The kind citizens began their week with another day of snow and blustering, and spent the rest of the week in intermittent gentle rain showers. Estimates of how much moisture we received varied considerably and depended largely on where you were standing.

Young Maria Trask represented Elm Springs very well at the Special Olympics in Spearfish Friday. Her teacher Peggy Gravatt took her up the night before, where they had great fun eating at the Pizza Ranch and staying at a motel with a swimming pool. The next day Maria, sporting her new pink running shoes, took 1^st in the footrace and 2^nd in both the ball-throw and the long jump. The Elm Springs School “lower room kids” and their parents were there to cheer her on.

Kelli Wilson and Mary Berry cleaned house at the county Civic Oration Contest in Sturgis Wednesday, with Ms. Wilson getting first and Ms. Berry getting 2^nd. They both went to Chamberlain on Thursday to compete in the State competition.

Marvin and Carolyn Anders went to Rapid City Thursday to keep appointments, and when they had finished, visited Junior and Mary Cress.

Clyde Arneson went with Morris Linn to Wall on business Thursday, joined his brother Lonnie and Matt Trask for supper at the Ryan Elshere residence Thursday night, and was joined by Matt Trask for coffee at the Cary Tines residence Saturday morning.

Chrissy Elshere accompanied her dad Lonnie Arneson to Rapid City on Thursday to get branding supplies and run other errands. On Saturday, Chrissy went to Rapid City, where she fixed hair-do’s for participants in the St. Thomas More Prom.

Eula Ferguson, now of New Underwood, celebrated her birthday Sunday at the way cool Dixie Diner, in the company of son Fred, Cary and Pam Tines, Natalie Termes and Jack Gravatt, among others.

On Sunday, Sam, Calder, Carson and Carlee Johnston attended their first branding of the season, at the Jim Hale ranch, while Cary and Savanna went to Rapid City.

Jim and Myrna Smith visited the Andy Linn residence Thursday, bringing a cake. Andy and Ben visited the Matt Trask residence Thursday evening for Ben’s guitar lesson. Sunday, the Andy Linns went to Ft. Pierre, where Ben competed in the state 4-H rifleshooting competition, and they all attended the horse races. They stopped at the way cool Dixie Diner on the way out and the way back.

Jim, Jen and Cameron Magee left the Morris Linn residence for Rock Springs, WY Monday morning. Morris visited the “Upland Trasks” Thursday. Shirrise and Cheryl Simons left Sunday for Rochester, MN again.

Weekend visitors at the Brady O’Rourke residence included Chick Johnston of Interior, Jiggs and Shane O’Connell of Rapid City and Mr. Prince Charming himself, Al Trask.

After Matt left Saturday morning, Connie Arneson took his coffee spot at the Cary Tines residence.

Visitors to the “Upland Trasks” during the week included Dr. Jim McDougal of Aberdeen, Coby and Clay Tines, and Sean Troxel. On Sunday, the “Upland Trasks” traveled across the state in the rain to visit Sr. Magdalena of Jesus Crucified. They spent two hours talking with her before eating in Mitchell and returning home.

Matt Trask has fallen into a very predictable and very enjoyable routine. Thus we have Andy and Ben’s visit to his house Thursday evening, the Guitar for Food Program at the Ryan Elshere residence Thursday night, which happily coincided with Steak and Crab Night, Wade Wulf and Kevin Tifft and guitars visiting his house Saturday night, coffee at the Cary Tines residence Saturday morning, a morning visit to the Ray Olson residence some other day, and two or three trips to the Morris Linn residence. It’s all good.

From the “Big House,” Jean Linn reports that Elm Springs received 2.31” of precipitation during the month of April. Of course, precipitation amounts can and do very within the community, but as a relative indicator, Jean Linn’s gauge is irrefutable.

The kind citizens say amen to that.