The temperature rose dramatically over the last week, so much so that it may as well be spring outside. This is a welcome change, although the kind citizens would also welcome any rain shower that chose to wander over our community.

The Elm Springs People Who Play Cards met at the Kenny and Janet Wilson residence Wednesday for their court whist tournament. Jack Gravatt was the winner, Carolyn Anders came in second, and Clyde Arneson was “a very strong third.” Observant readers of the ESN will note that the People did not meet at their usual time, which is the first Wednesday of the month. The weather was so bad the first Wednesday of this month that it took trump over tradition, so to speak.

Several of the kind citizens of Elm Springs attended the Ag appreciation banquet in Wall Friday night.

Carolyn Anders had a very busy week. On Tuesday, she escorted her granddaughter, Courtney Trask, to Government Day in Pierre, later watching Courtney’s gymnastics meet in Wall. On Wednesday, of course, she won second in the court whist tournament. And on Sunday, Carolyn, Jean Linn, and Twila Trask played court whist again, this time at Prairie Village in Wall.

Carolyn would like to note that the Wall Eagles middle school basketball team, on which kind young citizens Dunny Anders and Calder Johnston play, is doing very well this season.

Clyde and Danny Arneson and Morris and Andy Linn were all visitors at the Hugh Ingalls residence Thursday. Friday, Clyde and Lonnie Arneson went to Rapid City on business.

The Lawrence Burkes returned Thursday from Texas, where they attended the funeral of Doris’ sister, Frances Wilson.

Chrissy Elshere hosted a Silpada jewelry party Sunday. In attendance were all of the Arneson girls and their spouses, Morris and Shirrise Linn, Marci Arneson, Kelli Linn and kids, Clint Hammerstrom and his girlfriend Lisa, Jim and Lana Elshere, Pam Tines and Dara Wrachford, Christi Ferguson, Clyde Arneson, and Sam and Cary Johnston.

Shirrise and Kassandra Linn attended a Creative Memories gathering at Union Center Thursday. Al Trask visited Thursday night. On Friday Jim, Jen and Cameron Magee came from Glen Rock WY. Al Trask made a return visit Friday night, possibly trying to fill in for Matt, who was gone again. Other guests Friday night were Jack Simons and Clyde Arneson. Saturday Morris and Jim attended a gun show in Rapid City, while the Linn and Magee girls went shopping.

Various “Upland Trasks” went various places over the week, but the big news was that Matt and Nick left their mom at home and went to Denver CO Thursday for the R-CALF convention, spending two days at a hotel pretending to be big shots again. While there, they attended a performance of the National Western Stock Show Rodeo and got to see, among others, Speed Williams and Rich Skelton perform. On the way home, Matt and Nick stopped at the Wasta Bar just in time for the newest grand opening, which several other kind citizens were attending.

While at the convention, Matt Trask was approached by a couple with camera in hand and asked to take a picture of them. When Matt depressed the button to activate the camera, the flash went off in his eye and the shutter apparatus protruded into his cheek, because he had the camera backwards. While Matt staggered around stunned by the flash of the camera, the poor couple stared in stunned disbelief at the brilliant display of incompetence that they had just seen.

The kind citizens of Elm Springs don’t know what they’re going to do with him.