The Things We See If We Just Slow Down

There’s a lot to see in this world if you just look.

Dad demonstrated that on many Sunday afternoon drives through other parts of town, the countryside and neighboring towns. One time we drove to Spring Valley, Wisconsin just to see the dam there. If we rode around the area he grew up in, he gladly pointed places out, stopping the car in the middle of the road to explain.

“Look! There’s the old Thrunson farm. It’s been for sale for awhile. Jens Torkelsen always wanted to buy it. I wonder if he ever did.” After much discussion, the answer was discovered by just reading the name on the mailbox next to the car.

Have you slowed down enough to take a more granular look at your neighborhood and other areas of town? You can’t do that very well by car. They move too fast and, unlike my dad, you can’t stop in the middle of a city street. It’s better to walk or ride a bike to get a closer look anyhow. That way you can also become an authority on sidewalk conditions and where some might come in handy.

And don’t worry that you’ll look like some creep casing the area. There are now lots of walkers out for the exercise. You’ll fit right in. Most people are proud to show off their homes.

This summer I’ve seen a lot of interesting things while riding my e-bike around town. I’m not seeing the detail that walkers see but I can travel farther and my hips and knees thank me. No one seems to mind me riding past their house. Maybe my long white tube socks scare them off.

Everything is so green

The overabundant rain this summer has made it one of the greenest summers I can think of. I had forgotten how enjoyable lightning and thunder can be, even with a power outage to remind us to replace the batteries in our flashlights. Remember last year’s drought? Neither do I. It’s amazing how all that greenery really helps the dead and dying trees stand out.

I crossed the high bridge recently and could see that with the river higher than usual for this time of year, boats can venture further into the backwaters where even the algae seems to be a nicer shade of green.

I don’t know what varieties of grass are in my yard. I’ve found that you can’t be very selective when you buy grass seed on sale. If you see a vibrant green mashup of grass, it might be my yard. Some front yards, converted to flower gardens, are looking spectacular. Vegetable gardens in front yards, not so much.

It wouldn’t be summer without lots of road construction. The never-ending East Seventh Street project is progressing, but the rain has slowed it. I wonder if it will be completed yet this year. The crews have managed to maintain access to Memorial Park but it must be tough for residents who have had to park their cars some distance away from their homes. The new bleach-white sidewalks remind me of the sidewalks shown in 100-year-old photos of newly built Red Wing streets.

Homes tell a story

I was surprised by the number of updated homes along some streets. Our last house was an old one near the bottom of Central Avenue so I can appreciate the amount of work involved with upkeep. Unfortunately, there are also some old homes that might have been mansions at one time but are now in disarray. Some even appear to be abandoned. One was practically encased in green overgrowth.

As summer progresses, even smells change. I now notice a bit of fall in the air as vegetation starts drying up. Sugar maples are already changing to yellow and orange on their tops and some leaves are already falling. Tree trash you see on sidewalks might be from squirrels building nests for winter.

Taking a ride in the country this summer is pretty amazing. I’ve never seen such tall corn, especially this early. But what I always get a kick out of in the country is the extensive lawn mowing. Yards in the country are usually much larger than in town. Even the ditches on either side of the road are mowed, sometimes all the way to where they join the neighbor’s mowed yard.

For that, a riding mower is needed. Maybe that’s the whole point. Spending hours each week on a rider, headphones cranking out some tunes, can provide a respite from other chores. But the results are like artwork. I can imagine a National Geographic story on this called “The Farm Lawns of Minnesota and Wisconsin.”

Depending on when you walk through a neighborhood you might witness homeowners pushing or pulling their garbage and recycling carts to the street or back, creating the unmistakable sound of plastic wheels on a gritty surface. You’re likely to hear a mower, leaf blower or chain saw somewhere along the way. While they can be annoying, they should remind us that we care about our neighborhoods.

So take a tour around town and in the country any way you can before the seasons dictate that you can’t. And look for me. I’ll be wearing a shirt that says, “Slow down and see stuff.”

Oh, the name on the farm mailbox was Olsson. A Swede!