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Swamp things

As we set foot into the stretch of private land the welcoming owner offered up to us on the abnormally warm November afternoon — nearly 60 degrees as we started our trek with two hours before sunset — it wasn’t long until I could hear the squish-squash of each of my lab Ole’s steps in the grass outside the cattails at the center of the initial slough. Making our way around the main cover, we came to a small, separate stand of reeds and birds began breaking out the far side. First a pair of hen pheasants downwind, then a rooster off to the side, then another and another all into ...

Giving and getting

Would you rather give or receive? During this time of the year, we are really focused on the aspect of giving thanks. Well, it is Thanksgiving time, so to think about being thankful is only proper. I expect each of us has a heartwarming story about being thankful for a person, a place, an occurrence or a gesture. However, as important as it is to give thanks, shouldn’t we also give thanks for getting? As I ponder this reflective season, I try to remember those people who supported me along my rocky road of life. I try to remember the places of my life where I found peace, and ...

What you put in your cart matters

I have this Post-It note on my desk with a single sentence on it. It says, “What you put in your cart matters!” While, this note in my world primarily reflects on mainly recycling, it to some degree reflects as a reminder about a few waste (trash) disposal choices too. As the season changes, many yards are cluttered with tree branches, leaves, pumpkins and corn stalks. For those who live in rural areas, managing yard waste is straightforward. However, for those who live within city limits, the struggle to find a location to take these items to for appropriate disposal may be ...

Chicago brings back romance

My wife and I couldn’t go to Chicago, so Chicago came to us. I’m talking about the iconic rock band, not the city. In this case “iconic” can be interpreted as “old enough to involve carbon dating.” The band Chicago Transit Authority was formed in 1967, the year I turned 10. That means I was 13 their romantic tune “Colour My World” hit the airwaves. Thirteen is a formative time in any young man’s life, but especially so for a gawky, gangly pimple-faced prairie dairy farm kid who’s struggling to figure out what, exactly, that romance stuff is. Chicago Transit ...

Final Harvest shows that violent crimes should be remembered

This fall I became reacquainted with the most famous murder case in local history, the 1983 murders of two Ruthton bankers. I reread the book Final Harvest by Andrew Malcolm. I wanted to read it again after 40 years because of how I remember hearing about events as they transpired. Final Harvest goes into considerable detail about farmer Jim Jenkins and his son, Steve. Malcolm also discusses the lives of the victims, describes what happened at the former Jenkins farm site, and offers a step by step account of the 1984 murder trial at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Ivanhoe. At the ...

The Vietnam War – Marland Burckhardt – Desert Storm and Army War College

We have been following Marland Burckhardt, a Russell High School graduate who married his Russell sweetheart in college and began an Army career focused on Military Intelligence operations. He served in Vietnam in 1970 and then he and Barb had assignments across the United States. Marland reported to his new assignment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as the XVIII Airborne Corps Intelligence Chief in August 1990 as the Corps was deploying to Saudi Arabia after Iraq invaded Kuwait. “When I got to Fort Bragg and went to my G-2 section, I had people sitting in hallways with their ...