Unlike the tobacco people who attempted to keep the danger and atrophies of tobacco a secret, your kindly dentist has been warning you for years, can the pop. That sugar flavored water is the ruination of your teeth and body. 

There should be a label on bottles and cans outlining that this substance is to the endangerment of your health. But, unfortunately pop doesn't have the villain image that is associated with tobacco.  As such, it sneaks by as an innocent refreshing treat.

Yes, I understand and try to stand against these beverages. I get that the production of these beverages employs a million some workers. They rely on its delivery for an honest pay check.

Even so, it is time we start thinking of the health and wellbeing of the generations who have become addicted to its use. Actually, I think some children grew up not knowing what water is.  (Not that there aren't some facts about water needing examination but that is a whole other story.)

So, unless you want to wear a toothbrush next to your cell phone, for use after every enticing drought of the stuff, think twice about whether the flavor is worth the expense to your body and teeth. Read the label but also read what is between the lines too. There is honest tricking to deal with. 

In my honest opinion, there is nothing more appealing than looking at a glass of good, clean water, maybe with ice or a slice of lemon, if you need a taste beyond water.  It is refreshing and fulfilling and necessary to keep all the little tubes and veins running smoothly in your body. Your heart, limbs, liver and kidneys (and gizzards - whoops that is chickens) will thank you greatly.

Did you know that the sugar and chemicals in these beverages contaminate and slow down your circulation? They also raise havoc with your muscles and tendons as opposed to good, clean clear water that filters and cleanses instead.

We need some sort of warning sign plastered on these beverages.  If it isn't there, imagine a sign on the side of the can that reads DANGER, hazardous to your health. I also encourage you to see the vision of a stop sign on pop machines. 

Have a long talk with yourself and your loved ones.  It's critical.  And don't give me that stuff about diet drinks.  Most artificial sweeteners are more hazardous than sugar.

Hang on to those teeth you were born with and were given later on in your life.  You may be able to replace them for a price with plastic, but they'll never be the same as your own.  Think about all that sticky sugar and stuff that's clogging up your wellbeing and think "free to be me"...."I'm sweet enough already."

Life is a gamble. It is expensive.  Doctors and dentists don't need all your money.  They would rather see you healthy. It is easier to check on a healthy body than to try and cure a sick one.

With my mind in a different direction, I am all for progress we have made technology wise. No longer are there piles of paperwork charted and written in long hand and filed in endless boxes. 

Although, there are also times when it can get very aggravating to be talking to a machine, or even and individual who runs the machine but doesn't really know what is going on.

I am glad to be living in a state where we have what I call strong, clear English that is understandable. That still doesn't help me any if the one on the other end of the phone has an accent that is hard to comprehend.

I am grateful for Frontier Communications for all the times they've talked me through some computer glitches with understandable language and patience.  There is such a difference in people. 

The Samsung commercial shows us how you can talk to your television.  What happens when your two- year-old starts an uncompromising conversation with a show he/she shouldn't watch?

Once again, I’m changing gears. A gear that involves going to the gym. There’s a good reason why we should.

A few include that we no longer have to flush the toilet, roll out a roll of toilet paper, turn on a faucet, open a door or even open the garbage can because it is all done with an electronic eye. It does makes life more sanitary in a world that has gotten stronger and "meaner" with bacteria.

I still believe though that every little movement has a meaning of its own and we are losing some. Remember how office girls gained weight because they went from using regular typewriters to electric typewriters? Well, now computers have made the tasks even less strenuous. 

Unless we compensate or work at it, we will all become like a woos.  What is a woos?  I don't know I just made that up for somebody who isn't too competent or strong any more.

My mother always says the worst thing she thinks can happen is to not have anything to do and not being able to do that.  It may be grammatically incorrect, but it sounds like a trueism to me.

— — —

Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented that they like to read about the local happenings and family events such as family and school reunions, birthday and anniversary celebrations, and birth and wedding announcements.

In order to read about these important things we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us, so we can then pass along the news to you.  If you have news to share, please contact me.

Also, if our NRHEG Star Eagle readers would like to share birthdays and anniversaries of your family and friends, or you know of some that should be deleted, or names have changed, please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; by postal mail, P.O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035 or telephone, 507-256-4405.

• Thursday, April 5th: LaVada Jensen, Colette Bauers, Samuel Thompson, Alyssa Hareid, Brian Shultz, Duane Nelson, Mike Johnson, Gary & Sue Hunnicutt, Dale & Nancy Kelly.

• Friday, April 6th: Skip Cromwell, Spencer Kubat, Eric Crabtree, Duane Lembke, Cheryl Sauke, Dean Westrum, Andrew Hareid, Paul Underland, Laurie Wayne, Paul Highum, Chris Phillips Carlson.

• Saturday, April 7th: Janye Villarreal, Janice Jensen Skovera, Lou Hanson-Vu, Katie Lembke, Michael & Kari Ingvaldson, Gary & Sonya Peterson.

• Sunday, April 8th: Sarah Collins, Ivy Obermoller, Dick Tracy, Nick Vreeman, Tim Stollard, Mark Hemingway, Sherri Carlson, Karen O'Byrne, Bob Donovan, David Pitcock, Alice Grosland, Dale & Vivian Dulas, Paul & Karissa Dolan.

• Monday, April 9th: Becky Larson, Justin Tufte, June Lageson, Abby Paige Christopherson, Raianna Thomas, Jim Kaplan, Kiersten Knudson, Mike Nechanicky, Larry Sarver, Clarice McGrath, Tiffany Chrz, Joe & Mandy Moon.

• Tuesday, April 10th: Kimberly Luhring, Sara Bergerson, Sarah Skroch, Sophia Rose Christensen, Luke David Olson, Daniel Gould, Liz Reichl, Harold Pitcock, Arlen & Coleen Brekke, Lawrence & Dorothy Sprankle.

• Wednesday, April 11th: Barb Marcus, Ruth Benson, Lori Dobberstein, Jacob Alan Reynolds, Dan Nelson, Darrin Thostenson, Theresa Bartsch, James Thompson.

• Thursday, April 12th: Tiegen Kay Richards, her 5th; Rory Ann Bickler, Guy Cromwell, Charise Oland, Cheryl Thompson, Deb Wilking, Allen & Betty Brandt, Roger & Reta Draayer.

• Friday, April 13th: Victor Mrotz, Jamie Johnson, Andrea Casteron Malo, Ava Raye Chapman, her 3rd; David Clausen, Margie Nesdahl, Pat O'Conner, Jason Sullivan, Roxie Ritz Simmons, Megan Benson, Charlotte Miller, Curtis Klecker, Shannon & Jason Peterson, their 8th

It is your special day. Take a break and celebrate!

Surprise somebody. Call someone. Send a card and make their day.  Little things mean a lot.

There are a lot of good things to be said about weddings; discounting the food and drink aspect, it is a chance to meet old acquaintances and spend time with relatives. 

This past weekend, we attended a relative’s wedding near Galena, Illinois. I had almost forgotten how scenic that area of the state is. The wedding actually took place in Stockton and the reception was held in the town of Darlington, Wisconsin. 

During the gap between the wedding and reception, we were able to visit her Uncle Jim’s house in Scales Mound. This outing reminded me of the times we had spent there with my mother-in-law Shirley when visiting her sister Dorothy. Although Shirley and Jean’s Aunt Dorothy have both passed on, the memories of those times were good and it was nice to visit the area again.

At the reception, I talked to Jean’s cousin Bill’s son Ryne about how good the fishing had been in the river this past winter. He asked if I’d ever fished Lake Galena in the Galena territories. I answered that I had sort of fished it once. He laughed and said ‘oh yeah.’ 

I had hoped to squeak by without that subject being brought up this time. But then again, I knew better because it seems to have been one of the highlights of that particular weekend. I won’t bore you readers with the details of that night, but let’s just say that it was an adventurous endeavor that I somehow managed to survive.

While we were talking about that lake, Ryne brought up a plan his Dad Bill had came up with to secure some new Muskie lures from the same lake. It seems he and a friend had built a crate and were planning on dropping it in the water off a certain point in hopes of a Muskie fisherman snagging it and losing his lure. It was not a well thought out plan and as Bill told the story, Ryne kept repeating, “that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” 

Even so, it must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately for Bill he built the crate out of wood, you know the material that floats, so they filled it with rocks and it still floated. So, Bill got his jack out of the car and added that for more weight. Finally, it sunk but I had to ask him if he had realized that the jack was probably worth more than a lure. That’s when Ryan piped in once again with the dumbest idea statement.

At the reception, her cousin Bill asked Jean and I if we’d like to go  morel hunting with him and her brother Ron the next morning. Although pretty early in the season, their weather seemed to be about a month ahead of time. Bill thought there may be a chance that we’d find some.

The next morning, Jean and I awoke early and headed to Galena through a thick fog. Once we arrived at Bill and Diane’s place, we changed shoes and headed to some woods where Bill had found morels in past years. The first place we visited had a gradual hill that looked innocent enough, until I realized that it was a pretty steady incline and it seemed to take forever to reach the edge of the woods. 

Bill loaned me a pair of rubbers that were basically the old farm style two buckle rubbers. I told Bill that wearing these was like walking up the hill wearing ankle weights. We spent quite a while there searching for those mushrooms but didn’t have any luck.

Bill said that he had another spot that we could try, so we drove a few miles to that area. This time we started on the ridge and worked our way across and down to the bottom. With age I have learned that if you don’t walk too far down a hill, the trip back up is not quite so hard.

Although we didn’t find any of those tasty morsels, we did enjoy a beautiful morning and a view of the countryside that was nothing short of magnificent. I spotted a red tail hawk soaring through the opening in the trees halfway down the valley. We also spotted some eagles. I can only leave to your imagination the view from atop the ridge that we were on.

Once we arrived back at the house, Bill discovered a couple of deer ticks had hitched a ride on his scalp. These are the ticks that can lead to Lyme disease. So, after that discovery, we were all a little “itchy” and checking ourselves for those small critters.

The Galena area in itself is well worth a visit. As we drove in the countryside outside of town, it  almost took our breath away. The scenery looked like pages that had been torn out of Country magazine. Galena is a small river town with many historic homes and buildings with the main feature being the home of Ulysses S. Grant.

When I talked to Bill about hunting the area he said that he enjoys hunting deer and turkey with his two sons Douglas and Ryne. Like me, he enjoys the time spent with them in the outdoors more than for the hunting itself. He described a morning turkey hunt as one of the most peaceful experiences that you could have. 

The dead silence breaks as the sun starts to rise. Small birds’ chirps are soon followed by the crows chattering and calling as they start their morning search for food. Lastly, the turkeys start to call each other.

Turkeys strutting their stuff in and of itself is a sight to behold. He said that Ryne can call a turkey in without using a call, just his mouth, and he can even call in such a way that it settles the turkey down.

I could tell from our conversation that Bill has indeed passed on his love of hunting, fishing and the outdoors to his sons. This is what it is all about, passing it on and sharing what nature has given us with the next generation. I am looking forward to our next visit to this area later this summer.

Until next time, enjoy the outdoors and start making those outdoors memories that will last a lifetime.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

It’s spring and "anything is possible," to quote a knowledgeable baseball fan. That’s true, but when I set sail on the Twins’ Clipper, it seems as though I am tacking against the prevailing winds. Optimistic comments are few and far between. 

In reading the beat writers from the Pioneer Press and Tribune, little is written with a positive slant on the upcoming Twins’ season. Even the steadfast Twins’ bloggers don’t offer much hope. When you go outside the state, it is really discouraging. A well respected magazine, Sports Illustrated, has the Twins finishing next-to-last in the Central Division, which is one position higher than Las Vegas thinks.

It could be like Isaiah. I am a lone voice crying in the wilderness, but I think the Twins have a chance. A lot of things have to go right, but it’s possible. Let’s start with the reasonable assumption that the Twins are a .500 ball club. That would give them 81 wins. Sports Illustrated projects the final playoff spot will go to a team with 88 wins. All of a sudden the Twins future looks better.

What needs to happen to get the Twins seven more wins? I am constantly amazed how little things can make a big difference in future outcomes. Another inch on a bat and a long fly ball becomes a home run. A double play ball scoots through the infield. I guess what I’m saying is that the Twins need luck and if it is true about the law of averages, they are due.

O.K., we have luck; what else? Let’s take a look at Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Morneau is meeting the ball well as a designated hitter. I think it’s wise for the Twins to keep him off the field. Granted, he is still subject to concussions when batting or running the bases, but they are less likely.

Mauer will have a good year. Joe is a competitor. Anyone who saw Cretin-Derham win the state basketball tournament in three overtimes can attest to that. If the sluggers come through, they may win the extra seven games by themselves. And how many teams have two American League MVPs on their team?

There is no reason why Span, Willingham and one of the future regulars can’t provide one of the better outfields in the American League. The infield needs a little help and that can come about. Let’s give Danny Valencia third base. All indications from spring training are that he will both hit and field better this year. I’d like to see rookie Brian Dozier eventually play shortstop with new addition, Jamey Carroll, as a utility man ready to relieve ether Dozier or second baseman Alexi Casilla as needed. First base will be manned by average-to-good fielders, Morneau, Plouff, Doumit, Mauer and Parmalee.

What impresses me this spring is the potential big leaguers the Twins have in Dozier, Parmalee and Benson, and it’s very possible their promotions could happen this year. If everything dovetails, it’s likely the Twins will have one of the better batting orders in the American League with Span, Carroll, Mauer, Willingham, Morneau, Doumit Valencia, Casilla and Revere with Parmalee, Dozier and Benson waiting in the wings. Not too shabby.

With the rookies pushing the regulars, it’s reasonable to assume the Twins will have an extra outfielder available for a trade to help out during the season.

You might say that, sure, if things break right the Twins will have a good starting lineup, but what about pitching? You’re right, let’s talk about pitching next time.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

“I like mowing the lawn. It gives me a chance to think.”

“What do you think about?”

“About not mowing the lawn.”

I’ve learned

1. A garden can be a melondrama.

2. That most sweatpants never do.

3. That global warming is caused by heated arguments about what causes global warming.

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbors — both named Bruce — who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: a man will never be as good as he was when he filled out a job application.

Employee of the month

I was on the road far from home. I needed a couple of things. Next to the hotel I was staying in was a large box store. Because it was just a few steps away, I decided to patronize it rather than driving elsewhere. I found the items after some searching and hiking. There were countless checkout lanes, but most were not operating. The "10 items or less" express lane that should have been the "10 items or fewer lane" express lane was crowded with shoppers. I decided to use the self-checkout lane. I pulled it off without a hitch even though I’d had no formal training as a cashier. I was so good at it that I hope to get the employee of the month award and a coveted parking place. Maybe on my next visit, the store will allow me to stock some shelves.

Ask a dumb question

I was a teenager repairing a fence on an incredibly hot and humid day. I was working like a man possessed on a farm that seemed far from everywhere.

A car pulled into the drive and the driver noticed me toiling. He parked, got out of his car, and walked towards me. He was all slicked up, so I marked him a salesman.

"Is your father home?" he asked.

I looked up from the barbed wire that had sliced my arm and said, "Do you think I’d be working this hard if he weren’t?"

Seeing a ceiling fan

I sat in a lovely church listening to the sermon. I noticed a little boy near me looking up. I looked up. A man has to look up when someone else looks up. It’s a law, like gravity. I saw what the boy was looking at. It was a ceiling fan. A wobbly ceiling fan. An extremely wobbly ceiling fan. I was sure it was safe, but not completely sure. It was a serious wobble. I looked at the pastor and tried to listen hard to his words. He said that a person never knows when his or her time is up.

When he said that, I looked up. I’m sure that the minister thought I was offering a prayer. I might have been, but it was to a wobbly ceiling fan.

Signs of spring

1. Turkey vultures return. They have a rocky flight with wings held in a dihedral (a semi-V) shape.

2. Robins? Many robins winter here. Those that migrate and return may need three snows on their tails before it’s truly spring.

3. Mosquitoes. We need a recipe for deep-fried mosquitoes on a stick.

4. UPS drivers wearing shorts.

5. My neighbor Crandall returns my snow blower and borrows my lawn mower.

Why women outlive men

I wrote that more men than women are hit by lightning. A friend from Michigan named Bob Hess asked why that was. When tornadoes threaten, my wife grabs blankets, pillows, enough food for three months, and a combination radio/flashlight that is cranked before huddling in that secret corner of the basement that is supposed to be the safest. Where am I while she hunkers in a spot that eliminates the negative and accentuates the positive? I'm walking to the end of our drive to try to see the tornado. There is an old joke that says no woman will ever have, "Hey, guys, watch this," as a tombstone epitaph. While women are avoiding what might get them, men are trying to see what is going to get them.

Winter in the rearview mirror

  Winter was mild--a phantom. A winter of our content. Winter is never perfect. It doesn’t have to be. A mild winter maintains a presence in our minds. "We’ll pay for that," is a common refrain. Winter torments us even when it’s benign.

Nature notes

Male robins are more brightly colored than females. They have blacker heads and tails, rustier breasts, and more black and white streaking on the throats. The first robins to return in spring are males.

Meeting adjourned

Kindness is contagious.

Genie gave me a short lecture in January. She said just because we’re of the older age, we don’t have to be so far behind on technology. 

So, for my 75th birthday in January, she gave me a GPS. (I plug it into my car cigarette lighter and a lady named Sam tells me directions to get to any place I tell her — unbelievable.) Genie also gave me a camera where you can look at the picture you just took, and then go to your computer and print out the picture. Another unbelievable!

As we were hearing all this talk about Spring Break, we thought it sounded like a good idea to try a journey with our new GPS and camera during the week of March 18. (Spring Break, right?)

We left after church on Sunday to head south on I-35 to visit relatives in Harrison, Arkansas. (600 miles away.) We drove to Bethany, Missouri and checked into the Comfort Inn with a young lady named Beth.

Beth recommended the Country Kitchen as a good, clean, reasonable place to eat — so we did. The potato soup was excellent.

While we were eating, two “good ol’ boy” looking characters were shown to a booth. We heard them telling the waitress they left their home early that morning. Apparently, there was snow on the ground and ice on the lake. 

I was curious and asked where that was. They were from Grand Marais, MN and were headed to Mountain Home, AR for the World Series of Fly Fish Tying competition, as they were both fly tying professionals.

The next morning, I put our luggage back in the car and I noticed this fellow dumping his cigarette butts on the parking lot. I managed to get a picture of this, plus the license plate of the Dodge truck with my new camera.

We checked out and much to our surprise, the maintenance man checked us of the motel. I told him what I had taken a picture of and he showed us the man dumping the cigarette butts. He also told us maintenance is in charge of security and he checks the video camera tapes every morning. Because you must have a valid credit card to stay there, the credit card will be getting a picture plus a ten-dollar charge per butt added to the credit card. Wow!

On our return trip staying at the Comfort Inn, Stacy checked us in and the same maintenance man checked us out. No need for the video camera.

We arrived Monday evening and checked into the Quality Inn to stay for four nights. We visited with relatives Frank and Sandy Meng of the aristocratic Norwegian Meng family. They took us to a concert featuring pianist Dino at the Harrison Baptist Church. He used his baby grand as his pulpit in giving his two-hour service.

During intermission, Dino asked for a show of hands of those more than 500 miles from home. Genie and I (being good Lutherans) were sitting in the back row and raised our hands. Dino asked where we were from and when we answered Albert Lea, MN, he asked if anyone else knew where it was. A man replied, “I do, I graduated from high school there in 1953.” (Roger Slater was his name.) A lady said, “I do, my mom lives in Austin, MN.” (Donna Croney was her name and Maggie Schrafel is her mom.) Small world, isn’t it?

On our way home, we visited with Marv and Leona Wagner in Lees Summit, MO — formerly of Rochester, MN where we lived. We noticed an interesting thing along the freeway in MO. All the deer are very lazy as all of them we saw were laying down.

Thanks to Frank and Sandy plus the employees at the Quality Inn for showing us that great southern hospitality. Dixie fed us too good at the breakfast buffet. Mark, the maintenance man, showed us a lady from Oklahoma on video camera filling her big purse from a housekeeping cart just prior to check out. She will be receiving a picture of herself plus a charge on her credit card. The evening desk personnel even made popcorn for the motel guests.

Truly, a good spring break! 

— — —

Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. This is the Hanson’s 37th summer at Beaver Lake. They leave the lake in mid-October to go south — to Albert Lea — and return in April. Bob says if you enjoy his article, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of Wisdom: There is always room for God. 

The scurs were talking more seasonal temperatures and that’s exactly what we wound up with. More of the same or does winter make an encore performance? Starting Wednesday, mostly clear with highs near 60 and lows around 40. Mostly clear becoming partly cloudy on Thursday with highs of 55- 60. Partly cloudy on Friday with a slight chance of rain by evening. Highs again near 60 and lows around 45. Mostly cloudy on Saturday with a chance of rain then clearing by evening. Highs of 60 and lows of 40. Partly cloudy on Sunday with highs again near 60 and lows in the 40 range. Partly cloudy on Monday with a slight chance of showers. Highs of 55 and lows dropping to near 30. Mostly cloudy and cooler on Tuesday with a good chance of rain. Highs around 50 and lows of 35 – 40. On April 6th we will see a Full Moon and will be above 13 hours of daylight for the first time since early last September. The normal high for April 8th is 53 and the normal low is 32. The scurs will have to wear their jackets when planting their potatoes on Good Friday.

The Full Moon for April 6th happens to occur on Good Friday. Traditionally it is known as the Full Pink Moon for the flowers that would bloom in the forest floor of the Northeast. It also goes by the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, The Full Egg Moon and the Full Fish Moon. The Ojibwe called this the Broken Snowshoe Moon and the Sioux knew it as the Moon of Greening Grass. This year there is no question the grass is greening and the ewes on pasture have been enjoying every sweet blade of it much to the chagrin of our hay supplier.

There has been some steady fieldwork but most are convinced there could be a price to be paid for corn planted much before mid-April. Such was the case in 2010 when the largest corn froze hard and made farmers scratch their heads for several weeks as it struggled to recover. Annual broadleaf weeds such as lambsquarters, giant and common ragweed are appearing on unworked ground so there will be an opportunity to remove them with the first tillage pass. Small grains are loving the weather conditions we’ve had and hopefully the early start will help the wheat get by the bacterial leaf streak that has hounded it the past two seasons. Alfalfa has also enjoyed the early start. If the weather stays warm and we get some beneficial rains, we could see some harvested by mid-May. Not that there is a hay shortage just yet but there could be by the time fall rolls around given the amount of hay ripped up in favor of planting corn. Every cutting counts. Rainfall continues to fall in small, measured amounts, a pattern that has been in place since late last summer. For the month of March at the ranch we recorded 1.33” and at the SROC in Waseca 1.93. In addition, temperature records were shattered although with four consecutive days at 79 degrees, we never did see an official 80 degree high there or at the ranch. It is still the warmest March on record though. 

In the garden at the ranch, the radishes have grown but perhaps not as fast as one would’ve guessed. Windy, cooler cloudy weather this past week put a damper on their progress. The peas emerged very spotty although as was mentioned previously, there is still plenty of time to plant more. That’s the plan anyway as the seed order arrived Monday with plenty of snap peas for the early garden. The early potatoes will go in on Good Friday, weather permitting of course. Some new Yukon Gold and baby red Norland spuds sound mighty tasty come July. The rhubarb obviously has stolen the show. The green rhubarb plant is now about 3’ across and the juncos are using it as a place to hide. Combined with some stems from the red plants, there should be plenty to make a colorful Easter dinner dessert. On Monday, the first of the wild plums in the thicket bordering the yard began blooming as did the Patten pear. The Parker was right on its heels. Hopefully the smell of the plums in bloom should help the bees and flies to locate the pears. 

The lawnmower was readied and just to say I’d done it, I mowed a patch in front of the house on March 31st. However, the fact it was only about 45 degrees and I could see my breath soon dampened my enthusiasm so I put the mower back in the garage. I mowed the rest of it the next day as Ruby picked up her favorite empty plastic bottle before I ran over it. I was almost done but not before TB and his band of merry men showed up out of nowhere to burn off the CRP. I’d known they were coming sometime this spring and they had tried to call, but I left the cell phone inside as I typically do when I’m trying to get something done outside. Off they went with me in tow to renew and restore what we had originally sown back in 2003. It was breezy on Sunday but not to the point where it would carry sparks long distances. They very carefully yet efficiently set the fire while protecting things like the fiberglass electric fence posts and the neighbor’s fenceline. Within a half hour, they had completely burned off the seven acres leaving it blackened and looking barren. Luckily it was pretty early for pheasants to be nesting and the teal made a beeline for the water again once the flames subsided. Little Jerry’s grandson has been camped in the yard most of the spring anyway, scaring the bejeezus out of us when we stumble across him crowing within yards of the house or barn. Checking on the burn after chores for hotspots, the wood duck house is occupied. A female kestrel flew out of the hole like a feathered missile then landed a safe distance away in a tree. The fire didn’t seem to bother her one bit. Between the kestrel, the geese and ducks, all was well with their world again as I pointed the Gator into the sun and headed towards home.

See you next week…real good then. 

Craig David Jensen, age 49, of Owatonna died unexpectedly on April 1, 2012, while on vacation with his father, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.


Craig David Jensen, the son of David and Ruth (McColley) Jensen, was born June 13, 1962, in Owatonna, MN. Craig attended schools in Faribault, Aitkin, and graduated with the class of 1981 at Owatonna Sr. High School. Craig then attended Normandale College for one year. Craig worked for many security companies, and was a cook at Jerry's Supperclub in Owatonna.  Most recently, he was attending Faribault Vo-Tech and only had 2 quarters left to finish up his accounting degree. 

Craig enjoyed cooking, canning, spending time with his nieces and nephews, and going to their dance recitals, and soccer games.  Craig was most proud of his founding the Owatonna Alzheimer’s Association, and working hard to get information to the community, and helping with the benefits in Owatonna.


He is survived by his parents, David and Ruth Jensen of Owatonna; his sister Cynthia Hensrud of Owatonna; his brother Darrell (and Christine) Jensen of Centerville; nieces and nephews, Molly and Lacey Hensrud of Owatonna, Garrett, Dane, Kylie, and Sloane Jensen of Centerville; a great niece, Lily Hensrud; aunts and uncles, Cologne (Jensen) Hortop of Owatonna, Carl and Margaret (McColley) Stewart of Owatonna, and Stan and Nancy (McColley) Honstad of New Richland.


He was preceded in death by his infant sister, paternal grandparents, Melvin and Edna (Hofius) Jensen, maternal grandparents, Kenneth and Agnes (Wakefield) McColley, and  uncles, Howard Hortop and Jack Anderson.

Visitation will be at Michaelson Funeral Home on Friday, April 6, 2012 from 5 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 10 a.m. at Michaelson Funeral Home with The Reverend Cindy Halvorson officiating.  Interment will be in the Danish Baptist Cemetery in Blooming Prairie Township, MN.   In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the family in memory of Craig or Owatonna Alzheimers Association.


Carlie Wagner started the track and field season the same way she ended basketball. By beating almost everyone in sight.

NRHEG’s all-state guard captured two firsts and one second place as the Panthers opened the season indoors Saturday with a five-team meet at Minnesota State University in Mankato.

Wagner, a sophomore, won the high jump at 5-4 and the 55-meter dash in 7.62 seconds, taking second in the 200 in 27.7.

“Carlie is jumping in midseason form,” said Panthers coach Duey Ferber.

Wagner placed fifth in the high jump in last year’s state meet.

Senior Danielle Krueger also had a strong meet, placing second in the 400 in 62.6.

“Danielle is on a mission this year,” said Ferber. “She looks very solid right off the bat.”

The NRHEG baseball team opened its season on an up note, defeating St. Clair 8-6 in a nonconference game at New Richland’s Legion Field last Thursday.

It was a typical opener for the Panthers, who fell behind 4-0 in the first inning, rallied and held on in the end.

Senior Carter Tollefson led the Panthers at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a bases-loaded triple, a walk and the game-winning single in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jacob Staloch drove in two runs with a double.

Senior Mitch Akemann — working through a strained rotator cuff — started on the mound for the Panthers and struggled in the early going, giving up four first-inning runs after an error, three walks and three hits.