2009 December | Lodi Valley News

LHS Receives 2010 Global Classroom Award

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/23/09

The following is the application letter written by Lodi High School Principal Laura Love, as well the award letter from GCA.

October 18, 2009

To Whom It May Concern:

Lodi High School may be a small, rural school with a fairly homogeneous student body, but we are helping students see the world. Through our inviting atmosphere for foreign exchange students, our two sister school exchange projects, and through our intense International Education Week we are igniting a spark for many of our kids to become active citizens of our global community.

We have welcomed many students from a wide array of countries to LHS in the past several years. While the number of students here for the whole year has varied from one to six at one time, students have visited from Turkey, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Jordan, among others.

Each year, a handful of our teachers have applied to get into World Languages Day at the University, and some years they haven’t drawn our number. Three years ago, we decided to create our own series of events, we now call International Education Week (IEW), in order to broaden the perspective of all students at Lodi High School. This week begins with a keynote speaker to the whole school who is a globally active citizen; for example, this year’s keynote comes from Mr. Chip Duncan, head of Relief International, photographer and author of Enough to Go Around. We follow the keynote with an international film festival, a festival of speakers and a cultural performance, over a five-day period. Moreover, teachers work to integrate global concepts into their curricula beginning a few weeks in advance of IEW.

Tangential to International Education Week and to get students really thinking about global travel, we initiated two sister school exchange programs in the past two years. We have been hosting 10-12 students from Hessen, Germany, every other year and sending as many of our students there on opposite years. We also sent nine students to Suphanburi, Thailand, last year and are now hosting ten students from there at the present time. Each of these school exchanges is accompanied by basic language and cultural instruction before we send students abroad. Three staff members have traveled with the students on each trip and then brought many lessons back to share with others. Upon return, our student-teacher teams have educated the student body, the entire community and citizens in the surrounding area on their experiences in person and through interactive blogs. Finally, we are in the planning stages of having language courses taught from our sister schools over Skype beginning this school year.

The diversity this has brought to our small, almost completely homogeneous school, has been incredible. While we are only in our third year of International Education Week and Sister School Exchange Programming, many other activities have begun as a result. Students have been asking for trips to be taken through other programs—to Costa Rica, to London and Paris, to Greece and Italy. Our board of education and community have been very supportive, and we see the trend growing!

And here is the GCA letter announcing the award.

December 22, 2009

Ms. Laura H. Love, Principal
Lodi High School
1100 Sauk Street
Lodi, Wisconsin 53555

Dear Ms. Love,

The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) is pleased to announce your school as one of two winners in our 2010 Global Classroom Awards program! This award recognizes your active commitment to the goals of international youth exchange and your use of these programs to enhance your local school community. We at CSIET applaud your accomplishments and expect that your school will serve as a model for others.

CSIET’s mission is to promote international youth exchange. We would like to applaud you and your colleagues for their valuable contribution and leadership in international student exchanges.

The awards will be given out in person to a representative of your school during the 2010 National School Conference on International Youth Exchange in Charlotte, North Carolina, February 19-20, 2010. All winners must be present to receive the award. Each winner will receive airfare, one night’s accommodation and free registration for the conference for one representative from the school. Additionally, your school will receive a $500 scholarship for one of your students to study abroad or equivalent funds to be put toward increasing school-wide international awareness.

CSIET, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction have come together to sponsor this first of its kind conference to provide a forum on a wide range of topics related to international youth exchange.

Additionally, we will recognize the names of two Honorable Mentions by publishing the name of each school on our website. The winning schools and honorable mentions will be posted on the CSIET website by the December 24, 2009.

Again, congratulations on winning this award and for promoting international youth exchange programming. Lindsay Poehlman on our staff will be contacting you directly to provide more details and answer any questions.

Sincerely,

John O. Hishmeh
Executive Director

COUNCIL ON STANDARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL
212 South Henry Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 · (703) 739-9050 · FAX (703) 739-9035
E-mail: mailbox@csiet.org Web address: www.csiet.org

River Currents

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/18/09

Early Ice Fishing in Southern Wisconsin and the Madison Area

A nice 10" 'gill from the Madison Chain

The warmer than normal November had ice anglers worrying about when there would be ice on area waters. With the way the weather was going, I didn’t think there would be “good’ ice until at least Christmas. But, the recent frigid blast has angler’s already venturing out on area waters. Wisconsinites love a few things this time of year; first and foremost they love the Green Bay Packers and their second love is ice fishing. The average date that Lake Monona freezes over is usually near the end of December and in 5 years of the last decade the ice wasn’t safe until January. Last weekend, there were many anglers out on Monona Bay and the Brittingham Park area. There were at least a hundred anglers out Sunday afternoon when the packer game finished.

Personally, I’m waiting till the ice is a little thicker, in the 3 to 4 inch range, before I “hit’ the local waters. The vision of fresh bluegill and crappie fillets frying in a cast iron pan is so inviting, but I’m not as daring and bold as I once was and am waiting for thicker ice. Anglers love to be the first one on the ice because fishing is usually good in many areas early before the fish migrate to deeper water structure later in the winter. Now, the fish and I mean most panfish, walleyes, and northern pike are in the same location as they were before the ice formed. The key if possible is to find green weeds because most fish will be close to these spots.

Safety is the most important thing when fishing the first ice of the year! The weather this week looks good with another cold front coming in by mid-week which should continue the ice building process. Use good judgment when going ice fishing because any fish isn’t worth going through the ice for. Here are a few important tips to remember when fishing the year’s first ice: Read more »

Industry Groups Pledge Support for Dairyland Greyhounds

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/16/09

The nation’s top two greyhound racing industry organizations have announced that they will provide whatever assistance is needed to ensure that greyhounds awaiting transfer from Dairyland Greyhound Park after the track’s December 31 closing receive proper care until adoption groups can find suitable homes for
them.

American Greyhound Track Operators Association (AGTOA) President Karen Keelan and National Greyhound Association (NGA) Executive Director Gary Guccione said their organizations will work through the American Greyhound Council (AGC), the industry’s greyhound welfare and adoption organization, to provide support in the form of special adoption grants, greyhound transportation, and, if needed, temporary housing and care for greyhounds at NGA’s Abilene, KS, headquarters.

Keelan said that, under state law, all greyhounds leaving Dairyland must be transferred to other tracks to resume their racing careers, returned to their owners, or placed in an approved adoption program.

Guccione said that adoption groups around the country are accustomed to dealing with track closings and seasonal increases in the number of dogs needing adoptive homes.

“There are hundreds of very dedicated volunteers working day and night to make sure that every adoptable greyhound is placed in a loving home,” Guccione said. “We will do everything we can to support that effort.”

People interested in adopting a greyhound may call the Greyhound Pets of America toll-free adoption hotline, 1-800-366-1472, visit http://www.gpawisconsin.org, or contact the Dairyland Adoption Center, 262-612-8256.

Small School Doing Big Things

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/15/09

Local students host hunger awareness event, Food For Thought.

Did you know that one out of every eight children under the age of twelve in the U.S. goes to bed hungry every night? Did you know that every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger?

Madison Country Day School high school students are hosting an Oxfam Hunger Banquet to get Madisonians thinking. As “food insecurity” in our nation has soared to affect 49 million Americans (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/us/17hunger.html), students are determined to build awareness on the issue of hunger globally, nationally, and locally.

Since September, students from the Sharing our Humanity elective have been looking at the issues and connections between hunger, poverty, and education. They are inviting MCDS families and the greater Madison community to take part in Food For Thought, a feast for the mind and heart, on January 15, 2009, from 5:00-6:30 p.m., in the MCDS Lower School lobby.

Those planning to attend should RSVP to Sandra Fernandez at sferna02@sbcglobal.net.

Upon arrival to the event, participants will be given an identity card assigning them to a particular income level where they will be served food accordingly. Special guests will include Wisconsin Public Radio’s host of Here on Earth, Jean Feraca, and The Goodman Center Food Pantry Coordinator, Helen Hazelmare.

Many thanks to event sponsors Benvenutos and Café La Bellitalia. Suggested donation for the event is $4 and/or non-perishable food items to support The
Goodman Center Food Pantry. All monetary donations will go to Oxfam and Heifer International to support their sustainable food programs.

“After an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event, few participants leave with full stomachs, but all possess a greater understanding of the problems of hunger and poverty and will hopefully be motivated to do something about them.” (Oxfam America)

Horse Snow Day

Rating 3.33 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/11/09

These horses on Gary N-Ski’s farm seem to enjoy the first major snowstorm of the season this past week.

River Currents

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/11/09

A Valiant Attempt to Increase the Muskie Size Minimum

A nice Wisconsin River musky.

Many anglers now know that the Lower Wisconsin Riverway has seen an increase in its muskie population during the last decade. Muskies have always been present in the Wisconsin River and in Lake Wisconsin above the Prairie du Sac Dam, but most of these catches have been accidental. Anglers fishing for another fish species (northern pike, catfish, sturgeon, and walleyes) have accidentally caught muskies.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the muskies present in the Wisconsin River have gotten there during periods of high water usually in the spring. Melting snow and spring rains can raise the river’s water to where it is possible for muskies from Lake Wisconsin to go over the top of the Prairie du Sac Dam and into the Lower Wisconsin River. Periodically, muskies have also been stocked in Lake Wisconsin, but the population of these fish has been low making it difficult to “target’ the big fish. There also are muskies in the Mississippi River, but it would be extremely difficult for the fish to travel up river and take up residence below the Prairie Dam. The amount of natural reproduction in these waters is minimal if any, so most of the fish in question are old.

As I earlier said, the population of muskies below the Prairie du Sac Dam has risen for the years to the point where there is a fishable population of good sized muskies. These fish are concentrated in the waters below the dam from the tailrace area to the Highway 12 Bridge in Sauk City, Wisconsin. Everything that a muskie could want is in the area. There is deep water in the “scour hole” below the dam formed from many years of the spring’s high water (over 30 feet), good habitat, and a steady supple of forage fish to their liking. I’ve caught and seen muskies caught for years, but they are almost always caught when fishing for another species and not in great numbers till recently.

The last few years has seen more and more muskies caught to the point where many local anglers have started targeting and releasing the fish. It is not unusual to fish the tailrace area below the dam, the deeper water in the scour hole, and both of the river’s shorelines and catch and release some nice sized muskies.

But, a problem has arisen with the growth of the fishery. The minimum size for a muskie in the Wisconsin River below the Prairie du Sac Dam is 34 inches which is the state minimum unless there are local regulations. The Madison Chain of Lakes has a minimum size of 45 inches and the Bay of Green Bay has a 50 inch minimum. A vast majority of muskie anglers practice catch and release anyway, so over-harvest has not been a problem till recently. Read more »

Our Tax Dollars at Work

Rating 2.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/09/09

Check the computer screens, no further comment is necessary.

Hilgenberg Urges DNR to Address BAAP Groundwater Contaminants

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/9/09

On behalf of residents in his district, State Representative Steve Hilgenberg is encouraging the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to respond to concerns about unregulated groundwater contaminants originating from the Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP).

“In specific, local stakeholders are concerned that 2 of the 6 forms of DNT are unregulated by state groundwater standards, that unregulated forms of DNT have been found in residential neighborhoods in Sauk County, particularly near Weigand’s Bay, and that the U.S. Army is not performing the level of testing needed to identify and eradicate harmful contaminants, as well as determine the path of contaminated groundwater near BAAP,” Hilgenberg says in his November 24 letter to the DNR’s Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater.

The DNR recently received approval from the Natural Resources Board to hold public hearings related to the addition of 15 new substances to the State’s groundwater quality standards including all forms of dinitrotoluene (DNT) – a carcinogenic explosive that has contaminated dozens of drinking water wells near Badger in the rural townships of Merrimac, Sumpter and Prairie du Sac. Based on recommendations from senior toxicologists at the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, all 6 isomers (forms) of DNT will be regulated as a single entity. The standard is 0.05 parts per billion – equivalent to the current Health Advisory Level (HAL) recommended by state health officials.

“As you know, the cleanup at BAAP is largely designed to eliminate groundwater contaminants related to the past production of explosives and munitions,” Hilgenberg said. “Accordingly, revisions to NR 140 could give local health organizations the means to enforce suitable groundwater/drinking water standards, and I’d like to take this opportunity to reiterate our concerns and encourage continued intergovernmental cooperation.”

Local environmental group Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger (CSWAB) first petitioned the DNR to establish enforceable standards for DNT in 2006. The group is actively supporting DNR’s proposed health standard for DNT but would like the proposed health standard for perchlorate – an explosive compound used in rocket motors – lowered from 7 parts per billion (ppb) to 1 ppb to be more protective of infants and children who are most susceptible to harm.

“I understand that the DNR is processing feedback from local stakeholders and health experts that have submitted comments related to NR 140 and groundwater contamination related to the production of explosives and munitions,” Hilgenberg said. “I appreciate all the work (DNR is) doing with these groups to implement dependable groundwater protections.”

In Wisconsin, the 2,3-DNT isomer has been detected in 103 groundwater and private water wells at concentrations as high as 2,200 ppb. The 3,4-DNT isomer has been detected in 37 wells at levels as high as 419 ppb. The 3,5-DNT isomer has been detected in 20 wells at concentrations as high as 23.9 ppb and the 2,5-DNT isomer has been detected in wells at concentrations as high as 1.5 ppb.

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

Written comments on the amendments to ch. NR 140, Wis. Adm. may be submitted until December 30, 2009 via U.S. mail to: Mike Lemcke, Wisconsin DNR, Bureau of Drinking Water & Groundwater, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI, 53707 or by email to: Michael.Lemcke@Wisconsin.gov. Written comments, whether submitted electronically or by U.S. mail, will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the public hearings. For more information or a copy of the proposed rule and fiscal estimate contact Mike Lemcke at – (608) 266-2104. The hearings will be held on the following dates at the locations listed:

·         December 11, Madison – 10 a.m., in the State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), Room G09, 101 South Webster St.
·         December 14, Baraboo – 10 a.m. at the Sauk County – UW Extension, West Square Administration Building, Room B30, 505 Broadway.
·         December 15, Eau Claire – 10 a.m. at the Eau Claire State Office Building, Room 139, 718 West Clairemont Ave.
·         December 15, Stevens Point – 4 p.m. at the UW-Stevens Point, Communications Arts Center (CAC), Room 211, 1101 Reserve St.
·         December 16, Oshkosh – 10 a.m. at the UW-Oshkosh, Halsey Science Center, Room 259, 921 Elmwood Ave.

For more information, contact:

Laura Olah, Executive Director
Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger (CSWAB)
E12629 Weigand’s Bay South
Merrimac, WI 53561
(608) 643-3124
info@cswab.org
www.cswab.org

$12,000 in EdVest College Scholarships Up for Grabs

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/9/09

Higher Education Day Essay Contest Deadline Extended

Madison – State Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass announced today she will extend the deadline for students to send in their “Why I Hope to Continue My Education beyond High School” giving more students a chance to win thousands of dollars.
“We’ve seen a lot of interest in the contest but we want to make sure all 4th, 5th and 6th graders in the state know they have a chance to compete for this money,” said Treasurer Sass. The contest asks 4th thru 6th graders to write a 500 word essay which forces them to think about how higher education might make their lives better. The grand prize is $2,500 invested into an EdVest account in the students’ name. 7 other students in the state will receive $500 scholarships. The new deadline for entries is December 21st, 2009.

That’s also the deadline for the Video Contest. Students from 7th through 10th grade have the chance to create a video dramatizing the “Know How 2 Go” college program. One student or a team of 3 can create a video. The grand prize is $1,000 EdVest College Scholarship account. 2nd and 3rd place winners each win $500 invested in the college scholarship program.

“The two contests provide a great opportunity for kids to start thinking about their future and for their parents to look into how they are going to help pay for it,” said Treasurer Sass.

For more information on the Higher Education Day contests, visit http://highereducationday.wi.gov/ and click on “Contests”.

For more information on EdVest visit www.statetreasury.wisconsin.gov and click on “College Savings Program”.

First Ice

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/8/09

Photographer Gary N-Ski captured these images of first ice forming in the bays and along the shorelines at Whalen’s Grade on Lake Wisconsin.

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Lodi’s International Education Week

Rating 3.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/8/09
By PAMELA COTANT For the State Journal

When Max Love attended the annual International Education Week at Lodi High School as a student there, it fueled his interest in global learning and led to his desire to serve in the Peace Corps in Eastern Europe.

A 2009 Lodi High School graduate, he returned to the event this year as a guest speaker on multicultural and international education. Now a UW-Madison student in Middle Eastern studies, he received a scholarship to study Arabic and wanted to let students know about the opportunities that exist.

“It’s immeasurable,” said Love about the effect of International Education Week.

It’s the fourth year of the event, which just concluded after featuring more than 35 speakers from around the world, an international film festival, international cuisine, an Indian dance troupe and other activities.

The keynote speaker was filmmaker and photographer Chip Duncan, who wrote “Enough to Go Around — Images of Humanity and Hope in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Darfur” and sits on the board of Relief International, a nonprofit that provides assistance to poor people worldwide. In appreciation of Duncan’s visit, students raised almost $2,000 for the organization by selling items such as bracelets made by women in Darfur.

“It’s important, especially in schools where there isn’t a lot of diversity, to bring it in,” said Lauren Nichols, a senior who helped organize the event.

Tadela Shimshak, a 2008 Lodi High School graduate who was born in Ethiopia, returned to talk about her native country during International Education Week — an event she credited with making her time at the high school more comfortable because it opened students’ minds to people of other cultures.

“It kind of made me feel like I’m not alone,” said Shimshak, who plans to attend Edgewood College and go into nursing.

Other speakers included Kathryn Keener, a 2006 graduate of Lodi High School who studied in France last semester, and Zach Clemens, a 2003 graduate. He is now vice president of programs for the Jatropha Foundation, which was established to create production systems for jatropha plant biofuels, starting in Haiti.

Janel Anderson, a Lodi social studies teacher, founded International Education Week with a former colleague.

“I really think of it as this is a seed that we can plant for kids,” said Anderson, event chairwoman.

Merrimac Ferry Still Open

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/7/09

With close to record temperatures in November, Lake Wisconsin has been slow to cool this year. Colsac III, the free car ferry that connects Highway 113 acrosss Lake Wisconsin, continues to run until the lake freezes over. Gary N-Ski documented the continuing voyages of the ferry.

The Lure of The North!

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/7/09
by Wally Banfi

George Banfi and Gary N-Ski casting for muskies in Northern Wisconsin

Recently I had a chance to travel to northern Wisconsin and chase the king of freshwater fish…the mighty musky. My brother, George Banfi, a builder by trade, built a beautiful home in the wilderness of Vilas County where we would be staying. Our good friend and fellow “musky-hunter” Gary N-Ski of Lodi would be joining us. Gary is a professional photographer and is a “hoot” to have in the boat. Gary’s good humor and fun outlook on life makes him a lot of fun to be around. I was anticipating some big muskies and really looking forward to the adventure. It’s the lure of the north.

After arriving Friday around noon, we downloaded some of our gear and got the boat ready to fish. I fish out of a Ranger 618 VS, which is very safe and has lots of room to work. We had 10 musky rods rigged and ready to go. Many were Fenwick 7’6”, 8’, and 8’6” rods with Abu-Garcia 6500-C3 reels loaded with 80lb and 100lb test Stealth Super-Braid. We were ready to tackle a monster! It’s the lure of the north.

I had purchased 5 extra large musky suckers from the bait dept. at Wilderness Fish and Game. They were 15” to 16” long and I had special ordered them knowing we would be heading up north to lakes that have produced numerous muskies over the “benchmark” of 50”. I kept the suckers alive in my pond at my home and I fed them nightcrawlers and minnows to fatten them up and keep them happy. The pond is aerated to keep them healthy, and I have a lid on it to keep them from jumping out. The ventilated lid also helps keep un-wanted critters from trying to get them (raccoons, etc). I built a remote aerator using a deep cycle marine battery in a battery box and a bilge pump, with 3’ of tubing. Attached to the tubing is a 1’ piece of ¾” p.v.c pipe with 6 holes drilled in it to spray water down onto the bait. It works great. We were ready to catch a giant musky with our giant bait! It’s the lure of the north. Read more »

River Currents

Rating 4.00 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/4/09

The Tradition Continues

Tyler Ruhland of Sauk City with a 17 point deer with a 22 inch inside spread that will score very high.

This past weekend, November 21 and 22 was the opening of the 158th Wisconsin Deer Gun Season. There have been many changes in all of these hunting seasons with some of the major and significant changes from the 1980’s and on being; the movement of large numbers of deer from the northern third of the state to the southern agricultural counties, the growth of the deer herd to over 1 million deer in the late 1980’s, the creation of antlerless deer permits, the allowed use of handguns for deer hunting, extended seasons, the beginning of hunter discontent over the “announced” DNR deer herd numbers in the 1990’s, the addition of the Earn-A-Buck (EAB) requirement in the mid 1990’s, the early antlerless deer hunts in October which began in 1998, record deer harvests in the late 1990’s and into the 2000’s, a record 528,494 deer harvested in 2000, the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in 2001, the millions of dollars spent on CWD testing and research, increased deer populations in many of the state’s deer management units (DMU), unlimited antlerless permits in 2005 for Zone T and CWD units, over 1 million antlerless permits issued in 2006, and this year a traditional buck only hunt in 13 northern units and the new Mentor Hunting Program allowing children over 10 years of age to hunt one on one with a ‘Mentor” even before taking Hunter Education. These are just a few of the many important changes and landmarks that have occurred in the last few decades which have impacted deer hunting and deer hunters.

After spending all of Saturday and Sunday registering deer in Sauk County, I got the opportunity to talk to hundreds of deer hunters of all ages and sexes. This year, there is a couple of questions on the registration forms that ask deer hunters how many deer were observed while hunting, how many hours were spent hunting, and how one would rate the weather while hunting. As with most questions, there are always a couple of different ways that hunter’s interpret the questions and answer them. Saturday, many hunters complained about the early morning fog which was intense depending on where you were, the above normal temperatures were welcomed by some and disliked by others, many hunters wished for a little snow as always, some hunters reporting seeing many deer while others saw few, many hunters reported seeing numerous “smaller’ bucks, and there was a continuation, from the bow hunt, of large trophy bucks being harvested. In talking to hunters, hearing their stories, and seeing the deer harvested showed me that people (hunters) can “see’ things differently. There are many varying and diverse opinions of the deer hunt, the rules and regulations, and the deer numbers among deer hunters. Read more »

Lines From The Pines

Rating 4.33 out of 5

Lodi, WI
12/3/09
by Peg Zaemish

How is this for a bear story? It could have had a very different ending. I am driving home on Sunday evening. I am trying to sell my house in Poynette and I spent two days holding an open house and waiting for a buyer to show up and I don’t even get one looker. Not one. I am having a serious anxiety attack all the way home. What to do?
It is raining a bit, pitch black and I am traveling Hwy. 13 north between Butternut and my place. Almost home. I have been driving for more than four hours and I am beat and more than a little crabby. My eyes are tired and my worn windshield wipers are not exactly doing a stellar job at clearing the window.
No one is coming southbound so I have my bright lights on (for this I will be very thankful). Suddenly I see a shiny black mass moving across the fog line on the right hand side of the highway. A BEAR! Yikes! The bear is partially in my lane and he is moving slowly, I can see its gleaming wet coat as it ambles towards the edge of the highway.
I turn my wheel as quickly as I can and just as I am about to cross the center line – there’s ANOTHER bear. This one is a big guy and I can see it pull up and swerve and turn its shoulders away from the center of the road. Some how … I drove right between those two bears, one just over the center line and one with its back legs right on the road – just starting to cross over the fog line. I believe I came within a bear’s hair of hitting either one or both – hit neither and just blew through the middle and kept on driving – arriving home about five minutes later, where I went in the house to change my underwear.
It was not my time. I do believe that everyone has a window and when the window opens out you go. Before that – things just somehow work out. So – I didn’t sell the house and that still looms as a huge problem before me. But, I didn’t hit those burly bears; I missed them by a snitch and lived to tell about it. Hitting one bear would probably have been the end of my vehicle and maybe me and my puppy Ivy, who was traveling in her crate on my front seat. But, hitting two bear would have meant a trip to the pearly gates for sure – I imagine it to be something like hitting a stone wall.
So, just when you think things can’t get worse – they very nearly did.
What a wild experience. I tend to believe in guardian angels as I have had more than a few close calls in my 61 years. How else do you explain a narrow opening for me to squeeze through, between those two big fellers right at that precise moment?
Not only did I drive between two bears, I had a similar experience years ago, near Chippewa Falls when I drove right between two deer crossing the road – one in my headlights and one in my taillights. It was summer and I had my window down and I can clearly remember hearing the hooves on the asphalt and let me tell you – that qualified as a close call as well. Bad words were said.
Someday I won’t be so lucky I suppose. I keep my guardian angels busy hanging over the clouds to keep a very close eye on me. I hope I have enough angels that they can split shifts, because one angel would get into some real overtime problems with the union trying to keep me away from the exit door.
I have had three serious medical emergencies (during one I had no pulse) and yet for some strange reason I came through to see another day. So if I indeed have nine lives, I better get real careful real soon because I have already cashed in on five or six lives already. Whew. Maybe I better take some harp lessons now, so I can get a good seat in the orchestra.
A big thanks goes out to my Mom and Dad, Grandparents, Bunka and all my other beloveds on the other side for their diligent work. Angels all.
Thanks to every soul who is protecting me from all things that go bump in the night.