45 Marathon Dance

     February 9th

  Ruthie started giving trike rides this morning, you should know by now not to get her on the subject of family, travel or trikes.   Your going to be there awhile.  I believe she gave eleven rides that day.  I was able to give a couple myself, one was to Ann, my thank you for the wonderful entertainment.  

Barbie!

     With the dance planned for this evening we were making plans to attend.  It had been mentioned that sometimes there is transportation available to ride to Marathon.   Not wanting to intrude we tried to hang back and see if there would be room for us.  If not we had made plans to ride the trike in and either try and find a place to stay or drive back slowly to avoid a meeting with the prairie night life.  The wind was starting to pick up ( I didn't say start, there is always wind.) and we knew we were going to be in for a ride.  A short while before departure time we got a welcome surprise.

Richard

       We had seen Dene around the park and store but never really met him until last night.  It seems Dene also a Minnesota resident, had found the area many years ago.  He also has been returning year after year and his love of the land coupled with his desire to aid the ranching community has led him to help the local ranching community by doing predator control.  He also gives jeep tours to Lynn's ranch.  Dene and Sally were now offering to take Ruthie and I to the dance.     They assured us that we were not intruding and asked us to meet them at Dene's trailer, you can't miss it.  It is the only one with the decorated cactus

Burning bush?  Nope Dene's Cactus!

.     On the 40 mile ride to Marathon we seen a sight that made us very grateful for the ride.  Coming across the prairie from the west was a fast moving wall of dust.  We were driving parallel to the storm and were clear of it's path before it reached the highway.      I wonder how the campers would fair.  Dene comes down every winter because of his construction job and Sally had now joined him for a visit.  Nice people, they live in the Duluth area.   We arrived at the community center early enough to get a table    Dene had brought a cooler with beverages and we used it to save a table.  It seemed this was the accepted practice.   Other Stillwell residents joined us including two couples from Dene and Sally's home area,  a donation to the community center got you into the dance and  a wonderful catfish dinner.   They held a ive auction to benefit the community center 

     The community support was reassuring,  there were more tickets sold for the dinner then the entire population of Marathon.    The support continued into the auction, items sold with no thought to actual value and many of the winners did something I had never seen before.  Swirling a hand above their head they indicated to the auction staff that they were re-donating the item and to resell it.   In order to do our part our table formed a bidding coalition and purchased an item.  Big spenders,  a whole table to buy a basket full of treats and candies.   It seemed to be appreciated.  Two things will stick in my memory from the dance.  Prior to the dance everyone stood with their hands or hats over their hearts and sang the National Anthem.

  Then after the first dance Della, Lynn's wife made her way to the stage and made an announcement.   "In Marathon the gentlemen show their respect for the ladies by removing their hats when we dance,"  then she added.  "If you can't remember I'm sure their will be a big cowboy that will help you remember."  I was happy my cap was on the table. 
    The entertainment for the evening was recording stars Justin Trevino and Amber Digby.   I have to admit I wasn't  familiar with their work.  The music was great and since then I have heard both of them on the XM station's now that I'm familiar with their names.  Celebrations are few in this ranching country and the distance is great.  As a result they wasted no time,  every one started dancing when the first song started.  The dancers move counter clockwise, children dance in the center. It was great. 
When I was very young my parents would attend dances at the Amory in Rochester Mn, I was told that within a short time of the band's start I would fall asleep and be placed in the seat of an Army jeep in front of the stage for the remainder of the evening..  Maybe that's where I learned to love music. 

60+ years later another little cowboy enjoying the dance!

We danced until late and were happy we had a ride home.   We seen deer on the way home.  When we were dropped off we seen the storm's damage.   The awning had been tore off our little home and the dressing area lifted in the air.  The result was our belongings were upside down and strewn around.  It took a while to get things straightened up enough to go to bed.   We were grateful to our neighbors for re-stakeing our camper.   Another wonderful day!