Summer has always been my favorite season. I love the feeling of warm sunshine, fresh air, and endless days spent outside. Whether I’m playing fetch with our dog, hammocking on the deck, or working away in my garden, there’s just something magical about this time of year. The garden is, without a doubt, my happy place. Each year my husband and I try to make our garden a bit … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Nobody Knew Where the Border Was
The southern border of Houston County and Fillmore County is the Iowa state line. When settlers arrived in southeast Minnesota Territory in 1852, Iowa had been a state for six years. But the border was only a line on a map. On the ground, nobody knew where the Iowa border was. When the territories of Minnesota and Iowa could not agree on a boundary, Congress intervened. … [Read more...]
Just Having Fun!!! Laughter, Giggles, And Orange Hair!!!
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish of the UMC Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston, and Spring Valley: Faith Churches (and Lenora) Just having fun! Here’s a picture of two of my granddaughters having fun with grandpa! How do you like my new hairstyle? We were having a happy and fun time together during the week of the Fillmore County Fair. There was a lot of … [Read more...]
What is a Salad?
By Rose Korabek It’s peak picnic and barbecue season across the nation, and during the “dog days of summer,” chefs and home cooks alike seek to create delicious easy, no-cook salads. The Oxford Dictionary defines a salad as a cold dish of mixed ingredients, typically including raw vegetables, greens, or fruits, and often served with a dressing. The word originates from the … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Farming, Exploring, Educating, Socializing and Jury Duty
Part two of a two-part series Eugene Marshall, an early surveyor in what became Houston County, was elected the first county surveyor in 1854. Massachusetts-born Marshall, at age 21, arrived in Minnesota Territory from Wisconsin as a farmer in 1853 before his surveying experience provided his main source of income. Letters to his sister provide a glimpse into those first … [Read more...]
At the End Of The Day … Ponderosa Sunset
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish of the UMC Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston, and Spring Valley: Faith Churches (and Lenora) As many of you know, I like to walk on my land lovingly nicknamed “The Ponderosa.” I like to walk in the woods, down the road and out in the field. A few nights ago in the cool of the evening ... (somewhat cooler than the scorching heat of … [Read more...]
Enter the Fairgrounds and Leave the Rest of the World Outside
Life was easier back when everything I ate went to my feet. Like a moth to a flame, I'm drawn to the fair – and not only as an innocent bystander. I've told stories on stage, answered questions about nature, helped presenters, served as a superintendent, pushed food, given away excellent yardsticks, acted as an emcee, represented organizations, been a vendor, shown animals, … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Pork, Bread, Potatoes for Breakfast, Supper, Dinner
In 1853 at age 21, when he first arrived in what became Houston County, Minnesota, there were only two dwellings within seven miles, and they were small 12 by 16 feet shanties, barely meeting the needs of their residents. Therefore, newcomers had to do whatever they could. There was a just-arrived family from Wisconsin living in their wagon. Massachusetts-born Eugene Marshall … [Read more...]
Not Every Hurricane Is Named After One of Your In-Laws
A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with winds of 74 mph or greater. The word hurricane is derived from the Mayan word Huracan, and the Taino and Carib word Hunraken, god of evil. Early tracking relied on geographic references and Catholic saint days before an Australian meteorologist pioneered personal names in the late 1800s, using the names of local politicians he … [Read more...]
The Fruits of Leisure
Time and again summer calls us – to the water or the woods – to find rest, recreation, and wellness. Whether seaside vacation, weekend on the river, or a mindful forest hike, a seasonal restoration of our connection with the natural world seems essential, and it’s a thirst the weekly lawn-mowing or even daily garden maintenance alone cannot quench. Long before the term … [Read more...]