“We miss you, too.”
That’s the message from Wayne Solta of Winnipeg. He says, “Grand Forks is a great getaway. A friendly place.’’
He was quick with his response. That was right after he was reading the letter to my friend – also named Marilyn -- in Winnipeg -- in this column last week. He said, “I like Fargo, too, but Grand Forks has a special place in my heart.”
Solta graduated from UND in 1977. He says the university is a great part of his life. We talked of the path heavily traveled between Grand Forks and Winnipeg. He figures the distance as 147 to 153 miles.
He knows the road well – miles or kilometers. We talked of the many people who have gone north to horse races and Folklarama – canceled this year because of the virus.
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We talked of Winnipeg as the closest large city to Grand Forks.
In recent years, Wayne Solta and his wife would come down to Grand Forks to join the UND hockey fans on bus trips. These days, there is no casual traffic to “the Peg”. There is no allowance for casual travel.
Like so many others, we wonder, “Oh Lord, how long? How long will this plague of coronavirus hang over us?”
Booking flights
Meanwhile, life goes on. The birds are going south. Some people are booking flights down south. Others are hesitating because of coronavirus. And the calendar on the wall says this is the first day of autumn.
Actually, we don’t need the calendar. The golden leaves fluttering down signal the season. The birds in the backyard are making flight plans south.
And the mice coming in from the fields are looking for warm places to spend the winter.
They are looking for little openings along the foundation.
Dan Mayers says the bees are ready to do battle. He is among operators of pest control services in this area.
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They get calls to take care of uninvited pests year round. There are calls for help with bed bugs and cockroaches.
Meanwhile, the questions of the week prevail: They deal with whether there is any bacon to go on sandwiches with the last of the tomatoes. Where can I find the best pumpkins?
Reach Marilyn Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.com or by telephone at 701-772-2055.
