Brute’s Bleat September 14, 2016

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Sometimes there’s an advertisement on TV that tickles my funny bone and Farmers Insurance came up with one that more than fits that bill in their “we insure anything” promotion. It’s the one with a variety of dogs doing a water ballet in the living room after one of the dogs turns on the kitchen sink water faucet, flooding the house. I don’t know if it’s selling any insurance, but it sure caught my attention!
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I took Vanna for a walk late Saturday afternoon, about 5 p.m., in the eastern part of Ney Park where there was enough breeze to eliminate the mosquito problem. What surprised me was the barrage of shotgun shooting that was apparently taking place on Mink and Somers lakes. It was the opening weekend for the Youth/Mentor duck hunt, but it had to be more than kids blasting at ducks or geese. There was way too much shooting and I didn’t see any ducks or geese flying. Maybe someone in that vicinity can fill me in on what was going on? I haven’t made it out to the trap range in Silver Creek on Tuesday nights yet, which is not good considering how terrible I shot last fall and the grouse season opens this weekend. The powers that be say the grouse count is swinging up in that bird’s 10-year cycle. That, and predictions of increased numbers of pheasants in the state’s western pheasant range, prompted me to pick up a license for this fall’s seasons. The extremely wet summer may have had a diverse effect on the nesting season for both species, but we can only hope for the best. . . after Sunday afternoon’s baseball games a couple of week’s ago, I was heading back to ML on Hwy. 7 east of Hutchinson when I noticed a power line wire loaded with what I thought were swallows until I got closer. They looked too light colored and I realized they were mourning doves, roughly 50-75 birds. I assumed they were flocking up for a trip south where they winter in warmer spots like Missouri. Some stay in Minnesota year around, but not very many, and I suspect most have left.
I’ve noticed lots of YES, YES yard signs both in the city of ML and in other parts of the Maple Lake School District. They’re urging voters to support the referendums coming up on November 8th. This is the second time the referendum is being put to the voters and it needs the support of the voting public. School boards and administrators have shown how the district needs additional funds to maintain proper class sizes and to keep current with the technologies that help to keep ML schools on the cutting edge. Your YES, YES votes on Nov. 8th are your commitment that you have a high regard for education in ML. Let’s not disappoint the kids!

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