Minnesota Nice

Didn’t think I’d have anything worth posting about tonight, but I was wrong.  We had 120 or so fourth graders from Moorhead arrive this morning for four different environmental education presentations.  I was slated to help out at the Water Cycle station.  Local volunteer Craig was doing the presentation to groups of 36 students at a time for 50 minutes each.  Since I’m new here, my assignments have been about helping rather than presenting.  This refuge has a great support system of local volunteers, many of whom are Minnesota certified Master Naturalists.  What a resource for these visiting school districts!  They do a marvelous and exhausting job each day that students visit.  These school groups are busy enough for all of us that there is no time to take pictures.

We got the whole four hour program in just in time before the rains began again.  I decided to give the wildlife drive a go on my way back to the rig even though it was raining.  I’m glad I did.

The chestnut-sided warblers have arrived.  This fellow was the only thing I got pictures of today.  With dull overcast skies and rain, it didn’t make for many photo opportunities.  Can you see how puffed up he is against the inclement weather?

Once I got back to the rig, there was a break in the rain so Emma was able to spend some time outside.  Soon I heard the rumble of a lawn mower.  What?  Didn’t I just mow this whole area yesterday?  Cody, a staff member that looks like he’s about 14 years old, began to mow the same areas I covered, and looked perplexed as he approached all of my bird feeders in my front yard.  I hopped out so he wouldn’t mow them down and told him I had just mowed this place yesterday.  Apparently he didn’t know anything about that.  It would have seemed obvious to me, but then I’m an old fart and have the time to notice things like 2” grass as opposed to 8” grass.  Uf-dah!

As I was sitting at my computer around 5:00 this afternoon, I noticed a van pull into Steve’s site next to me with a Wold’s RV sign on its side.  I threw open the window and asked if he was a mobile RV tech.  He was, so I asked him to stop by when he was done.  I figured he was installing a new invertor for Steve.

When he came over, I told him about my awning issues.  He took a look at it, climbed up the ladder to the roof, took out some screws, and re-aligned the awning and arms.  It now closes and locks like it is supposed to.  There is still a problem with the canvas needing to be restrung (?) through the tubing because it has been blown out of whack, but he suggested I call the Wold’s RV service department in Detroit Lakes about having that taken care of.  He felt it could be done here, on site, but that it would take two people to accomplish it.

I thanked him for fixing what he did, and told him I would be sure to call soon.  The charge for all of this?  Zero…Zip… Zilch!  Now that’s Minnesota Nice!!  I’m sure you can imagine what a relief this is for me.  I’m still going to investigate the recall on automatic awnings that a couple of you informed me about before I call Wold’s, but for now at least the awning is secure.

A bit out of focus, but I couldn’t pass up posting this last pic.  That little guy was just singing his heart out… ♫ ♪ ”Joy to the World!… Joy to boys and girls… Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea… Joy to you and me!” ♪ ♫

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy