Day Four and Onward

Suppose it's a good thing that I proved too busy this past week to keep up on my blogging. Having just had a shower I'll endeavour to catch up in the quiet of The Campus at Independence Missouri. The water here is wonderfully soft and neutral tasting and the pressure is very high.

On Monday March 25th the deep freeze continued overnight and the sun was slow in warming the earth. Slowly the snow settled into the soil and boiled away on the concrete parking lots and roadways. North-facing homes have a problem there. In the evening I walked over to the moderately-attended Symphonic Band Concert at Presser Hall. The band was made up of students from Bethany College and their teachers, high school students and community members. Alas they seemed under-rehearsed. The program ended with the seven-piece Bethany College Jazz Band Ensemble who played rather modern jazz numbers. However the Smoky Valley High School Jazz Ensemble, all 22 of them including 8 saxophones stole the show. Credit goes to their conductor who acted as his own stage hand and in live performance pretty much left things up to his young stars. He also paid tribute to the parents who get their offspring to 7:30 AM rehearsals Wednesday and Fridays, 6:30 AM at Presser Hall that day. Rarely have I heard better performances from professional players. Young Mark Klaassen set aside his trumpet to come forward and give a rousing performance of Mack the Knife to shrieks from his female classmates.

Tuesday Morning the temperature continued dropping even after the sun topped the horizon bottoming out at 16º F but by early afternoon it managed to rise to the 50ies. I spent the afternoon wandering around downtown Lindsborg. I still haven't managed to find the Old Blacksmith Shoppe Coffee Shop open but I was in and out of most other stores. Well, I gave the funeral home a pass! Lindsborg has a clockmaker who can repair almost anything, he does not approve of the kerosene I store in my striking clock, oh well it's been there for 250 years and the thing still works. The Courtyard Cafe and Gallery has large format photography by George Jerkovich, a psychiatrist from Salina:

http://www.courtyardgallery.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=264_Jerkovich

The photos from Coronado Heights are spectacular but so are the prices of his 3 ft by 5 ft framed reproductions. I have no means of transporting them even if I dared. When I got back to my home set up my bird feeders where I could monitor them from the seat where I sit at my table and write seated or reclining in bed. After early dinner walked across the road for a pint of Blue Bunny Double Strawberry Ice Cream.

In the evening walked over to witness the Master Class given by Sunday's Soloists. It proved to be largely a lesson in proper breathing technique, they didn't use the term but I'd call it diaphragmatic breathing. Not at all shy about being hands on they grabbed soloists without a by your leave by the waist and lower rib cage and by the neck to show how to hold ones' head and open ones jaw to let the sound out. When Monday's Mark Klaassen gave a rather repressed version of an art song the look on his face when a big buxom female grabbed him just above his pelvis, well, it spoke volumes.

Wednesday was an off-day and dawned somewhat warmer but I still decided to wait for matters to warm up before I went out to move the RV forward to dump my holding tanks. After making sure everything was secure drove down to the nearest gas station to fill up at $3.39/American Gallon. Then followed Kansas Highway 4 out of town and west 8 miles to the cut-off for the City of Marquette population 647. One drives by the grain elevator on the way into town. I parked beside the City Park where a man from Salina was looking for rare coins with a metal detector. The Bells of Elim Lutheran Church toll the quarter hour with a Westminster Chime Pattern. Walked South on the West Side of Washington St. past the closed Museum Buildings and the imposing Town Hall. Noted the permanently closed Valley Cafe where farmers can no longer come to town to chew the fat over coffee and sweets. A historic old building with working pull-rope style elevator houses an art gallery with downstairs photo-studio. Next door the Emporium is located in the former pharmacy where the original soda fountain gear adorns the walls and ice cream is still served. At the end of the Opera House Block is the Senior's Centre which serves coffee and goodies and a quilt was being actively worked on in its blocks. Next was an ancient garage station with its gravity pump still intact and the Barber Shop.

Crossing the street one encounters the more modern Pipers Fine Foods with its specialty meats and local supplies. In a crumbling historic building with a wall mural on its side is the hardware store with its ceiling threatening to collapse on shoppers testifying to the fact that the apartments overhead can no longer be rented out. The proprietress tells of the twice collapse of the dried-brick exterior south wall. She says her main business is farmers, the rest is for show. This is an old-fashioned hardware store where it is still possible to buy the single screw or the clamp you need not a blister pak. A nearly new shop is next door followed by various pubs and specialty shops. My final stop was the library where I charmed the librarian by praising the High School Band in which her grandson was a member. Located in the former bank with all the historic accouterments intact the imposing counter and its barriers were backed by a deep counter under which resided a pull rope for setting off the robbery alarm. The ornate safe featured a hand-wound clockwork time-delay system, a battery-operated alarm, and a ventilation system lest someone be trapped inside the air tight vault. Still in place were the original bank records and a bound archive of the local Marquette Newspaper.

My final stop in town was the Elim Lutheran Church where I found the mayor's wife at work so I got to see the sanctuary. The parsonage with a wheel-chair accessible ramp was next door. I walked back to my RV through the park past the swimming pool and tennis courts. Welcome to Marquette indeed, I love wandering old Main Streets.

Thursday March 28th. Maundy Thursday. Spent a quiet morning watching the birds and a red squirrel devour my sunflower seeds. Walked over to Scott's Foods for some more shopping. Walked over to Presser Hall for the Honor's Recital at 2:30. The concert was a series of Soprano Arias bookended by a Tuba Solo to begin and a tour de force for Organ, Max Reger's Introduction and Passacaglia in D Minor. To quote the gal at Bethel Church where he practiced, the boys love loud organ music. Sat and read until 5:00 PM Maundy Thursday Service at Bethel. This day stopped for Orange Sherbet at Scott's on the way home.

Good Friday. The Community Good Friday Service was at St. Bridget's Catholic Church. The words, etched in stone, in front of the statue of Mary out front, Pray for an End to Abortion, struck a discordant note with me but was a sentiment echoed by the Lutheran Men at Bible Study the next day who spoke up. The experience confirmed for me that the Lutherans in town had most of the talent, the electronic monster that accompanied us was a miserable instrument. Oh well. Walked home along streets I'd not walked before and met the local Letter Carrier out working on Good Friday. Ouch! We talked. Had an afternoon rest to ensure I'd be awake that evening.

Again the St. Matthew Passion by Bach began precisely on time and the Presser Hall technicians turned off the lights so that the audience couldn't read the program or join the audience participation number. They were left on for the second half. I was surprised that the Bach Tenor pictured in the program did not sing the part of the evangelist and indeed this evening was his only appearance all week. Last minute ticket buyers nearly filled the hall.

Almost remained in bed Saturday Morning but got to Bible Study early. Pastor Dean Apel was late and 5 minutes out of bed by his own admission. Arranged a ride for Sunday Morning. The remainder of the day was quiet. Went for a walk and discovered the Thrift Shop in a warehouse like building north of town. I went in out of curiosity but found nothing of interest. Guess people in Lindsborg hold on to their good books because what was on offer was pretty crappy. Plenty of cassettes, VHS Tapes, and a few DVD's but nothing I'd risk buying. The remainder was clothing, furniture, and clap trap. Down the street standing totally unprotected were 3 large propane storage tanks. On this day I heated up my first Lefse.