I’m writing this column the week before I leave for a short visit to Minnesota. It will be published the week after I return to Florida. As I write this column I already wish I had more time for visiting during the return to the state I grew up in. You can’t spend over 50 years of your life somewhere and not have a lot of people you’d like to see. To those I didn’t get to visit please know I would have loved to spend time with all of you, but like always, time flies by way too fast – maybe next time.
Three years ago I was asked what I would miss when I left my home state. Naturally, family and friends were at the top of that list. Things I would add to the list have been growing in numbers. I’ve already mentioned missing pizza from Marnanteli’s and Jimmy’s and would like to add Casey’s in Richmond to the missed pizza list.
I also miss catching and eating fish. Walleye is very hard to find in Florida. Yes, there are many more varieties of fish here, but when you grow up catching and eating walleye it’s nearly impossible to replace it.
I miss seeing plays performed by ROCORI High School students and the Great Northern Theatre Company – those memories will never be replaced.
I miss the great golf courses you have right there near Cold Spring and Richmond. Rich-Spring Golf Club and River Oaks Golf Course are in better condition than 95% of the courses I play here in Florida.
I miss riding my Harley on the country roads of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The countryside hills and trees and lack of traffic can’t be replaced anywhere near where I now call home. I almost hate to admit that I have nearly double the miles on my golf cart than on my motorcycle.
I’ve made some great friends here in Florida, but none will ever replace those people I call friends in Minnesota.
What don’t I miss? Cold. In three years in Florida, there have been only a handful of days below freezing. The coldest being 24 degrees. Mosquitos. I’ve only seen one in the past three years.
I’m convinced the list of things I miss from Minnesota will continue to grow.
I know I would miss writing this weekly column for the newspaper I love so much, so I thank Dan and Missy for allowing me to write for them. I also thank all the readers who continue to let me know they still enjoy reading my small corner in the Cold Spring Record.
God willing, I will continue for many years.
Have A Good Week!
