Along The Ad Routes

by Mike Reilly

Like I saw on FACEBOOK the other day, “Last year went so fast, I didn’t lose any weight!” That’s the way I feel about 2024! It seems like it flew by so fast that I’m not even sure when it started! Anyway, welcome to 2025!

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Our six inches of snow that was on the ground seemed to disappear very fast with the rain Thursday and Friday. The temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s didn’t hurt any either! I talked with my cousin Jeanette, who lives in Atlanta, Thursday night and she asked what the temperature was here. I told her when I headed home it was 43 degrees. She then sheepishly told me it was 42 degrees there!

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Saturday morning breakfast was supposed to head us to the west, either Muscoda or Fennimore. But Dewey, who had been ill for 10 days or so, was heading to Indiana Saturday and he wanted to meet somewhere to the east so we headed to Barneveld and the Golden Eagle Bar & Restaurant. We had Caila (pronounced Kayla) as our waitress. She was very interesting to talk with. She enjoys writing feature like stories! It was just Terry, Tom and me driving from Dodgeville, meeting Dewey there as he came from Spring Green on his way to Indiana. It’s always great to see Leo Clerkin, somebody each one of us knows. He walks with a walker and last time I opened the doors for him to make things easier. This time Tom opened one door and Terry the other. When I saw him I told him that it was their turn! Oh, Wanda Owens was there as usual too, along with about six others. Wanda’s the one who told me not to put her name in the paper. See how I listen?!! The omelettes are a little different than we get at most places. They are very good like all others!

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Sunday we were supposed to have the “Reilly” Christmas at niece Kelly’s house in Waunakee, but we had to cancel until this coming Sunday, so I headed out to Dodger Bowl after church to help with the Dodgeville Lions Club’s FREE Bowling event. It was a chance to give the youngsters something to do during their break! The club paid for kids bowling for a few hours and served them FREE pizza and soda. It was a first time for that event, so there weren’t as may kids as we would’ve hoped, but there are still Christmas celebrations going on. Those that were there had fun. Several of them were first time bowlers too!

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We have had pretty decent weather since the 6 inches of snow a little over a week ago. Almost all of our snow is gone (except big piles) with the 1 1/2 inches of rain we had last week. Temperatures are mild today and tomorrow (30th & 31st), but as we head into 2025 there’s a cold snap coming. We are supposed to be in the teens over the weekend and get into single digits by mid next week then climb back into the 30s. That’s very typical for this time of the year!

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It’s time to start planning for the Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championships that will be held at Harris Park April 26th which is a week after Easter! We are lucky to have Leah Linscheid and her buddy Josh Spreiter back as announcers. They did  a fantastic job two years ago! Hopefully the weather cooperates and gets warmer than it has been the past few years!

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It was quite the weekend for wrestling with the Bi-State girls and boys tournaments happening in La Crosse and the Mid-States in Whitewater. That took care of all of our area teams getting a chance to wrestle against some of the elite wresters. Results can be found on our sport pages with a lot of photos too!

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I’ve got a “special” day for this issue of the paper - January 2. First, it’s a “Happy Mew Year for Cats Day”. It's a day to celebrate and spoil your cat with extra attention and treats. Here are some ways to celebrate: Play with your cat: Try a new toy or play with your cat more than usual. Give your cat treats: Give your cat more treats than usual. Pamper your cat: You could dress your cat in a hat, or take them to the vet for a checkup. Donate to shelter cats: You could donate food, toys, or your cat's favorite treats to a shelter. Check for safety: Make sure cleaning products, choking hazards, electrical cords, and toxic houseplants are secured. Also, check your cat's toys and furniture. If you don't have a cat, you could volunteer at an animal shelter or donate to a cat charity.