The kind citizens woke up Wednesday morning to find a healthy blanket of snow on the ground in Elm Springs. Most of it was gone by noon Wednesday, and the weather steadily improved throughout the rest of the week. Indeed, the Good Lord doesn’t make too many days like the Sunday we had.

Several of the kind citizens attended the WREA annual meeting in Wall on Saturday, to get their free meal and elect officers.

And the Elm Springs Rebels basketball teams competed in five games against the Enning Eagles Thursday in Union Center, winning four.

The kind citizens have been rather busy getting their cows squared away for the winter, and consequently did not have much time for social activities.

Clyde Arneson visited the Lawrence Burke residence for coffee Monday morning, “after about a three week absence,” says Doris.

The Sam Johnstons, or some of them, were dinner guests of the Anders, Saturday and possibly Sunday as well.

Matt Trask was a supper and movie guest at the Andy Linn residence Friday night.

Shirrise and Kassandra Linn went to Rapid City Monday, where they had lunch with Dana Keffeler and her kids before visiting Grandma Arlene Talley. Matt Trask stayed Monday night at the Morris Linn residence, so that he would be on time to accompany Morris and Andy to the Roger Shull residence Tuesday morning. Saturday, Amy Wicks and her girls spent the afternoon at the Morris Linn residence. Sunday, Morris visited the Bummer Simons residence while Shirrise and Kassandra attended Misty Walker’s stamp party. The Morris Linns returned home to host Nick Trask for supper.

The Bud Pauleys went to Piedmont Saturday night to attend the wedding of Casey Kersteen to Cary Funk. After the reception in Rapid City, they stayed all night. Sunday they had breakfast with friends from Oglala, NE before going swimming.

Cary and Pam Tines hosted Clyde Arneson and Morris Linn for coffee Wednesday morning, and Bud and Bunny Pauley for coffee Friday morning.

Al and Bridget Trask returned to the Castle from Ohio Wednesday. Upon arriving, they discovered that several cows had gotten into the courtyard, tipped over a bucket of used motor oil, and managed to smear it on the propane tank. While it is clear that there were cows in the courtyard, the rest of the story may have been fabricated to some degree. Matt Trask had dinner at the Castle Thursday.

In other news, RoseMary and Bridget Trask and the Three Little Girls spent parts of Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday passing out fliers and hanging signs in support of the Vote Yes on 6 campaign, which pertains to the abortion ban in South Dakota. They have been seen in Wall, Wasta, New Underwood, Rapid City and points in between engaged in this work.

Jeff Nelson and Dave DeRosier left the “Upland Trask”residence Tuesday afternoon, bound for Manitowoc, WI. Pat attended a political discussion in Spearfish Friday. Sunday, several of the “Upland Trasks” visited the “Big Green Trask House” in Wall.

In addition to guitar lessons Monday and Tuesday, Matt Trask visited the Mike Heathershaw residence Sunday afternoon, under the pretence that he was returning a cattle panel. He traded the panel for a bag of chocolate chip cookies, and after a pleasant visit, had a marvelous time driving home eating chocolate chip cookies, drinking a family-sized fountain Coke, and singing along to Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” at the top of his lungs because it was October and also because he could.

There are two announcements this week. The first, which will be reprinted next week, is that the Elm Springs Fall/Halloween Festival will be held on Saturday, the 28^th of October starting at 5 pm with the jack-o-lantern contest in the fire hall. The indian taco supper begins at 6 in the Hall, followed by a costume contest, bingo, silent auction, cake walk and relay race. In short, it will be fun for the whole family.

The second announcement is that the Elm Springs Church will hold it’s next service on Sunday, November 5^th at 2 pm.

The kind citizens hope that Matt Trask will grow up someday soon.