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A tough job

My wife and I recently provided day care for our 6-year-old grandson for a week. It will probably take me a month to recover. We had taken care of little boys before, obviously, although that was more than thirty years ago. We aren’t as young as we were back then, but little boys are still as energetic as tornadoes. My grandfathers were stoic, stately men who sat on the couch and drank black coffee and talked about crops and world events. They did not get on the floor with their grandkids and played with toys with them. But in their defense, they each had a score of ...

Northern Minn. fires indicate reality of climate change

The North Woods are something that makes Minnesota stand out on both an economic scale and in terms of recreational resources. The far north provides lumber, paper, iron ore, fishing, boating, canoe routes, and many excellent resorts, The recent fires near Ely show that it’s not something to be taken for granted. Forest fires occurred near the start of the region’s summer tourism season. Smoke and haze covered a wide area. It kept away many tourists, turning what would have been busy weeks into a much quieter and less profitable time period. It made headlines in statewide ...

Ice cream and food trailers a sweet success for Lingens

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, food trucks have surged into a multi-billion dollar industry. There are probably a variety of reasons for their popularity such as offering unique cuisine that might not be available nearby and the lower startup costs than brick-and-motor ...

Varmint vexations

Wildlife must be doing quite well, judging by the volume of roadkill I’ve seen lately. There seems to be a season for each species to commit highway hara-kiri. For instance, a month or so ago skunks were the prevalent source of roadside gore. Most of the stinkers appeared to be fairly young, perhaps the skunk equivalent of teenagers. This leads one to wonder what drove these youngsters to seek this smushed state. Maybe peer pressure was a factor: “I dare you to cross that road! Are you a skunk or a chicken? Bwaak, bwaak! There he goes... Run, Pepé, run! No! Don’t stop and ...

Following the twist and time in history from Bohemia

A thing that comes with age is increased interest in those who came before. I wish I had asked my parents so many more questions about their lives. Our daughter Abby spent time doing ancestry work on both Pam’s and my side. Others have worked on the Krzmarzicks. Everyone’s work can build on others’ on websites like ancestry.com. Amazingly, we can go back to the 1500s with some lines that led to Abby. Of course, the further back you go, we only know names and where they lived. Earlier this summer, I got to visit a place that is important in my family story. We spent two weeks in ...

Contested primaries offer more choices for average voters

Minnesota is in the spotlight this summer thanks to primary races for several its highest offices. Endorsed DFL candidate Peggy Flanagan faces a widely publicized challenge from Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig for the U.S. Senate nomination. On the Republican side, several candidates for governor are hoping to advance to the general election where they would face Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Several candidates are also running for the Senate seat. Decisions will be made next week on Tuesday. Judging from posts on my Facebook, the Senate DFL race has led to divided opinions even among local and ...