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White Spiders and Lollipop Parades

Hello and welcome to a partly cloudy Saturday, with a high of 75 degrees at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is July 6th, aka the first Saturday of July.

Summer is humming along quite nicely over here in Wannaska country by Lake of the Woods. The peonies in my yard finally bloomed. My thumbs are hardly green. Despite this, these peonies I purchased at a yard sale over ten years ago and transplanted, have made their home with us. While leaning in to enjoy the parfum de fleurs, I noticed a white spider with pink markings - the perfect camouflage for this bloom!

Spot the spider!


Warroad had several very pleasant unveilings this week.

The first was the Warroad Advocate. A new newspaper to fill the shoes of the Warroad Pioneer that shuttered in May after a 121-year history. I think it looks pretty nice and covered all the local news one delights in, and comes to rely on, in a small community. The new paper is on a 13-week trial and will be delivered to every mail box on this side of Wannaska country (Warroad, Salol, Roosevelt.) Here's a brief scoop per the Grand Forks Herald. If you haven't received your copy of the Warroad Advocate or would like to get your hands on one, email warroadadvocate@gmail.com.



Allison Park made its big splash on Wednesday. Formerly known as Warroad Community Park, and before that, formerly known as the Warroad Care Center, the block-sized park got its official dedication and new name as Allison Park in memory of Allison Marvin. The park includes a special art installation of animal sculptures, a playground for little kids and toddlers, a splash pad, gazebo, pavilion, sledding hill, park benches and a warming house for hosting events. The dedication included a party with all kinds of free snacks like cotton candy, soft pretzels and ice cream bars, as well as a proper hot dog lunch with all the side dishes a person could ask for.


During the 4th of July parade, residents and tourists alike learned that this year's Country Corn Maze theme is the lumberjack. Of course it pays homage to our dear Paul Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe. I'm pretty excited.



Our Independence Day celebration was low key and sunny. Per the tradition, we headed down to the Point to get kids signed up in the nickel registration. Note: Kids now get 2 nickels and a vanilla ice cream cone. We took part in the races. The toddler and his older sister each had a 3rd place win, earning them a whopping 50 cents which was deposited gleefully in the toy machines/dispensers located at Doug's Supermarket. Even hubby and I gave it a go, hopping our best through the sack races and the three-legged race. We crashed through the finish line, with no broken bones or bruises, which made us feel very healthy. Lunch was more ice cream followed by the parade. 

According to the littles, the parade is all about getting the lollipops and tootsie rolls. How to explain Independence Day. Declaration of Independence. My husband likes to point out that declaring independence from the British Crown made our Founding Fathers traitors from the perspective on the other side of the pond. And yet, here we are, thinking of things such as freedom of speech and religion and the right to bear arms. Rights. Freedom. A time to acknowledge sacrifice for country. Wars. And peace. Patriotism. Being united under the ideals that hold a nation together. So many ideas swirl through my mind, I don't know where to begin or how to simplify. 

After the parade, hubby found this rock near the library. It probably sums up the day better than any I could anyway.

#siouxfallsrocks


In the evening, we biked home (decked out in our obnoxiously cheerful safety attire) and then grilled brats and kielbasa in the fire pit.

Summer really can't get any nicer than this.


Kids' Corner 

Welcome back to WAKWIR every week posts, and today, we are going to talk about this last week.

So it all started on a Monday, when I pranked my whole family by making ice-popsicles. See, the day before, my mom surprised us with these very good popsicles. They were all eaten in about 4 hours which led me to decide to prank the family. Nothing else much that week because I had extensive homework and grass cutting duty. But on the 4th of July, I played! I ate candy, and I watched fireworks from about a mile away where the sound was off by 20 seconds, and I was in a parade! And then came Friday. Friday I cut grass, and sat at my computer looking at Minecraft facts and wishing I had the Java Edition in Minecraft. We ended the day by watching Mary Poppins Returns At the Allison Park.

Not that exciting having that  was the fourth of July week, but, it was somewhat fun. I will be back next week with a hopefully, better post.




On This Day

Historic Highlights (credits)

2013 - Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash lands in San Francisco International Airport
The plane was en route to San Francisco from Incheon International Airport, South Korea. The crash, which killed 3 people and injured at least 190 others, was the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 777 since it came on the market in 1995.

2006 - Nathula Pass, a trading post between India and China opens for business
The trading post had been closed since the Sino-Indian war of 1962. Part of the Silk Road, the pass connects Tibet with the Indian state of Sikkim.

1975 - Comoros becomes independent
The Comoros Islands gained independence after about 137 years of French rule. Their official name is the Union of the Comoros.

1964 - Malawi gains its independence from Britain
Between 1953 and 1963, the Southeast African country was part of a British controlled federation called Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After dissolution of the federation and independence, Nyasaland changed its name to Malawi.

1912 - King Gustaf V officially opens the fifth Summer Olympics in Stockholm
The international multi-event sports meet was the first such event in history to introduce the photo finish and automatic timing devices for track competitions. 28 countries, including Japan, participated in the games, making it the first time representatives from all 6 continents were present at an Olympics.

Happy Birthday to You!🎶 

1946 - George W. Bush, American politician, 43rd President of the United States

1935 - 14th Dalai Lama, Tibetan Spiritual leader since 1950

1921 - Nancy Reagan, American actress, 40th First Lady of the United States

1907 - Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter

1781 - Stamford Raffles, British statesman

Remembering You

1971 - Louis Armstrong, American trumpeter, singer

1962 - William Faulkner, American author, Nobel Prize laureate

1893 - Guy de Maupassant, French writer

1835 - John Marshall, American jurist, 4th Chief Justice of the United States

1553 - Edward VI of England

Enjoy some sun, get outdoors, and make it a great Saturday!

Kim


Comments

  1. We drove down Main St. just before the Warroad Parade in our own one car parade, waving to the crowds, tossing tootsie roils of harmony and kindness.

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    Replies
    1. Did you see us? We must have just missed you. Happy 4th!

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    2. You must have been the seven empty chairs we passed. Jaká škoda.

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    3. LOL or we used good camouflage (like that spider.)

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