Columnists
Deb finally witnessed a Monarch chrysalis this summer on a wooden support pole. Star Eagle photo by Deb Bently
My congratulations to the Waseca County Fair committee for a delightful five days filled with entertainment, education, networking, and fun–many of them all at once.
I spent more time at the fair in 2026 than I had in recent years; somehow it seemed I just couldn’t leave. Each time I...
FIREBALL - Deb helped her husband create an exciting and safe fireworks show at Bad Medicine Lake in northern Minnesota.
I have just come back from my annual Fourth of July sojourn up north, where I get to ride on my husband’s coattails while he takes charge of a fireworks show for Veronen’s Resort located on Bad Medicine Lake about half an hour from Park Rapids. When guests there learn I am part of the fireworks...
As anyone who’s ever had to carry buckets full of it knows, water is heavy. Online sources inform me a gallon weighs about 8.3 pounds, which means someone with a classic five-gallon bucket is lifting somewhere around 40 pounds, depending on how close they’ve brought the water to the brim.
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SIGNS OF REPAIR - Signs like these, colored a reflective blue, appear at every railroad crossing. In speaking with people in the construction field, Deb learned hearing from drivers about the condition of a railroad crossing might help influence railroad companies to allow local agencies to make repairs.
A while back, the newspaper was contacted by an area reader who wanted us to highlight the condition of area railroad crossings. His implication, of course, is that the crossings are rough, causing many drivers to go looking for the “best” path by swinging wide as they drive over the tracks...
I don’t necessarily take offense when people use coarse language in front of or around me. After all, from a surface perspective words are only sounds. I’ve shared before that the German word “Schlittenfahrt”– whatever it sounds like to a non-speaker, only means “sleigh ride.”
Since I am a...
MAGNIFICENT CREATURE - The elegant shape and distinctive yellow and black colors mean this butterfly is a swallowtail.
Though I did not capture them with a camera, a number of “pictures” from the last 7 to 10 days keep staying with me.
The first two descriptions I want to offer are alike, but different.
At a T-intersection of two gravel roads, I came to a stop and then made a right turn. My stop must...
COMING HOME - On May 22, a flag-draped casket holding navy pilot Thomas Ruth’s remains was loaded into a plane in Hawaii and flown to the Twin Cities.
“The creator worked this out just right,” commented one veteran. “To have this happening over the Memorial Day weekend.”
“This” is the return of navy pilot Thomas Ruth to his home town 85 years after he left. Ruth’s plane had crashed in an obscure jungle in enemy territory during a battle...
The smoke shack at Farmamerica caught fire when Deb was there to guide kids through the farmstead.
There is a difference between knowing something and feeling it in your gut.
The other morning, I was volunteering at Farmamerica. This time of year, the organization offers field trips to students from area schools. Students from various communities arrive, are introduced to the facility...
Thank goodness for blue jeans.
I’m really grateful for how durable and versatile they are, and for how universally acceptable they’ve become.
I began my career as a teacher in the early 1990s. It was decades before I wore blue jeans in my classroom, and that was only on casual Fridays...
I have discovered that plants are a lot like books.
It’s a strange line of thought, I agree, but stay with me.
Let me start with an explanation. I love reading, and consequently, I love books. I read whatever takes my fancy or satisfies my curiosity. For some reason, I like reading...