“Redesigns can be achieved by a governor who is able to bring all parties to the table and find the common ground.”

— Tom Horner

Ayn Rand finally went back to the library Sunday. She could have stayed another day before her time was up but I just wasn’t getting very far with her. She seldom smiled, at least according to the pictures, and she was a complex woman. I’ll come back to her again.

If she were still around I would think she would have enjoyed the event a group of us attended at Crossings at Carnegie in Zumbrota Saturday evening. Tim Brennan provided the transportation for our group and I got to sit in the front seat where I shared my “war story” with Tim. I think Tim initiated this when he asked how I was coming with the book.

Tim got us there a little ahead of time so we could spend some time eating pie at a sweet little restaurant where Betty, Faith, Vennie, Brenda and Tim ate pie while this diabetic drank coffee.

Pulling up to the Crossings Art House one could see that it once served as a public library and now it’s a collection of art that fills the main floor and on the basement floor everything is for sale. Down stairs there are better prices.

People brought various sources of food and included were some bottles of wine. There are not as many carbs in white wine, I tell myself, as there are in pies. During the course of the night I had two short thin glasses of white wine and an even smaller dose as the evening closed.

Veronica arrived from Austin as we arrived. She had missed our start time at 5 p.m. She too enjoyed herself. I asked her how she found the place and she showed me what I would call a cell phone that directed her. Had I driven myself I would probably still be looking for the place and referring to a real map. Brenda, Veronica and I were among the multitude of “watchers.” There were many.

Chairs were set up, filling the room after everybody did their look-around. I moved up to the front row with Betty who wrote poems for two of the photos. That’s what the event was about this time. Betty’s poetry was well received when she read. Faith Snater also read a poem of one of the paintings and Tim Brennan read two of the poems.

Rich Campell of Austin was also there. He teaches at Riverland. He too read an entry poem. And Vinnie White, another Riverland teacher, had one of the photo entrees of a dancing Indian off the ground in the air that too was well received by the audience.

There were a number of readers present and photographs were hung around the wall. When it was over Tim was recognized for the best poem.

Tim and Betty also met a poet/writer from Fairmont they had met on line on a poetry night at North Ography in Mankato. Betty points out that Crossing at Carnegie offers an art center, a gift shop and live concerts. It can be found on line at: crossings@canegie.com if you are interested.

The other morning I counted 89 or 90 geese swimming around the Mill Pond and one coot swimming the shoreline. I dropped Ayn off at the library’s return devise and another book on how to get published. I didn’t open that one.

I stopped on the bridge to see if there were any fish swimming around that culvert and saw none. Perhaps they headed south. Further down the path I saw this guy disappear off the path toward the Mill Pond and it turned out to be Mike Ruzek.

He was examining a tree that a muskrat had taken down recently—a fresh chew. Mike didn’t seem to be pleased with that result of its work. I pointed out that it opened some viewing space across the Millpond allowing me to see the geese I had sighted earlier.

Then Mike talked about food and his technique in preparing sauerkraut, carrying on a family tradition, and he may be carrying a jar of it by one of these days. Something my father used to make, if I remember right.

I have been busy reading the views offered by the Star Tribune the past three weeks regarding our choices for governor. I hope everyone remembers to vote.