Clinton Chatter

Recently some very familiar phrases came back to me as we are beginning to see signs of spring all around us. However, the words that come to my mind these days are a bit different than the ones we remembered. They are "What is so rare as a day in April after the first spring rain?" It has come and all frowning things are beginning to realize it is time for them to wake up. If you think they haven’t heard their wake up call, just take a walk in the early morning. It is the most refreshing time of the year. The brilliant green grass has little sparkling drops of water glistening in the sun. The brilliant faces of the yellow dandelions are smiling up at you and the violets are peeking out of their retreat to brighten your day. Soon your favorite pets discover you are up for the day and come running to greet you. What more could we ask? It’s a beautiful day in April!A week ago Sunday our peace and quiet of a beautiful spring evening was shattered when a severe weather watch was issued for this area of Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota. I thought we had lucked out but now I am hearing that the Herman and June Kroon farm buildings had received some severe damages. One silo was lost and a second one had to be demolished as it was no longer safe. A pole barn in which they kept hay and straw was also demolished, as well as other minor damages. One never knows what life has in store for us!There will probably be a shortage of news this week as there have been many people on the sick list. It sounds like it has been mostly colds and coughing.Bertha Bosch, Mildred Keunen, Joy Aykens and Milton Bonnema attended the volunteer dinner at Tuff Home in Hills on Friday.The Rev. Fred Wilgenburg was guest pastor in Steen Reformed Church on Sunday morning. The Rev. Ben Den Herder was the guest speaker for the evening service as Pastor Dan Ramaker was filling the pulpit at Chandler Reformed Church. The Hills-Beaver Creek junior-senior prom was Friday evening, April 23. The theme for the evening was "I Believe." The program began at 5:30 p.m. with supper being served at 6:30 p.m. The grand march as at 8 p.m. at the Hills High School gym. The public was invited to attend the grand march and also take pictures from 7:45 to 8:15 p.m. The dance began at 9 p.m. and continued until 11 p.m. I am sure a good time was had by all!Ada Roberts and Mary Petersen from Luverne were Sunday afternoon callers in the Mildred Paulsen home. The Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School had their rollerskating party from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 23.The Steen Opportunity Extension Club had their annual spring tour on Thursday, April 29. They left at 9 a.m. for Dell Rapids, S.D., where they spent their day sightseeing. Dries and Laura May Bosch attended the musical program which was presented by the Little Gems at Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Falls Sunday evening. Their granddaughters, Emma and Isabel Bosch, daughters of Tom and Amy Bosch, sang with the group. Following the program they all had lunch together. April 25 through May 2 has been designated Soil and Water Stewardship Week. The theme is "The Living Soil." Each year the National Association of Conservation Districts and its 3,000 local soil and water conservation districts celebrate this observance to help remind all citizens of their individual responsibility to care for soil and water resources on private land. Now in its 49th year, this special observance is built around a theme that ties ethical and spiritual values to practical land conservation practices.This year the NACD Stewardship Advisory Committee — made up of members from the religious, educational, and conservation communities — has asked us to give a careful consideration to the care of soil under our feet. Millions of words have been written about the living soil. Many were scientific and factual, some were emotional and moving, others artistic and creative. But in generation after generation, it is important to bring attention back to the central theme — the living soil sustains all life on earth. Without the soil, nothing lives. Healthy soil supports healthy environments, and healthy environment supports healthy life. As you walk across a field or down a forest pathway your eyes and feet will give you messages about the soil. On your next walk, try to sense those messages. Is the soil hard, or does it feel spongy? Is it wet or dry? Look around you. What plants do you see? You may be surprised to learn that most soil has lots of open space below the surface — cracks, channels and pores between the solid grains of sand and soil and around growing plant roots. You may also be surprised to learn that millions of beneficial organisms are going through their daily routine of eating, breathing, living, and dying in the soil. One cup of fertile soil may contain as many bacteria as there are people on Earth. In one acre — an area about the size of a football field — there may be a ton or more of microscopic bacteria. That’s equal to the weight of two full-grown cows!We eat the food, drink the water, breathe the air, and enjoy the views, but only a few of us walk the fields and forests on a regular basis and understand what those lands need from us in order to sustain the living soil. However, here are a few things each of us can do in our own backyards to be better stewards of our soil resources:
Protect the soil from damage by wind or water erosion by keeping healthy plants growing on the surface.
Restore and maintain organic matter in soil, such as grass clippings or tree leaves.
Protect and enhance soil life by using the least amounts and the least toxic materials to control pest problems on growing plants. Thanks to Steen Reformed Church for sharing this above article.