Home Opener Tonight - vs Lake Mills

The Anchor reports the Vikings will host the Lake Mills Bulldogs tonight for the football home opener, having lost to Newman of Mason City last week.

Lake Mills was always a grudge match, it seems, and when we played them in the final game of the '61 season, we could only tie them 6 - 6, keeping our record .500 for the season at three wins, three losses, two ties.  The game itself was anticlimactic, and was personally a downer when the season had started with so much hope.  Apparently the record was the school's best since 1955, but nowhere near the performance of teams since then.

Just for the record, in case any of today's players may read this, we did NOT have leather helmets that could be folded and put in your pocket, and we DID have facemasks, but they were more a single bar or two made of nylon and they didn't look very cool at all.  I believe facemasks first came out when we were in seventh grade and Billy Roberts was the first to be able to put one on his helmet.  I don't know why he was selected but the rest of us didn't get them until 8th grade.

Our equipment was much inferior to what's available today, especially the helmet, which was a suspension style, a shell held off the head by a web of straps.  They were a little better than the leather style of prior players, but not much.  It hurt to "get your bell rung."

The yearbook report on the Lake Mills game says we completely dominated except for one Lake Mills touchdown drive brought about by a costly lapse in defense.  My recollection is more along the line of our just not getting our act together throughout the game than seeing any domination on our part.  If we dominated, why did we lose?  It was a cool or cold night, combined with a so-so record, so the turnout wasn't that great either.

Afterwards we got on the bus and the season's sorrow was mixed with a relief that it was over, unfortunately.  So we wish the 2011 version of the NK Vikings much better success tonight against the archenemy.  And I may place a bet on it with my Bulldog wife.

A Word that Starts with "P" and Stands for "Trouble"

We used to have a lot of fun at the pool.  When it opened somewhere in the mid 50's it was a welcome addition to the community, and by the time we were in high school our class - and others - were supplying the labor force, as shown here, Craig Panburn on the left and Harry Rogers on the right, teaming up to hold Jo Olson.

Craig, Jo, and Harry

Some may recall some hi-jinks by some of those pool employees from time to time, including one David Mikkelson, the PK (Preacher's Kid).  Seems it had to do with some garbage winding up in the pool, and later some "community service" provided as a payback. David enjoyed life and never let anyone run over him, that's for sure.

We can't imagine that Jo was any part of those festivities, but Craig and Harry?  They may well have been ringleaders,  which by no means is a condemnation of their lack of virtue but more a respectful salute to their ability to pull a prank without causing any real damage.  Let's face it - there weren't very many outhouses to tip over by the time we came along!

Remembering Carol

This is an article honoring Carol Orman who died of leukemia in 1996. Carol & I were "best" friends in grade school. We even shared the same birthday.

The Great Buddy Holly Lives On

Yesterday we put out an "all call" for more memories of the days growing up, and Richard Holstad once again stepped up to the plate:

We have needed some new music – some new inspiration – for a long long time now …. since the day the music died more than 51 years ago. 

We shouldn't be surprised if we end up counting on the creativity of the 50’s and 60’s to be reborn and to make things all better again for awhile in the music entertainment world.

Check out the link below about the upcoming remake of Buddy Holly’s music soon to be released.

Based on the information so far - this feels like it is going to be an uncommon CD – one that I am honestly looking forward to owning as much as I anticipated the release of the original music albums back in the 60’s.  

Click this link to reach a YouTube on the re-making of the Buddy Holly music by today's artists.  If you don't "hear" Buddy singing/playing in this tribute, we would be surprised.  It's a real treat.

And just in case you don't recall what he sounded like, click this link for his performance on the Arthur Murray Dance Party in 1957.  The introduction from Kathryn Murray will likely make you think of someone's mother.  The drummer's hair style was a popular one that many of our age used, and probably included a ducktail.  All the folks in the background are dressed very formally, in Arthur Murray style, and you may recall the use of suits and more formal attire on Bandstand as well.

Our thanks to Richard for passing this along!

Introducing "Blade" and "Seed"!

SCA has just returned from his world travels, turned on his computer, and sent along a note about the nicknames he has acquired over the years.

Coach Buddy Mounts

Don't know about you, but I have had at least 13 (nicknames), that I know of, over the years.  As I grow older, I think there may be more that I am not privy to.  One of the givers was Mr. Mounts (not Buddy to me).  Mr. Mounts dubbed Arlyn Morse "Seed" and me "Blade" .  No clue why???  

It is difficult for some people to be creative (by themselves), however, when a catalyst is added ideas abound.  Blade and Seed evolved into just such a creative dynamo.  Many of you remember that there was not much entertainment offered to us as kids.  So, we had to make our own.  Much of this creativity would be considered mundane by today's standards, but some of it may have bordered on the completely irrational....Think "a 1000 ways to die"   

There were Cheech and Chong, Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, but the true Dynamic Duo was "Blade and Seed".  I am prepared to document the escapades and perhaps a separate area of the blog could be dedicated to B & S?

We are prepared to meet the demands of SCA and a new Label has been set up, "Blade and Seed," and as the stories accumulate you will be able to find them all by clicking on that Label on the menu column at right.  

As for the rationale for Buddy Mounts to assign those nicknames, we have no idea why, but there must have been something behind it. The Dynamic Duo might have been the only ones to be so "knighted," since we don't recall anyone else having such luck.  Buddy's younger brother Skip, real name unknown, was a house guest of his for a while, so there was a clear orientation towards nicknames within the family.  Maybe that's it - he thought of Blade and Seed as family?

Pertaining to the "Mr. Mounts" part, we wonder if this high level of respect is possibly granted to him because "Blade" avoided being kicked in the helmet.  Could have been.

Take Me Back to the Sixties

You may have seen this already because it's been around the internet, but this video clip (click the link - be aware it's a bit long) includes music by a number of your old favorites (Ventures, Elvis, Chubby, Fifth Dimension, et al), statistics on what you lived through, and plenty of memories, including, perhaps, a slow dance with that someone special.

One of the first things to catch my eye was the cost of gas in 1960 - 31 cents/gallon.  During much if not all of my sophomore year of college, 1963-64, with a gas war going on in Mason City, 19 cents was the standard.  By the late 60's it was way up to 39 cents and I wondered when would it ever end???

So I Googled 19-cent gas to see if I could find a picture of one of those roadside stands promoting the price at that low level and all I found was 19-cent increases in price.  Oh my.  So I found this photo of a highway in Vegas that accompanied a story about their "cheap" gas at $3.54/gallon, and I suppose the six lanes of traffic with more lanes being built says it all.

Then, later today, Marilyn Weidler sent one of those "remember when" emails and it just happened to include exactly what I was looking for - a picture of a gas station with cheap gas.  I like the "ME" part of the full disclosure he is posting.  Ah, the memories . . .

The author of the aforementioned video clip, if author is the right word, includes "Manchurian Candidate" as one of his favorite moves from the sixties.  Since I didn't see it when it came out, I ordered it from Netflix a year or so ago and found it to be pretty boring.  But isn't that the case with so many of those movies?  Even the "North by Northwest" thriller is pretty mundane these days.  Those movies were not built for hi-def and surround sound.

Your kids don't know what they're missing . . .

The Fertile Fields of Home

Sometimes you don't know what you don't know.

The truth of that hit home this week when I read an article in our local paper about a fellow who has repaired for me a chainsaw, lawnmower, and ATV, and also sharpened chainsaw and lawnmower blades from time to time.  He seemed to be a sharp fellow and I heard tidbits about him from time to time but never the whole story.

On one of my first visits to his backyard garage I asked his name before leaving.  "Robert Flute" was his answer.  Later on I was searching the internet for information on something and found his website, Hudson Mower Doctor.  The site has been modified since I first looked at it.  Back then he listed some unusually diverse services: flute and piano repair, piano tuning, writing essays, website design - and small engine repair.  Incongruous at best.

When a chainsaw sprung a leak beyond my own repair capability, I took it to him in pieces but inside a case.  Before I could begin to explain my problem he grabbed the case and carried to his garage, a sure sign of confidence that he would repair it.  Which he did.

My ATV had a carburetion problem from day one, and three visits to the dealer made only small improvements, so one day when I stood in his garage regarding another problem I just asked if he had ever worked on them.  "Bring it in and we'll see what we can do" was the answer.  I did just that, but had my doubts when he asked how to pull apart the pieces to reveal the engine, then started yanking at wires and hoses.  Yet 20 minutes later he announced I would need to go to the dealer to buy a needle-float valve and he would install it.

He did, and emailed me when it was done.  When I went to pick it up he pretty much gushed about the part he replaced, saying it was an "ingenious" device and would I be OK with leaving it with him to show it to his friends.  I did so, and wondered about these friends of his, whether they were like him, a different breed of bright folks, perhaps, because he sure seemed to be bright himself.

Indeed.  He was a member of Mensa, the High IQ Society.

He was a fascinating, highly-accomplished man, Dr. Robert Snyder, and all of it is detailed in the newspaper article I mentioned earlier.  And by this point you must be wondering why I would write about him since he probably has never heard of Northwood or Kensett, although now I think he may have.

It just strikes me that you have people like that seem to be hidden locally, and NK probably has more than its share but we never acknowledge them.

I think of one of our classmates, Richard Colbertson, who transferred prior to our senior year, a gifted pianist with perfect pitch.  The noon whistle went off one day as we paused between songs during boys chorus.  Hearing the whistle, Lowell Gangstad looked off to the distance as if he could "see" the whistle, then asked Richard what the pitch was.  In about two seconds Richard answered "High C" or whatever it was.  I only recall that Richard knew because I sure didn't.  And I just hope Richard had a better personal environment when he moved on.

There are others.  We've written earlier of the appliance dealer who invented a water temperature control device, the grad who became chairman of Gulf Oil, an upperclasswoman who was "in the room" as chief OR nurse during the first heart transplant by Dr. DeBakey, a classmate gearhead who could make anything run faster - or slower if he wanted, or the veterinarian who was an accomplished photographer developing his own prints.  For a small school, it seems to me we had some pretty gifted teachers, not to mention schoolmates in general..  I could add the names but know I'd be missing some and don't want to be guilty of overlooking the deserving.

That's where you can come in.  You may not have the story of the Mower Doctor to share, or maybe you do, and if that is the case, please pass it along.  We are fully aware of the fertile fields of Northwood-Kensett that turned out some gifted people, and, ironically, we still don't know what we don't know about them.  Help us out.