Columns

We celebrated a 70th wedding anniversary for Matt’s parents Saturday, and I kept thinking what an amazing gift it is to reach that milestone. Arden and Mary Ellen were married on July 17, 1954, at the tender ages of 20 and 19, which sounds terribly young today, but they fit right in with their peers at the time. To be married at that age also gave them a better shot at reaching a 70-year…

For the most part, every creature in nature is totally cute when it is born. I do have a few exceptions, and the strongest one on my list is a baby robin. They do not look at all cute. They are all fuzz and two huge eyes. On the opposite end of that spectrum is the fawn of a whitetail deer. I don’t know anyone on this planet that doesn’t agree that a deer fawn is adorable. I am seeing a less…

Standing in the middle of Main Street Luverne during Thursday’s Hot Dog Night, I heard a small voice ask, “Are you a newspaper reporter?” Mary (Galagan) Arnold, LHS Class of 1972, was the voice behind the question. With an affirming smile she explained that nine members of her family came to Luverne. One, her son-in-law Kendall Rhyne, set attending Hot Dog Night as a bucket list item. He wasn…

 “Be a george” week has been underway for a few days now. I am just checking to see if you have been a george or if you have been the recipient of a george act, or maybe both. As I am typing this column, I am trying to be a george, but my computer is testing me. Every time I type the name George with a small “g,” my computer changes it to a capital “G.” While this is frustrating, it’s another…

With a break from the rains, I was willing to venture outside a bunch this past week. My rain gauge in Nobles County had 15.2 inches of rain over the past few weeks. The grass is tall, the mosquitoes are as big as fighter jets, and there are certainly a lot of them. With all of my food plots tended to and much of the “to do” list completed, I opted for an afternoon of clay bird shooting. A…

Melvin was not really a stray cat. He was obviously a cat that someone had loved and lost or, God forbid, loved and dumped at the edge of town. I introduced him to you in April. “It was just after the Big Chill a few weeks ago that Melvin appeared by our back door.  The big orange tabby was also a few feet from death’s door. He had a cut on his face, a broken tail, a gimpy leg and hadn’t had a…

There is nothing else to talk about in southwest Minnesota except flooding. I have lived in this part of the state for 50 years and have only seen it this bad a few other times. Lives are changed and fortunes ruined. The only light at the end of this tunnel is that the waters are receding and most of the roads that were once closed are now open again. I was blown away about how fast the gravel…

I recently spent five days in New York City — my third trip there but my first time staying in the heart of Manhattan near Times Square.  I think few vacation destinations in the United States can be more different from Luverne than Midtown Manhattan.  The height and number of buildings. The crowds and constant rush of the people. The traffic jams and nonstop, pointless honking.  The sheer…

When I received my annual Minnesota registration renewal notice reminder letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago, it came as no surprise. The tabs on my vehicle come due in July. My vehicle is old enough and then some to qualify for the lowest renewal fee. It wasn’t too many years ago that my tabs cost me in the $40 range, but now it’s $96.75. Well, kind of. Roughly 30 percent of the increase…

Betty Mann, our beloved community historian, is a self-proclaimed crier. “I cry at the drop of a hat,” she says. “I cry when I’m sad, I cry when I’m glad and I cry when I’m mad.” She said if her husband encountered her in tears, he’d ask, “What is it this time?” She jokes about her tears, but as a self-proclaimed non-crier I’m a bit jealous, because I’ve learned the benefits of a good cry. I…

I went on one heck of a road trip last week. I decided to go see the world, or more precisely, a large part of the state of Minnesota. It was part adventure, part volunteer work, and part a small-paying side hustle. I am a very passionate supporter of public lands. These are often referred to as state or federal lands. I call them citizen-owned lands.  This means that every acre of a Wildlife…

Father’s Day meant a three-generation gathering at our Hardwick farm. There was food, an air-conditioned garage and a recently purchased jungle gym to keep the youngest generation busy. Laughs and a good meal were shared by all the families involved. Family, I’ve realized, has a myriad of definitions. A more traditional definition of family is those related by birth or marriage. Another…

This past Sunday was Father’s Day, and I think most dads would say every day is Father’s Day. Sure, some of those days being a dad can be a bit troublesome, but for the most part every day being a dad is a good day. Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Sept. 11 (not because of 9-11) and Father’s Day are the days I think about and remember my dad the most. Memorial Day and Veterans Day were the two days…

The origins of Flag Day can be traced to a resolution adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, following a report by the special committee assigned to suggest the flag’s design. It recommended that the flag of the United States shall be of 13 stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of 13 stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation. Both President…

While most mothers of the bride spend months planning a daughter’s wedding, I’ve spent months wondering if there is something I’m supposed to be doing.  Our youngest, Kate, who is getting married Aug. 31, will never be called a Bridezilla.  “She said yes to the dress” on Facebook Marketplace. She asked her (one) bridesmaid to wear “whatever.”  I’m not even sure if I’m supposed to wear a dress…

I recently spent the day in the boat with a professional fishing guide by the name of Travis Frank. You might recognize this name as he is also the host of the Pheasants Forever television show called “The Flush.” Travis is a fully jammed up guy with a schedule this 63-year-old could never manage. He works for Ron Shara Productions and hosts several shows and is involved with the production of…