Timely rains have fallen this spring, and the many shades of green shine in the sunlight. Johnny Cash wrote a song he named Forty Shades of Green about his impressions of the countryside in Ireland. I think there must be 37 or 38 right here in North Dakota.
. . .
It's a bit sad to read and hear what's happening in my old home town. The school is closing and they're having an auction sale to clear out the building. The building is on the market, too, and a group in the community meets trying to come up with a plan to save it to use as a community center. Its future will depend on someone putting up the money to buy it; the school board stipulates $2000 must be deposited before a bidder can be eligible. If someone does buy it, it will cost plenty to maintain it as a viable structure when you consider insurance, utilities, maintenance, etc.
The city hall fell to a wrecking crew a couple of years ago because it was deemed unsuitable for further maintenance. It left one big, blank spot at the end of main street. For many years it served as the destination for ball games, dances, carnivals, plays, meetings, etc. If the school building disappears, it, too, will leave a big empty spot.
During its heyday Sheldon was a busy place. Many farmsteads surrounded it, and viable businesses were supported with their wants and needs. I have a picture on the wall of my study taken of the main street sometime early in the 20th century. There stands a solid, long line of storefronts; in front teams of horses hitched to buggies and wagons line the walk. That scene disappeared, and now another scene is about to.
