEAT, THE CELLAR (cool, damp and, for a kid, mysterious), KNITTING, THE PORT IN THE MILKHOUSE FOR THE MILK TRUCK HOSE, and THE LONG HANDLED PAN AND DRINKS OF COLD MILK.

I better end this here, so I might get it in the mail. I hope this brings back some fond memories.

Take care, Love,

Paul

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