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My granddaughters have reached the toddler stage so “going for a walk” has taken on a whole new meaning. Traditionally, “going for a walk” means moving quickly with the goal of increasing one’s heart rate. Toddler walks are different. Toddler walks are more focused on sticks, rocks, leaves and worms and less focused on physical fitness. Or getting anywhere. Or actually walking. Toddlers live in…

The following appeared in the Rock County Herald on December 4, 1896:   STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1896   The Total Acreage of Various Farm Products, the Number of Horses, Cattle, Sheep and Hogs, and Other Facts of Interest—Some Comparisons With the Statistics for 1895   The agricultural statement of Rock county for the year 1896, prepared by the county auditor from the statistics gathered by the…

We have another almost-licensed driver in our household, which is about to have a profound effect on the grownups in our family who currently chauffeur him to practice, social outings and other obligations. I say “almost” and “about to” because the kid is 15 and has passed his behind-the-wheel test to secure a farm permit — which allows him to travel for farm purposes only, and only for limited…

Just a reminder that if you have had indoor plants “vacationing” outdoors for the summer, it is time to start acclimating them to coming back inside. A day or two inside followed by a day or two outside will give them a chance to adjust to lower light and the warmer temperature without shocking the plant by an abrupt change which often results in a lot of leaves turning yellow and dropping. Do…

As a child growing up in the 1970s and ‘80s, I couldn’t wait to see the latest horror flick. Movies like “The Shining,” “Christine,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” and “Friday the 13th” would garner excitement. These movies featured a creepy bad guy who was out to hurt teenagers or their family members. Now as an adult, however, I purposely steer clear of horror movies. They have become too real due…

My last column was about buying a new alarm clock. This one is going to be about time. More precisely, the following is more about the word “time” than how to tell time. I figured there is no better time to write about time than now, so I suppose you could say it’s about time. We have part time, full time and vacation time. Some people consider vacation time as party time or just leisure time. If…

This is a big weekend in Luverne. Sure, there have been a lot of "big" events in Luverne this summer. Buffalo Days, Fourth of July at The Lake, Hot Dog Night, the county fair, a beer fest, and other events have given local residents plenty to do. But this weekend is the Tri-State Band Festival, the 66th annual festival in fact, which means it's been around longer than all but one…

I can’t tell you how long it’s been since we’ve bought a new alarm clock in the Peterson household, but it’s been awhile. The old one we brought with us when we moved here nearly 12 years ago. It had the standard features of the backup battery, digital display, AM/FM radio which we never used, and the two features we like the best —the two alarm time settings and the automatic adjusting for the…

Warning: Words printed in italics convey true feelings. Come mid-October residents with Minnesota driver’s licenses may have trouble boarding an airplane or entering military bases or federal buildings. This could include my family as we travel to San Antonio, Texas, for Adam’s graduation from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base. The baby of the family left Wednesday. Taking a deep breath.…

With the school year quickly approaching I would like to focus on the safety of our children. Following the guidelines below will help keep children safe around school buses. School bus safety tips for motorists: Motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus displaying red flashing lights and/or its stop arm is extended.  This is important not only when approaching a school bus from the…

The following appeared in the Rock County Herald on January 9, 1925.   CONSOLIDATION OF HARDWICK BANKS FOUND BENEFICIAL   Results Attained Following Merge Held to Justify Elimination of Double Overhead Expense.   In proof of the assertion that nothing is to be gained commercially or economically by too many institutions of a similar nature in a restricted field of endeavor, officers of the…

Wow, where did the summer go? Officially it’s still summer, at least until Sept. 22. There are all kinds of signs that fall is just around the corner, though. For me the start of the football season is the most obvious sign the summer is in its last chapter. Shorter days and cooler temps are greeting us each day, and the summer flowers have seen better days. Many of you may not be aware, but…

The college kid is back on campus, and while he’s four hours from home, we’re only a text message apart (or cell phone call if there’s a real emergency). So heading back to college doesn’t carry the weight of “good-bye” that my college days did. I had a dorm phone on the wall that placed calls to Kenneth only when used with a prepaid calling card. There were letters home, written in pencil lead…

Hard as it is to believe and still harder to accept, next week will be Labor Day and that is the end of summer. I enjoy autumn but still regret summer’s exit … so on we go from here. I want you to stop feeding any shrubs, roses or trees for this season. We want the growth that is there to mature, and fertilizing at this time will encourage new growth which will have a hard time surviving winter.…

Rock River Beerfest is this Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Blue Mound Ice Area. If you buy a ticket for the event before Saturday, you can save yourself five bucks. Advance tickets are $25 and available at the Luverne Chamber office, Take 16 and the Blue Mound Liquor Store here in Luverne. Time is running out to get your ticket in advance, so I would suggest you do so no later than Friday. The…

In my completion of daily horse chores, I often hear the familiar honks of Canada geese as they pass overhead. This spring, however, there was one honk that sounded a little different from the others. I am fairly certain it was Gary greeting me. Two summers ago my family unknowingly fostered a Canada goose into adulthood. What was then a gray and yellow fuzzy ball grew up to be a beautiful black…