I see that the bill that our Minnesota House has brought forward to vote on does not include funding to complete the dredging on Fountain Lake. This is very disappointing, but not all that surprising when it seems that money will be spent on most things Metro. I know that Representative Bennett and Senator Dornik both support the passage of the dredging, but as of now it has not even been included in the bill brought to the legislature. I’d hope that they reconsider and do include the funding in that bill. We have a beautiful resource here and why wouldn’t they want to finish the last phase?
There is also talk of closing the Freeborn County license center. It seems as if many of the entities that we depend on, and have depended on, are slowly disappearing, which does not bode well for the well- being of our community in the long run. I don’t want to get political, but it’s just my take on things.
As long as I’m sharing, the fish houses had to be off of the lakes in the Southern part of Minnesota by March first. With that being said, the garbage that is left behind will go nowhere but to the bottom of the lake, I’d hope that our area fishermen are better than that.
On a sad note: Pickerel Lake has, once again, had a freeze out. It seems like it has been getting harder for fish to survive in that lake. The low amount of moisture that we had this past fall, coupled with the cold run, were no doubt contributing factors.
As I look out over the countryside, I am no longer excited to see snow, although the snow cover still enhances the beauty of said countryside. The beauty of the snow cover is magnified by moonlight giving one a different perspective as nature paints its own masterpiece. As we move into March, I am more than ready to move on to the next season.
As the weather warms up, the desire for spring seems to intensify, which may be a sign of the dreaded “cabin fever” that I have been trying to avoid. I’d guess that Covid has added fuel to the fire when making winter seem like its dragging on. Once the weather warms, we can once again spend more time social distancing in the outdoors.
There are days when I will go to one of the stores in our town and walk the inside perimeter of the store while shopping, just to get a little exercise. Unfortunately, this is not a substitute for walking outside. I can’t walk the distances that I once did, but I still enjoy the fresh air.
Over the years, I have put on many miles almost each and every day and have had a few critters cross paths with me. I have, on a few different occasions, had deer run across the road in front of me. I didn’t have headlights on, so they didn’t stop and stare at me. Another time while on an early-morning walk down Newton Street, I looked to my left and there was a fox trotting down the middle of the road beside me. The fox was trotting at a faster pace than I was and soon cut in front of me and disappeared into a brush pile behind a house. It was then that I realized that I didn’t have to head north to see wildlife. In fact, I didn’t even have to leave town.
I’d have to say that my fascination with wildlife goes way back to my days growing up north of town. I was pretty much obsessed with the sighting of any critter in the wild. I am not a deer hunter, but each time that I see one I get a good feeling which reassures me that there is still enough habitat left for wildlife to exist.
Until next time: whether, sledding, skating, hiking or just going for a walk, there are many ways to get out of the house and enjoy a little outdoors activity. Whenever I get in a funk, I take a long drive in the country where the beauty of the snowy countryside is not only beautiful but relaxing.
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