A damp, dark, dreary, drizzly December Tuesday in 56572

For everything there is a season.

The 56572 street department put up the boards around the Woessner Lake hockey rink before Halloween. There was a brief moment in time six weeks go when I thought we might be ice skating for Halloween. Six weeks later, there has been no man-made ice on the Woessner Lake rink. We wonder about skating for Christmas. Overnight nature decided to make her own ice rink. It's about 0800 on this foggy, icy Tuesday morning. Broadway is usually full of cars heading south in front of the burned out carcass of Pelican Valley Motors, up the hill to Faith, then right into the PRHS parking lot in the shadows of the Korda Mansion and The Ringsaker Cathedral Bell Tower. School got called off before 0600, today, it was dead in town at 0800. Foggy, drizzly, icy and dead. Otter Tail Power and Arvig crews were busy at the pedestal next to the post next to the sidewalk of the State Farm parking lot. 56572 street crew boss Olson was supervising. Driving west on West Mill, a NAPA employee was out, weed sprayer in hand, spraying the ice covered sidewalk. I rolled down the window to ask what he was using. We sell it inside, something citrusy, Agent Orange we call it, works really good. I dove into that netherworld which is the 56572 Pool Hall where Jimmy the bartender/owner had my eggs on the griddle and a full cup of Folgers poured before I sat down at the bar. The lawyer popped in quickly with his styrofoam cup to get his third refill. Jimmy stirred his Tuesday luncheon special, bean soup. Another guy about our age sat down two stools down, another sat down two stools further down. There was more animation at the back pool table at 0800 than in all of 56572. Even the spectators were having way more fun than guys their age should so early in the morning. The Guy two stools down starts talking to The Guy four stools down. What are you up to today? Gotta go up to the VA in Fargo. You doctor there too? Are you on the Blue Team or the Red? I just started up there. I think I'm on the Red. I'm on the Blue. You were in 'Nam too weren't you? Yup. Get into Agent Orange? Yup. Me too. What do you have? Leukemia. You? Prostate cancer, but it's in remission. Yours? Nope.

Chamber Jane called around 0700 to say that Real Country 102 in DL was saying 56572 was two hours late, not closed. Word confirming this came from the Westby Barn. Chamber Jane was still home, way out there east of Maplewood, boiling eggs to make the Deviled Eggs for her 300 pm Chamber Christmas party in Historic City Hall. A jar of Archie's famous pickled beets was posted next to the Tupperware of Deviled Eggs. Talk of the few people enjoying Chamber Jane's spread in the fading foggy drizzly daylight of mid-afternoon talked about the store that opened today in Arlin and Mary Lou's Lakeland Properties/Edward Jones building. Word is it is called Garcia's and was formerly located at the south end of Erhard by Marilyn's Tanning across from Minnesota Warehouse. There appears to be some inventory, the lights are on, the Open flag hanging in the fog, not yet flying. Word was also that Doris had hoped to have The Rapids open by next Monday. She's trying to get a new dishwasher installed and is still busy in the kitchen. She might not make it. Don't let it get you down Doris.

For everything there is a season, even for ice skating outdoors and re-opening restaurants one operated many years ago.