Members of The Wonders Unicycle Club, in themed t-shirts, compete in the freestyle group competition at Unicon 21.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
WHILE THE SUMMER 2024 OLYMPICS are now well underway, I’m still focused on another Olympics of sorts held in northern Minnesota. Unicon 21, a convention and competition for unicyclists from around the world, recently wrapped up in Bemidji. I spent one day watching competitive events with my husband and our son, who flew in from Boston to attend. Caleb unicycles as a leisure sport, not competitively.
From Germany, The Black Pearl Group circles during their routine. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I’ve already recapped Unicon 21 and showcased competitive basketball, relay races and freestyle group performances. But I have more to show you. Today I take you back to the freestyle group competition at Bemidji State University. This was, by far, my favorite organized unicycle competition. This seemed more performance art than sport, although it certainly is an athletic contest. As a creative, I lean into art more than sports.
Another team from Germany, the TSV Dudenhof Group, performs. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
A pause in the performance, and even that takes skill to balance in place. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Now this takes skill, guts and daring. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I didn’t see every performance. My schedule didn’t allow me to stay until the 10 pm end time. But I watched seven groups perform—two from Japan (previously featured here), one from the U.S. and the others from Germany.
The Dragon Age Group from Germany performs. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
The skill, talent, precision and more required to perform choreographed routines is impressive.
A helping hand at the start of The Wonders Unicycle Club performance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Themed t-shirts worn by The Wonders unicyclists. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Success for the littlest Wonder. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
“THIS IS HOW WE ROLL,” printed onto tees worn by four unicyclists from The Wonders Unicycle Club, succinctly summarizes unicycling. This U.S. team won the hearts of the crowd not so much via a high level of performance skills, but rather with a cuteness factor. To watch a young girl wheel her way around the gym floor with two adults (presumably her parents) while helpful little brother assisted and then waited court-side, left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
The Dragon Age Group circles during their routine. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
But everything about the freestyle group show left me feeling just plain happy. These were athletes, performers, entertainers who wowed the crowd, who absolutely deserved to be on a world stage showing off their athletic and performance skills.
Another German team, The SV Boostedt SG Group performs. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
There’s probably a technical name for this, but I call it “the wheelbarrow.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I can’t tell you who won the freestyle competition because I don’t know and, frankly, I don’t care all that much. These young people are all winners in my book. They chose a sport that few have mastered, that sets them apart, that requires patience, persistence, practice and a genuine devotion to the act of unicycling.
It’s all about the wheel, one wheel. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
There’s something to be said for someone who steps outside the norm (riding on one wheel rather than two) and embraces something that would challenge most of us. I recall my son relentlessly attempting to get on his first unicycle as a grade schooler, He would place one hand on a work bench in the garage and then try to get onto the unicycle seat. Eventually he could stay on the seat, then pedal forward out of the garage. Soon he was circling the driveway and riding along city bike trails with ease and speed that, admittedly, scared me. Yes, he fell off, breaking a finger once when his outstretched hand hit the side of the van parked in the driveway. And, yes, even the international performers fell occasionally.
A seemingly impossible feat with two team members of The Dragon Age Group balancing on one unicycle. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
But none of these competitors fell short of creating a fun evening for those of us watching from the bleachers at Bemidji State. They entertained and wowed us, one wheel at a time.
The Kletscher Family Coat of Arms of Posen-West Prussia. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
REUNITING. RECONNECTING. REMEMBERING. Those words define reunions, whether among family or friends. Summer marks prime reunion time in Minnesota, including for me, especially this year.
I’m flanked by cousins, Joyce, left, and LeAnn. We were born within months of each other and grew up spending lots of time together at family gatherings. (Photo credit: Kirt Kletscher)
From Pine River in northern Minnesota to Vesta on the southwestern Minnesota prairie to the Twin Cities and elsewhere, I’ve reconnected with people who are important to me, with whom I share roots and/or connections. And it’s been a joy because the older I grow, the more I realize that time is not a given and we need to gather and appreciate one another. With hugs, love and care.
Myparents’ tombstone in the Vesta City Cemetery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo September 2022)
My most recent reunion happened July 28, when Randy and I traveled 2.5 hours west to my hometown of Vesta in Redwood County for the Kletscher Family Reunion, held annually on the last Sunday in July. First we stopped at the cemetery to visit the gravesites of my parents, grandparents and other family members. I wiped away tears before we followed the gravel road into town, to the reunion site, the former Vesta Elementary School, now turned city hall and community center.
Vesta Elementary School in the 1960s.
The old school gym, site of the family reunion. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo September 2022)
The school today, as a city hall and community center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo September 2022)
To walk back into the building where I spent my first six grades learning to read, write, spell, do math and more felt comforting and disconcerting, like stepping back into a school that no longer looks the same, but still holds the same memories. Clapping erasers outside on the east brick wall. Listening to Mrs. Kotval read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books after lunch. Scrawling letters in a penmanship book. Weaving a rug from rags. Building snowforts. Jumping rope on the front sidewalk. Performing on the stage. So many memories in this space.
A summary of a 30-page family tree/scroll. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
And on Sunday, that space also held some 60-70 descendants of Henry and Ida Kletscher, parents of twelve, two dead in infancy and only three surviving today. The family tree, printed on 30 pieces of paper, stretched across several tables. I am one of 39 grandchildren, my children among 114 great grandchildren of Henry and Ida in a line that today also includes 114 great great grandchildren and one great great great grandchild. We are a large and prolific bunch that continues to grow. That we still gather annually is a testament to the strength of family bonds. I grew up near my paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, spending lots of time together.
Everyone brings food for the potluck. There’s always blueberry dessert. The spread covers several tables. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2013)
But my generation and those thereafter have scattered well outside Redwood County. Family arrived from Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and all parts of Minnesota from Blaine to Delano to Alexandria to Owatonna, Faribault, Waseca, and many other communities near and far. Those from even more distant locations like the East Coast did not attend.
As at all reunions, I intentionally circulated, attempting to converse with everyone at some point. This gathering, conversations were not so much about the past as about the present. We talked kids, grandkids, retirement (or not), health challenges, home improvement projects… There was a lot of phone scrolling, too, to show photos of grandchildren.
Aunt Iylene tatted these flags celebrating our German heritage and the Kletscher family’s new home in America. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I cooed over new baby Wren; met Aubrey from West Fargo, going into first grade and whose name was easy for me to remember (and mine for her); saw photos of a wedding dress under construction by bride-to-be Sarah; encouraged Andy, who is in a drug trial study at Mayo Clinic for his debilitating heart condition; listened to Lynn’s recitation of a humorous poem her teacher didn’t appreciate back in the day; admired Aunt Iylene’s tatting projects (which she gave away on Sunday and which honor Grandma Ida, who also tatted); listened to stories of heartaches and challenges and life.
A highlight of the reunion was watching and listening to Kirt play Ardyce’s accordion. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
And then there was the impromptu concert by my cousin Kirt, who plays accordion. He brought his and was also gifted, at the reunion, with Aunt Ardyce’s 73-year-old accordion, a gift to her from her parents when she was only thirteen. She took lessons briefly as did two of her children. But the instrument has mostly sat in its case for seven decades…until Kirt picked it up and commenced to play, but only to a select few of us in the entry hallway. To watch my 86-year-old aunt, seated next to her nephew, listening intently to “her” accordion brought me such joy. I couldn’t help but think how happy this moment would have made my grandparents.
A plaque honors my grandpa and others who were instrumental in construction of Vesta Elementary School. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
We were here, in this place, because of Henry and Ida. Henry served as clerk of Independent School District #639 when the Vesta School was built in 1958. To think that, 66 years later, Grandpa’s descendants would gather here to celebrate family felt incredibly right. Two hours after we ate a potluck lunch (which always includes blueberry dessert), we honored Henry and Ida with 1919 root beer floats. My grandparents were married in November 1919.
Here we were in 2024, a family still going strong—reuniting, reconnecting, remembering and honoring the legacy of Henry and Ida Kletscher. Henry, the 25-year-old farmer, who married Ida just days before her eighteenth birthday 105 years ago.
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FYI:In addition to the Kletscher Family Reunion, I’ve reconnected in July with Sue, a blogging friend; aunts from New Jersey and Missouri and family from Minneapolis; my son from Boston; and met three of Randy’s cousins originally from North Dakota. There are more gatherings to come with a Helbling Family Reunion in two weeks and 50-year class reunions for Randy and me in September.
Riding and performing for UniCircle Flow from Japan on July 18 at Unicon 21. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
THEY ARE TRUE ATHLETES in every sense of the word. But they are also performance artists. Recently they traveled from around the world to compete in the Freestyle Group Small category at Unicon 21 in Bemidji. That’s an international competition and championship for unicyclists.
Teams from Germany and Japan practice before the group competition begins. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I watched the athletes practice before performances began in the Bemidji State University gym on July 18. I saw seven teams perform their choreographed routines before I headed back to a cabin near Crosslake and then home the next morning. I wish I could have stayed longer, because these athletes put on quite a show.
The UniCircle Flow team wheeled like figure skaters. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Combining gymnastics, acrobatics and dance, these unicycle athletes had the crowd roaring, applauding, stomping. I was in awe of what they could do while maintaining their balance on one wheel.
The Tokyo Boys begin their routine. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
The unicyclist on the right really played to the audience. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
The Toyko Boys’ act even included acrobatics/gymnastics. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
The Tokyo Boys from Japan worked the crowd. They were about showmanship as much as performance in their black pants, white shirts, red jackets and bow ties. Popular boy band comparisons popped into my mind. The audience loved them. So did I.
Spinning on unicycles, the UniCircle Flow team. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
UniCircle Flow spinning, a performance matching their name. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Likewise, UniCircle Flow, also from Japan, was a personal favorite. The three female athletes in gauzy white dresses edged in blue twirled across the gym floor like ballerinas or figure skaters. It was easy to forget they were actually dancing on unicycles rather than on their feet. Their performance flowed with ease and grace, not what I would ever expect while unicycling.
The Black Pearl Group from Germany shows off their unicycling acrobatics in group competition. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I also watched several teams from Germany and a family of three from The Wonders Unicycle Club participate in the Freestyle group competition.
UniCircle Flow circles the gym together. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
UniCircle Flow leans on each other during their routine. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Every single unicyclist, every team, impressed me. To see this level of skill, this talent right here in Minnesota was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am grateful my unicycling son flew in from Boston to attend Unicon 21 and that his dad and I had to pick him up from Bemidji.
UniCircle Flow strikes a graceful pose during their performance. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
And to think the road to this international unicycling competition started many years ago when we gifted our then grade school son with a unicycle for Christmas. Oh, the choices we make…and where they lead.
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NOTE: Check back for more photos of the Freestyle Small Group competition and more as I continue my coverage of Unicon 21, held July 14-26 in northern Minnesota.
A Swish player shoots a basket in a July 18 game against a French team. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
SWISH, AND HE SCORES. Or Swish, they score.
The scene from the balcony. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I love the Swish uniform graphic with a basketball and unicycle overlapping. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Things were pretty informal with folding chairs serving as team benches. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Swish, a team from California, earned the bronze medal in unicycling basketball competition this week at Unicon 21, the international unicycling convention held in Bemidji July 14-26. I saw them play early on against a French team in the high school gym. They lost that match in a close game.
More basketball action… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Watching from above. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Aiming for the basket for the French team after being fouled. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Although winning was the goal, it’s clear these basketball players are dedicated to a sport they love playing. I can’t imagine that hopping onto a unicycle, then dribbling and passing a ball, guarding and shooting baskets is easy. You gotta love the challenge this version of basketball presents.
Fans sat on folding chairs or on the gym floor, up close to the game. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
As the toddler daughter of one Swish player napped in her stroller, the game progressed. Nothing awakened Rosie, not even errant basketballs bouncing toward her and deflected by Grandpa, in Minnesota from Mississippi for the competition.
Most players simply threw their unicycles down when not riding them. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Posted on the entry door to the school. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Playing hard, the California team vs the French. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I watched the game, watched Rosie, got up and walked around looking for photo ops. Basketball, actually sports in general, don’t hold my interest for long, even an international competition. Plus, and I hesitate to write this, but the gym smelled of sweaty locker room. I stepped out occasionally simply to breathe fresher air in the air conditioned hallways.
A unicycle lies atop Paul Bunyan’s axe blade on the gym floor. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
On the exterior of Bemidji High School, Paul Bunyan’s axe. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
While wandering, I noted the Paul Bunyan legendary influence. On the gym floor, a unicycle lay on the blade of Paul’s over-sized axe. It’s only fitting that the school mascot is the Lumberjacks given Paul is a lumberjack.
Unicon 21 attendees got Paul Bunyan-themed tote bags. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
His likeness, and that of his sweetheart, Lucette, and Babe the Blue Ox, adorned red buffalo plaid Unicon 21 swag bags scattered across the gym floor. The stuff of folklore, Paul and Babe are a major marketing brand in northern Minnesota. Statues of the pair stand along Lake Bemidji, for example, and are widely used in branding throughout the region from Brainerd northward.
The game ends. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I wonder what the Californians thought of the whole Paul Bunyan lore, or if they even noticed. Swish was in Minnesota, after all, to play basketball. While Rosie napped and I wandered in and out of the gym, they wheeled across the gym floor, focused on scoring, on winning the game.
Competing for Japan, one team member has just passed off the baton. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
THEY PROPELLED down the track, leaning into the forward thrust of their unicycles as they pedaled toward teammates, then sped to the finish line in an international unicycling relay race. I was there, trackside on July 18, photographing teams from around the world at Unicon 21 in Bemidji.
Relay race competitors between races. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Admittedly, I am not a sports fan (or sports photographer) and can’t recall ever seeing a relay race in person. But this, this was decidedly different due to the unicycles and due to the international level of competition at The Unicycling World Competition and Championships. This interested me.
Nearing the finish line with batons in hand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Running a race on your feet takes talent and skill. But try racing on one wheel, and the bar rises. That’s my opinion anyway. I thought of the balance required to ride quickly and then connect with a teammate to hand off a baton. I thought, too, of the pressure to succeed, to not let your team down.
Riding for Japan. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Yet, the mood at the Unicon relay race at Bemidji High School didn’t feel oppressively competitive to me, an observer. Rather, it felt fun, connective. Perhaps the riders and their coaches thought differently.
This particularly colorful unicycle grabbed my attention. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I love the graphics on this German uniform with a unicycle incorporated into the shape of Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Unicycles galore dropped by the bleachers after the races. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I watched the races as much as I watched people watching them. I am a quiet observer, taking in overall scenes and details. My eyes focused on a multi-colored unicycle, t-shirt graphics, unicycles dropped in a pile by the bleachers…
German teammates between races. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
They came from around the world (here Germany and Japan) to support their teams. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Volunteers were integral to the success of the international unicycling convention. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Each detail is like a sentence written in to a paragraph written in to a story. Trackside conversations, including one I had in German with a man from Germany, and overheard in the stands added a personal international connection. To witness athletes from around the world come together in small town northern Minnesota was gratifying. I expect anyone participating or attending the Summer Olympics in Paris will experience that same feeling of unity, even in the competitiveness of the events.
German teammates circle the track before a race. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
The Bemidji High School Lumberjacks (“Jacks” for short) hosted the track and field events on their athletic field. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
A Paul Bunyan-themed food truck serves food in the high school parking lot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Under a partly cloudy blue sky on a perfect July day in northern Minnesota, the world grew closer, while mine grew wider. Athletes wheeled around the BHS track, racing to win. In reality, they’d already won. They were here, together in Minnesota, connecting with other unicyclists, embracing a sport they love.
Randy and I pose in front of a Unicon 21 banner at Bemidji High School. (Photo credit: C. Helbling)
THEY ARRIVED from around the world, some 1,200 strong, to attend the Unicycling World Competition and Championships July 14-26 in Bemidji. Everything aligned for me to be there on July 18. Not many Minnesotans can say they’ve attended an international unicycling convention. But I can, and the unicyclists impressed, entertained and inspired me.
Unicycles were everywhere, including on the basketball court at Bemidji High School. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
The US last hosted Unicon in 2002 in Washington state. And 30 years ago, Minneapolis hosted Unicon 7. Held every two years, the prior international gathering was in France in 2022.
Paul Bunyan, his sweetheart, Lucette, and Babe the Blue Ox graphics on the back of a Unicon t-shirt. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
My road to Unicon 21 in Bemidji started when my son, who lives and works in Boston, and, yes, rides a unicycle, decided to attend the convention. Not as a competitive athlete, but as someone who likes unicycling and wanted to connect with, and learn from, other unicyclists. Randy and I happened to be vacationing only 1.5 hours from Bemidji, so the timing was perfect to head farther north into Paul Bunyan land.
A graceful freestyle performance by Japanese unicyclists reminded me of ballet. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
On the Thursday we were in Bemidji, we watched relay races, basketball, an obstacle course competition and freestyle performances along with touring the pop-up unicycle museum and watching people try their skills on a wide range of unicycles.
Skilled unicyclist Indiana (who is from Michigan) unicycles outside the Sanford Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
It takes balance, skill, patience, determination and a certain amount of fearlessness to ride a unicycle. At least that’s my assessment after observing both competitive athletes and ordinary unicyclists like my son. He started riding in grade school, performing once at a local church talent show—simultaneously unicycling and yo-yoing. I thought that took skill, and it does, but the skill level of the athletes in Bemidji was beyond impressive.
A team from California plays basketball with a team from France. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Imagine dribbling and passing a basketball, then shooting a basket all while balancing and rolling and turning on a unicycle. I saw all of that as a team from California played a team from France in the Bemidji High School gym.
Pedaling with a baton in hand during the relay race. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Outside, unicyclists pedaled around the high school track as they raced to connect with their team members to pass a baton. It was there that I used the German I learned more than 50 years ago. Although a bit rusty, I was able to welcome a man from Germany and exchange a few other words with him. He clued me in that a young boy from Japan was a speed demon, the athlete to watch. He was right.
The Unicycling Unicorn’s 44-foot tall unicycle. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
Then it was over to the Sanford Center across town to visit the Unicycle Museum. Unicycles of all ages, sizes and styles ringed the conference room along with unicycle t-shirts, merch and more. Among the unicycles was a 44-foot long custom-made unicycle stretched across the floor. Jamey Mossengren, known as The Unicycling Unicorn, rode the tower-like structure at Unicon 21 in an attempt to break the World Record for Tallest Rideable Unicycle. He failed during his public performance, but achieved his goal during practice, pedaling seven revolutions while in control. I didn’t see his attempt. My son did. As a side note, Mossengren travels around the world performing his unicorn unicycle themed comedy and circus show. He appeared at this year’s Bullhead Days in Waterville.
Riding this unicycle requires two riders who weigh about the same. A weighted backpack on the front rider’s chest makes attempting to ride this unicycle possible. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
The Unicycle Museum was about much more than looking, reading, learning. It was also participatory, with most unicycles available for temporary check-out. Outside the Sanford Center, individuals of all ages and skill levels tried out an assortment of unicycles. Me? I passed.
This unicyclist navigated planks, pallets and steps before jumping onto a plank atop a tire. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
For a while, we watched solitary unicyclists ride across narrow planks onto stacked pallets, jump steps and leap onto a single plank inside the Sanford Center. Short on time, we headed to the Bemidji State campus for supper in the cafeteria before the evening freestyle performances.
Acrobatics, dancing, gymnastics…all were part of the freestyle performances. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
This was my favorite event with costumed unicyclists performing together. They twirled, leapt, moved like gymnasts, acrobats, dancers and ballerinas in time to music. It was beautiful. Mesmerizing.
The crowd does the wave in between performances at the freestyle competition. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
In that university gymnasium, filled with people from around the world, I felt an overwhelming sense of unity. The crowd encouraged performers with whistles, shouts, applause and foot-stomping. Flags waved. Smiles abounded. I felt a spirit of positivity, the sense of joy that prevails when we realize that we are all just people enjoying an event together. Our differences mattered not in that moment, in that place, among some of the world’s best unicyclists. To be part of that experience at Unicon 21 proved particularly uplifting and inspiring. And that it all happened right here in Minnesota felt, oh, so incredibly good.
NOTE: Check back for more photos from the international unicycling convention in Bemidji.
A ladder leads to these tree gnomes along a trail. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
CALL IT A TREASURE HUNT or a scavenger hunt, whatever the word choice, both equate a search for something hidden. Count me in.
While vacationing last week in Crow Wing County’s Chain of Lakes area, I happened upon gnomes at Mission Park north of Merrifield. The gnomes are a recent addition to this township park, which Randy and I walk whenever we stay at a family member’s nearby lake cabin.
I remember my sister-in-law mentioning last summer that gnomes were moving into the park. But I’d forgotten until I read a sign posted at the park entry. I felt giddy with the possibilities of spotting these mythical creatures. The dwarfs are the subject of folklore. And of good luck.
Signs like this in Mission Park identify trails and notify visitors of gnomes. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
The sign warned: Leave the gnomes be, or bad luck will follow thee. No problem there. I’d adhere to the rules rather than climb a tree to take them and risk falling in the process.
Gnomes on a teeter totter by the playground. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
I spotted my first gnome in a tree next to the playground. Then we hit the Tar Trail. And, yes, it’s appropriately named given the path is the only paved one in the park.
Gnomes at home in the woods. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
We walked at a fast pace. Any pause in movement brought Minnesota’s state bird, aka the mosquito, in to full attack mode. Still, several were successful in biting me. I stopped only to snap quick photos of several gnomes with my cellphone. There would be no lingering with my 35 mm camera, zooming in with my telephoto lens, during this visit. Nope. Gnomes may intrigue and delight me, but not enough to feed myself to the mosquitoes.
The bonus tree face. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2024)
And so Randy and I hurried along the 3/4-mile loop, me swatting away bugs while trying to spot tree gnomes in the midst of the woods. I found only three tree gnome sites, plus a bonus face on a pine. But it was enough to satisfy me. I’ll resume my gnome search upon a return here in the fall, when the weather cools and mosquitoes are perhaps less prevalent.
Whimsical gnomes are a fun addition to a park that offers pickleball, tennis and basketball courts, disc golf, horseshoes, a playground, picnic shelter, ball fields, pollinator garden and more for locals and vacationers. I love walking here, where trees stretch tall, where the wind roars like waterfalls through treetops, where, now, gnomes have settled comfortably into the woods.
A garden graces a side entry to The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
AMONG THE FLOWERS, trees and shrubbery fronting a side entry to the space that connects church to guild house, three red benches nestle. Bold. Vibrant. Statement pieces in a garden at The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour.
Construction on the original part of the Cathedral began in 1862 and was completed in 1869. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
But those benches outside the massive limestone church towering above the landscape along Second Avenue across from Central Park in Faribault serve as more than a place to rest. They are a place for prayers.
Prayer ribbon instructions posted on a bench. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
Ribbons, representing prayers, are tied to the slatted benches. A sign explains: PRAYER CHANGES THINGS. All are welcome. Take and tie a ribbon. Say a prayer or let your ribbon be your prayer.
Choose a ribbon from the bag. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
What a creative idea. A Ziploc bag of multi-colored ribbons hangs on one of the benches. Each hue represents a different prayer. Green for forgiveness. Blue for thanksgiving. Orange for self-control. Pink for kindness. Yellow for patience. Purple for joy.
One of the three garden benches is covered with prayer ribbons. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
These prompts prove soul-searching. Too often prayers focus on needs/wants/desires, not tough topics like forgiveness and self-control. And how often we forget to express gratitude and joy in prayer.
Ribbons representing prayers of joy, kindness and self-control. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
To be reminded of these traits, these feelings, these thoughts can only make us kinder, gentler, better people.
A historical marker at the Cathedral summarizes its history. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
The Cathedral sign lists community connections. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
That follows a guiding principle of the Cathedral as a place “where history meets heart.” The Cathedral, since it’s founding in the mid-1800s, has long centered on community. Bishop Henry Whipple befriended the Dakota people and many more. Today the church still opens its doors—as the site of the Community Cafe (serving free meals weekly to the community), as a venue for free concerts, as a historic site to tour, as an active participant in Faribault’s annual Heritage Days celebration, as a location for Red Cross blood drives…
Ribbons representing patience, thanksgiving and joy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
And now this seemingly small, yet powerful thing, this beckoning to ponder and place prayers upon public benches. Prayer changes things. Just as a faith family can, when thoughts and ideas expand into actions. Actions that embrace community, providing a welcoming place to gather, to celebrate, to contemplate life.
An inviting entry garden…with prayer beribboned benches. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
We all hold the capacity to forgive, to thank, to control our thoughts, words and behavior, to practice kindness, to exercise patience, to express joy. If tying a ribbon to a red bench encourages self-reflection and positive change, then that is a good thing. We can always be better, do better, live better, in ways that improve our lives and the lives of those around us.
In July 2014, Songs of Hope performers presented selections from Jamaica, including “Linstead Market” and “Stand Up For Your Rights.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
TEN YEARS AGO, Songs of Hope danced and sang their way into my heart at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault. Now this group of young musicians and performers from around the world will be back in town, this time at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at the historic Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour.
Song and dance from Vietnam. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
I encourage you, if you live in the area, to attend this free 90-minute concert in the Cathedral, which boasts incredible acoustics in a remarkable setting. The concert is part of the Cathedral’s Merner Concert series offering free music to the community.
In nearly constant motion during this 2014 performance in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
Young people from Finland, Italy, Germany, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Mexico, Jamaica, Turkey, Madagascar and the USA will present a program that features singing, dancing and cultural dress in a high energy show. I can vouch for that. When I attended the Songs of Hope performance at River Bend in 2014, I felt, heard and saw their energy. I left feeling uplifted and incredibly hopeful about the future of this world.
The message on this singer’s t-shirt is as relevant today as it was during this performance 10 years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
In a time when there’s so much conflict, so much discontent, so much unease, this coming together of international youth infuses hope into communities. And who doesn’t want to feel hope?
Ready to perform in traditional Chinese attire in 2014. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
These youth are sharing their cultures via their performance art and dress. When we begin to learn about other cultures, we begin to recognize the commonalities among us, rather than that which we think divides us. We all share basic human needs of food, shelter and love.
Songs from Guatemala. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
The name, Songs of Hope, fits this group, which is part of St. Paul-based Sounds of Hope. Youth ages ten and older from around the world attend a six-week overnight performing arts summer camp before heading out on a three-week concert tour. Those concerts are performed in the Twin Cities metro and in communities outside the Cities, primarily in southeastern Minnesota.
Songs of Hope performers present a selection from India. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo July 2014)
To have Songs of Hope back in Faribault, a decidedly diverse, but not always united, community, is a gift to all of us.
Along a main route into Montgomery’s downtown, this sign points to the KC Food Stand several blocks away. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
Volunteer Ernie at one of two walk-up food service windows at the KC stand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
The small corner building with walk-up food service windows houses the Knights of Columbus Council #1573 Food Stand. And, by all accounts, business is brisk. Every weekday, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., from June until Labor Day, volunteers run this street-side stand at 206 Vine Avenue West.
Food and signs, including a sign that reads “Thou shalt not whine.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
On the Thursday I stopped by, drawn by street signage to check out this food stand, Ernie, Jean and Evelyn were running things. The offerings are simple, basic: wieners (not hot dogs), brats, pork burgers, chips, candy bars, ice cream treats, pop and water. Not all meats are served daily. Wednesday is Brat Day. Pork burgers are served on Fridays.
Evelyn, left, and Jean await customers on an afternoon in early June. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
Jean serves a wiener/hot dog from Edel’s Meat Market. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
Condiments and menu specials at a serving window. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
The meat comes from Edel’s Meat Market just down the street. The brats, Edel’s Shelterbelt Beer Brats, are made with Shelterbelt beer from Montgomery Brewing, also just down the street. This food stand is all about supporting local.
Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School, Montgomery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2024)
Proceeds from the stand benefit local entities: youth scholarships/trips, Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and School, Tri-City United (the public school) activities, membership death benefits and the Montgomery community in general.
Signage at the KC Food Stand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2024)
Funds raised here are no chump change. In 2023, the stand grossed $12,000, netted $8,000, according to volunteer Ernie. The KC stand has been around since the 1950s, although not always at today’s location. The stand is meeting a need in the community, the trio of volunteers agreed.
The KC Food Stand is on the same block as Most Holy Redeemer Church, just to the east on the corner. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo June 2024)
It follows the Knights of Columbus principles of charity, unity and fraternity by giving to the community and bringing people together. I love this about small towns, the way folks work together for the good of people and place. That’s happening in the small blue building on the corner of Vine in Montgomery every weekday during the summer.
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