Korby's Connections: So much spring already

The gentle breeze was swirling at 7 miles per hour from a north-northwest direction. It was sunny, and a beautiful Groundhog Day, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Earlier in the day, Punxsutawney Phil had predicted an early spring. Being retired from full-time employment, I have the luxury of taking afternoon walks, sometimes with my bride or others, at various regional locations. On this particular day, since there was hardly any snow, I was walking the 2.5K loop at Cloquet's Pine Valley Ski Area and absorbing deep breaths of fresh air.

The first whiff confused me. With my astute mind processing, I then guessed it was hamburgers grilling somewhere. Not close by, but it was definitely the smell of burgers being cooked outside somewhere. The day before someone had called into the Pine Knot office with a breaking news story. The caller reported the outside burger wagon was open at B&B Market. Could the scent travel that far? Inspired, I picked up the pace. I was probably a quarter of a mile away from the hamburger/brat smell origination.

Sure enough, when I drove into the snowless B&B parking lot, the big door on the "Picnic Wagon" was wide open. There, a smiling Mikayla Richardson greeted me. Mikayla and her husband Jacob are the fairly new owners of the B&B. She's in the TV commercial but is "usually in the background managing the catering part of the business." Mikayla said they had opened the brat wagon the day before due to the nice, clement weather. She said it beats having the wagon "just sitting in my yard doing nothing."

I asked her if she was warm enough. "The grill, of course, helps, but sunshine is great and I have a pair of Carhartt pants back here if needed," Mikayla said. She had a book, but hadn't had much chance to read it. Cars had been stopping pretty steadily, braking as soon as they saw the wagon door open. The high for the day was only 36 degrees, but it felt much warmer. Sunset now is 5:15 p.m. ... yippee.

What a crazy winter/spring. Could the B&B picnic wagon be the new and original Cloquet version of Punxsutawney Phil? Depending on the forecast, the wagon might be open next week, too. By the way, the burger lived up to its alluring smell. It was delicious.

Steve Korby's interest in writing goes back to when he was in fourth grade and editor of the Scan-Satellite school newspaper in Scanlon. He welcomes ideas for human interest stories and tales regarding Carlton County residents, projects, history, and plans c/o [email protected].