July 29th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
The Yukon Gold potatoes are awesome. Jon Ness represents the St. Joseph Farmers Market and he suggested that I plant the seed potatoes whole. No cutting and letting them heal over before you plant them. Just stick them in the ground. Much better results. Also, I moved the rows to a different spot in the garden. This year there are no brown spots to cut around. I recommend buying the seed potatoes from Woods Farmer Seed & Nursery in Waite Park.
The new `used’ tiller, that I bought from a neighbor, is much easier to run. Even with the bad shoulder, I have been able to stay on top of the weeds. I donated the `man killer’ green monster tiller to Becca and Ryan in Princeton. They have a 10 acre hobby farm. Becca writes a great blog. www.littlearrowsfarm.com
The Outdoor Report TV show tomorrow includes footage from the Camp Confidence Fishing tournament that Walleye Willie, his dad and I were able to participate in at Maddens. We placed third in the `mixed bag’ category. If you miss the show on Fox Sports North at 8:30 Saturday morning, you can catch it on YouTube or at the website, www.theoutdoorreport.com
The APHC show this week is one more fall rebroadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater which first aired in October of 2000. Special guests include Greg Brown and The Nashville Bluegrass Band. Last week’s show was a good one. The News From Lake Wobegon will bring back Pastor Ingvist who encounters Merle Sanderson, one of the Lutheran pastors who was with him during an infamous pontoon boat incident. Enjoy the show.
“If you do not sow, you do not reap; no investment, no dividend. It’s as simple as that.” Alfred Armand Montapert
July 29th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
“We’re having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave.” I don’t remember the name of the singer, but I heard this song a lot when I was young. Last week we were at The Cabin on Amelia. We checked in on Sunday at 4 and checked out on the next Sunday at 11am. My niece and her husband live in Phoenix and they purchased the cabin, which is only 5 miles from Glenwood, so that they would have a place to get away from the 110 degree temps in Arizona. They decided to rent it to others on a weekly basis when they were not using it. The cabin has 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms plus a great room with `state of the art’ entertainment in case it rains. The beach toys include two kayaks, a canoe, a paddle boat and two paddle boards. You can find the details on Facebook.
Episode 4 of The Outdoor Report, which airs tomorrow on Fox Sports North at 8:30am, is “Walleye, walleye walleye”. You can find the first three episodes on YouTube or at www.theoutdoorreport.com
The APHC show this week is another summer rebroadcast which first aired in the fall of 1999. Special guests include New York folksinger Dave Van Ronk, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Bluesman Geoff Muldaur will sing “Drop Down Mama” and “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?” The Royal Academy of Radio Actors will perform “The Story of Bob, a Young Artist.” In the News From Lake Wobegon, Darryl and Marilyn Tollerud reminisce about the early years of their courtship. Enjoy the show.
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that’s the stuff life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin
July 8th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
I managed to injure my shoulder while working in my daughter’s yard last Friday, so I spent the last two hours of the day at St. Cloud Orthopedics. The doctor and the PA were quite sure that I had ruptured my bicep tendon. We have two, so we can get along without the one that goes over the shoulder blade. For that reason, my participation in the 31st Annual Osberg/Hagstrom Golf Tournament was limited to one long putt on the final green to try and get `Team MING’ to even par. I did get it close, but no cigar. Brother-in-law Duaine’s team won for the third year in a row. Maybe they should get the name `MING’.
As for the first episode of The Outdoor Report, it was fabulous. The quote from the man at Fox Sports North was: “It was one of the highest rated shows in the Minneapolis/St. Paul DMA in the outdoor block on Fox Sports North.” Here is the You Tube link if you want to learn about fishing near Duluth. https://youtu.be/jgL8gRkJ-SY
Tomorrows episode will air at 8:30 am. It is “Pike week”. Tune in if you can or catch it on You Tube later in the week or on theoutdoorreport.com
The APHC show this week is the first of the summer rebroadcasts. It will be the 40th Anniversary Celebration at Macalester College in Saint Paul. Special guests include Old Crow Medicine Show, Gillian Welch, Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele, Robin and Linda Williams, The Wailin’ Jennys, Sam Bush and Stuart Duncan, Los Texmaniacs, Iris DeMent, Joe Newberry, Howard Levy and Butch Thompson. In the News From Lake Wobegon, the town’s parents deal with high school and college students who are home for the summer. Enjoy the show.
“The only difference between me and Bill Gates, is that his idea worked and mine didn’t” Recovering Entrepreneur
July 1st, 2016 by Gary Osberg
We have had many days in a row of great weather. The forecast for the long weekend is fabulous. Here in Minnesota we are very lucky to have the occasional cool breezes from the north. I sure hope that you will have a safe and fun Fourth of July weekend.
Tomorrow is a big day in the Osberg family. At 8:30 in the morning the very first episode of “The Outdoor Report” airs on Fox Sports North. My son Erik has been working day and night to launch this new venture. “The Outdoor Report” is a different kind of hunting and fishing show. No famous personality, just “real people made to look real”. This episode will focus on Duluth. You will get to meet some great fishing guides and share in the fun of catching big lakers. The show will air every Saturday morning in July, August and September.
In the afternoon the Osberg and Hagstrom clan will tee off at the Little Falls Country Club. We have been celebrating this family event for almost 30 years. My cousin Kevin and I named our team “Ming” , in the early years we won a lot. Not so much lately. Maybe this will be our year. As the old man sang in “Fiddler on the Roof”, “tradition”.
The final APHC show with Garrison as the host is being performed today at The Hollywood Bowl. It will be broadcast tomorrow as the usual time. The guest line-up is filled with most of Garrison’s favorite female singers. There will be many duets with the host. Enjoy the show. The rest of the summer will be re-broadcasts and on October 15th, Chris Thile will host the first new show.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with the cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
June 30th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
Last Saturday was one of the best days of my life. I was supposed to be at the lagoon at 6:45 for the `Osberg Fishing Team’ photo opportunity, but the front desk didn’t do the wake-up call. My cell phone was in the car charging because I forgot to pack my home phone charger. I woke up at 6:42. I knew that the 33rd annual Nick Adams Memorial Camp Fishing Classic tournament did not kick off until 8am, so I was able to get there in time to join my son and my grandson for the start. Erik took us to the same bay that he went to last year. It was the best day of fishing that I have had in many years. Erik let me use the $300 JT Custom rod and the suspended Rapala. (JT Custom Rod is one of The Outdoor Report TV show sponsors). I caught a 25” northern and a 16” bass. `Walleye Willie’ did not land any walleye, but he did catch a rock bass. The rules allowed for rock bass to be used as a substitute.
Our wise guide decided to go for the “mixed bag” category. We had three bass and we had three northern in the live well, but they were not all big fish. At the weigh-in Willie stuck close to the judges and he announced “We got 6 pounds 14 ounces.” We never dreamt that this would be enough to win, but we placed third. Now we have a new family tradition.
You can help by going to the Camp Confidence web site and send your donation in by mail. Next year, you should sign up to be a participant in the tournament. Who knows, you might get to fish with `Walleye Willie’. Go to campconfidence.com/fishing to get more information.
The APHC show this week is the second to the last show with Garrison as the host. The show is live from the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Special guests include The DiGiallonardo Sisters and Heather Masse. Old friend Rob Fisher will offer his encyclopedic knowledge of American song. The usual cast from the Royal Academy of Radio Actors will join Richard Dworsky and the band. Garrison will bring us up to date on the latest News from Lake Wobegon. You can watch it live at prairiehome.org.
“What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.” H.P. Liddon
June 17th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
Sunday is Father’s Day. In 1998 Dad moved from his high rise apartment in downtown St. Paul to my house in Upsala. He had been a city fellow for most of his life, but he was raised in Upsala. I was working in Minneapolis as a sales manager with a Xerox agency and I was gone most of the week. It wasn’t much of an inconvenience to have him there. His passion was cooking, however I told him in no uncertain terms that I hated the smell of fried foods and I did not eat leftovers.
In July of 1999 the Xerox agency and Xerox parted their ways and they no longer needed a sales manager. I spent the summer painting old buildings and garages in the Upsala area and started working here at MPR in October of that year. If I did not leave a post-it note on the counter in the morning that said “NO SUPPER”, there would be a home cooked meal on the table when I arrived home. The food was awesome. The baked potatoes were done in a special way. He boiled them 10 minutes first and then baked them for one hour at 400 degrees.
As Dad struggled with old age and cancer, sometimes the quality was not up to the usual standards. Also, many times the smell of burnt food or worse, burnt plastic, from the tea pot handle, would greet me at the back door. He burned three tea pots, with plastic handles, in the last six months. It got so that the only time I did not leave out the post-it note, “NO SUPPER”, was on Fridays. On November 18, 2004, I came home and he greeted me with “I have to go to the hospital, but you can eat first” I responded “No way” and I put on the oven mitts and grabbed the baked potatoes and dish of meatballs from the oven and shoved them in the frig and we drove to the VA in Minneapolis.
That was Dad’s “Last supper”, he never did come home. That weekend I ate the leftover meatball supper. It was a very tasty meal.
For my Father’s Day, my son surprised me with a fishing trip to Gull Lake. Erik along with his son `Walleye Willie’ and I are entered in the 33rd annual “Nick Adams Memorial Camp Fishing Classic” for Confidence Learning Center. It may rain, but over the years Erik has gifted me with first class rain gear for Father’s Day. It will be a great day.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. Special guests include Iris DeMent who will sing a few songs from the heartland, by way of Russia, and The Cactus Blossoms travel down from Minneapolis. Missouri native Joe Newberry will bring his banjo and his guitar to join the Royal Academy of Radio Actors and the house band. Garrison will bring us the latest news from the little town that time forgot, and the decades cannot improve. Enjoy the show.
“Enthusiasm is the key not only to the achievement of great things but to the accomplishment of anything that is worthwhile.” Samuel Goldwyn
June 10th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
Fishing was really tough. Too windy. Brother Craig ran into 4 to 5 foot waves on Monday. Erik and Walleye Willie arrived on Sunday and we did get out into the bay close to Brindley’s Resort. Willie landed two northern pike, but no walleye. He also caught three northern off the dock. Between seven of us in three boats we did manage to bring in enough fish for the Monday evening fish fry. The food sponsors for my son’s TV show, The Outdoor Report, are Smude’s Sunflower Oil (smudeoil.com) and Chef Robert’s breading mix (chefrobertsfoods.com). Erik brought the deep fryer and we had a feast. He used the Lemon Pepper mix. Try it you will love it.
After supper it was time to decide who would get the “Big Walleye Award”. Brother Brian said that he had caught a 15” walleye. No one else did any better. I told them that Willie had caught a 25” northern, so we all agreed to make it the “Big Pike Award”. Willie was so happy. Now, I am the only Osberg that does not have his name on the plaque.
The APHC show this week is a live show from the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, home of some of the most well-crafted picnic spreads you will ever see. Future host Chris Thile will join Garrison with a few mandolin licks sure to amaze and astound. Pianist Jeremy Denk comes in for a program of artful classical pieces and singer Heather Masse is back for ballads, bluegrass and duets. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors team up with band leader Richard Dworsky to fill out the bill. Garrison will bring us up to date on the gardens of Lake Wobegon. Enjoy the show.
“Glory lies in the attempt to reach one’s goal and not in reaching it.” Mahatma Gandhi
June 3rd, 2016 by Gary Osberg
I have never been much of a fisherman. When I was young, Dad was not around and besides, I was too busy as a juvenile delinquent getting into trouble in Upsala to care about fishing. Then in 1973 we bought an old farm house on Cedar Lake west of Upsala and the next spring, I purchased a rod and reel. I still have that same rod and reel. The warehouse manager at General Office Products, Earl Benson, instructed me on the art of bass fishing. Erik was only 2 years old when we started fishing out of brother-in-law Jackie’s boat. We mastered the art.
Every June the five Osberg brothers, plus Erik and my grandson “Walleye Willie” go fishing on Leech Lake. There is a traveling trophy for the largest walleye. Needless to say, my name has never been on the trophy. But one year, Erik and I returned to Cedar Lake and I landed a 17 inch bass in front of the place that we used to own. I was going to have a ‘bass trophy’ made with my name on it and I planned on bringing it to Leech the next year, but alas, on Labor Day, 2014, my then 10 year old granddaughter Anna, caught a 19 inch bass on another Cedar Lake near Aitkin. We will be at Brindley’s Resort this weekend and maybe this year I will get the big one.
The APHC show this week is live from the air-conditioned Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia . Special guests include Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder with bluegrass melodies and lightning-fast picking.
Christine DiGiallonardo will sing a few songs with the aging host. Garrison will bring us up to date on the News from Lake Wobegon. Enjoy the show.
“What every child wants to know is: ‘Do your eyes light up when I enter the room? Did you hear me and did what I say mean anything to you?’ That’s what they are looking for. That is what everybody is looking for” Toni Morrison
May 27th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
Monday we will celebrate Memorial Day. This national holiday honors the men and women who have died in military service to this country. The first “Decoration Day” was celebrated in 1865 by liberated slaves at the historic race track in Charleston, West Virginia. Another Decoration Day was celebrated in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866 to honor those who had died in the Civil War. The name “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882, but did not become common until after World War 2. (source: Wikipedia)
When I was a youngster in Upsala, we always had a Memorial Day service in the school gym, followed by a parade down Main Street. Sometime after I graduated in 1961, the practice died out. Then in the 80’s, Lorna Koehn, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary brought back the Memorial Day Celebration in Upsala. I can still picture her marching in front of a group of children, each holding a bunch of lilac flowers. The parade ends at the City Park, where the children still wait in anticipation for the chance to collect the spent brass shells after the 21 gun salute. They make good whistles. After that, one of the civic clubs serves a picnic lunch including “Bee Bop A Ree Bop Rhubarb Pie”. Be sure to take the time to honor those that you know who have served. If you meet a service member, simply put our your hand and say “Thank you for serving”. They deserve our respect.
You can help to raise funds for the Veterans Educational Historic Monument art project by going to vetsart.org The Army, Navy and Coast Guard paintings are hanging in the Committal Hall of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls. Funds are needed to complete the Marine Corp and the Air Force paintings. The Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery Memorial Day service will be Sunday at 1:30PM.
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from the Filene Center at the Wolf Trap National Park in Vienna, Virginia. The future host of APHC, Chris Thile, will join the gang as a guest, with his mandolin and a bag of sharp songs. Other guests include Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, a jazz band from New York City, and Heather Masse from northern New York state will sing songs that will start your Memorial Day weekend off with a bang. The Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman will entertain with a variety show extraordinaire. Garrison will bring us up to date on the News from Lake Wobegon. Enjoy the show.
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” Harry S. Truman
May 20th, 2016 by Gary Osberg
“Walleye Willie” turned 7 years old in March. Willie is passionate about fishing. He even sleeps with a “fish pillow”. Every year he makes a list of 10 fish that he wants to catch. Last year it was well into October when he and his dad landed a 46” Muskie, the last one on the 2015 list. Already this year he has caught five of the ten fish on his bucket list, including a Sturgeon that he landed on March 28th.
His dad, my son Erik, is launching a brand new hunting and fishing show which will be family oriented. “The Outdoor Report” will be televised on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin for 13 weeks starting on July 2nd at 8:30 am. “Walleye Willie” will certainly get some air time.
One of the sponsors of the show is Power Lodge out of Brainerd. For that reason Erik will get the use of a brand new aluminum Ranger boat with a 135 horse Evinrude. Our 2014 Lund Model Z16FX with a 50 horse Mercury 4 stroke is up for sale. If you are interested, I can send you a video that we made when we launched the boat on Cedar Lake. We christened the boat the “Walleye Willie”.
Next Monday the 23rd , at 10 am, Ron Bowen, the founder of Prairie Restorations, will be on MPR News with Kerri Miller and Dr. Karen Oberhauser, from the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology. The topic will the plight of the Monarch Butterfly and how you can help to create habitat even in your own backyard. Be sure to tune in to KNSR 88.9 at 10 on Monday. www.prairieresto.com
The APHC show this week is a live broadcast from The State Theater in downtown Minneapolis. Special guests will include fiddler Sara Watkins and sisters Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele. Bob Douglas will play spoons and Philip Brunelle will stop by with a select quartet from the VocalEssence. Hilary Thavis will sing some duets with the host. Sue Scott will be back with the Royal Academy of Radio Actors and Rich Dworsky will be at the helm of the house band. Enjoy the show and enjoy the beautiful summer weather.
“It’s not about having time, it’s about making time.” Erik Osberg www.theoutdoorreport.com
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