Street Work and Sinclair Lewis Days Parade

Sunday, July 21, 2013. A crew dug a hole in Main Street between South 5th and 6th on Wednesday. My guess is that they were doing some unplanned utility work.


That was quick. Main Street was patched up, with nothing to show for the previous day's work except a sandy patch and traffic cones. July 18, 2013.


Minnesota's four seasons: fall, winter, spring, and road work. Or, in town, street work. July 18, 2013.


The folks at Arvig had some sort of major get-together on Thursday. My guess is that it was part of Sinclair Lewis Days. July 18, 2013.

Sinclair Lewis Days ended yesterday, with the usual parade. There's a street dance on Sinclair Lewis Avenue, downtown, after that: but for me the parade is the grand finale.


Some folks have their spots picked and folding chairs in place by late afternoon. By the time the parade starts, at 7:00 p.m., the route is packed. July 20, 2013.


A somber start to the parade - - - July 20, 2013.


- - - followed by sunshine and clowns. July 20, 2013.

I've got quite a few pictures from the parade, but those will wait until another day.

Webcam's Back!

When I got home this evening, I discovered that there'd been a power outage in our part of Sauk Centre: a brief one.

That sort of thing happens now and then, and normally I'd check the webcam soon after the power came back on.

This time I couldn't, since I was out of town. Sorry about the interruption.

Good news: your look out the window at my corner of small town America is back online.

Bad news: it wasn't available for at least several hours today.

More good news: As far as I know, I won't be going anywhere for quite a while. Which is just as well. The last 10 days have been hectic, and that's another topic: for another blog.

Not-completely-unrelated posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: Candles, Reports, Meetings, and a Busy Lemming"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (December 7, 2011)
  • My 'miscellaneous' blog, where I'm 'the Lemming:'
    "A micro-review or two, or the occasional rant, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
    (life, the universe, and the nature of the Lemming permitting"
• "Candles: Analysis, News, and Very Odd Questions"
  Starting a Small Business Without Losing My Mind (December 3, 2011)
  • One of my slightly-more-serious blogs
• "Back Online - Finally"
  (August 9, 2011)
• "Let's See How This Works"
  (July 30, 2011)
• "Not-Exactly-Technical Difficulties"
  (April 23, 2011)

Our furnace has been fixed, starting on Monday, with the last part put in place yesterday evening.

It's nice, having the thermometer showing a number that's higher than my age (67 wonderful, balmy, degrees at the keyboard). Balmy, considering that it's around six below on the other side of the window.

More about this household's furnace, at "Minnesota Winter, and the Furnace is Fixed!" Through One Dad's Eye (January 5, 2009).

Small Town America: Minnesota Arrives

This blog's purpose, right now, is to give people who watch one of my webcams a chance to talk back.

So: If you've got something to say about Sauk Centre's first view-on-the-street webcam, the Ash Street Project (heading my way), Sauk Centre, or a related topic, Feel free.

That webcam gives a new photo every minute, by the way, and I'm hoping for hummingbirds later this month.