The Squirrel Wars
“It must have been the wind.” That was my first thought when found soil strewn about the stoop and some freshly planted annuals uprooted from their pots. It had been windy overnight. The soil was light. This was a plausible explanation. If there’s anything I’ve learned from living in Hot Dish Land, it’s that most […]
Sit Down and Eat
The server placed silverware, all neatly wrapped in a napkin, on a nearby table. She set down two full glasses of water. Then two cups into which she poured steaming coffee. She left the coffee pot on the table and set down two menus.Sitting a few feet away, savoring a Clara’s Special breakfast and a […]
Dire straits in the trades…
In the past several months we’ve had a lot of work done on our house and greenhouse. New kitchen cabinets, some electrical rewiring in the greenhouse and house and new plumbing in the kitchen. It’s all but finished now but it brings to mind how critical the trades are and how short they are of […]
What’s in a name?
Rod Wilson and his wife, Sue, are visiting family in California, consequently the responsibility to write “A View from Our Side” falls to me this week. As publisher, I generally handle the business side of running the paper so writing a column is not something I normally do. Nonetheless I’m happy for this opportunity. As […]
Summer Fire Safety
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, over half (57%) of grill fires on residential properties occur in the four months of May, June, July and August. Grill fires on residential properties result in an estimated average of 10 deaths, 100 injuries and $37 million in property loss each year. To ensure a safe grilling experience, […]
What’s killing the honeybees?…
Believe it or not, there are people out there who still don’t know what’s causing the “mysterious” death of honeybees. I thought this was old news, but apparently not. For a time, that was the case. Nobody knew what was killing honeybees. But research in France during the 1990s proved that a class of chemicals […]
T-ball Explained, Sort of
Oh, my goodness! What sport is it where the jersey is the same length as a bathrobe and players from both teams are as mixed as a bag of marbles at the same time? The answer is T-ball, which apparently includes kids from birth to a year or two older. No knowledge of the rules, […]
….in my rear view mirror
Some of you are old enough to remember singer Mac Davis who hit the billboard charts with the song “Happiness Is Texas in my Rearview Mirror”. The song goes on to describe why he had to leave Texas. But in the end, his love of Lubbock, Texas, finally causes him to yearn to return and […]
Pembina Gorge State Park…
On May 22, Gov. Doug Burgum announced the Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area will be developed and become North Dakota’s 14th state park. A total of $6 million in funding for this venture has been secured by the North Dakota Parks & Recreatikon Department during the 2023 legislative session. A matching $2 million will come […]
You’re So Flexible
“You’re so flexible.” Unbelievably, the words were directed at me–spoken while standing in a shady driveway I know well. The voice, too, was familiar. A soft, comforting tone that conjured up memories of high school antics, college summer vacations long past, and cold cookies that always seemed to materialize from the freezer at just the […]