Stranded in Crosby's Ace Hardware
Wed, 12/10/2025 - 11:00pm
The Minnesota Deer 2025 hunting season for the area I hunt in ended Sunday November 23, 2025.
On Monday November 24 we drove our son to the airport in Duluth, Minnesota to fly home to Buffalo, New York where he is an employee of the a Immigration Service. It was a very nice day for flying and the flight was all okay.
Genie and I returned to Blue Water Lodge on the shore of Leech Lake to leave driving to Albert Lea the next day, November 25th. (A snow storm was predicted for the area on November 25th later in the afternoon.
We packed the car, ate breakfast- no showers as we figured we would be home late after-noon and would shower later.
Things went according to plan until just north of the Ace Hardware by Garrison, Minnesota on Mille Lac’s Lake. A red warning light came on. (On the car warning lights.) We checked what the light meant. “Dont Drive” was the answer so we pulled into Ace Hardware just north of Garrison on highway 6. At that time three Ace Hardware employees took our dilemma as part of their “Helping Hand Duties.”
After looking at our red light warning signal on the car they took our situation as a challenge:
A. They called a towing service to get our car into a garage in Crosby, Minnesota.
B. They let us use a car belonging to one of them to get lunch at McDonalds in Garrison.
C. They set aside an area to camp out in Ace Hardware with excess to getting a book exchange for their regular customers.
D. They checked on the towing truck as it was starting to snow and we might have to stay overnight. After finding out we would have to stay overnight, they got us a room at The Loft in Crosby.
Where it snowed quite heavily as one of the Ace Hardware employees gave us a ride to where they had reserved a room. (We got the next to the last room) Once again no shower!!
Who were the three very helpful people at Ace Hardware?? Jinnifer, Mark and Jennifer that's who!
The next morning a great resident of Crosby gave us a ride to the garage where our car was ready to go.
He wouldn't take any fare for the ride but did remark, “That is the Crosby way.”
The Crosby garage said we were ready to go as a clamp was loose causing the warning light- they tightened it and we were ready to go!!
On to home in Albert Lea. We pulled off the freeway at Clarks Grove, Minnesota to cut actress country home. At the stop sign off the freeway the car killed and wouldn't start.
A call to the towing service and get pulled into Hanson Tire in Albert Lea. As we’re waiting, Julie Ehler’s called Genie. Genie told her our problem and Julie volunteered to pick up Genie- take her to our home for Genie’s car and Genie would pick me up at Hanson Tire.
Genie picked me up just as the storm hit Albert Lea. By 7 pm all stores were closed. The total was between 6 and 12 inches of snow. No shower again for the 3rd day in a row. Everything was cancelled Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The good news: I got to take a shower after 4 days of smelling like a crusty Norwegian!!
Short Shorts:
1. “Robin” is the main attraction at “The Angry Donkey” bakery in Walker, Minnesota. She will sell you many delicious baked goods. (Donuts, cookies, long johns Etc. Plus bring an enjoyable greeter to Walker, Minnesota.)
2. Shingobee on the bay at Walker, Minnesota serves an excellent walleye meal- especially when served by a younger female employee.
3. Thanks to Amber Lucas at First National Bank in Walker, Minnesota for making copies so I could mail the copy back to the Star Eagle in New Richland, Minnesota for my weekly column of fact or fiction.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in New York. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.