Albin News Readers,
Fall is the fulfillment of summer's promise. I've been trying to put a finger on why this time of year is so exciting and I think that's it in a nutshell. In the ag news section of the Albin news I've tried to convey a little of the forethought, passion, pride and providence that goes into bringing a good crop to harvest. While it's all very exciting, it's also a lot of pressure. During our short growing season, the pressure is on to make every growing day count. Farmers agonize during the winter months over whether they should grow an 89 day corn or risk it with a 92 day variety. All of the fertilizing, watering, weeding, cutting, baling, etc has to be done in a timely manner during that narrow growing period to avoid any delay in maturity. With fall coming, the conclusion of the summer's work starts to come into focus. The calves on pasture are fat, the corn ears are full, the beans are striping, and the sunflower heads are fanning out. On top of that, the mule deer have put on their antlers, the sharp-tail grouse are plump, and the sweet corn is ready. I get pretty fired up the first time I get that fall feeling. As Uncle Ed says, it makes your neck swell (referring to how a deer's neck swells in the rut). It's undeniable.
In community news, there are two more births to report. Griffin James Rundell was born August fifth to Jeff and Dawn Rundell of Lincoln, NE. Griffin was 7 lbs 14 oz and 21 in long. Grandparents are Ligie and Jan Rundell of the Albin area and Jim and Sheri Cauble of Scottsbluff, NE.
Macy Blaze Serrano was born March 12th to Shane and Sheena Serrano. Shane and Sheena are living in the Albin area with grandparents Gerald and Izzy Serrano. Shane is currently pursuing a degree that will allow him to work as a pharmacy technician.
Devin Lerwick, originally from Albin, will be in the area through the month of August and has started weekly bible talks with Scott Rauscher in Cheyenne. The two will be speaking for the next few Sundays at the Laramie County Community College in the Center for Conferences Institutes Centennial Room from 4 – 5 pm. For those of you who are wondering what in the world it is he's doing, this is a great opportunity to see for yourself! All are welcome and there is no admission fee.
Dixie Malm posted this update on caringbridge.org concerning Tim's condition.
Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer! We have joy and faith--it's the patience in God's timing that He has and is working with us. In therapy, Tim said more words today!! He named items and read a few words off cards!!! He gets to go to the pool in the morning so we hope for more and easier range of motion in the left leg and arm! I (Dixie) made it home safely from Branson in time to help with Tim's dinner--did you know you can puree beef spare ribs? Thank you for praying for Bethany and myself with the traveling and all of the emotional time. I truly felt God's presence driving and physically keeping me going for almost 36 hrs. with a short hour nap that morning in the car before we could move her into the dorm! Restful nights have me caught up and am excited to watch and hear God's miracles this week with Tim! God Bless All Y'all!
Bill and Dixie Rabou and Lee and Ramona Willert had unexpected guests Monday. Three sisters, Dixie Royals (Dallas, TX), Mary Sue Wade (Dallas, TX), and Rebecca Holt (Napa, CA) and one mutual friend Libby Brown knocked on their door asking questions about the Rabou ancestors. The four women were on a quest to find out about their grandfather and grandmother who had homesteaded in the Albin area. After visiting for hours, looking through old books, pictures, etc, much was pieced together about one of our community's more interesting stories. If any of you have more information about this piece of history, please help these ladies out by sending along the information. I can put you in touch with them directly.
The story began when Margaret Rabou adopted and raised an orphan girl on their ranch north of Albin. The girl's name was also Margaret but it seems they called her Mary. In November of 1910 Andrew Cunningham filed a homestead claim a mile away from the Rabou ranch and built the cabin that still stands today off CR 159 a mile north of hwy 216. Andrew Cunningham met and married Mary Rabou and to this union were born two girls, Viola and Mickey. Many of you may have heard from the older ones, as I did from grandpa Glenn Lerwick, about the tragedy that followed. Andrew had gone into a dance in Albin when a fight broke out. Guns were drawn and Andrew was killed leaving Mary and the two girls to mourn for him. Dixie relayed these details about the killing that were told to her by Florence Anderson, daughter of Nora (Cunningham) Capitola who was a sister of Andrew Cunningham. Florence said that a cousin of Andrew (Mr. Stevens) was the man who actually shot and killed Andrew. However, for reasons unknown, Andrew's brother Clarence took blame for the killing, changed his name to Ben Grant and fled the community. The obituary for Clarence and Andrew's father, John William Cunningham, lists the address of Clarence as “unknown at this time.” The obituary was written in 1932.
At the time their father was killed, Viola was 2 and Mickey was 4. Mary moved to Pine Bluffs with the two girls and raised them there. Viola eventually met Dot Emerson Moody (Wheatland, WY) at a country dance in Pine Bluffs and married him in Lexington, NE in 1932. They farmed some, then may have run a pool hall in Kimball before moving to Dallas, TX. Viola and Dot are the parents of Dixie, Mary and Rebbeca.
Another interesting fact is that many of Dixie, Mary and Rebecca's ancestors are buried in the Hall Cemetery off the Stegall road. If anyone knows what connection they had to the Hall community, the sisters would like to know. Was there a Catholic church there?
Master Gardner Ann Sanchez had this to say about geraniums:
Chloe and Dorothy Miller, long time residents of the Golden Prairie area had a special affection for plants, especially their geraniums. They faithfully saved their geraniums each fall to enjoy during the winter and then used them again the following summer. They both have passed away, but their special geraniums are still enjoyed today by their family and friends. Nancy Sandberg, a niece of Dorothy Miller, has kept the extensive collection of geraniums alive and has added many new varieties. She is keeping a living history of her family and friends from the geraniums she grows and saves.
Here are two methods of saving geraniums that you can use to keep them alive for the future. The first way is to prune the plant to ½ its size. Dig it out of the soil and knock off the excess soil on the roots. Transplant the geranium in sterile potting soil. Give the plant a good watering and put it in a sunny location. The second way to preserve your geraniums is through cuttings. Cut a 4 to 6 inch section from the tip of the geranium. This should include several leaves and a node. Remove the leaves from the bottom section and dip the cut of the stem in rooting hormone. Place the cuttings in a pot filled with wet sand or a combination of vermiculite and perlite. Cover with a plastic bag to create a greenhouse. Place the cuttings in indirect sunlight. Some cuttings take longer than others, but usually the new roots will appear within 4 to 5 weeks. Plant the newly rooted plants in potting soil, give them plenty of sun and fertilize them once a month. Some types of geraniums are more difficult to propagate with this method especially the ivy type geraniums.
In Ag news, bean harvest is nearing. There is a lot of bearish price news since it looks like a very large crop. One report estimated a 13.2 million bag harvest with a 2.5 million bag carryover for 2011 on the pinto beans. Demand was estimated to be around 12.5 million bags. As we saw in the wheat, one good supply scare could quickly bring the price back up.
The heat units for 2009 and 2010 May 15 – Aug 16 (baseline 50 deg F) are 1460.5 and 1626.5.
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