Have you ever been to an ice cream shop with freezers as far as you can see and thought, “I wish there were more flavors of ice cream in this shop. These 47 options are not enough. I think they need just one more flavor and then I would be satisfied.” I’ve served ice cream when there is one flavor and I’ve served ice cream when people had to pick between 10 different flavors. … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – The Water of Life
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches A whole lot of being a human revolves around water. We need water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and washing. We use water for swimming, gardening, farming and more. This past year living in an agricultural area, we have especially had a lot of stress around water. Last year, it was drought and not … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Water Flows Downhill; Water Flows Uphill
About 1861, at the depth of 40 feet, water flowed into a drilled well and froze, filling it with solid ice to within a few feet of the top. Summer ice was still found in it many decades later. Eventually, the opening filled in naturally. That was the most amazing well in far southeast Houston County, but not the only remarkable one. Early white settlers lived near springs or … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage – Our Newest Neighbor
A brilliant, melodious song wafted over our yard. It captured my attention since it highlighted a new song that I had not noticed on the farm before. Its music punctuated the chirps of sparrows, and the tunes of robins and various other birds. The regulars in the birdy-choir making their homes on our farm greet us each morning, but our new neighbor adds a touch of color to … [Read more...]
Weekly Scouting: A Key to Overcoming Field Challenges
By Emma Heiden University of Minnesota Extension Summer Intern Year after year, farmers are faced with many different challenges in their fields. Some of these challenges may be prevented or reduced by just going out and scouting your fields weekly. Early-season scouting is crucial for identifying potential problems such as pests, diseases, or nutrient deficiencies, which can … [Read more...]
I Love the Smell of Wet Squirrels in the Morning
I couldn’t see a sun in the sky. It had either overslept or clouds covered it. I took a deep breath. I sucked up a couple of mosquitoes into my nose. They were small ones, about the size of robins. I said, “I love the smell of wet mosquitoes in the morning,” paraphrasing Robert Duvall, who, as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in the movie “Apocalypse Now,” said, “I love the … [Read more...]
I’ve Been to About Half of Everywhere, Man
Ouch, ouch, ouch! The water hit like thousands of tiny bricks being flung at me with incredible accuracy. I was being pelted with drops of water. It wasn’t a hard rain falling. It was hot water from a forceful shower. I’d intentionally set the showerhead to a superhero power. It was the “hurt me without doing any permanent damage” setting. Exiting the shower, I encountered … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Christmas in July
By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches As children, many of our parents used the threat of “Santa Claus is watching!” when they were trying to keep our behavior in line. Santa Claus saw the “good” little girls and boys and prepared presents for them, while the “bad” little girls and boys received lumps of coal. Unfortunately, some of … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – They Ate Wild Meat, But Not the Tender Beef
In the southeast corner of Houston County, the southeastern-most county in Minnesota, proximity to the Mississippi River and Winnebago Creek allowed some of the earliest white settlers to make a living from fishing, trapping and hunting. But like elsewhere in the county, agriculture provided a living for most. Land records indicate that there were more land renters than … [Read more...]
Ask a Trooper
Question: Are smoked tail lights illegal in Minnesota? Answer: Minnesota law states that “tail lamps shall be plainly visible from a distance of 100 feet to the rear during normal sunlight and at night.” The same goes for turn signals and headlights. Smoking, tinting, covering or placing any material over tail lights, brake lights, headlights or turn signals would be illegal … [Read more...]