A few observations around town as winter gives way to spring

Has anyone else noticed Canadian geese flying south with suitcases in tow? This April weather has even migratory birds wondering, what gives?

Winter has been reluctant to loosen its grip on Minnesota. Cold, driven by harsh bone-chilling winds from the Canadian north has been plunging south onto the plains of southeastern Minnesota after seemingly given up in March when highs reached the 70s.

When hockey playoffs were going on the weather was almost warm enough for baseball. Now that the hockey season is over the baseball season is gearing up with temps in the 40s!

We’ll endure this upside down March-April and know that warmer days are ahead. (I hope.)

One thing I have noticed as I walk to the bank and post office is the increasing number of abandoned facemasks. There seems to be a pandemic of used facemasks dropped wherever the user decides it time to abandon the COVID-19 covering. Folks seem to be dropping them anywhere, but in trashcans.

Masks have become a hassle, but they need not become an eyesore along our sidewalks and streets.

Each spring there’s residue from winter trash that accumulates along our boulevards and, I’ve noticed recently, along the creek bed of Bear Creek that litter of all sorts is visible. Eventually, the grass and brush will green up and the litter clutter will be camouflaged for the summer.

I wonder if anyone would be interested in taking a Saturday to round up this trash? We live in such a beautiful part of the state, it seems roadside trash is not becoming to us.

A tribute to Fritz

Minnesota lost one of its greatest politicians earlier this week. He was a former U.S. Senator from the Gopher state, a vice president and a gentleman.

Walter (Fritz) Mondale was one of the few people that never forgot where he had come from when he rose to the second highest office in the land.

He was 93.

He began as Minnesota’s attorney general in 1960 and held the office until 1964. He was elected to the United States Senate in ’64 and served in that capacity until Jimmy Carter tapped him as his running mate in 1976. He served as this nation’s vice president from 1977 to 1981.

Fritz chose to run against the man who unseated Carter-Mondale in 1984 by getting the Democratic Party’s nomination – Ronald Reagan.

He sought a woman to run for the second spot on the national presidential ticket when he name N.Y. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate.

Fritz was hit with one of Reagan’s most disarming remarks, that he, Reagan, would not hold Mondale’s youth and inexperience against him during the run up to the election.

Reagan won in an electoral landslide – Reagan 525 to Mondale’s 13. Minnesota stood alone with Mondale.

As a student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead I had the opportunity to interview Mondale as a journalism assignment. He was a gentleman filled with kindness. He was generous to have given a student the time of day during his run for vice president.

EARTH DAY

Today is Earth Day 2021. Let’s do our part to make our home clean of refuse and a welcoming place to live and visit.