Greetings and welcome!
It looks like a pretty decent weekend for weather coming up. There is a chance of showers (40% Sat & 30% Sun) according to the NWS forecast. The temperatures look seasonal with highs in the mid-80s and lows in the low to mid-60s.
I looked up some additional information on the weekend weather. The North American Model shows a minor chance of rain, mostly Saturday. The HPC QPF has Saturday’s rain adding up to less than 1/4″ ( about 0.2″), and a weekend total of 0.25-0.5″. That isn’t very threatening, so let the good times roll.
This weekend is Hog Wrestling weekend at the Caldron Falls Bar near High Falls Flowage. Saturday thousands of people will converge on the CFB to watch the muddy action. The long and short of it is they put a team of people in a mud and water filled arena, and they have to catch a pig and sit it up on a padded barrel. The pigs have a huge advantage, and the people end up with grand wipe outs and face plants in the muddy slop.
The event draws thousands of people to the area each summer. Bar stool estimates range from 3-8,000 people that might attend on any given year. There will be live music, cookout food & drink, and fireworks after the sun sets. It is really quite an event.
The whole thing is a good time and a big boost for the area. I know that the Curve Inn, about 5 miles south, is having a live band both Friday and Saturday night this weekend.
Naturally with so many people gathering to have a good time, law enforcement will be there to keep the order. It is common to see a big enforcement push in the area this weekend, so designated drivers are strongly encouraged for those that want to consume adult beverages.
The Doty VFD picnic is also this weekend. For those that don’t know where Doty is, the picnic is held on Hwy T & Star Lake Rd. T is just west of 32 on 64, and you go north a little to Star Lake Rd.
There was a lot of excitement in Athelstane and Middle Inlet Monday. There were all sorts of law enforcement and SWAT teams, blocked roads, and people being told to stay indoors and keep doors locked. There was a news blackout on it for a few days, and speculation was rampant. Some people though that they were chasing the guy that stabbed a couple of girls downstate, others thought it might be a big drug bust.
As it turns out they were busting a big pot growing operation where people had bought land in Middle Inlet and Athelstane and were doing a little farming. When raided, they took off, and a big man hunt ensued. Here is an article.
A lot of people found it a little unsettling to see such a large law enforcement presence and not know what was going on for two days until the news buddies got around to reporting it on Tuesday night or Wednesday. Generally if there are armed and dangerous fugitives running around the neighborhood, people would want to know about it, right?
The troubles continue for the Lakewood Zoo. It looks like the USDA won’t issue them a permit for at least a year, though they might try to open in time for Halloween under a different operator’s permit. Here is an article that explains it a little better. For clarity when reading the article, Casey Ludwig is the operator of the zoo. It is an unfortunate situation, a lot of people really like the zoo and the critters there.
One last item, a word about the bees and wasps. A lot of people have been having bee/wasp encounters recently. This year there are a lot of nests in or on or near the ground. Keep a sharp eye out. There have been nests built in the fenders of trucks and spots like under picnic tables and under outside bars.
Around here I had a basketball sized nest built in the back tire of a junk moped, which I unknowingly blew apart with the exhaust from my riding mower. Thankfully it has a road gear, and I exited the scene with great haste before being stung.
Anyway, really keep an eye out for bee and wasp nests, they are close to the ground this year. If you are allergic, definitely have an EpiPen with you at all times.
That is news for today. Have a good weekend and thank you for visiting!
RJB