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Digging for treasure

My brother Les, his son Dustin, and I recently embarked on a treasure hunt. We didn’t have a map like the Count of Monte Cristo, so there was a certain amount of random digging involved. Not by hand, of course. Les and I have reached the age where “work smarter, not harder” isn’t just a good idea; our weary bones and creaky joints have made it a necessity. We weren’t searching for silver or gold: the metal we were seeking was cast iron. And we’re talking about a level of digging that required the deployment of Les and Dustin’s excavator. In lieu of a map, Les and I ...

Preventive health and immunizations

Every parent wants to do what’s best for their child, but sometimes those decisions are difficult. It’s important to look to trusted sources of information. One key topic is immunizations, which we consider to be a key component in preventive health. Your local primary care provider is a great source to answer questions about safety, side effects and benefits of vaccines at any age. Avera bases its recommendations for vaccines on research and recommendations from many reliable experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. At the end of the day, whether or not to get ...

On the Porch

The Lyon County Historical Society’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Program is Thursday, April 9 at the Lyon County Museum. Doors open at 5:30 pm. The annual meeting is at 6:00 pm, and the speaker, Dr. Anita Talsma Gaul, is at 6:30 pm. This event is open to the public and light refreshments will ...

A spring slant

By the time afternoon rolled around on Sunday much of the eight inches of snow we received on Friday and Saturday — as part of some cruel April Fool’s joke mother nature likes to play now and again on our region — had melted. While it made the extra effort I had put in to clear the ...

Let your sun shine

For the first time in many days, the sun is shining! What a welcome sight! I'm sure all the budding plants are feeling great, and the returning birds are so happy they are singing like crazy. It seems everything and everyone likes sunshine. Growing up on the prairie of southwest Minnesota, we were honored to see the sun as it first peeked over the horizon on a clear day. There was the promise of another day to accomplish something good. As the sun set each evening, it was as if that ball of light was telling us that we did good today — now rest as I take a rest. But don't worry, ...

Signs of spring as Easter arrives

Spring comes in spits and sputters. A beautiful sun-basted day is followed by howling northwest wind, followed by snow/rain, followed by south wind, leading to a beautiful sun-basted day. Winter is slow to let go its grip. March can be unsure of its season. But it is April. Spring will win out. So much is going on out our doors. A green tint slowly colors the Earth. There are chirps and calls of birds we haven’t heard for months. They are returning from winter homes. Welcome back! I lifted a stone and hundreds of ants scurried about, unsure why their dark workspace was ...