As I hinted in last week’s forecast, September intends to begin on a wet footing. Damp and rainy conditions will continue through the coming days before the village receives a brief reprieve on Tuesday. By Wednesday, darkening skies will return with another soaking rain, likely bringing close to an inch across the county. By the time I return from the Minnesota State Fair, Grand Marais may already have received nearly its usual monthly rainfall for September within the first eight days.
While the North Shore remains damp, Miss Fjell and I appear likely to fare somewhat better at the fairgrounds, where I expect no more than a trace of rain during our visit. The roads south will undoubtedly be wet and muddy. Miss Fjell assures me her automobile is equal to the journey, and I have been informed that success in forecasting weather does not qualify a man to offer opinions regarding engines, tires, or traction. I have therefore agreed to restrict myself to the sky.
During my absence, Mr. Nels Erickson will take the controls at WGMW. His knowledge of the equipment and his assistance in constructing the station should keep the noon weather broadcasts on the air while I am away. I have left instructions sufficient, I believe, to operate either a radio station or a small government department.
For those remaining in Grand Marais, the rain need not spoil the weekend. The Canadian National Orchestra will provide music for dances at The Wigwam on Saturday and Monday evenings. On Friday, the library will hold its second tea, where Dr. Tsiang will speak on “The Chinese Contribution to Science.” Dr. Tsiang is doing medical graduate work at the University of Minnesota. I am told his talk may touch upon such Chinese contributions as the magnetic compass, printing, gunpowder, silk, and porcelain. I regret that I shall miss it.
School days are also approaching. The school board has approved five cords of softwood and ten cords of hardwood for each school to see them through the coming cold season. Improvements have also been ordered for the North School and the Lester Smith School at Mineral Center. September, it seems, has a way of reminding us to prepare for winter even before summer has properly departed.
As I pack my suitcase for the journey south, I am reminded of Francis Bacon, who advised that “Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.” At forty-nine, I suppose Mr. Bacon would place this journey firmly in the latter category. Miss Fjell may disagree. She has already disagreed with my proposal to bring my grandfather’s moose antlers. According to her, one suitcase should be sufficient for four days in St. Paul. We shall see which of us proves the better forecaster.
Editor's Note: The photo is of Miss Glady Roy walking on the wings of her plane from a state fair advertisement. The Minnesota state fair was the largest state fair in the country and claimed to be the largest in the world.