By the time we read this, many of us have “flown” Northward. I ponder just how do the seasons fly so fast? Let me count the ways. Oh, well, maybe I can’t count that high. But success enhances the rhythm of time.
Hats off to our golfers who were able to score a hole-in-one! On March 7, Jack Payne on hole #3; March 11, Mas Fukushima on hole #16, and March 12, Marcia Fry, also on hole #3. Congratulations!
Learning about our neighbors reinforces our appreciation of time. Let me introduce you to Mary and Leo Diehl. Perhaps that seems strange since most of us know them already. Why introduced them now after being with us for several years? Until 2025 they, Mary, then Leo and Mary, have been renters. Just before they left for Wisconsin last season a beautiful unit became available for ownership. They were owners before they left.
Mary had rented in both Windjammer and Flagship for several years as a single person. Mary, Jean Hokana, and Colleen Maloney, all nurse anesthesiologists, knew each other from their professional lives. Mary had visited with Jean here in Flagship before 2019 after which she decided to rent for herself.
During those rental years, she and Leo lived a substantial distance from each other in Wisconsin. However, distance disappeared when Leo, a widower, was set up with Mary by a mutual friend of them both. It took them eight months to finally have a date, however 10 months later Leo flew down to Flagship to see Mary and propose! Leo was not only smitten by Mary but subsequently with Flagship. Their blended family includes Mary’s two daughters and Leo’s two sons, one daughter and four grandchildren.
Both Mary and Leo are multi-talented. Mary was an anesthesia nurse for 35 years. She developed her own business contracting with a local hospital and other agencies for nurse anesthesiologists. Leo has worked in managerial capacities for most of his career, for one long stretch with UPS.
Having lived, worked and brought up children in a different part of Wisconsin, they now reside together in Eau Claire. Mary brought her passion for gardening – flowers not vegetables – with her from her earlier life and has totally converted Leo, no stranger to gardening, into the best garden assistant one could want. At their new home near Minneapolis, their lot was a blank slate. Their gardens today are profuse; people come just to visit. However, Mary gives free advice and will share her wealth by splitting plants, as she always has with her gardens.
Another passion they share is with an organization called Builders for Christ. Similar to Habitat for Humanity, but focusing solely on building churches, this non-denominational organization started 46 years ago. The organization builds one to two churches a year with volunteers, many who are unskilled as construction workers. They build churches as far as Texas and Massachusetts, as well as in Wisconsin, including their own home parish.
A passion that Mary does not share with Leo, one can perhaps understand why, is golf ball retrieving. So far this year this “ball guy,” as he is affectionately known, has collected 2,000 balls already with a high of 3,000 several years ago. Together, they fill egg cartons with the daily pick up. You may have seen a box of retrieved ball by the 4616/4612 mailboxes. Leo gets his daily walk and dose of Irish music while retrieving balls with his 24-foot-long pole from the golf course’s water hazards.
Both Leo and Mary share the same values of community involvement and modeling for their children with the importance of giving back. Leo at one time has been a fireman, police officer, high school basketball, football and track coach in his community. Mary, in addition to her own business, nursing, and gardening, served on her community school board. They say they love Flagship Village because of community. Seems they are exemplars of the spirit.
In addition to their many local activities, they share a passion for international travel. Adventure may await around every corner.
The Landings is home to more than just us humans. There have been sightings of otters, mom and pups, an alligator or two, an iguana, a dolphin and birds. During a Monday morning golf course walk, I captured this bird with its reflection shimmering on the water.
