A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke I sometimes don’t know how our fore-mothers (and fathers) managed to raise kids without cell phones. It makes me glad I’m living in the digital age. It is so easy to pester your kids when all you have to do is send them a text. “Hey – dinner’s at 6.” Or “Don’t forget to put gas in the car.” Or these days exchanging funny memes that appeal to their weird senses of humor. (I don’t know where they got their sense of humor. Must be from their dad.) Or whatever random thing comes to mind, any time of the day or night. I like it.  What I’ve come to realize that I don’t like so much about the digital age, as more and more people switch from land lines to cell phones, is that it’s really much harder to get hold of people. There is no phone book for cell phones and I kind of wish there was. I make a lot of phone calls to all sorts of people. Businesses have their phone numbers listed on websites or even in the little phone books we get in the mail. Thankfully the Valley is small enough that I usually know someone who knows someone who knows the number or email for the person I want to reach.  Then, too, cell phones can be a  dangerous distraction. I don’t, and can’t, send text messages when I’m driving. For one thing, the type it too small and I can’t see the words on the phone without taking my glasses off. But I can’t see the road with my glasses off. So I don’t text and drive. I tend not to make calls or accept calls when I’m driving because sometimes I need a break. All of which is to say that cell phones and cars don’t mix so be careful out there. The Sauk County fair was held this past week. It’s a great showcase and county fairs are a hands-down blast to attend. Daughter Gwen was involved in 4-H for years and I kind of miss traipsing after her. And never let it be said that 4-H skills don’t have real life uses. Gwen learned how to use hair clippers when she was getting cows for show and she began cutting her dad’s hair when the pandemic began. Hair is hair, I guess. She’s been trimming my bangs, too, but I finally found time and the courage to go out into the world to get my hair cut. Brooke Hogan at the Style Station has been cutting my hair for years and it was great to reconnect. I have to admit it’s still hard and weird to do all the people things again, though. Many friends I’ve talked to agree but returning to normal is slowly getting easier.  Scout the Wonder Dog found a dead baby bunny in the yard not long ago. One night she would not come in no matter how much we called. She was nosing around the sidewalk between the patio and a flower bed and refused to listen. Daughter Gwen eventually had to go out to get her in and discovered that Scout had found a dead bunny. It was late so Gwen told her dad and he went out, once the sun was up, to take care of it. Scout, following Jim out, stayed in the yard nosing around and again refused to come when called. I thought maybe the lingering scent of the baby bunny was too enticing for her to want to come in. Walking out to see what was going on, I found another dead bunny. And then a whole nest of them in a perennial bed under a clump of clover. It was so sad. I’m not a huge fan of rabbits in my yard but baby bunnies are so beguiling it’s hard not to be charmed by them. It broke my heart probably more than it would normally because I’m having a hard time keeping my mind off the river and Parker Kruse’s family.  Stay in touch. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays.