The weather here in Elm Springs refuses to be newsworthy, so without further comment, we go to the news.

Several of the kind citizens attended the Nachtigall Bull Sale on Monday.

And several of the kind citizens attended the Ag Appreciation Banquet in Wall Friday night. Being agricultural types, they probably felt very appreciated.

Clyde Arneson entertained Matt Trask and Dustin Reeves at separate times Monday morning for coffee. Saturday Clyde and Connie went to Belle Fourche to visit their parents.

Lawrence and Doris Burke entertained Duane Keffeler of Enning Monday evening, Clyde Arneson Tuesday morning, and Matt Trask Friday evening.

Kody DeVries picked up his friend Dave Hoogers of Sheldon, IA in Wall on Friday. Dave spent the weekend with Kody while his brother took in the Stock Show. The very busy Matt Trask was a breakfast guest Saturday morning at the Kody DeVries residence.

Jack Gravatt hosted a slew of relatives and guests, among them, Jerry Gravatt on Friday, Jim and Myrna Smith and Andy Linn and kids on Saturday, and Byron and Cherry Denke on Sunday.

Sam Johnston left Thursday for Brazil, where he will spend two weeks touring with the SDARL crew. Cary and the kids meanwhile, stayed overnight at the “Big Green Trask House” in Wall Friday night after the basketball game, and went tubing at Deer Mountain with the Kling family Saturday night.

Ben Linn began guitar instruction under the tutelage of the talentless Matt Trask Thursday, at the Matt Trask residence. Let us hope that Matt doesn’t teach young Ben anything that he is good at. Kellie Linn visited the Kim Smiley residence near Red Owl Saturday. And Sunday morning, Matt Trask visited the Linns in his pickup, Pat and Julie visited on foot, and Joe arrived in the van.

It was not reported last week that John and Jean Linn left Saturday for Conroe, TX to visit family. They have not returned.

Shirrise Linn and Cheryl Simons visited Arlene Talley in Rapid City on Monday. Tuesday, Shirrise joined Misti Walker in Rapid City for lunch. Thursday, Shirrise took Kassandra to Wall for piano lessons and then to visit Sanden and Elaine Simons. Friday the Morris Linns visited Charlotte Wilsey and the girls before meeting with Jim and Jen Magee and family at the Stock Show. Saturday the Linns and Magees visited Cabela’s in Mitchell. Sunday they visited Sanden and Elaine Simons on the way home. Clyde Arneson was a guest at the Morris Linns Sunday evening.

Cary, Pam and Ty Tines took Natalie Termes out to supper in Rapid City Saturday night. Matt, Nick and Al Trask, Tracy Kluck and Kody DeVries were all visitors at the Cary Tines residence Sunday night.

Pat Trask returned from Wisconsin Tuesday morning. Thursday Nick Trask went to Interior on business. John Paul and Joseph Trask attended a wrestling tournament in Oneida over the weekend. Pat, Steph and Julie Trask met Bob Hale in Rapid City Sunday night to tour his Sommerset retirement home, while Nick visited the Ray Olsen residence. Visitors at the “Upland Trasks” for the week were, in no particular order, Danny Arneson, Ray Olsen, Morris Linn, Sean Troxel, Clay Tines, John and Mauri Bestgen, Theresa Bruch, a kid named Kelly, and Kenny, Janet and Kelli Wilson. RoseMary, Austin and Gemma Trask visited the Kenny Wilsons Sunday afternoon.

A casual inspection of the ESN will reveal that Elm Springs has Matt Trask back for good, and like a king in a cowboy hat, he spent the week in a triumphant homecoming procession from house to house. His unwitting “subjects” have all been very gracious so far. In addition to the exploits mentioned elsewhere, he went to the blood drive in Union Center Monday, where he allowed his friend Andrea Neumann to draw a pint of blood before he ate a pound of cookies, and ate more cookies at the Kenny Wilson residence Wednesday afternoon. In addition to Ben and Andy Linn, Sean Troxel visited the Matt Trask residence Friday night.

Jim Wilsey and his sister Carol went to Hot Springs Monday to visit their brother Howard. Jim and Caroline attended the Stock Show both Friday and Saturday.

Philip Wilson went to Rapid City Wednesday, where he was successful in obtaining his motorcycle drivers’ license. Mary Kay’s brother Monte Harer and wife Lori of Hoven were visitors at the Philip Wilsons Sunday night.

Shirrise Linn invites everyone to the Cheryl Simons benefit get-together at the Community Center in Union Center, starting at 4:30 pm on Sunday, the 12^th of February, with a chili and chicken noodle soup feed and a benefit rifle raffle, which also serves as an amusing linguistic exercise.

The kind citizens wish Ryan Elshere the best of luck at the Stock Show rodeo Friday night.