Carol Zilverberg has informed our Publisher that her almost 94 year old brother in law, John Zilverberg, went to the Senior Olympics somewhere in Kentucky and placed 7th in the 100 yard dash. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate wondered why his website has been so quiet for the past three weeks. Carol further stated that not everyone finished the race, so at least John didn't come in last. Anyone in their nineties who can run that far and still breath is a winner in our book, regardless of how well they place. At the time Carol reported this information, John was waiting for the rest of the athletes to show up for the bowling event.

We will await those results with great anticipation!

Shannon Walls reports that Nancy Kutz has other obligations on Sunday afternoon, so she will try to meet her tomorrow morning. Doug and Cade Hinkle came over to the Ponderosa today, or Jerry Hinkle could have made a little effort to go into Highmore otherwise. If possible, Jerry hopes that Shannon and the rest could be his guests at the Methodist Church service tomorrow. Everyone there has heard their story at least a half dozen times.

Harold and Dianne Macek came up to the Ponderosa at about 7:30 pm last night to pick up the dog. Jerry Hinkle and the rest had been watching over her while the Maceks went to the Mayo clinic for a check up. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate believe that Harry looks as healthy as the next fellow. Of course we've never gone to Medical School, so what do we know. It looks like Faulkton is going all out for Independence Day this year. They start their celebration on Friday, June 29, and continue until at least Tuesday, July 3. Our Publisher wouldn't mind going up to Faukton, providing Brother Bill is home. Of course, it's been said that the Pickler House is nothing to sneeze at as well.

Dianne Macek ran into a little snag last week. She had to take her husband, Harold Macek to the Mayo Clinic for a good once over, but had nobody to look after her dog. That's where the Reverend Jerry Hinkle comes in. When he was asked to help out, he wasn't too keen on the idea, but he knew that when Jesus said "take care of my sheep" he had something like this in mind. Jerry has certainly had a lot of help in the task, both on Earth and from Above. The dog has adapted to country living quickly. She enjoys going in the pickup to feed the bulls and getting the mail. The one down side is that she and Bob Cat are having a little territorial dispute. It looks like a draw right now, but Bob will win when the dog goes home, which should be any day now.

Mary Hinkle gives pretty much all of the haircuts on the Ponderosa. But having a dog around must have given Mary the idea that she is getting shaggy. Her oldest son, Jerry Hinkle, still mad about the last haircut he was given, told her all he needed was a pair of scissors and a jar of her "jelly" and her could do to her hair what she did to his. It seems that Mary went a little wild with the scissors and cut into both of his ears and poked one eye. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate think that Jerry should lighten up! After all, John Edwards pays upwards of $400 for the exact same treatment.

Mary keeps saying she needs to get an hair appointment, but does nothing about it. Hopefully she will get one for Thursday since the Hinkles will be going into the church picnic that evening. If not, well, Jerry still has those scissors!

A very decisive 73% of the Readers of The Holabird Advocate believe that we should wait a while before we pray for more rain. There are 9% who have stopped praying for rain altogether, while the rest think we should still be praying for rain. The relative humidity at the Ponderosa is 36%. We don't know what that means, but thought it might be hady to know that.

Old Settler's Day was nice, and even fun, while it lasted. But thanks to a little help from Bob McKelvey, our Publisher was able to catch up with an old friend while they were both a few hundred miles away. Pastor Mark Holland of the Methodist Church in Gretna, Nebraska recently had an open house in his honor back in May to celebrate 30 years of ministry. Earthly cares kept all of us here at the Holabird Advocate from attending, but Bob made it down there through God's grace, and came back with some marvelous photos. Pastor Holland served the Highmore and Harrold Methodist Churches about 20 years ago. From the look of things he hasn't aged a bit in all that time. He told Bob that Jerry Hinkle, for whatever reason is one of the people that he thinks of from time to time. Boy,m could we tell HIM a few things!

It was was 44 years ago tonight that Harold and Mary Hinkle made a lifetime commitment to one another. It was a big gamble. After all, Mary's only Earthly possessions at the time were her Studebaker Lark and an accordion (she still has the accordion). Harold's wealth at that time consisted of a bicycle and a Good Conduct medal from the U.S. Army(he still has both, although it may take him a while to find either one). In their brief marriage, they've seen each other through many things: fire, flood, drought, and Republican farm policy. Along the way, all of us are sure that they may have at different times thought of giving up and going their separate ways. But that's not the Hinkle way! When they face hard times, Hinkles stick together. That's what makes them unbeatable when all is said and done. As for Mary's Studebaker, Harold is saving up to buy it back someday. Maybe he'll have it by their Golden Anniversary in 2013.

With the mercury expected to reach the upper 90s, Harold, Jerry, and Justin Hinkle got the Ponderosa swimming pool out of storage and filled with water. good thing too. the temperature got up to 103 degrees today. Shelby Hinkle joined Justin for some summer fun in the sun this afternoon, after both applied sun screen of course.

The pool is open to the public, bit the public may find swimming in a pool with grass and dead bugs to be a bit disturbing. Still, it's free, unlike that $400,000 pool in Highmore. But like the feller says, you get what you pay for.

One time, when Jerry Hinkle was watching over his brother Darrel's kids, they were becoming listless. They needed something to do, or they were going to start fighting with each other. He told every story he could think of and tryed to think up games for them to do. Then inspiration hit. He had them wave one hand, then both hands, then both hands and one foot... Well, everyone who grew up in Keloland knows the routine. Captain 11 really had something there. The only flaw in the game was that Justin Hinkle must be a statue made of bitter, because he kept melting. Yet when Justin and Shelby Hinkle came to the Ponderosa today, Justin said, "Let's play Freeze Burg". He must like the challenge or something!

So, no, I'm keeping my registration with the Democratic Party. Democrats are not perfect, but then few of us are. In some cases they are just as bad as some Republicans. Either way, both are more tolerant than the leaders of the Green Party seems to be. They don't like Democrats, or Methodists. What's next? Farmers? As the late Sammy Goldfish said, "Include me out" !

What a Day to be in Central South Dakota. We had two tornado warnings, a severe thunderstorm and reports of crop damage from neighbors in Harold and Onida. And all this was before 9 am! The Ponderosa weather radio was all abuzz about the tornado warning in Potter and Sully Counties, as well as the severe thunderstorm warning in Hyde County.

Kristi Hinkle reports seeing broken window at the Dean and Alice Branine home north of Holabird. We are assuming that hail damage was the cause. The Ponderosa had a little rain and a lot of thunder. Some have speculated that the thunder was really E.E. Hinkle turning over in his grave over the possibility of one of his grandsons leaving the Democratic Party. Not much precipitation in the Keloland rain gauge. Just .09 of an inch of rain with a generous portion of bird droppings. They must prefer KSFY. Talk about birdbrains!

Green Party leaders, preparing for the party's 2007 national meeting in Reading, Pennsylvania, July 12-15, called the Democratic Party a lost cause for Americans who oppose the Iraq War, and urged antiwar voters to support and join the Green Party as the 2008 election year approaches. Greens said the vote in Congress for full funding of the war amounted to a betrayal of Americans who voted Democrat in 2004 and 2006 in the hopes that a Democratic Congress would work for withdrawal of US troops. According to a CBS/NYT poll released last week, only 23% of the public approves of the way George Bush is handling the war in Iraq.

As most of you know, I have this thing about Captain 11. When I heard that former Keloland weatherman and personality, Dave Dedrick, who looks amazingly like the Captain, or at least he used to, is trying to quit smoking, I knew what I had to do. FIND CAPTAIN 11!!! I Sent a message to the Outer Galaxy. I asked for Captain 11 to help me to help his Friend Dave.

Here is his reply:

"Hi Crew! Captain 11 Reporting from the Andromeda System. I'm busy searching for someone kind, fair, and brave to help me control time. But for Dave, I got the perfect solution. See, Dave needs a substitute. Telly Savalas had lollipops, Ronald Reagan had jelly beans, and i have the solution for my old pal Dave! Tootsie Rolls!! Now this will only work if Dave follows the instructions that go with them."

1. Mind your wife and kids.

2. Eat everything they tell you to eat. (especially Tootsie Rolls)

3. Say your prayers when you go to bed at night.

(that's the most important part!)

Psalm 23 reads in part, "My cup overflows". The writer of that Psalm may have had their cup outside on a rainy day like Highmore had during the Old Settlers Day Parade. It rained so much that the king and queen, Ardis Aasby and Louise Henderson Moss Hjordt, were not riding in the parade. They were not alone as the marching band and most of the high school reunion classes were noticeably absent. Fred Winnans of the class of 1956 was apparently in a class by himself, as we was alone on his class float. The Pioneer Garage float had some candy left over so they drove through on Iowa Avenue later on the afternoon throwing candy, and having fun doing it too.

Depending on who you ask, the Highmore area had anywhere from 1-3 inches of rain on Saturday. Closer to home, the Ponderosa had a total of 3.55 inches of rain this weekend. E.E. Hinkle's basement overflows as well.

The Hinkles and Kennedys enjoyed the holiday weekend. Jerry Hinkle walked more that day than he has in the last month. We won't report on all of the new friends he made and the old friends that he got reacquainted with, as we may miss someone. We can report that there were quite a few this weekend who were bound to complement Jerry on our little Newsblog. Jerry was disappointed that he never ran into Rita Sporrer. He was able to meet the husband of Rita's sister Helen Melbourn. Jerry forgot his first name, but thinks it's John. He's a real nice guy with good taste at any rate. Also Kay Lynn Neiss was very complementary, as were Highmore's Mayor Viki Day and First Gentleman Roger Day. Someone at City Hall level had permanently linked the city's website to the Holabird Advocate. A very great gesture considering all the blogging talent that is willing to call Highmore "home". Perhaps City Hall is waiting for them to last 5 and a half years like we have.

It took a while, but Come 2 Jesus Ministries has received it's shipments of Jackie Quinn's book, "At the End of Myself". The books are small, considering the price of $15, but they are packed with information and inspiration. Jackie tells a very powerful message Jerry Hinkle can't wait to start reading his copy.

With all the rain in the area, all of us here at the Holabird Advocate were wondering if it's time to stop asking our Father in Heaven for rain on the plain. Some may have already stopped on their praying for rain on their own. So the Pollmaster General asks what you think. We had originally planned to ask about the Hyperion Resources "Gorilla" Project. Perhaps another time!

SOME OF YOU ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THAT NEARLY EVERY FAMILY IN AMERICA WAS GROSSLY AFFECTED BY WW II . MOST OF YOU DON'T REMEMBER THE RATIONING OF MEAT, SHOES, GASOLINE, AND SUGAR. NO TIRES FOR OUR AUTOMOBILES, AND A SPEED LIMIT OF 35 MILES AN HOUR ON THE ROAD, NOT TO MENTION, NO NEW AUTOMOBILES. READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE WOULD REACT TO BEING TAKEN OVER BY FOREIGNERS IN 2007
Historical Significance
Sixty-three years ago, Nazi Germany had overrun almost all of Europe and hammered England to the verge of bankruptcy and defeat. The Nazis had sunk more than 400 British ships in their convoys between England and America taking food and war materials
At that time the US was in an isolationist, pacifist mood, and most Americans wanted nothing to do with the European or the Asian war .
Then along came Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 , and in outrage Congress unanimously declared war on Japan , and the following day on Germany , who had not yet attacked us . It was a dicey thing . We had few allies .
France was not an ally, as the Vichy government of France quickly aligned itself with its German occupiers . Germany was certainly not an ally, as Hitler was intent on setting up a Thousand Year Reich in Europe. Japan was not an ally, as it was well on its way to owning and controlling all of Asia.
Together, Japan and Germany had long-range plans of invading Canada and Mexico , as launching pads to get into the United States over our northern and southern borders, after they finished gaining control of Asia and Europe.
America 's only allies then were England , Ireland , Scotland , Canada , Australia, and Russia . That was about it All of Europe, from Norway to Italy (except Russia in the East) was already under the Nazi heel .
The US was certainly not prepared for war. The US had drastically downgraded most of its military forces after WW I because of the depression, so that at the outbreak of WW II, Army units were training with broomsticks because they didn't have guns, and cars with "tank" painted on the doors because they didn't have real tanks A huge chunk of our Navy had just been sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor.
Britain had already gone bankrupt, saved only by the donation of $600 million in gold bullion in the Bank of England (that was actually the property of Belgium ) given by Belgium to England to carry on the war when Belgium was overrun by Hitler (a little known fact).
Actually, Belgium surrendered on one day, because it was unable to oppose the German invasion, and the Germans bombed Brussels into rubble the next day just to prove they could .
Britain had already been holding out for two years in the face of staggering losses and the near decimation of its Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain, and was saved from being overrun by Germany only because Hitler made the mistake of thinking the Brits were a relatively minor threat that could be dealt with later. Hitler, first turned his attention to Russia, in the late summer of 1940 at a time when England was on the verge of collapse.
Ironically, Russia saved America 's butt by putting up a desperate fight for two years, until the US got geared up to begin hammering away at Germany .
Russia lost something like 24,000,000 people in the sieges of Stalingrad and Moscow alone . . . 90% of them from cold and starvation, mostly civilians, but also more than a 1,000,000 soldiers
Had Russia surrendered, Hitler would have been able to focus his entire war effort against the Brits, then America. If that had happened, the Nazis could possibly have won the war .
All of this has been brought out to illustrate that turning points in history are often dicey things. Now, we find ourselves at another one of those key moments in history.
There is a very dangerous minority in Islam that either has, or wants, and may soon have, the ability to deliver small nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, almost anywhere in the world .
The Jihadis, the militant Muslims, are basically Nazis in Kaffiyahs --they believe that Islam, a radically conservative form of Wahhabi Islam, should own and control the Middle East first, then Europe, then the world. To them, all who do not bow to their will of thinking should be killed, enslaved, or subjugated . They want to finish the Holocaust, destroy Israel , and purge the world of Jews . This is their mantra . (goal)
There is also a civil war raging in the Middle East -- for the most part not a hot war, but a war of ideas. Islam is having its Inquisition and its Reformation, but it is not yet known which side will win -- the Inquisitors, or the Reformationists.
If the Inquisition wins, then the Wahhabis, the Jihadis, will control the Middle East, the OPEC oil, and the US , European, and Asian economies.
The techno-industrial economies will be at the mercy of OPEC -- not an OPEC dominated by the educated, rational Saudis of today, but an OPEC dominated by the Jihadis. Do you want gas in your car? Do you want heating oil next winter? Do you want the dollar to be worth anything? You had better hope the Jihad, the Muslim Inquisition, loses, and the Islamic Reformation wins.
If the Reformation movement wins, that is, the moderate Muslims who believe that Islam can respect and tolerate other religions, live in peace with the rest of the world, and move out of the 10th century into the 21st, then the troubles in the Middle East will eventually fade away. A moderate and prosperous Middle East will emerge.
We have to help the Reformation win, and to do that we have to fight the Inquisition, i.e., the Wahhabi movement, the Jihad, Al Qaeda and the Islamic terrorist movements. We have to do it somewhere. We can't do it everywhere at once. We have created a focal point for the battle at a time and place of our choosing . . . . . . . . in Iraq . Not in New York , not in London , or Paris or Berlin , but in Iraq, where we are doing two important things.
(1) We deposed Saddam Hussein. Whether Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the 9/11 terrorist attack or not, it is undisputed that Saddam has been actively supporting the terrorist movement for decades Saddam is a terrorist! Saddam is, or was, a weapon of mass destruction, responsible for the deaths of probably more than a 1,000,000 Iraqis and 2,000,000 Iranians .
Added Reader Comment: If Saddam didn't have Weapons of Mass Destruction [WMD], why did Iraq send a 35,000 page document to the UN explaining how they had supposedly disposed of all their known WMD -- and why doesn't the news media comment about the fact that such an accounting was made to the UN?
(2) We created a battle, a confrontation, a flash point, with Islamic terrorism in Iraq. We have focused the battle. We are killing bad people, and the ones we get there we won't have to get here. We also have a good shot at creating a democratic, peaceful Iraq, which will be a catalyst for democratic change in the rest of the Middle East, and an outpost for a stabilizing American military presence in the Middle East for as long as it is needed
WW II, the war with the Japanese and German Nazis, really began with a "whimper" in 1928. It did not begin with Pearl Harbor. It began with the Japanese invasion of China. It was a war for fourteen years before the US joined it. It officially ended in 1945 -- a 17 year war -- and was followed by another decade of US occupation in Germany and Japan to get those countries reconstructed and running on their own a gain . . a 27 year war.
WW II cost the United States an amount equal to approximately a full year's GDP -- adjusted for inflation, equal to about $12 trillion dollars. WW II cost America more than 400,000 soldiers killed in action, and nearly 100,000 still missing in action.
The Iraq war has, so far, cost the United States about $160,000,000,000, which is roughly what the 9/11 terrorist attack cost New York. It has also cost about 3,000 American lives, which is roughly equivalent to lives that the Jihad killed (within the United States) in the 9/11 terrorist attack .
The cost of not fighting and winning WW II would have been unimaginably greater -- a world dominated by Japanese Imperialism and German Nazism .
This is not a 60-Minutes TV show, or a 2-hour movie in which everything comes out okay . The real world is not like that. It is messy, uncertain, and sometimes bloody and ugly. It always has been, and probably always will be .
The bottom line is that we will have to deal with Islamic terrorism until we defeat it, whenever that is. It will not go away if we ignore it
If the US can create a reasonably democratic and stable Iraq, then we have an ally, like England , in the Middle East, a platform, from which we can work to help modernize and moderate the Middle East. The history of the world is the clash between the forces of relative civility and civilization, and the barbarians clamoring at the gates to conquer the world.
The Iraq War is merely another battle in this ancient and never ending war. Now, for the first time ever, the barbarians are about to get nuclear weapons. Unless some body prevents them from getting them.
We have four options:
1 . We can defeat the Jihad now, before it gets nuclear weapons.
2 . We can fight the Jihad later, after it gets nuclear weapons (which may be as early as next year, if Iran 's progress on nuclear weapons is what Iran claims it is).
3 . We can surrender to the Jihad and accept its dominance in the Middle East now; in Europe in the next few years or decades, and ultimately in America.
OR
4 . We can stand down now, and pick up the fight later when the Jihad is more widespread and better armed, perhaps after the Jihad has dominated France and Germany and possibly most of the rest of Europe. It will, of course, be more dangerous, more expensive, and much bloodier.
If you oppose this war, I hope you like the idea that your children, or grandchildren, may live in an Islamic America under the Mullahs and the Sharia, an America that resembles Iran today.
The history of the world is the history of civilization clashes, cultural clashes. All wars are about ideas, ideas about what society and civilization should be like, and the most determined always win.
Those who are willing to be the most ruthless always win . The pacifists always lose, because the anti-pacifists kill them .
Remember, perspective is every thing, and America 's schools teach too little history for perspective to be clear, especially in the young American mind.
The Cold War lasted from about 1947 at least until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989; forty-two years!
Europe spent the first half of the 19th century fighting Napoleon, and from 1870 to 1945 fighting Germany !
World War II began in 1928, lasted 17 years, plus a ten year occupation, and the US still has troops in Germany and Japan . World War II resulted in the death of more than 50,000,000 people, maybe more than 100,000,000 people, depending on which estimates you accept.
The US has taken more than 3,000 killed in action in Iraq.. The US took more than 4,000 killed in action on the morning of June 6, 1944 , the first day of the Normandy Invasion to rid Europe of Nazi Imperialism.
In WW II the US averaged 2,000 KIA a week -- for four years. Most of the individual battles of WW II lost more Americans than the entire Iraq war has done so far
The stakes are at least as high . . A world dominated by representative governments with civil rights, human rights, and personal freedoms . . or a world dominated by a radical Islamic Wahhabi movement, by the Jihad, under the Mullahs and the Sharia (Islamic law)
It's difficult to understand why the average American does not grasp this. They favor human rights, civil rights, liberty and freedom, but evidently not for Iraqis.
"Peace Activists" always seem to demonstrate here in America , where it's safe.
Why don't we see Peace Activist demonstrating in Iran , Syria , Iraq , Sudan , North Korea , in the places that really need peace activism the most? I'll tell you why! They would be killed!
The liberal mentality is supposed to favor human rights, civil rights, democracy, multiculturalism, diversity, etc . , but if the Jihad wins, wherever the Jihad wins, it is the end of civil rights, human rights, democracy, multiculturalism, diversity, etc. Americans who oppose the liberation of Iraq are coming down on the side of their own worst enemy!

Some of you already know that I was asked to tell "our" story at a Make-a-Wish meeting in Mitchell a little over a month ago. The main purpose of the get-together was to inspire and motivate volunteers that are already a part of phenomenal work the foundation does. There really isn't much I wouldn't do for the group after the fantastic trip they gave our family because of Hunter's illness. During my little speech I noticed a few women crying, some were making notes very seriously, and some were watching and listening to me like I was the President of the United States. It was very humbling to say the least.By the time I was finished just about everyone was wiping away their tears and the woman in charge said they would be contacting me in the future. Her name is Janice and she hugged me so hard when she saw me. She hugged me again before my mom and I left. I barely made it out to my vehicle without breaking down and crying myself. It was an amazing experience for me.A little over a week or so ago Mary Olinger, the CEO of the SD branch, called and left me a message to call her as soon as I could. When I did she thanked me for telling our story and asked me if I would do it again. I immediately said yes. That's when she told me it was for the Celebrity Golf Tournament in Sioux Falls. There is going to be a luncheon on the 30th of this month at the Country Club in Sioux Falls and I'll be telling our story again. Here is where I come to the purpose of my email. After everything you have all heard or remember from that time, including Hunter throwing out the first pitch at the DWU baseball game, I'd like to hear any inspiring stories. Anything that might help me tell our story. I not only want to thank them for the amazing vacation they gave us, I want them to understand the value of it all. My main point of Hunter's story is going to be how, when he made a timeline for school this year, he skipped over having cancer and made the Disney Cruise one of the most important things that happened to him when he was 7 and 8.So if any of you can remember anything at all please let me know. I'd like to include it that Saturday if possible.Thank you,

Keloland promised our area 2-6 inches of rain. Highmore got anywhere from 1.5 to 3 inches. Closer to Holabird, it gets slightly dryer. Darrel Hinkle reported 1.85 inches, while the Keloland rain gauge here at the home office showed a mere 1.55 inches.

The Onida area got dumped on. Parts of Highway 1804 in Sully County were under water this morning. There was a tornado in Potter County yesterday at about 5:30 pm. The tornado warning covered Gettysburg, Hoven and Lebanon. Our Publisher prayed for the Kirby family in that area, because he knew they'd do the same if there was a tornado here.We have heard no damage reports, so we assume the prayer worked.

Our Publisher had planned on taking all of the Bloggers in the Hyde County area to a pancake breakfast this Saturday. Since nobody has accepted, he has decided to forget the whole thing. It's not all bad. Now he has an excuse to sleep in that day.

Fishing Good in the Neighborhood

The Zilverberg family got together for some fishing fun. Daniel Zilverberg snapped a picture of Mary Jo Nemec with the first fish of the day as her uncle Dave Zilverberg looks on proudly. It was a Small Mouth bass that they couldn't keep (cussed GF&P anyhow).Of course, you can't go fishing without a fish fry afterward. Well, you can, but the Zilverbergs didn't. It was at the fish fry that someone shot a picture of the remaining Zilverberg Brothers: Jim, John, and Dave Zilverberg.

Harold and Mary Hinkle were curious as to where all these fish were caught. Mary Jo is keeping that secret for the time being. Maybe she is planning to go back there again someday.

Mock Prime Rib #1

Ingredients:

3-4 lb rump roast

1 can beef broth

1 pkg Au jus seasoning (dry)

1 pkg good seasons Italian dressing dry mix

Directions:Put roast in crock pot...

mix all other ingredients and pour over roast...

cook 6-8 hours on medium. Delicious!

Well, Golly! Today is Jim Nabors' 77th birthday. Yeah sir, ol' Gomer Pyle USMC his own self. We could have celebrated with the Marines Hymn. But today's South Dakota Songbook pays tribute to the episode of "Andy Griffith" entitled "Gomer the house guest". We encourage everyone to make up their own verses too. After all there's a lot of things that a no account mule can do, "All day long", eh!

No account mule, Kickin' on a tin can,

kicking' on a tin can, kickin' on a tin can.

No account mule, Kickin' on a tin can,

all day long.

A no account mule, Sitting' on a mountain,

Sitting' on a mountain, Sitting' on a mountain,

No account mule, Sittin' on a mountain,

all day long.

OH! No account mule, Eatin' on a haystack,

Eatin' on a haystack, Eatin' on a haystack,

No account mule, Eatin' on a haystack, all day long.

When Mary Jo Nemec reported that there was another member of the family, all of us here at the Holabird Advocate thought somebody was married or pregnant. Turns out to be a new puppy, who is pictured here with Bridgette Nemec. He is a purebred Kelpie. They claim that he's a cow dog, and we'll not dispute it. Either way, Nick should be happy. This new addition to the family increases the male population on the Nemec Ranch.

Mary Jo must have forgotten to tell our Publisher the name of the new pup when she was giving out free medical advice at the Vlcek's Food Center. Her advice: gaining weight gets rid of wrinkles. We should try that some time!

Mary Jo also had a picture of the Zilverberg Brothers at the family fish fry, but she didn't tell us who caught the first fish, the biggest fish, and the most fish.

The price of gas in Highmore is anywhere from $3.07-$3.15. In spite of this, there is a better than average chance that many Holabird residents will make their way over to Highmore for the big 125th anniversary jubilee.

People are coming from out of state, too. George and Mavis Kennedy are starting out for the Ponderosa tomorrow. Ken and Jo Hansen will be arriving at the Come Hahn Inn Make Your Own Bed and Breakfast on Thursday. Larry and Phyllis Ehlers will be there sometime either late Thursday night or early Friday morning.

Anyone curious about what's going on during the Old Settler's Day celebration just go to the Highmore Homepage at http://www.highmore.org/ . Who knows? You might find something fun to do if you look long enough!

Ray Stevens said it best, " I'm well informed as most things go. But there's just some things I don't wanna know!" This is precisely how I feel about Paris Hilton and the media machine that keeps her in the public eye.

It might be different if she was pretty, or had and talent to speak of. But from the get-go she's been this joke where the punchline isn't funny in the least. She can't act, she can't sing, and people who claim to have seen her video tell me she can't do something else, which we won't discuss because there are ladies present.

And before Marcy chimes in wondering why I hate Paris, I'll tell her straight up I don't hate her or anyone. I just wish she would get straightened out in a way that didn't involve me having to look at her on my TV or Internet.

There is one encouraging sign. by all reports she is having a hard time in jail. That must mean it's working. The rehabilitation, that is. Perhaps she'll think twice before she breaks the law. And all of you Parisites that look to her to be your role model will do the same.

Before Jerry Hinkle gets in the Senate, he'll have to start Dakota Wesleyan University. This is the Year of the Open Door. And for Jerry, a lot of doors have opened up. He is on the way to DWU this fall because that door was opened. He hasn't found an apartment yet, but that door will be opened in time. And now, possibly because of Howard Brown's influence, there is a group of people interested in providing "a small stipend" toward Jerry's tuition at DWU. More on this when details become more concrete. We will say this: if this does happen John Deere may be the official tractor of the Holabird Advocate. Just make sure it's an "A" John Deere, Bub!

Harold Hinkle's cousin, Ed Wallis, was hoping to borrow a car to drive to Mitchell. Harold is considering driving Ed, as well as Mary and Jerry Hinkle to Mitchell so they could do some multitasking. Harold seems to think that Jerry needs to find and rent an apartment two months before he starts DWU. It's just too bad that they could make the trip when Brule appears in concert at the Prehistoric Village Near Mitchell. Jerry has heard many good things about the group, as well as seeing them in TV ads for their performances.

Last year, I promised to chronicle my own journey through the stages of grief after Grandad died. At the time, I thought I could catch them as the came. When we got that card from the funeral home, I started almost involuntarily looking back. So here is what I believe to be my journey through the 5 Stages of Grief.

Denial: I could not deny that the death occurred, since I watched it happen. I was with Grandad until the end, just as I promised him I would be. I did, however deny that I was upset about it. I do still feel his presence with me as though he's looking over my shoulder.

Anger: I was mostly upset with those who kept telling me how sorry they were about Grandad. I was also upset with those who were trying to comfort me when I really wasn't all that upset. They all meant well, but at times it was a little much. Of course, it was their loss too. Luckily all of that was over in a couple weeks time.

Bargaining: Well, as previously mentioned, I had relatives who were so anxious to get me into DWU, they darn near boxed me up and sent me COD. I finally told them to let it be for a while and let me enjoy the time I have left here. With some that worked. Others were bound and determined to make sure it wasn't enjoyable.

Depression: Certain times of the year brought this on. Everything was a "first". The first Old Settler's day without Grandad, the first 4th of July, Emorymas,Thanksgiving, Christmas, ETC. I felt bad mostly because he would be celebrating 105. I realized, however, that he really didn't enjoy his last two Emorymas celebrations as much as his family did. The fact that he was at peace during his 104th was comforting.

Acceptance: There really wasn't anything for me to accept. I had no choice in the matter, after all. I guess when one truly accepts Jesus, everything else comes together after a while. The one thing we all must accept is that sooner or later, we'll be next. Not everyone is given 103 years. Del Fischer only got 62. Was he ready to go? I have no idea. But he went. It's not fair, but it is the way it is.

People grief in different ways. There were times I wanted to be with family and friends. there were also times I wanted to be alone. There were times I wanted both at the same time. It takes time to straighten it out. Some take more than others. I'd like to help others if I could. If only I knew how.

It was on a warm Friday morning a year ago tomorrow that E.E. Hinkle was dispatched from this world and into the next. It is amazing when one considers all of the changes that the year has brought about. Back then it was so dry in Hyde County. Now it's greening up everywhere. People were worried about drought. Now they're worried about flooding. Harold and Mary Hinkle were in a hurry for E.E. to die so they could be shed of Jerry Hinkle. And while they are still in a hurry to be shed of him, but they are a year closer to that goal.

Fact is, we would not have remembered this had it not been for the kinds folks at the Luze Funeral Home sending a card to remind the Hinkle family of their loss, and E.E's gain. It's funny how things work out sometimes. Some things are still working out, but it will all come together. Maybe sooner than later. We imagine that E.E. is strolling through the corn fields of Heaven. He's looking for weeds, and finding none. On guard for raccoons, and none are about. He doesn't even have to fret about bugs and worms. All he has to do is watch it grow. Nice work if you can get it, eh!

Jerry Hinkle, courageous, dynamic Publisher of the Holabird Advocate, got up early Monday morning to the registration session at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. Jerry was one of 36 people who managed to get to the session at 8:30. Each were welcomed into DWU several times that morning by several different people, many of whom were donating their time because they only work during the 9 month school year. The main theme that everyone stressed was "You can do it".

The new students were encouraged to attend classes, which sounds corny but most of the academic problems that students run into are mostly due to poor class attendance. They were also encouraged to take a class on Humor that the University offers. Jerry didn't get in on that one. He also discovered that DWU does not have a course on ethics where the lecture is provided by episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show". The classes he did sign up for are Philosophy of Life, taught by the legendary Professor Marvin Miller, who had better live up to the tremendous hype they give him, and Classics in Christian Thought, taught by Jerry's new best Friend, Campus Pastor, Brandon Vetter. He also signed up for World History, Intro to Public Service, and Intro to Theater. Each of those are taught by someone that Jerry has never heard of. Of course they may not have heard of him either.

Jerry's class schedule gives him plenty of time in the afternoon and weekend to work part time as soon as he finds a job to work at. The Student Success Center has never failed in finding a job for student who want to work . There is also the detail of finding an affordable apartment. Most of the apartments run $200-$300. Of course, there is also the YMCA. Jerry will worry about that in August if need be.

While Jerry was busy getting registered and drooling over all the pretty co-eds, Harold and Mary went to Menards to collect their respective birthday gifts. They each got a new set of cutlery. The sets were not all that fancy, but they were free. One is reminded of the saying "You get what you pay for." They also went to Walmart while they were waiting for the all important phone call from Jerry, telling them he was done with the registration process.

Jerry got a call on his cellphone yesterday, while the Hinkles were on the way to KFC. It was his niece, Brittany Hinkle who was calling from Mary Hinkle's cell phone. She was on her way to bible camp in North Dakota. She was having trouble finding her parents, and needed to talk to someone. As it happens she didn't have much to say. She did get to go for a helicopter ride, which is something that her uncle has no stomach for.

While at KFC, Jerry talked to the Kolda family of Polo, and was glad to here that their processing plant is bigger and better than ever. The Hinkles each had the buffet, but Jerry only went through he line twice. He had a little trouble with a nervous stomach, drinking five cups of coffee didn't help much. Oh well, the doctor did say to lose weight! Mary Hinkle had a little stomach trouble today, which she blamed on the chicken. If Harold Hinkle is suffering, he's doing so in silence, which is not like him at all. He got home in time for "Two and a Half Men", so he really can't complain too much.

Jerry Hinkle Passes Physical
It took a while, but Jerry Hinkle mustered up enough courage to go in for the old poke, prod, and cough routine. Harold and Mary Hinkle went along so they could attend a few rummage sales. The physical wasn't as bad as Jerry thought it would be. The doctor was competent, and did everything by the book. It was very time consuming, however, but it's over now. Everything checked out OK, which may surprise some people. Of course there was the usual jazz: lose weight, lower the blood pressure, do the hokey poky, and turn yourself around. The Hinkles saw Mary Jo Gran on they way out of the clinic. Mary Jo says that she and her husband, Orv Gran, will be in Iowa during Highmore's 125th Anniversary, and so they will have to miss the celebration this year.
The rummage sales were pretty good, despite the rain. Harold picked up a raincoat, which was a rather timely purchase. Mary gave $2 for a box of 44 pairs of socks. They could have picked up a treadmill for $80, but they had no way to get it home. Jerry didn't buy anything, but did help another guy load up the grill that he bought.
They had dinner at Burger King. Mary treated everyone to the special of the day, a double bacon cheeseburger with fries and a drink. Not bad, considering that Jerry wanted to get a Prime Rib Sandwich at Quiznoz.
The home office will be closed on Monday. That's when Jerry goes to DWU so he can register. He has to be there at 8:30 pm, which means getting up at 5 am. There will be 200 or so entering the University this fall from several states and even from as far away as Tanzania. Getting up at 5 am will be worth it.
Tracy Lennick Gets Down To Basics
It wasn't the most direct route, but Tracy Lennick finally made it to Fort Sill for his Basic Training. He will be there for 6 weeks, doing whatever needs to get done. He's not allowed and contact with family during that time. All of us here at the Holabird Advocate are sure he'll do fine. He is part of a military service legacy, from his uncles, Ingvald Haiwick, Kenneth "Butch" Goerhing and Gene Goehring among others. It won't be easy, but then very few things in this life are supposed to be easy.
Pollmaster General Explores Presidency
This list reminds all of us here at the Holabird Advocate of the remark Gary Hart made a couple decades ago about "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs". At any rate, we got a choice to make. With only six months to go before the primaries start, the excitement of the Presidential race has sped up and shifted into low. We did a poll six months ago, but theire are more candidates now. Let's see if anyone has changed their mind!