Friday September 30

Saying for the Day: I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.
--------Toivo Jupola told a friend today that he thinks he has solved the mystery of the white rabbit. He wants to check a few last details before he tells the people of Pigeon Falls what he has discovered. His friend wasn't supposed to tell anyone what Toivo had said but he made the mistake of sharing the information with Nancy Vanhala who then shared it with everyone who came for coffee. It is not a very well kept secret. Now people are speculating on what it is that Toivo has discovered. Speculation runs from secret government papers to Toivo's finding the White Rabbit's hiding place. Toivo is keeping quiet despite the effort of a number of people including the Mayor to get him to tell what he has discovered. He also won't tell how long it will be before he is ready to share the information. He could do it as early as tomorrow or perhaps early next week. Mrs. Trumble said that Toivo better be sure to have a gun to protect himself because the rabbit is dangerous.
In other Pigeon Falls news, according to Nancy, Mr. Bispola will be coming home from Marquette in two or three weeks. According to his wife he is making fantastic progress and she expects a brand new husband when he comes home. One of the things he has to do when he returns is find some new friends since his old ones are all down to the bar most of the time. Donna Bergal's sister and husband have returned to Japan. They said they found Pigeon Falls to be a really enjoyable place to visit. Mrs. Morris's dog Klenex is recovering from his fight with the wolf or whatever it was but he doesn't venture far from home. Ralph down at the hardware store said he dreads the coming season because he will have to go Christmas shopping with his wife and that's a real ordeal. It seems that Ralph's wife like a lot of Pigeon Falls women is a slow shopper. In the grocery store, for example, Ralph is ready to check out and she is still deciding between the large and the small oranges. He is glad Christmas only comes once a year but says birthdays are almost as bad. Well I'll keep you informed.
----- Good night last night. This morning I worked in the garage and finished getting everything ready for tomorrow. I started the trains running at about 9:30 and they ran until after 7:00. It is the last day to run them with the village still up. In the afternoon Betty went to the Post Office to get them to hold our mail next week as we go and visit our children in Green Bay. I went to the church and arranged to get a bulletin update for the web page. I have the update but my computer won't let me put it on the web. Peter comes tomorrow and perhaps he can help. Betty worked all day on Bree's costume and I think it is done. I took pictures of the layout so we can remember what it looked like. I feel a little sad. Well I need a breathing treatment and I have to go stop the trains.
GBYA

Wednesday September 28

Saying for the Day:If the minimum wasn't acceptable it wouldn't be called the minimum.George Muncaster
-------It was a miserable day in Pigeon Falls today. fog in the morning and rain all day. On such a day the White Rabbit choose to make two appearances. First he was seen by a group of tourists who came in on a special car behind the milk train. As they got off the train he was standing on the end of the platform. He winked at them and then turned and hoped away. By the time the tourists went after him he had disappeared. The second appearance was at five thirty in the afternoon in Mrs. Trumble's back yard. She was looking out her kitchen window and saw him standing there as big as life. According to Mrs. Trumble he bared his fangs at her and then hoped off into the woods. She called the constable but by time Pete got there the rain had washed away any trace of him. Mrs. Trumble says she is having a new and stronger lock put on every door in the house just in case it comes back to get her. Mrs. Trumble is the only one that has seen fangs or claws on the rabbit. She was just getting over the flue and just maybe she had too much cold medicine.
One of M&CL railroads engines broke down in the middle of the pouring rain and the poor tourists on board had to sit and wait while a repair crew came and made repairs. I am telling you they were not happy. One of them said I thought this only happened on airplanes. Dr. Forester did every thing he could, short of refunding their money, to sooth their feelings. He came and met with them personally which you know no airline head would do. Well I'll keep you informed.
---- Rough night last night, did not sleep at all well. This morning I worked in the garage while Betty went up to the Church to help put out the newsletter. The garage is almost ready for Saturday when we take the lay out down. After working on the newsletter Betty came home and helped in the garage until she went to Tops. I ran two trains in the morning until they both just stopped in the rain. I won't know what went wrong until tomorrow if it dries up. In the afternoon Betty and I went shopping. We got storage things for the garage and a bunch of other stuff we probably didn't really need. Coming home we opened and checked in all the Christmas gifts that have come . Our Christmas shopping is almost done. Our roller coaster for next years layout came but we may need my grandson Alex's help to put it together. It is a Knex coaster and Alex is the family expert. Dawn called to ask what kind of pasty I like better, big or little. I got an E-mail from Ralph asking about a Bispola and did a people search on the computer but couldn't find the one he was looking for. Well I really need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Tuesday September 27

Saying for the Day: Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. (Malacky McCourt)
--------Nothing happened in Pigeon Falls today. Mrs. Trumble is home with the stomach flue or something like it and so she wasn't stirring up any white rabbit fervor. The white rabbit itself hasn't been seen since Mrs. Trumble saw it out of Nancy's window and some think that Klenex and the Wolf got it. Mrs. Bispola visits her husband in alcoholic rehabilitation almost every day and says he is doing well. That's one for the white rabbit. Nancy says that everything is quiet in town. There are no new family fights , nobody has been arrested for drunk driving, and no new divorces on the horizon. Tommy is still basking in the praise he got for his white rabbit story and so he hasn't done anything bad for some time. The tourists are still coming in as the fall color tour is in full swing . Plans continue for October Fest but no actions are being taken today. It was just one of those beautiful quite days. Esther from Kivi and Maki's said she wishes every day was as beautiful and peaceful as today. Toivo sold one of his old cars to a tourist for a truly exorbitant price and the tourist thought he got a bargain. Toivo is a master salesperson. Wink's Woods must have sold at least twenty five of the little white rabbit figures and I bet they wish the White Rabbit would show up again. Well , perhaps tomorrow will be more exciting. I'll keep you informed.
------ Had a good night. In the morning I finished the upgrade of the church web page and then went and worked in the garage. Betty worked on Bree's costume all morning. I started the mighty Mac train running. After lunch we went to Iron River as Betty had a prescription that needed to be filled. On the way we dropped off our cardboard and glossy magazines at the recycle station that only operates on the last Tuesday of the month. We stopped at the dollar store and spent $14.00 plus tax. Coming home I ran two trains at a time and discovered my LGB engine needs new track contacts or shoes. I checked with Trainworld and they are $5.99 a set so I think I'll buy them if I can figure out how to install them. While we were gone my sister stopped in and left a costume for Luke and a pasty for me as well as some kind of tomato concoction for Betty. Betty went back to working on Bree's costume. I stopped the two trains at about 5:30. Saturday it all comes down so I need to get as much running time in as possible. Peter called and he will be here with Bree, Luke, Pennie and the dog on Saturday to help take down the layout. Then on Monday we are going to Green Bay to baby sit his kids while he goes to Florida with Lori. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Monday September 26

Saying for the Day:1) God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.
-------- The white rabbit hasn't been seen for a few days now and white rabbit talk is dying down. Tommy, the undertakers kid, wrote a story for his English class entitled "Look out for the White Rabbit". The story is as follows. " Once there was a young couple that met an old Norwegian man who need some help. Because they were a nice couple they did everything they could to help him. The old man said to them I have nothing to give you but this white rabbit but it is a very special white rabbit. It will learn rapidly what you want and it will always obey you. There is only one problem, the old man said, don't ever feed it carrots. Don't under any circumstances feed it carrots. Well they thanked the old man and took the rabbit home. It was a smart as the old man said and soon had become a wonderful pet . They were very careful not to feed it carrots. But a neighbor boy saw the white rabbit and he brought a carrot with him and fed it the carrot. There was blinding flash of light and where there had been one cute white bunny there were now ten larger pink rabbits. But these were not nice rabbits. They bit people and chased dogs. People tried to kill them but if you shot it or stabbed it or did anything to it , it multiplied. Soon the town was full of nasty pink rabbits. Nobody knew what to do. Old Mrs. Trunkle was at home eating a hardboiled egg when one of the pink rabbits broke through her screen door. She was so frightened that she threw the salt shaker she was using on the egg at the rabbit. There was a poof of smoke as the salt hit the rabbit and it disappeared. Mrs. Trunkle picked up the salt shaker and went rabbit hunting. Soon everyone knew how to get rid of the bad rabbits and before long there were none left in town. At least there were none visible in the town. They gave Mrs. Trunkle the good citizen award and a bright gold medal. The end." Tommy's teacher said it reads an awful lot like the plot of the movie "Gremlins" but it still showed a lot of creativity. Well I'll keep you informed.
----- Good night last night. Betty got up at five this morning and took out the garbage. In the morning we opened some of the boxes that came with Christmas gifts we ordered. Then we went to Iron River to shop. We went to Pamiada which has very bad aisles for people with a walker and lacks organization . I don't think we will shop there again. Coming home I started running a train and ran it from 1:30 until 7:00. While the train was running Betty and I worked in the garage getting things ready for Saturday when the Pigeon Falls town goes back on the shelf. When the main table was cleared we called it a day and Betty went back to working on Berea' s costume. I downloaded the church information and began doing the October web page.
I am having a lot of problems with my computer. Betty went to Bible study and I need a breathing treatment that will have to wait until she comes home.
GBYA

Sunday September 25

Saying for the Day:Matthew 21:31 ----" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom of God before you.
------ As expected Pastor Marvel worked the white rabbit into his Sunday sermon. He said " Everybody seems to be trying to figure out if the white rabbit is good or bad. Well let me tell you I don't have the slightest idea. In fact I don't even believe there is a live three foot rabbit in a pink sweater running loose in the community. I think its some kind of hoax. I do know, however, that it is part of our human nature to categorize people into good or bad. Since the white rabbit seems to have human characteristics we need to categorize him as well. Now if we are going to put people into categories we need some criteria. One set of criteria would be the ten commandments but nobody uses those any more. That's because if we applied them we would all end up on the bad side and that's not good. So we each set up our own criteria for good and bad. The criteria says in effect things I don't do are bad. For example if I don't smoke then people who smoke are bad. With our own personal criteria we always end up on the good side. Once there was a group of people called Pharisees who worked very hard to keep the ten commandments and looked down on everyone that didn't try as hard. On the really bad list were tax collectors and prostitutes. Then along comes Jesus and throws out their criteria. In fact he tells them that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into heaven before them. Now if you have been seeing yourself as one of the vary good look out for Jesus as he is likely to throw out your criteria. The good news in all of this is that Jesus loves us so much that his criteria for saving us was that we believe and trust him. You see the good things we do don't come from us they happen because the God of our Baptism is working in us. WE can't use our good deed as a way of putting ourselves ahead of others but rather as evidence of God's love for us. Now the next time you try to decide on who is bad examine your criteria and do something else." People went home and talked over that sermon at lunch. I'll keep you informed.
----- Had a good night last night. In the morning and most of the day Betty worked on Bree's Halloween costume. She took some time out to go and buy some food for coffee at the Church after the guitar service. I updated the Christmas list and worked at cleaning up the garage. Then I transferred and old fourth of July tape from video tape to a DVD so Peter can have a copy. I also sorted a lot of old video tapes. The organization continues. I tried the new DVD in my little potable player and it works fine. Then I cleaned up the office a bit. How quickly things get out of hand. I got an e-mail note off to Bill and Mary Bennet to tell them I'm still living in Crystal Falls.
Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Steam Engine at Laona 

Saturday September 24

Saying for the Day:"A little kindness from person to person is better than a vast love for all humankind."Richard Dehmel
------ The white rabbit was the primary topic of conversation in Pigeon Falls today as people argued over weather it was good or bad. Just think a month ago most people didn't even believe it existed . How quick things change. According to Nancy of "Coffee with Nancy" 3 out of every four people believe the white rabbit to be good and not evil. But some of those who believe its evil have taken to locking their doors at night and staying away from dark places in the day time. The white rabbit itself has not been seen since Mrs. Trumble saw it from the window of "Coffee with Nancy". Perhaps it was what Klenex and the wolf were fighting over and we will never see it again. One hopes that's not the case because this is one mystery we would like to solve. The other great argument in Pigeon Falls is over the supposed photo of the white rabbit taken by a tourist. That picture has been reproduced on a dozen computer printers and is being passed all over town. According to Nancy people are equally divided between those who believe it is a real picture of the white rabbit and those who think it isn't. If only the train had been stopped and the picture were a little less blurry. Eino seems to have some kind of plan to catch the rabbit but he is keeping quiet about it. Well I'll keep you informed.
---- Very good night last night. In the morning I was back on E-BAy bidding on some track for the Marx trains I already have. Then Betty and I went to Laona . I drove. When we got there we discovered I had left my wallet home so I had no driver's license with me. Betty drove home. At Leona we took a genuine steam train out to Camp Five. There we took a forest tour and learned about forest management. While there we got to roast marshmellows over a campfire , something I haven't done in years. We listened to some real lively music proided by a trio called Finn Power who played while we ate lunch. Then we went through the logging museum and took the train back to Laona. When I got home I discovered I had won all of my bids but one. Then we went to church. The sermon was quite interesting. When we came home I sent an E-mail anniversary card to Peter and Lori whose anniversary is tomorrow. We will send a snail mail card later. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

white rabbit ? 

Friday September 23

Saying for the Day: A day without sunshine is like, well, night.
------- Mrs. Morris's dog Klenex didn't come home last night and when it dragged in this morning it was in terrible shape. It seemed obvious it had been in some sort of fight. Mrs. Morris took it to the Vet where it got thirty stitches and an antibiotic shot. The Vet said there were trace of rabbit fur in Klenex's teeth and he guessed that Klenex and another dog or Klenex and a wolf got into a fight over a rabbit. Mrs. Morris felt that that made good sense and took Klenex home to recover. Mrs. Trumble, the next door neighbor, saw things quite differently. She was sure that Klennex had gotten into a fight with the white rabbit which as she now remembered had five inch claws. She was going all over telling people that today it attacks our dogs but tomorrow it attacks our children. She is convinced its some kind of mutant caused by the government Elf program that filled our air with strange electric signals. Or she says it could be a mutant caused by genetic engineering at the University. In that case its part rabbit and part human. One of the vacationers in looking through his digital camera pictures discovered that he might have a picture of the white rabbit. He took it through the train window and the rabbit was standing next to a tree house on the edge of town. Mrs. Tumble said it was too nice looking to be the white rabbit she saw. Tom Bispola checked into the Marquette Hospital Alcoholic treatment center today. He said seeing all those white rabbits made him realize he had a problem. Mrs. Bispola is saying thank God for the white rabbit. Well I'll keep you informed.
----- Rough night last night , woke often and my legs really hurt. In the morning Betty continued working on Bree's costume and I worked on the web page. The painters came and painted the bathroom. Now that that is finished there will be no more projects this year, Next year the windows need to be replaced. In the afternoon Betty watched a video tape on how to use her new sewing machine and I went and worked in the garage. Then we did some more Christmas shopping off of the web. I didn't make any bids on E-bay today at least not yet. Betty measured the tables to find out if they could handle our o27 Marx trains and there was one in the basement, now we need some track. Betty has gone with her birthday club for super and I am going to take a bath. Breathing treatment will have to wait until Betty comes home.
GBYA

Coffee with Nancy 

Thursday September 22

Saying for the Day:I think we consider too much the good luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm.Theodore Roosevelt
----- If Pigeon Falls had been in the old west Mrs. Tumble would have pulled together a posse and gone after the white rabbit. Since she saw the rabbit yesterday she has been telling everybody that something has to be done and done soon. "Did you know?" she said, "That it winked at me with a real evil look in its eye." I believe if she had the power she would have every house searched and every crawl space . Everybody else has seen the white rabbit as rather cute but Mrs. Trumble sees it as something out of a scientific horror movie. Her story could be called "The attack of the mutant rabbit." She thinks there may be more than one of them and she is sure it thinks just like a human. She has all of Pigeon Falls upset and some people just a little scared. People are now talking about the white rabbit as either bad or good with most of them coming down on the side of good. One supposes Pastor Marvel will use this in next Sunday's sermon.
In other Pigeon Falls news they continue to tear down the hospital and people are going at night and taking bricks for souvenirs of the old place. The new medical center is finished and the railroad ambulance has been garaged next door on its own siding. It hasn't been used yet. Tom Bispola ended up sleeping on his front doorstep last night as his wife locked him out when he came home drunk. He has a key of course but he was too drunk to use it. He is pretty stiff today but I don't think he needs an ambulance just a kind word or two. Based on past experience he is unlikely to get one of those from Mrs. Bispola. Tom maintains that while he was lying on the porch steps forty two white rabbits in pink sweaters went by. His testimony, however, can be discounted since last time he was in this condition he saw three flying horses. Well I'll keep you informed.
----- Good night last night. In the morning I bid on some toys on E-bay I wanted for Christmas gifts and I won. Then I worked on our web page updating the train part of it and it is almost ready. Betty cut pieces for Bree's Halloween costume. I worked in the garage. In the afternoon Betty went to the dentist and I worked in the garage. When Betty came home she continued working on Bree's costume. Life doesn't get much more exciting than this. In the evening it was back to E-Bay and I bought a laptop computer. I am becoming an e-bay addict. I have no idea what the cure is > Perhaps some kind of twelve step program. Well I need a breathing treatment and there's a train tunnel I need to bid on.

Wednesday September 21

Saying for the Day:The sense of humor is the oil of life's engine. Without it, the machinery creaks and groans. No lot is so hard, no aspect of things is so grim, but it relaxes before a hearty laugh. George S. Merriam
———– It was a beautiful fall day in Pigeon falls today. The trees have started to turn color as the nights are cold even though the day temperature was in the 70’s. A number of tourists came in on the fall color train and got to enjoy the beauty. The white rabbit showed up again . Mrs. Trumble was having a cup of coffee and a piece of pie , around four o’clock, at “Coffee with Nancy” when she looked out the big picture window and there was the rabbit, pink sweater and all. Before she could get to the door the rabbit hopped off and by time she got outside it was gone. Nobody else saw the rabbit but there is no reason to doubt Mrs. Trumble since there have been so many previous sightings. Mrs. Trumble was one of those people who said she wouldn’t believe in the white rabbit unless she saw it herself. Well now she is a believer. Mrs. Trumble, you remember, lives in a little white house just beyond Grandma Morris’s house. She has been a part of Pigeon falls as long as anybody can remember and one of the leaders in the Methodist Church. She is one of those ladies that is complaining about too much pasty making. Mr. Trumble was a teacher in the Pigeon Falls school. He taught grades one, two, and three. He retired just a few years ago and then as often happens he had a heart attack and died. He left Mrs. Trumble well cared for with both a good pension and a large insurance amount. She stops into “Coffee with Nancy” almost every day just to keep up on the local news (gossip) but today she certainly got more than she expected. She left Nancy’s and demanded of Mayor South that she do something to find that rabbit “before it bites somebody”. She was just a bit excited. Angela got her to calm down and informed her that the Constable, Toivo, Eino, and herself were all looking for that rabbit but it just seems to disappear. Well I’ll keep you informed.
——– A good night last night. Got up to discover I was the high bidder on a roller coaster we wanted for the layout. We mailed a check off right after I was notified. I just have to stay off of E-Bay. I ran trains in the morning and Betty went to Tops. In the afternoon Dawn called. I worked at cleaning the garage. Betty finished the chimney on “Coffee with Nancy” and sprayed it with protective clear coat. Then she worked on slats for a flatcar. I called the Camp Five Railroad to find out what time the train runs Saturday as we might go for a train ride. Then Betty and I did some more Christmas shopping. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Ride um Cowboy 

Tuesday September 20

Saying for the day:"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.":Mark Twain
----- According to Nancy they are going to tear down the old Doctor's building next to the Pigeon Inn. For years, until the clinic was built, it was where people went for medical attention. Then it was used by several lawyers and now it stands empty. So many people have so many memories attached to that building that it is sad to see it torn down but I guess everything has and end. At the same time work continues on tearing down the old Pigeon Falls hospital which will not be replaced. The nearest emergency room is now a half hour away by train. A special rail ambulance has been set up to handle emergencies. Progress sometimes is not friendly to everybody. Of course after the 30 minute ride they will be at a hospital that is better equipped and more modern than the old hospital but tell that to someone whose appendix is about to burst. Lately in Pigeon falls there has been more tearing down than building and there are a lot of buildings for sale. I guess Pigeon Falls mirrors a lot of Upper Peninsula towns with no employment for the young who move away.
Other "news" from Nancy concerns our school superintendent Miss Victoria Worsworth. The word is that she is thinking of leaving to become Superintendent of a downstate school system where she won't have to teach eighth grade and where the school has k-12 instead of just k-8 . One could hardly blame her for leaving but where will we find a superintendent /eighth grade teacher to replace her? Besides she knows how to handle Tommy. Well I'll keep you informed.
----- Had a good night last night. Got up to discover we had gotten outbid on E-bay as we tried the get a Knex Roller Coaster. I did get three Marx trains that I don't need and shouldn't have bid on. I was looking to see what I could get for my Marx train and these were going so cheap that I couldn't resist bidding. I expected to be overbid but I wasn't. There was a tunnel Betty wanted but we lost the bid on that. After the nonsense we worked on the little coffee shop. Then Dawn and Paul came with the rocks and we went to lunch at Fob's. They have a schedule of grandkid things they are going to . They are trying to put together a 50th wedding anniversary party a few years early because they said all the grandkids will be leaving home when the real 50th anniversary comes. In the afternoon we finished everything on the coffee shop except the chimney which we will finish tomorrow. Then we went back to Christmas shopping and got a few more gifts ordered. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Monday September 19

Saying for the day:The shortest distance between two points is under construction. Alito Noelie
------ All of Pigeon Falls is talking about Mayor South's decision not to run for the Town Council again. People thought she would be Mayor forever and ever or at least for a few more years. She has been besieged by calls begging her not to quit but she seems to have made up her mind. Talk in town is turning to who they should elect to replace her and since there are no announced candidates that field of discussion is wide open. Esther Kivi's name comes up a lot in this discussion. She is very active in all the town activities and has a strong personality. The only problem with Esther is she has shown absolutely no interest in running for the Town Council. Several of her friends are trying to talk her into it but with no luck at this point. Another person being talked about as one that would make a good Mayor is Victoria Worsworth our school Superintendent and eighth grade teacher. She is a very good public speaker and keeps our school running very well. It doesn't seem that anyone has approached her on the subject so we don't know if she would be willing to run or not. Tommy , the undertakers son, said he would run but fortunately there is an age requirement in the town constitution so that rules him out. There simply is no leading candidate for the position at this time or to be more exact there is no candidate for the position. In other Pigeon Falls news, straight from Coffee with Nancy. Jack is thinking of closing the Sauna for the winter months and going to Florida. Just when we will need someplace to get warm he'll be closing the warmest place in town. Jack said he's tired of shoveling snow. Our funeral director is thinking of getting a substitute to run his business for a week and taking his wife on a cruise. The question there is who will baby sit Tommy? Well I'll keep you informed.
----- Good night last night. In the morning it was raining heavy so we decided to work at Christmas shopping . We spread out catalogues and went to web pages and got some shopping done. It was harder than expected because three or four times when I had finished the web order and before I could enter my shipping and billing information my computer problem closed the program and I had to start over. It was very frustrating. Late in the afternoon we went to the garage and worked on the last side and the roof for Nancy's Shop for the lay out. The roof turned out to be an inch too short. Anybody have a roof stretcher. My sister called and she's coming tomorrow with some rocks. I'll give her my Christmas want list. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Sunday September 18

Saying for the Day:Jonah 4:2 for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.
------- It was hell fire and brimstone day at Last Lutheran Church and Pastor Marvel gave it to them with both barrels. He said;" If you think God doesn't care about sin then you have never read the story of Jonah. God was so upset by the sin of Ninevah that he intended to destroy the entire city, all one hundred and twenty thousand of them. He forced his reluctant prophet Jonah to go and tell them the end was coming and to get ready to go into eternity. God does not like sin. He knows sin destroys people. It eats away at them like cancer. It ruins homes, destroys families. God does not like sin. God does not like your sin . Your sin makes God angry. But! But! A strange thing happens in Ninevah, the people repent. God then decides not to destroy the city but to forgive them. Your sin makes God angry , your repentance makes God rejoice. God is merciful and abundant in loving kindness. The choice is yours you can make God happy or angry" It certainly set people to thinking and it was talked over in a lot of Pigeon Falls homes. Well I'll keep you informed.
------ Good night last night. Went to church this morning because Betty had to usher and take care of the quilts. Saw a lot of people that don't come to Saturday night service and I got to hear the choir. After Church we went grocery shopping. In the afternoon Betty went to a concert and I finished the Lanyon part of the family web page. Now I need help from the family to add pictures and information. When Betty came home we worked on Nancy's coffee shop. There is only one side left to finish and to put the roof on. I did some searching on the net for some G scale items without much success. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Saturday September 17

Saying for the Day:"One kind word can warm three winter months."Japanese Proverb
----- Mayor Angela South announced today that she was not going to run for the Town Council again and so next year Pigeon Falls will be looking for a new mayor. She said she was tired of the job which pays nothing and gives her all kinds of grief. Anytime anything goes wrong they hold her responsible she said. Some people even blamed her for the drunken moose incident and then said she should have had some plan in place for such an event. She is tired of planing and pushing and trying hard to make everything go. She is planning on becoming just a normal housewife and business women. Pigeon Falls will lose a very effective leader when she quits but they won't know it until her leadership is no longer there. She said the Nancy Vanhala affair was the last straw as she felt it made her look like a villain on national television. Her husband is quite happy over her decision and said after she quits they might even be able to eat a few meals together as a family. A small town like Pigeon Falls can be very hard on its leaders and often provides them with little by way of reward. Mayor South said there are things she will miss. These include the annual Pigeon Days address and reading of the Pigeon story. It always made her feel in touch with her roots which are deep into the community. Nobody has come forward offering to run for her council seat. Well I'll keep you informed.
---- Very good night last night. In the morning I worked on the Lanyon part of the web page and should finish it tomorrow. Then Betty and I worked on the new building until Peter, Lorri, Breanna, Luke and Pennie came .We went out to lunch in Iron River and Pennie shared pictures and stories of her trip. Then we just enjoyed their company. Peter did a few chores for us that involved lifting and carrying. He tried to fix the problem with my computer and failed. We played a game of Canasta and Betty and I won. Betty and Bree went up to the Church and put out quilts for ELCW Sunday which is tomorrow. Then Luke wanted to run the train so we did that for awhile. We certainly did enjoy having them here. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Friday September16

Saying for the Day:"One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness; it usually comes back to you. "
------ I stopped and had coffee and a piece of pie at "Coffee with Nancy" . Nancy Vanhala runs this little coffee shop just off the main street. It is the place to go for coffee and conversation. It is a small little shop that can't handle more than four customers at a time and sometimes there's a line of people waiting to get in. Nancy likes to sit and coffee with her customers and chat a bit. Here you can learn all the local gossip and if your visiting all the good Pigeon Falls stories. She doesn't seem to be interested in expanding or making more money. Her coffee is still $.50 a cup and a good size piece of homemade pie is only $1.25. We chatted and she told me how Fred and Dorothy Berghil were getting divorced. It seems that Dorothy caught him out with another women and he confessed to a little, as he called it, affair. Dorothy won't or can't forgive him and so its headed for the divorce court. According to Nancy the fight over the name is still going on over at Last Lutheran. Its too bad Christians don't set a better example for the rest of God's world. Nancy said a little fight was brewing over at the Methodist Church as well over the pasty sales and how many they should have. Some of the ladies are tired. The Catholic Church is quiet and has been since Father Mike dissolved the parish council which was always fighting over something. The Town Council is still upset over the Oak tree and being stuck with that empty lot at a time when tax revenues are scarce. Nancy revealed that Dr. Fortress has ordered another new Steam Engine or to be exact another old steam engine. He is going to paint it with a Sesame Street theme for his vacation train. Nancy probably had more information but a couple of people were waiting for my table. I'll keep you informed.
-----Good night last night but bad morning. Everything ached when I woke at 4:00 and when I tried to move to relieve the pain my legs cramped. In the morning I continued to work on the Lanyon part of the family web page and it is almost done. Betty worked on Nancy's coffee shop.
She put on a door and put in two windows. I joined her in the afternoon and we made a counter and Betty found a little pie and coffee pot to put on it as well as some dishes for the table. We wallpapered one wall and painted the rest gray. Then Betty did the stone work on the front. The wall she did yesterday turned out very well. Tomorrow we will assemble the building and cut a wood base for it. Pennie called from Miami before she left for home. Peter called and they are thinking of coming to visit tomorrow. I updated the Church's web page with new baptism pictures and this weeks bulletin. I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Thursday September 15

Saying for the Day: Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
------ One thing leads to another and today a crew from the history channel came to interview Nancy Vanhala about her great grandfather, Emil Towner Vanhala. They spent a little time on his World War I service. He was a hospital corpsman who carried five of his fellow soldiers to safety despite a barrage of enemy fire. They spent most of their time talking about and examining some of his inventions. Nancy has an entire room filled with grandpa's inventions. He is most famous for the self adjusting suspenders which worked very well but were quite heavy. He also invented a people mover that could carry a person up to five hundred feet. The person sat in a chair and the chair moved down this long conveyer belt and stopped so the person could get off at the end. The chair then collapsed and was carried under the belt and back to the start. It seemed like it had real promise until it speeded up with Ester Jupola on it and then stopped short. It threw Ester right into the wall. She was very upset. He was very lucky he lived when he did because they weren't into suing in those days. All in all Emil had seventy six patents. The history channel took pictures of the historic Vanhala house, that's where Nancy lives and her little coffee shop "Coffee with Nancy". After they left the Town Council voted to make her house a historic building and to place a plaque in front of it. Nancy wasn't wild about the idea but she went along with it. Well I'll keep you informed.
----Good night last night but I woke up with every joint hurting. In the morning Betty went to Church to lead a Bible study. I worked on the family web page and have almost finished the Lanyons. In the afternoon Betty and I worked on Nancy's coffee house for the layout. She is trying a new technique for fake stone. She also created some real nice barrels for loads for the flatcars. After supper I went back to work on the web page. Betty is sorting through our unused clothes to send the best of them to the hurricane victims as a truck is going from Crystal Falls. I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Jack's Sauna-brick by brick 

Wednesday September 14

Saying for the Day:The best reason for having dreams is that in dreams no reasons are necessary: Ashleigh (Ellwood) Brilliant
----- The merchant's association of Pigeon Falls met today to try to figure some way to undo the perceived damage of Nancy Vanhala on national television calling them tourist traps. The first thing they did was to change their name from "The Pigeon Falls Merchant Association" to the "Association of Vacation Enhancement Providers." Then they drew up a new symbol to put in their places of business it consists of the letter AVEP arranged in a green circle. Following this they prepared a mission statement for the organization which reads as follows:
This organization exists to enhance the experience of those who vacation in Pigeon Falls. To that end we will: 1. Cooperate with the community in the preparation of special events such as Pigeon Days, October Fest, street dances etc.
2. Either provide suitable lodging for vacationers or be able to tell where such lodging is available.
3. Provide memory enhancing objects (tiny white rabbits in pink sweaters, sweaters with Pigeon Falls slogans, little drunken Moose etc.) so that the vacation may be relived when the vacationer returns home.
4. Know and be prepared to tell the legends and stories unique to Pigeon Falls such as the story of the drunken moose.
5. Do everything possible to make this a memorable vacation for our guests.
Having finished the mission statement the AVEP discussed their participation in the October Fest celebration. Well I'll keep you informed.
----- Had a good night last night. In the morning I worked for an hour on the Lanyon family part of our web page. Then I went and ran trains where I had all kinds of track problems. Betty finished making her contest poster for Tops and then went to Tops. In the afternoon I continued to run trains but they ran much better. Some people from Chicago stopped and really liked the layout. Betty worked at painting loads for the train. Three car kits came and I put together two of them. We designed and cut out the pieces for another building. Betty is working on a Bible study she will give tomorrow morning. I continued to work on the Lanyon family and finished Donald and Dorothy. Pennie sent and E-mail from the boat saying she was having a wonderful time. I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Tuesday September 13

Saying for the day:The way to succeed is to double your failure rate.Thomas Watson
------ There was lots of excitement in Pigeon Falls today. Nancy Emelia Vanhala chained herself to the old oak tree on the vacant lot on main street. Nancy as everyone in Pigeon Falls knows is the great, great, granddaughter of Emil Towner Vanhala, Pigeon Falls only decorated World War I hero and quirky inventor( He invented the self adjusting suspenders). Nancy is very active in almost every organization in town and very well liked. She was protesting the decision of the town council to sell the lot which belongs to the city and to have the tree cut down. It seems a local unnamed merchant wanted to put a store there. To be fair to the town council the action would have saved on fall cleanup and keeping up the lot. Nancy carried a sign that said save our tree and no more tourist traps. Somehow CNN got hold of the story and there was a cameraman there to record the moment. Pigeon Falls made the national television news and the town council looked like villains. The council met in emergency session and voted four to one to rescind the action. They felt that Pigeon Falls didn't need the adverse publicity and the local merchants objected to being called tourist traps on national TV. It seems they see themselves as vacation enhancement providers. In any case the tree is saved. A lot of Pigeon Falls people even some who are friends of Nancy are wondering what was so special about that tree. The woods around Pigeon Falls have lots of oak trees and one oak is as good as another. For now Nancy has put away her signs and is back to just being a generally helpful person. I'll keep you informed.
------I had a good night last night. In the morning I sent my Christmas want list to the three kids. Got an E-mail from Pennie who is on a cruise ship in Florida and having a great time. After breakfast Betty and I cleaned off three shelves in the bedroom, organization continues. We got rid of a box full of garbage and we found some projects for ourselves and for the grandkids. In the afternoon I finished Jack's Sauna. Betty trimed trees around the house and did some painting of loads for train cars. I cleaned off some more garage shelves getting ready to bring in the houses at the end of the month. Then I worked on the Lanyon part of the family website which will take several more days. I am short so much information. Betty made a tree chart to paste paper apples on for her Tops group. Well I need a breathing treatment and a bath.
GBYA

Monday September 12

Saying for the Day:One of the great disadvantages of hurry is that it takes such a long time.Gilbert K. Chesterton
---- Yesterday was the big all church picnic in Pigeon Falls and it was a great success. This is the fifth year in a row that the town has had an all church picnic and they have already set up a committee to begin planning next years. The ladies in the churches out did themselves in bringing wonderful things to eat to the pot luck. The Methodist ladies brought tiny little pasties which were so popular they quickly ran out of them. There were the usual casseroles and jellos along with cakes and pies. The committee provided coffee and kool aid as well as hot dogs. It was a regular feast. A few people over feasted and looked a bit green by the middle of the afternoon. The big baseball game was held between the Catholics and the Lutherans with the Catholics winning for the third year in a row. Father Mike was very gracious in winning but you could tell he was really happy. Pastor Marvel did not look so happy but he was a good loser. There were of course a bunch of other contests and all in all the Lutherans won six events, the Catholics won six events, the Methodists won two events, and the Baptist won one. The picnic ended with a hymn sing that could be heard in downtown Pigeon Falls, what it lacked in harmony it made up in volume. Everybody was hopping the white rabbit would show up but it didn't. Well I'll keep you informed.
-----I had a rough night last night with a severe leg cramp early in the evening. I had to take off the breathing mask and get up and walk around. in the morning I finished the Mallmann and the Compher parts of the family web site , at least as far as I could with the information available. Betty cleaned house and did laundry. In the afternoon I sprayed Jack's Sauna and the transfer I hope to put on it later. Betty has gone to the committee meetings up at the church. I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Sunday September 11

Saying for the Day:1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
----- Pastor Marvel did something different at Last Lutheran today. At the start of the sermon he handed out a sheet of paper to each person . On the sheet were ten statements that he wanted them to mark true or false . The page began with
God will love and forgive us: Then the following statements.
1. only if we forgive others.
2. only if we are nice to everybody, no exceptions.
3. only if we don't smoke.
4. only if we don't drink alcoholic beverages.
5, only if we don't dance.
6. only if don't ever use his name in vain.
7. only if we sleep with our own spouse.
8. only if we never become angry.
9. only if we give ten per cent or more of our income to the church.
10. only if we keep most of the commandments, most of the time.
He then asked the congregation to rate their performance in each area by putting a G for good, and M for mediocre or a P for poor behind the sentence. When all of this was completed Pastor Marvel told them they could rip them up because there is no If in God's love. It is truly unconditional. God expects things of us not in order to love and forgive us but because he has loved and forgiven us. I think the congregation understood grace better after that sermon.
Well I'll keep you informed.
---- Had a good night last night. In the morning I worked on the Mallmann part of the family web page. Betty got things ready for the picnic. At noon we went to the church picnic out at Runkle lake. It was good to see a lot of old friends that never come to the Saturday night service . After the picnic we went shopping in Iron Mountain and Betty got some things she needed to make a costume for Breanna. When we came home I almost finished the Mallmann part of the web site and I should finish it tomorrow. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Saturday September 10

Saying for the Day:It is better to be patient, than it is to become one.
------ It has been several days since anyone has seen the white rabbit in the pink sweater and people are beginning to wonder if it is gone for good. Perhaps it is waiting for the excitement of October Fest before coming out again. Toivo and Eino are hoping to catch it next time it shows up and solve the mystery once and for all. Of course for them to do that it has to show up and the rabbit doesn't seem inclined to accommodate them. On the other mystery front we still have no further information on the Bubster person who should have shown up by now. Perhaps he is also waiting for October Fest. The Jupola family has finally gotten Saima to agree to spend some time in assisted living while her hip heals and she learns to walk again. She will go home for a week first and the wives will take turns staying with her at night until they move her to assisted living. It is good to see the family working together for the good of Saima.
Tomorrow is the all church picnic at Liars club park. All four churches , Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Baptist will come together for an afternoon of games and just plain fun followed by a potluck supper and hymn sing. It is so nice to see all the churches working together instead of fighting like they used to. Well I'll keep you informed.
-----Rough night last night. In the morning I finished the Linna family part of the family web page. It looks like it will work. Now I need to get family members to let us know what is happening. I need to work on the Mallmann section next. Betty washed clothes. In the afternoon she scraped the logs around the layout getting them ready to paint. Then she set up her sewing machine. I worked in the garage doing some cleaning and some finishing work on Jack's Sauna. Then we went to Church. Jack preached and did his usual fine job. I came home and worked on the family web page. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Friday September 9

Saying for the Day:"To give without any reward, or any notice, has a special quality of its own."Anne Morrow Lindbergh
------ Pigeon Days this year was a huge success and now the town is looking forward to the October Fest celebration. Ever year the first week in October is designated as October Fest. This is strange because it is an old German custom and there are no more than three German background people in town. Pigeon Falls will celebrate almost anything that brings in tourists and adds a little life to the day to day happenings. At the center of the October Fest celebration is the big October Fest dance which is held on the main street. It is always held on the Saturday night of the week of October Fest. The town council decided to bring in The Fast Step Polka Band from Green Bay to play for the occasion. Some people will wear old country dance costumes or what they think look like old country dance costumes. There will be plenty of beer served by vendors on the street and of course it will be good German beer. The weeks activities will include a pumpkin judging contest, a beer can juggling contest, and lots of good fun. The M&CL railroad will run extra passenger cars that week and give a special rate. The trees will be at their most glorious and those who take advantage of the special will not be disappointed unless of course it snows. Mayor South said we'll plan a snowball throwing contest just in case. We know that the UP only has two seasons; bug swatting and snow shoveling. well I'll keep you informed.
----Hard night last night. I got to bed late and had a hard time getting to sleep. This morning I worked on the family website. Betty got the media center ready to give away. I went to work in the garage and finished the brick sauna. Betty came and painted the door and the windows. In the afternoon she moved the two sleighs to the front door , ready to go and out of the garage. Then we went grocery shopping. When we came home the people came for the media center and the sleighs. It was in the way and too big to move to the basement. The sleighs were also in the way. We offered them to whomever wants them on Free Cycle out of Marquette and we had five responses. We took the first one. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Thursday September 8

Saying for the Day:"A little kindness from person to person is better than a vast love for all humankind."Author:Richard Dehmel
------ Another beautiful fall day in Pigeon Falls. The leaves on the trees are starting to change color and the area is at its most beautiful. The milk train added two open passenger cars today and they were both full of people out to see God's fall show.
Saima Jupola had her surgery this morning and is doing quite well. They inserted a new hip joint. Now she has to learn to walk again. Some of the relatives don't seem too happy that she survived the surgery. They were feeling that if she died things would work out better. Of course they feel guilty for thinking that way. This is a terrible time for the family with maximum stress.
Some of the tourists that came on the color tour decided to try out Jack's Sauna. They were amazed at how clean it makes you feel and a couple were even thinking of getting one of those modern imitation saunas for their home. You can't beat a real Finnish sauna with a roaring wood fire. The electric version just isn't the same. But even an imitation sauna is better than none at all. Saima Jupola has a sauna in her backyard and I think that's one of the things she doesn't want to give up. well I'll keep you informed.
----- Good night last night. After breakfast we tried to cut another DVD and failed and we don't know why. In the morning I worked on the family web page and Betty cooked for the ELCW meeting . In the afternoon I worked in the garage doing some more cleaning. Then I put a road on the layout next to one of the cabins and put a truck on it. Then I built the front part of a brick house for the layout. Betty cleaned the kitchen and did laundry. Dawn called to let us know she has some more rocks. Betty has gone to the ELCW meeting and is going to try to resign as chair person. When she gets back I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Wednesday September 7

Saying for the Day:"Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate."Albert Schweitzer
----Saima Jupola fell last night and now is in the hospital. The family feels bad and some members feel guilty because they didn't go and stay with her. The doctor said emphatically that she can't go home alone. The family wants her to go either to assisted living or a nursing home. Even in the hospital Saima is against both alternatives. She says she'd rather die first. The Dr. suggested to her that she go into assisted living just until she can walk better. Since she broke her hip in the fall and their will be some recovery time after surgery. She said she will think about it. Its a good thing the Jupolas have money or the nursing home would be the only alternative as Medicare doesn't pay for assisted living, even when ordered by a doctor. It is hard to get old.
Mrs. Hilary Henry took her fifth and sixth grade students on a field trip to the Bergal farm today. Jon explained farming as he does it. Tommy, the undertaker's son wanted to see the pasty eating bear but Jon said it was long gone. He did show them the scratches on the back door he said were made by the bear. Then Tommy managed to push Amelia Jupola into the farm pond. She really looked funny when she came out and the other kids laughed at her. Mrs. Henry used that to teach a lesson on kindness and not laughing at other people's misfortune. of course everyone knew that if Tommy had pushed somebody else in Amelia would have lead the laughing. Sometimes there is a tiny bit of justice in the world. Tommy had to stay after school and write five hundred times "I will behave on field trips.". Not that it will do any good because Tommy will keep being Tommy. Well I'll keep you informed.
----Good night last night. In the morning after breakfast Betty and I cut a DVD of Pat's High School Graduation. Now the question is what to do with the original video tapes. Then I worked on the computer until almost 10:00 when I went out and ran the trains. Betty went to Tops. She lost 1/2 a pound. Two people from Florida stopped and looked over the lay out. They were impressed. In the afternoon two men came and started preparation to paint the bathroom by patching the hole in the ceiling. They will come back next week to continue the job. The man came and cut the grass. I made an adjustment to the church web page and added Ida Linna to the family web page. Pat called and we got to talk to the boys. Then Betty and I looked at a websight that sells people figures for model trains. We saw several things we might buy. Well I need a breathing treatment
.
GBYA

Tuesday September 6

Saying for the day:When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
------ It was a glorious fall day in Pigeon Falls today . The morning milk train came through on schedule and had a passenger car on the end filled with people that wanted to see the fall beauty. It was an open car and the M&CL railroad won't be able to run those much longer. In a month or so you will need long underwear to ride in a car like that.
The wonder of the day was somewhat diminished as Henry Jupola, Toivo and Eino's uncle was buried. It was a huge funeral, held at Last Lutheran Church with burial in the cemetery across the street. Pastor Marvel, as usual, preached the promise of Resurrection given to us by Jesus and this brought some comfort to the family. After the funeral the family met to talk about how to care for Saima, Henry's wife. She is an invalid and Henry took care of her. She most certainly can not live alone but none of the relatives want to take her in. She has no living children. The family decided to try to get her to go to the new Assisted Living place that was built just outside of town. She of course doesn't want to leave her home and wants somebody to come and live with her. The family tried to find someone but nobody wants to become a caregiver on that scale. Near the end of the meeting things deteriorated into a first class squabble. People called each other names and even some swear words crossed the table. So the big family meeting ended without any solution and for the moment she is alone in the old house. Well I'll keep you informed.
---- Good night last night. In the morning we made a copy of the VHS tape of Peter's Graduation to A DVD so we can give it to Peter. We have a swell machine that will copy to a DVD anything showing on the TV. I spent the morning working on the family tree. We now have over 900 names and it is still growing. Betty gathered up some things that needed to go to the church and took them there. In the afternoon I finally pulled myself away from the computer and worked in the garage. Then I ran a track cleaner. Betty fixed the trestle that was down and planted the rest of the little trees that were sitting in flower pots. I came back and worked on the web page. well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Monday September 5

Saying for the Day:Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.- Albert Einstein
------ For the farmers of Pigeon Falls Labor Day is not a very important holiday. Their labor doesn't stop and they don't get the day off. The cows have to be fed and milked, the chickens fed and eggs collected, and the potato farmers have begun harvesting their crop. Work goes on even on the first Monday of September. Of course the children are happy they just started school and already they have a day off. A lot of people went down to the county fair. They wanted to see the stock car races and the children looked forward to the carnival rides. Pastor Marvel entered a wall hanging he latch hooked of the Wizard of Oz. He got first place. It was quite a creation. I think they are going to hang it in the Town Hall to remind people that the original yellow brick road was in Pigeon Falls. I am sure that was not Pastor Marvel's intention but he is a good sport and will lend the town the hanging. Pastor Marvel is something of a Wizard of Oz buff. He has collected all kinds of books and things related to Oz. I think making that big wall hanging took his mind off the squabbles in Last Lutheran. Labor Day did him a favor as it caused the council meeting to be postponed until next Monday, and by then people may have calmed down and they will leave the name alone. If they don't we can look to another latch hook original from Pastor Marvel as latchet hooking relieves a lot of stress. Well I'll keep you informed.
----- Sporadic sleep last night, woke up every two hours and I really don't know why. In the morning we finished the inventory of the books to go downstairs and cut a dvd of Pennies graduation to give to her. I spent the afternoon working on the family web sight and the family tree. I really need to get back to the train. Betty has been doing some family research for me through some of the things her mother left and has been cleaning off her desk. We are getting organized. I have to keep saying that in the hope that it is true. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Sunday September 4

Saying for the Day:Luke 6:37 And judge not, and you shall not be judged: and condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven:
------- It is Sunday in Pigeon Falls and those good people who went to church at Last Lutheran heard a powerful sermon. Pastor Marvel preached on the water as a force of destruction as in hurricane Katrina and as a carrier of new life as in Baptism. There were two baptisms that morning so the sermon was just perfect. There is a bit of a fight going on at Last Lutheran as some of the newer members want to change the name. They think that last anything is not a good title. The old timers reminded them of the scripture that said " The last shall be first." But the fight continues and probably will go the church council. One problem is that there is no agreement as to what the new name should be among the people who want to change. Some want it named after a Saint like many other Lutheran Churches, some want it to be called First Lutheran, and some want it to have a geographical name like Pigeon Falls Lutheran. Pastor Marvel is trying very hard to stay out of it but if it goes to the council he will be right in the middle of it. Funny the things that Christians choose to fight over in a world that so desperately needs to hear the Good News. The last time there was a good fight at Last Lutheran some members quit but nobody seems able to remember what it was all about. It must have been very important. Well I'll keep you informed.
---- Slept sporadically last night, woke up every two hours. After breakfast Betty and I spent the morning organizing the book shelves in the living room. Again in the afternoon we spent three hours doing the same thing. The shelves had become a place to push things that we couldn't decide what to do with.We took out two bags of garbage and sent two boxes of books to the basement. First we inventoried each book and put title and author into the computer and which box it was in. We put a copy of the inventory in the box. We taped a copy to the cover and we put a label with the box name and number on the end. Are we getting organized , or what. In going through the books we found one titled getting rid of the clutter, perhaps it will help us. When we finished with the books I went back to work on the family web page which still will take a lot of work. Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

Saturday September 3

Saying for the Day:We owe a lot to Thomas Edison - if it wasn't for him, we'd be watching television by candlelight.Milton Berle
------ Saturday night is Sauna night in Pigeon Falls. It can be in their own Sauna in back of the house or at Jack's Public Sauna but wherever they go Saturday night is the night. This is the time to get the body truly clean and ready for church tomorrow, when one can work at cleaning the soul. There is a wide variety of ways to Sauna. some are very shy and wear bathing suits in the steam room others bravely dispense with all clothing and take a Sauna in the traditional manner. The best Sauna's are on the lake and after one is all steamed and lathered up, one runs and jumps into the cold water of the lake. If you survive it is very invigorating. The Sauna has a long history and was once believed by the Finnish people to be the place where the souls of the ancestors reside. A couple of months ago the town had a sauna they thought was haunted. When you went in and sat down strange noises were heard. It sounded like moaning but there wasn't anyone there. When you got up and looked around the noises stopped. The people who used the Sauna both family and friends began to wonder if the spirits of the ancestors did inhabit that Sauna. Then Toivo Jupola, one of the friends that used the Sauna realized that the sounds came only after you sat down. He looked carefully along the board that served as a seat and found a pressure switch hidden in the back. It was set up so that when you sat a tiny tape player turned on with a continuous loop tape and made the noises. They never did find out who put it there but of course they suspect Tommy the undertaker's son.
Confirmation has started at Last Lutheran. The class meets every Saturday morning for two hours. You have to feel sorry for Pastor Marvel who teaches the class because Tommy is one of the students and you know before the year is up he will do something. There are seven other students as well. There aren't too many kids left in Pigeon Falls so the classes have gotten smaller every year. Well I'll keep you informed.
-----Good night last night. Worked on the computer all morning. Went up to the church after lunch. Betty put up the Baptismal banners and I got a copy of the bulletin program from the office as well as leaving some quilting pictures. Coming home I went back to work on the computer and Betty cleaned house. At 4:00 we went to church for the Saturday service. A good sermon that worked in the baptisms, the hurricane, and the texts. It was also a healing service.
Well I need a breathing treatment
GBYA

Friday September 2

Saying for the day:If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito.
-----The excitement from the dance on Wednesday has subsided. People are still trying to solve the mystery of the white rabbit, which incidentally hasn't been seen since Wednesday night. On Thursday they went looking for tracks but all they found, in the little patch of sand, where some wagon tracks and some holes that looked like somebody stuck in a pole. One of the observers said the rabbit hopped but also seemed to role. Perhaps we are looking at a mechanical rabbit. But then who is running it and how. It seems to stand all alone and nobody was in front of or behind it. It just continues as a mystery.
A few other things from the dance which got forgotten in the white rabbit excitement. Pastor Marvel played On Top of Old Smokey during one of the group refreshment breaks. Everybody clapped and he gave the accordion back to Towner. He knows when to quit. Somebody noticed that the good Pastor didn't dance and asked him if it was against his religion. He said, "No, I just have preachers feet and they don't dance well." Towner , by the way, did a fine job with Pastor Marvel's accordion.
The good people of Pigeon Falls are taking up a fund to send to help the people in New Orleans. They are receiving funds at the local credit union. Well I'll keep you informed.
-----Good night last night for me but Betty got a leg cramp in the middle of the night and had to get up and walk it off in the morning we put together the first of the new shelves. Then Betty picked everything up and filled it up. In the afternoon betty worked on baptism banners for the baptisms this weekend. I put the other shelf up and in place. Then we went grocery shopping. I noticed gas was now up to $3.27 a gallon. In the grocery store the green grapes which were $.99 a pound last week are now $2.99 a pound, worse than gasoline. Coming home Betty went back to work on the banners and I worked on the family web page which will take me until Christmas to get done. Well I

Thursday September1

Saying for the day:A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. – Herm Albright
---------- The dance at the end of this years Pigeon Days will be remembered and talked about for years to come. It happened in the middle of the dance when the band was taking a refreshment break and people had retired to the benches on the sidewalk or were shopping in Wink's . Suddenly and with no warning of any kind there was the white rabbit, pink sweater and all, hopping down the middle of main street, where people had been dancing just a moment before. It turned first to one side and then the other and it winked. I swear it winked. Then it hopped to the end of the street and disappeared into the darkness. By the time people reacted it was gone. There was no use chasing it at that time of night. The questions remain. What is it? Where did it come from? Who is responsible. Right away Tommy, the undertaker's son, name came up. Toivo wanted to know where he was. His father said he was home in bed because he had been sent to his room as punishment for some prank or another. Toivo demanded that they go and see . When they got there they found Tommy asleep in his bed. So the mystery remains. Other than that it was a wonderful dance. Nellie Hokansen, our Pigeon Queen beamed as she reigned over the dance. It was her last official act. Being Pigeon Queen has been very good for her and given her some much needed self esteem. The fact that she was judged second runner up for Miss Upper Peninsula , didn't hurt either. There were fifty six girls in that contest. She looked positively radiant as she had the first dance with the Grand Pigeon. Ordinarily it would have been with her father but he left long ago. Well I'll keep you informed.
-----Good night last night. We had a bit of a crisis in the morning. The new shelf that Betty put in to hold the rakes, shovels, etc. tipped over during the night and knocked over the big metal shelf next to it. The shelf bent, bottles broke, it was a real mess. We spent the morning picking things up. In the afternoon we went to ace hardware in Iron River to get a new shelf to replace the metal one. We did salvage part of the metal shelf and moved that to the basement. We velcored the rake shelf to the wall so there should be no repeat. I continue to work at upgrading our family home page but it will take a long time to get everything the way I want it.Well I need a breathing treatment and a bath.
GBYA