Stoneage Ramblings

By John R. Stone

It sure was nice to wake up one morning last week to clear skies and a rising sun. As the sun got further into the sky the grass started to get that fresh spring green color that brings hope that our long winter is over!

 It seems like winter was a little worse this past year than previous years. We didn’t have the super bitter 20 below zero days we had the previous winter but we didn’t have much in the way of January thaws that tease us and let us know that spring might not be that far away.

  One of my methods of judging a winter is how soon Minnewaska Golf Club opens it course for play. In 2021 that day was April 2, this year it didn’t come until April 28. That’s quite a difference. And even though the course was open I found the golf weather a little sub-par, around 40 degrees with east or northwest winds of 15 to 20 mph that pushed the wind chills into the low 30s and high 20s.

 Even so, it was nice to walk on grass that somebody else mows.

 Overall the course came through winter in excellent condition. The greens really look healthy and smooth and the fairway grass also in very good condition. The grounds crew really knows what to do. I wish my yard could be as smooth and thick as a golf fairway.

 My golf was normal. Every now and then there was a really nice golf shot or a great score on a hole and then would come a scuffed or stray shot that gets me in trouble, brings everything back to reality. The reality of golf for me!  At least I get to see all of the golf course!

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 The disappearance of snow, the green grass, budding trees and shoots of flowers coming up in the garden are great to see! Now it’s time to get started on spring yard work. I’d rather run a lawn mower than the snowblower any day!

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It was nice to see that Gordy Moeller was honored for his work at Glenwood High School and Minnewaska Area High School recently. That followed the recognition of Sue Fossen and Ivy Cooley in the art department.

We recently attended the spring pops concert at MAHS. As I was sitting in the auditorium I mentioned to Mary that it was hard to believe that the auditorium is 30 years old. And to my eye it looks as nice now as it did 30 years ago.

 (And the seating is much nicer than sitting on bleachers!)

 With the exception of COVID cancellations it seems we have been to concerts every year. Between having two daughters in choir, grandchildren in choir and band, and taking pictures for the newspaper some of those years I’ve spent quite a few hours in that place. I’m really glad we have such a nice place for our students to perform.

The quality of the performances makes them well worth attending even if a person wasn’t there to support a child or grandchild. Both band and choir perform some really nice music and display the skills of some really good musicians.           

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 I thought the ice out this year was a little different. It seems that much of the time the ice deteriorates until a bunch of ice cubes get pushed up on whatever shore is downwind.

A week before that happened this year ice was pushed up along the lakeshore in Glenwood that broke into big sheets 5-6” thick of good, clear ice. These chunks were rectangles 4-5 feet per side with some even larger than that.

Having the ice off Lake Minnewaska is one of my first signs that spring is really coming. Everything seems warmer when the ice is gone. And this time of year warmer is good!