The Rock Wall

I was ready to moan about holidays, particularly Monday holidays, which give us fits at the newspaper. It’s even worse now that we’ve gone to a Monday deadline.

Then I got in touch with the Bulldog Athletic Director Jeremy Barger and he had the new head football coach, Kelley Beckner, call me.

When Coach Beckner greeted me with, “How are you doing?,” I said, “Great now that I’m talking to you.”

I taped and transcriber our conversation for you. I also put in comments by Joe Barger since he has so many years experience watching the Bulldogs play.

One comment Joe made during the game really struck my funny bone. He said something about “Coach Barger.” Just being polite and formal I’m sure. He could just have easily said, “My son” and we would have known who he meant.

Later I discovered an email from the Pembroke School in which a gentleman offered to have parents take game photos. I’m doubting I’ll get the photos Monday evening, but I expect to have some for you next week. He had emailed me on Friday and I just missed it. I was looking for photos not questions about what I wanted.

– I think it was Friday that a gentleman came into the office and introduced himself. He was Blaine Griggs, owner and driver of the winning tractor in hot stock at the pull. The tractor I thought was his wasn’t. Monday I received a digital photo from Mr. Griggs and his tractor pulling at the Land-O-Lake Youth Fairgrounds.  I really appreciate his help.

I just misunderstood what the announcer said and I didn’t have a program. I was in a hurry to grab a photo and head for Saturday night church.

– Mr. Griggs and I had a lot in common. He and I both were raised on a farm and learned to drive on a B John Deere with the vertical hand clutch that I pushed in with my foot and gripped between my toes to pull back and stop the tractor. Dad called it a Johnny Pop. The neighbors had an A John Deere which I could spot as far as I could hear it running.

– I am sorry to hear about the death of our neighbor, Waldo Kicenski, at 95 years young. Never had a minutes trouble with him. Once his bull got out, as all bulls are  prone to do, and Dad put him up in the corral and called Waldo who came after him with a stock trailer. The trailer was too tall for the bull to hop right in, so we pulled the trailer up a few feet and dug some holes and he backed the trailer into them. Bull then loaded just fine. Ever a kind man and slow talking, Waldo said several times, “I hate to leave those holes.” Being a smart alec kid I finally told him, “Take them with you.” Our neighbor left laughing.

– I called Adrian twice Monday and every day over the weekend to see if she went into labor on Labor Day. Nope. KL