Part four of a series “My father sold a load of old sows. He didn’t get enough money to pay the hauler and had nothing for the pigs,” recalled lifelong Caledonia resident Leona (Burg) Weichert, about growing up in the 1930s. “That doesn’t seem real!” Today, the word “depression” is most often associated with the psychiatric condition of emotional sadness. There was … [Read more...]
I do all my own stunts
I’m just browsing. That’s what I’d say if I ever surprised a grizzly bear that was carrying an assault rifle, right after it bumped its painful bruin bunion against a birch stump. Fortunately, I’ve never surprised a grizzly bear that was carrying an assault rifle, right after it had bumped its painful bruin bunion against a birch stump. I’m a chronic walker. Not Walker, … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Moving forward
Aw spring! Time to exhale for the season of warming weather and nature coming back to life is upon us. As flowers bloom and animals are born, we are reminded of the innocence and beauty that exist in this wonderful world we live in. There is nothing that puts a smile on my face and a song in my heart more than driving down the road and seeing the baby calves dotting the … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… The word that best describes the Class of 2021
Adaptable. The Class of 2020 unexpectedly ended their school year apart, with the pandemic crashing the party like a giant wrecking ball in motion. For the Class of 2021, it wasn’t going to get any easier. But, for this group of seniors, it was all about adaptability. They had to learn from home, interacting with their classmates and teachers online. Then there … [Read more...]
Wrestling with a plastic bag
I spent time in the produce department trying to open a plastic bag. Why don’t people eat more fresh fruit and vegetables? It’s because of those irritating plastic produce bags. My fingers finessed the bag open and I filled it. Fueled by a shopping list, I pushed my cart to other parts of the store with a vroom, vroom! It was a masterful performance. Academy … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Ray Fruechte recalls tramps, peddlers and gypsies
Part three of a series Vagrants, often known as tramps, passed through southeastern Minnesota in the later decades of the 1800s and the early decades of the 1900s. Even those that were seemingly well-bred and educated to some extent, preferred to seek charity more often than to seek employment. There were more than a few tramps that traversed the highway near Eitzen and … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – The Old Lenora Church
It is a beautiful sunny Monday morning in Fillmore County - birds singing, rabbits munching on grass and cool breezes blowing. This is the day the Lord has made and we can rejoice and be glad in it!! I am writing this article in a refreshing way today; by hand with paper and pen. I do not have access to my computer this morning so I am taking pen to paper!! It seems … [Read more...]
Real Bites
Branding Iron It was a Tuesday night, which is taco night at the Branding Iron. Dale and Becky Koch, owners of the restaurant, have done an outstanding job. They have been a part of this iconic establishment for many years, cooking, serving, and doing any other job that needed to be done. When they purchased the Branding Iron a few years ago from the Bahl family, it was … [Read more...]
Look at you, all smart and stuff
My sheepskin had a tail. That tells you where I ranked in the class, but I’m giving a graduation speech in my dreams. I’ll talk about what I know. I’ll be brief. I’m from a generation far, far away. I missed my first day of school and am still trying to catch up, but here I am. You’ll never again chant, “It’s all right. It’s OK. You’ll be working for us one day,” after … [Read more...]
The Plant Lady
Phlox Orioles and hummingbirds have returned to Bluff Country. This usually occurs just before the bloom time of creeping phlox, one of the most popular ground cover perennials. Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) is an evergreen ground over that loves full sun. I have seen it draped over the edge of a retaining wall, defining a garden edge, and growing en masse down a steep … [Read more...]