Friends, cont'd

Walt Lohman
Townline Road
Town of Waukesha

Curmudgeon, lodge aficianado, farmer of 80 acres on which he raises steers, loyal bud. Teller of great stories. Driver of old cars with regular non-Collector license plates. Visitor when I was sick. Promoter of the common good. Husband of very tolerant Shirley.

We had breakfast at Dave's yesterday, an old-time diner that caters to regular folks from every walk, a Waukesha landmark in whose shadow the new ritzy Black Swan Restaurant and THE CLARKE Hotel struggles to rise across the street, a study in societal comparison. If it were an arm-wrestle between that place and Dave's - say, at Dave's baseball-becapped lunch counter - Dave's wins, hands down.

Walt is today in Washington DC, attending a Knights Templar observance in the 'valley of many monuments'. While there, he is planning to pay his respects at the grave of my father in Arlington National Cemetery. Walt only met Dad once but he was a Masonic lodge brother, albeit from different lodges. The bond is strong. Walt was a long-time friend of our Uncle Lee, also a brother Mason. (see http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/kind-mans-boots-to-fill.html)

Walt Lohman is spread over our life like a shiny glaze. He also has met Dee's father from Pleasant Valley, MD, who like Walt also raises steers out of a (smaller) barn. John Means built his from recycled billboards originating from National Advertising, of Waukesha Wisconsin. (http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2008/10/poppys-barn.html) Small world?

Spreading that glaze further, Uncle Lee and John Means both hung billboards for Waukesha's National Advertising though they did not know it - years ago.

Note reasonable prices

Thanks to SRN reader Laura Brien for this

STAND BY ME

http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

His Eminence

The raccoon king holds forth beneath the streets of Waukesha, as has been said. HIs throne room is allegedly beneath the old post office in the historic downtown sector. Review: His crown is made from the tin foil from a golden crunch Hershey Bar. His cloak is fashioned from a velvet drapery sample studded with bits of colored glass and very old cork-lined bottle caps from the Roxo Bottling Co. Unfortunately this darkened view taken with the available light of a torch epergne does not bring out that detail.

Here comes the sun (redux)

HAPPY EASTER

Behind spreading palm fronds the colorful crockery awaits unleashing one more time. UW grad student Erin informs that she will come home for Easter.

Dee, dee-lighted, plans another egg coloring go-round.

The sun sprays rainbows through the sill prisms onto the ceiling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV11acSRk&feature=related

Concision

In these columns we like to feature a picture with a only a few words to go with it.

Here, we have a recent dinner at raccoon headquarters prepared by chef Denise, photographed as an afterthought when there was only one piece of fish left unconsumed on the serving dish, itself an old glass French fish-shaped plate.

Presentation; so important.

The sea-fare is/was a North Atlantic cod fillet, covered with an inventive salsa sauce. It was delicious! Ere it was completely devoured, we quickly (but carefully) grabbed the Les Dix memorial 13.5 mega-pixel Nikon camera and snapped an exposure. We humbly say, this picture is good enough to be found in the Food Section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. And that is a high standard.

Thus, saying all with an illustration, the SRN ends in its drive toward verbal thrift, reticence, and miniaturism in a straitened world.

regeneration

SPRING CHIVES ARE FOR EATING

The green among the gray
And where we cut
The ends want to say
‘We are abbreviated now
But there’ll be more’

Fighting back tears of joy

Raccoon editor receives gift from district resident

Inspired by a recent posting in the Sewer Raccoon News, neighbor Paul Kwiecien, Eagle Scout once and evermore, felt it incumbent to pass along his 1940's official Boy Scout firemaking equipment. The unexpected gift occurred at a downtown restaurant where the editor and Mr. Kwiecien met for an early breakfast today.

The awe-smitten recipient accepted the surprise offering with deep emotion, per above. In the raccoon district, we always depend on the kindness of strangers, but especially on that extended by good friends.

Paul Kwiecien is a financial advisor with Thrivent, married to Rhonda, the best pipe organist in these parts. See http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2007/12/waukesha-sewer-raccoon-news.html He is the father of Hollyann and Mira.