The first questions you may have about this celebration are probably.....
1. What is the Covered Bridge?
2. Why is there a Covered Bridge in Zumbrota?
3. What is the significance of the Covered Bridge?
4. What is the Covered Bridge used for today?
5. Why is there a celebration named after this Covered Bridge?
Well, let me quickly answer those questions....
1. A an old wooden bridge in Zumbrota that has a roof over it. (you probably already figured that out)
2. This 120 foot long wooden bridge built over the Zumbro River in 1869 was originally part of the stagecoach trail between St. Paul and Dubuque.....located at the north end of the Zumbrota business district(I guess putting a roof over bridges was the thing to do in those days)
3. This bridge is now the only "Covered Bridge" still in existence today in Minnesota....on the National Register of Historic Places...
4. The Covered Bridge still crosses over the Zumbro River just 700 yards from its original location....currently used as a walking bridge on a trail that goes from the Zumbrota business district into a large park area called (you guessed it) the Covered Bridge Park....
5. Every town needs an excuse for a party and the Covered Bridge is Zumbrota's excuse......the Covered Bridge Festival is held on the third weekend of June every year....events include art fair, flea market, softball tournament, sand volleyball tournament, 5K run, 10K run, live bands all day, street dances, food stands, big parade...you get the picture...very festive atmosphere all over town....
Take a look at the famed Covered Bridge.....
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Highlights of the Big Weekend...
Friday Night
-This year there was an additional event added to my big weekend....a special gathering called the "Blue Goose Reunion" was held on Friday night this year.....guess where the reunion took place?....where else but the "Covered Bridge Restaurant and Sports Bar".
-As with the Covered Bridge, I'm sure you have several questions about the Blue Goose...
1. What the heck is the Blue Goose?
2. What's my connection to the Blue Goose?
3. Why was a reunion held?
4. Did anyone come to this reunion?
-I'll run some quick answers by you...
1. The Blue Goose was a small bar in downtown Zumbrota that was open for 64 years ....closed the doors in 1998....sold only 3.2 beer...the place to be....where everyone met......sponsored "the premier" softball team in the area.....it was as an honor to be asked to play on this team.....also sponsored a women's slow pitch softball team in the 80's and 90's...the only bar you could go to that never had a telephone intalled....as they said in those days "you can't be reached here"....it was a haven for wayward husbands....the only way to reach a person at the Blue Goose was to physically go there and talk to them in person....no cell phones in those days.....
2. I played on the Blue Goose softball team from 1973-1979....a fixture in center field for my entire career.....filled the role of the fleet footed, strong armed center fielder with unlimited range (not really, I just like to say it)....rookie of the year in 1973.....played in a fast pitch league for the first 3 years...the team switched to a slow pitch league in 1976.....the fast pitch league died in the area at that time....I was also known for my skill of lip syncing juke box songs atop the cooler at the far end of the bar (that could be a separate prattle all its own)...center of my social scene in those days.....Hamm's and Schmidt beer were on tap....always a festive atmosphere....
3. Several members of the fast pitch teams of the 60's and 70's decided it was time to have a reunion.... all past players and patrons of the bar were invited....the current manager of the Covered Bridge restaurant was one of the "regulars" at the bar back in the 70's so he volunteered to host the reunion...
3. The reunion was a huge success...people came out of the woodwork.....the bar was packed....live band....the works....memorabilia on display everywhere....every jersey, cap, and jacket ever worn by a Blue Goose softball player was on display...scrapbooks galore...great night of reminiscing....saw people I hadn't seen in 25 years...they were even serving Hamm's beer....it was like old times again....I felt like I had dropped back into the 1970's.....
Fun Facts - Blue Goose Softball teams - 1957 to 1998
1. Sponsored a men's "Fast pitch" team from 1957 through 1975
2. Sponsored a men's "Slow pitch" team from 1976 through 1998
3. Sponsored a women's "Slow Pitch" team from 1982 to 1998
4. 66 players played on the men's team between 1957 and 1983*
5. 11 sets of brothers played between 1957 and 1983
6. 2 sets of fathers and sons played between 1957 and 1983
7. 12 of the 66 players from the men's teams have passed away
*Records were not kept past 1983
-For the the hard core Blue Goose fans a complete list of the 66 players is provided in the Appendix section that you will find at the end of this prattle.
-I've included a few pictures from the reunion for those readers who have a connection to Zumbrota....unfortunately I goofed up and many of the pictures I took did not turn out....
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Saturday
Saturday
-The annual 5K and 10K races are run at 8:00 am Saturday morning....this year 128 people entered the 5K run and 43 people entered the 10K run......
-Last year I ran the 5K run for the first time and I won my age division (50- 59) with a time of 23:48. (see attached picture of me from last year atop the podium with my gold medal)
2009 Gold Medal Winner....5K Run...50-59 age group
-Big dilemma for me this year...should I return to defend my crown or should I go out as a champion?...... I knew there was a guy from Zumbrota who just turned 50 and he would probably beat me this year ....last year he destroyed me as a 49 year old.......I also knew that I was going to be out late attending the Blue Goose reunion on Friday night and I may not be at my best for the 5K run at 8:00 am on Saturday morning...what's a fella to do?
-After giving it some serious thought I felt it was my duty to return and defend my title....that's how it is with professional golfers, if they win a tournament they are expected to return the following year to defend their title....the decision was made.....I will defend!!!
-I set the following three goals for this year's 5k run....win my age division, finish in the top ten of the overall field of runners and run a better time than last year....(I read somewhere that a man has to set his goals).
-Got up around 6:30 am on Saturday morning.....felt okay seeing I left the Blue Goose reunion at 1:00 am......loaded up on Advil and slammed down a bottle of 5 hour energy.....I was now ready to go....
-Saturday morning was beautiful....sunny, 68 degrees, very little wind....a great day to run...
-Guess where the race starts?...yes, you are correct...right in front of the Covered Bridge........the starting line and the finish line are both located there.....the runners even get to run across the bridge right before they cross the finish line....
-I'm looking around to I see if the guy from Zumbrota who I know can beat me is there at the starting line...don't see him yet....maybe I've got a chance.....can you say "repeat"?
-The race is ready to start and my 50 year old challenger from Zumbrota is definitely not there.....I'm living blessed.....I can already feel the gold medal around my neck....
-The race begins and I take off "like a dirty shirt"....run with the young studs in the lead pack for a few tenths of mile...drop into the second tier and see no one that even looks close to 50 in front of me.....I'm home free baby....if I don't fall down or have a massive heart attack I'll be on that podium again...
-Then out of seemingly nowhere a guy goes cruising by me at the half mile mark.....OH NO!....who is this guy?....he's definitely not in his 20's or 30's.....could he be 50?...nah....he doesn't look a day over 48 to me.....if he is 50 I'm in big trouble now...he's prancing like Bambi....I'm lumbering like Dumbo....
-I try to stay in contact with Bambi but I soon realize that I can't keep up to his much faster pace and actually expect to live another day....
-My two other goals now come to the forefront and I need to focus on them....top ten finish and a better time than last year...
-Soon my "party crasher" has really extended his lead over me....now I'm just praying that he's in his 40's...he's gotta be....doesn't he?
The home stretch....running through the bridge
-I feel pretty good throughout the race.... finish strong......sprint across the Covered Bridge....greeted by cheering fans as I cross the finish line.....again I look around and see no one I know.....this is Zumbrota isn't it......it's like a twight zone episode.....23:16 is my time which is better than last year.........now I must wait for the overall results....I know Bambi finished long before I did....he's probably already at home and taken a shower by now....
-I follow the lady who is carrying the final results of the 5K run ....she posts the final results.
-The first thing that jumps out at me on the results sheet is that I finished in 10th place overall....YES!!!.....Goal #1 has been met.....my time of 23:16 is 32 seconds better than last year .....my best time ever......I'm living large.......Goal # 2 achieved!....now how about that Gold Medal????
.Then I see it......OH NO!!!....say it isn't so.......Bambi is 50....I want to see his birth certificate....he can't be 50......he must have just had his birthday yesterday.....he destroyed me with a time of 22:04....oh well.....what's a guy to do?....he flat out beat me.....
-No gold medal this year......maybe I'll have shot at one again when I turn 60......(don't even want to think about actually being 60).....
-One category that I feel I did win......I was the only guy in the entire race who was at the Blue Goose party until 1:00 am and ran in a 5K run the next morning at 8:00 am....unfortunately their are no gold medals given out for this feat.....
-Later in the morning I pick up my Mom at the nursing home in Zumbrota.....the plan is to bring her to several of the special events being held around town during the day.....
-First stop.....why of course, the Covered Bridge Park.......it's is hopping place today....sand volleyball tournament....music......rides for the kids......food booths....class reunions....very festive...
-Second stop - softball fields....watch a little of the slow pitch tourney.....hmmmm.....that used to be my life.....for some reason the softball tournaments I played in felt much more important than what I watched that day....could it be that my softball days really weren't that important either?....nah, my games were life and death....
-Third stop - Flea market.....it's buzzing with people.....amazed that people will actually buy this kind of stuff...and that people try to sell this stuff...
-Fourth stop - Art Fair.....packed with patrons....people took the time to make all of these things?.....and people pay money for them?......what am I missing here?....my taste is obviously only in my mouth.....
-Final Stop - the front lawn of my brother's house.....right on main street in Zumbrota....the place I grew up.....set up camp on the front lawn....the big parade goes right in front of the old Peterson place.......who are all these strangers in our yard?......huge parade....lasts an hour and a half.....7 high school marching bands.....huge crowds line the street....small town America is alive and well....
-Major trouble early on in the parade....the motorcycle crew who performs some tricks with their driving skills have an accident almost right in front of us......cycles collide......rider is down......hit his head on the pavement....no helmet....parade is delayed for 30 minutes....ambulance takes rider away....scary moment.....later heard they thought he was going to okay...give the motorcycle guys credit...they continued on with their performance....as they say "the show must go on".....
-Parade ends around 8:00 pm....time to take my Mom back to the nursing home....she is still giddy....
-A street dance and fireworks close out the big day....I'm still giddy....
-As stated so many times in the Zumbrota News over the years..." a fine time was had by all."
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Blue Goose Reunion Appendix
(6) Owners: Lawrence Anderson, Edward "Sliver" Raasch, Harold Kuhn, Donald "Butch" Wobshall, Doris 'Dee Dee" Haugen, Alice Finstuen
Players - 1957 to 1983
(54) Living Players: Craig Anderson, Morrie Anderson, Frank Aunan, Mike Banitt, Tom Banitt, Gale Benson, Gary Benson, Brad Birmingham, Doug Borgschatz, Pat Bradley, Scott Bradley, Arnie Blakstad, Joyce Bucher, Brian Buck, Dale Carlson, George Currier, Bob Fredrickson, Orlin Friedrich, Wayne Friedrich, Alton Hinrichs, Mike Horsman, Dick Jensch, Bob Kalass, Joe Kittleson, Bob Koenig, Lloyd Kunde, Jim Lohmann, Rick Lohmann, David Lother, Ken Lother, Randy Lother, Jerry Nelson, Roger Nelson, Gary o"Connor, Tim O'Connor, Rollie Oelschlager, Bruce Oimoen, Steve Oimoen, Tim O'Reilly, Jim Owen, Keith Olson, Mike Peterson, Paul Peterson, Don Quinell, Carl Potratz, Paul Rockne, Fred Raasch, Bill Shelstad, Bill Steinfeldt, Chuck Strum, Dave Swenke, Bob Titterington, Keith Todd, Butch Wobschall
(12) Deceased Players: Bob Albrecht, Norrie Fredrickson, Lowell "Pete; Graif, Earl Hinz, Lor Hinz, Don Kunde, Dale Lother, LeVerne "Porky" Lother, Don Steffen, Eldie, Friedrich, Billy Tri, Ron Tri
(11) Sets of Brothers
1. Dale, Ken and Dale Lother
2. Tom and Mike Banitt
3. Tim and Gary O'Connor
4. Billy and Ron Tri
5. Lloyd and Don Kunde
6. Earl and Lor Hinz
7. Gary and Gale Benson
8. Mike and Paul Peterson
9. Scott and Pat Bradley
10. Orlin and Eldie Friedrich
11. Bruce and Steve Oimoen
Fathers and Sons (2)
1. Norrie and Bob Fredrickson
2. LeVerne "Porky" and Randy Lother
