Elm Springs received a rather thick blanket of snow Thursday night and Friday, which was mostly washed away by Saturday’s rain, proving that the weather sure is strange in western South Dakota.

The Elm Springs People Who Play Cards met Wednesday night at the Marvin and Carolyn Anders residence for their monthly Court Whist tournament. Clyde Arneson got the high score for the night, with Jean Linn getting second and Lynn Fields, third.

Prairie deer season opened Saturday morning for rifle hunters, and so once again Elm Springs has turned positively orange. If there seems to be a lack of social news in this week’s ESN, it might have to do with the hunting season.

But before we get to all that, we should report the events of Tuesday. The Brady O’Rourke’s provided a welcome distraction from the midterm elections by carting the two-story Burmeister house through Elm Springs, which required shutting off the electricity for about four hours. From Elm Springs, it went down the hill into Wasta, across the Cheyenne river on the old highway, up the Jensen road to just south of Wall, where it entered the Interstate highway for a half mile or so, and then on in to Quinn.

Lane O’Rourke reports that the move went extremely well, and that the old house was the center of attention wherever it went. It should be noted that at the close of voting on Election Day, the location of the house was about the only thing that had changed.

Many of the Elm Springs schoolchildren and their parents traveled to Keystone and spent the night Sunday.

Marvin and Carolyn Anders attended the Bazaar in Wall on Sunday.

Clyde Arneson and Lawrence Burke went to Buffalo Gap on business Tuesday.

Lawrence and Doris Burke attended Albertine Jensen’s 80^th birthday party in Rapid City on Saturday.

The Morris Linns attended Cheryl Simons’ retirement party and honoring in Takini on Wednesday. Cheryl retired from the Takini school after some fifteen years of teaching. Saturday Shirrise and Kassandra went to Rapid City to meet Shelly and Kalee Jepsen for lunch and shopping.

Cary and Pam Tines went to Deadwood Saturday to meet Pam’s parents, Max and Sarah Miller. On Sunday the Millers returned to Elm Springs with the Tines’, spending Sunday night.

Al and Bridget Trask spent Tuesday night in Rapid City, after witnessing the end of the Vote Yes on 6 campaign.

The “Elk Creek Trask” residence came roaring to life as the Dakota Trophies headquarters over the weekend, and will remain at a boil until Thanksgiving. Emma Slovek of Phillip visited Tomilyn over the weekend, and young Mark celebrated his birthday after a fashion amid the deerhunters.

The “Upland Trasks” entertained Todd Trask, Tracy Kluck, Clay Tines, Mike and Shonda Morrison, and a host of deerhunters over the weekend. RoseMary and the Three Little Girls joined other parishoners of St. Margaret’s in Lakeside for the annual Rosary Walk and dinner at the John and Darlene Wulf residence.

Matt Trask went to Rapid City Tuesday to visit his dentist, as he had solemnly promised to do six months ago. Amazingly, no new cavities were found in his poorly kept mouth. After running a few errands around town, Matt went to the Vote Yes on 6 office to help campaign. Upon his arrival, all of the telephones in the building went dead. Matt spent the next hour drinking coffee and eating cookies. Celine Trask spent Saturday night at the Matt Trask residence.

The kind citizens would like to wish Jesse Bail and JJ Elshere and all the other South Dakota contestants best of luck at the National Finals Rodeo.