Tag Archives: Thief River Falls

Letter to Dave

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Dear Dave,

If I were to look out my window and see spring’s progress and then
look at the calendar and note that it was mid to late march, I would
be satisfied. It is not and I am not.

Honestly let’s not talk about the weather, Dave; we all know that the
clock is ticking. The time we lose towards spring planting is paid
for this fall in the propane farmers use to dry their late maturing
corn. Honestly, our big days of growth seems to come in July so maybe
spring isn’t the greatest factor for row crops however the ground is
a long way from warm and you can’t even plant potential until the
ground thaws.
I heard Marv Bossart died this week, Dave. Marv Bossart was the
Anchor for WDAY television news for decades. He was the old-time sort
of announcer who simply gave the facts and trusted the viewer to be
informed enough to decide what those facts meant. It was that trust
that made me want to trust him. I wish newscasters today would
realize that giving the facts and leaving their personal opinions at
home is the only way to build trust with their listener. Bossart was
a true gent and did the news a great favor in how he delivered it.

Dave, do you remember the story of “the Great Chicken Heart” on the
old “Bill Cosby show?” The chicken heart grew larger and larger until
it could eat whole cities. I have a similar situation with my
hydroponic fodder project, the Fodder Monster. The hydroponic fodder
unit will one day sprout barley seed into a lush, green, palatable,
nutritious mat that I can feed to my cattle. Unfortunately, the
completion of this project is inversely effected as I continue to
increase its size. The fodder monster will never grow large enough to
eat a city however it may eat us out of house and home. Anyway, it
has been a fun project and will hopefully pay me back for all of the
loving attention it has received from me during construction.

I think we are all too dependent upon technology, Dave. The world’s
infrastructure was once made of stuff that a country boy could fix
with a stick welder and the large tube of JB Weld. Our infrastructure
has changed in that we are no longer as concerned with moving cars,
electricity and water as we are in moving information. The internet
and accompanying technology has made life more efficient, work less
taxing and the transfer of information less expensive-right up until
it does not work, then technology sucks. I never feel more helpless
than when the computer doesn’t work, as there exist no duct-tape
remedies for this problem. It reminds me of how important it is stay
able to solve math problems in my head and keep an abacus handy.

Hope all is well out in Carrington, Dave. Darrel and I still plan to
eventually travel through on our way to Garrison.
You’re little bro’

Die winter, die

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I think winter needs to close its show and move out of town. I cannot
remember a recent winter which has overstayed its welcome to such
perfection as the one most current.

As a young man near Viking, Minnesota, I remember long winters which were probably longer in my adolescent mind than they were in reality. One spring, I recall
standing on a pile of snow with a shovel throwing scoops of snow onto
any bare ground I could find as I figured it would melt faster. I had
not discovered the word “futility” at the time however it is obvious
that I already understood the word’s meaning.

I do recall helping my brother, Darrel, build snow forts. We would
hollow out a large hill into a cave and then he and my cousin Tommy,
would destroy it. I found this frustrating and was always happy when
Tommy went back to Roseau, Minnesota as Darrel was then less destructive. Lisa
and I were talking last night and came up with the idea of extended
snow tunnels. We thought it would be a good idea to lay out large,
plastic culverts prior to winter’s arrival and then just allow the
snow to envelope the culverts. This might be a bit expensive but
would be an excellent tool to wear a little energy from young
children who are tired of being indoors. It would be a sort of
“habitrail” like we used to set up for gerbils, only sized for the
kids and snow-covered. A door could also be installed at each end of
the tunnel for when mommy and daddy need extended quiet time although
you might want to try some family counseling prior to taking this
step.

I drove home in the storm on Monday. I spent the last eight miles on
the Pembina Trail which is about ten miles west of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. It was awful. This was a storm that provided four to five inches of snow but was also able to enlist prior snowfall waiting on the ground to create an incredibly strong winter
storm/blizzard. The wind was out of the north and so created absolute
havoc on the Pembina Trail which is a north/south road. The drifting
was high enough that I needed to maintain a little momentum to push
through with the pick-up however the blowing snow was so dense and
glared so brightly that I had trouble seeing. I spent most of my trip
looking for little pieces of tar road which I used to navigate. The
curved portions of road were the worst and I almost had to stop at the
last one. I even whispered to myself, “well I guess the jig is up”
but then found some trees by which to guide myself. Here’s a little
advice to winter travelers, always travel on familiar roads, if
possible-it makes all the difference. Better still, wait for summer
for all travel.

Our mailbox was broken from its mast sometimes just after the storm.
Whoever did it just stuck it back into the snow and skulked away. I
fixed it the next day instead of waiting for a warning from the post
office. Always nice when someone else gets to break something and you
get to fix it. It is just one more slice in the winter of a thousand
cuts. Die Winter, Die.

Five Acts of Wellness

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This week I want to give you five acts towards wellness and and most
of these acts will play themselves out at the Sanford Wellness
Center.

Act I What’s Happened to us

If you compared our culture to our predecessors I believe you would
find that we are not as healthy. We have better cures which we need
because we more often get sick. Our parents and grandparents survived
on simple food which was deliberately high-calorie because it was not
always plentiful. These same folks needed the calories because they
worked hard to survive. It is unfortunate that we have kept their
traditions of high-calorie food, even though we now have more fruits
and vegetables to choose from than did our predecessors, as most of
us now work from a seated position. As a result, we have more
diabetes, high cholesterol, digestive system cancer and heart
attacks.

Act II What can happen to us

I think change does not always have to be radical; simple, small
changes may make a large difference as they accumulate into a
lifestyle. Changes in diet can stop the damage however the one thing
I’ve found that can erase damage done to our own bodies is exercise.
We can change our lives, we have the gift of self-determination.

Act III Where I get my change on

At age forty I decided I needed to change my life. I had lifted
weights much of my life however my body needed to lose weight more
than lift it. I tried different work-out programs but realized what I
needed was some variety. I found the variety I need at the Sanford
Wellness Center in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. I liked the Sanford gym because of the variety of machines, cleanliness and open space. It has been a good fit for me
as it is not a typical gym with scantily-clad “treadmill queens” or
young men grunting to call attention to themselves as they perform
yet another set of meaningless bench presses.

Act IV It only gets better

In January, Sanford Wellness Center began offering fitness programs
on a scale not seen in Northwest Minnesota. They are now offering
Zumba classes and a cycling program that reminds me of the “spinning”
courses that draw lines of people in much larger cities. They also
have several yoga classes that are guided by an experienced
instructor. As a person who has worked out by himself for years, I
must say it is the greatest indulgence to turn my brain down on low
and be guided through a work-out. I also find that when I’m
“coached” through a class, I get a much better work-out than on my
own. It isn’t that guided work-outs are so much harder however they
do make the most of every move and minute.

Act V Do not fear

The Sanford Wellness Center is a well-structured place that can offer
fitness benefits to adults of all ages. I would say my “work-out
buddies” range in age from their early twenties to well into their
eighties. There’s no reason to be scared to try a class-they’re even
offering entry-level classes to help you get a good start. I would
like to invite you to call Sanford Wellness Center at 218-683-4367
and get started. As you start, please remember that the thing about
working out is that it isn’t a competition with everyone else; it is
a competition within yourself. Exercise calls upon that innate part
of being human that strives to be better than yesterday. Making this
effort is the only way to keep from sliding backwards and comes with
a reward much greater than your investment.

Bullets out of Bray

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I haven’t done a “bullet point” column in a bit so this week I thought I’d lob a few thoughts at you from our home in Bray Township.

 

 

 

 

 

I got sick

 

Despite good efforts, I got sick. I’d avoided cold and flu up to this point, unfortunately I recently picked up a virus and it went viral. I’d go to the doctor but I my illness is never bacterial in origin but rather viral, as previously mentioned. I will fight this battle not with modern medicine but rather from our couch, cloaked in blankets with our cat Magoo and sipping broth.

 

Three Bottom plows

 

I like to watch machinery prices on the internet and through auction results. I can’t remember the last time I saw a cheap, three-bottom plow. There was a time when farmers were almost giving these things away but now they apparently have been found to be made of gold. I don’t know if there exists a shortage of three-bottom plows due to scrap metal prices or if there is suddenly a desperate need for the tiny soil-turners. I suspect there must be cattle farmers with small paddocks of pasture who wish to use plows to renovate their pasture. I doubt the plows would be in demand for deer plots but perhaps. Anyway, I’ve been checking and most three bottom plows cost the same or more than larger five and seven bottom versions. I don’t know if this interests anyone other than myself but I just thought I’d bring it to your attention.

 

 

 

Mindy Mccready

 

I read that Mindy Mccready shot herself on February 17th. I typically have no interest in celebrity life however I guess one detail of her death struck me; she died on her porch. This was apparently the same location that her boyfriend used when he committed suicide the previous month. I think most see the front porch as a place of peace and relaxation. I wonder why they both chose this same location for their last action on earth. It must have been a place of happiness at one time for both of them. I just can’t fathom what makes someone want to kill themselves. I mean, there are so many people who fight to live through disease or war and then there are some who give there lives away.

 

 

Real Food

 

Have you read a food label lately? You will need a Latin dictionary for pronunciation of some food ingredients and a chemist to understand their use. I wonder sometimes if these formulations are derived from the carpet that is derived from old soda bottles. Over the last few years, I find myself eating only the things I remember from my youth. I think the less processing the better. Sometimes, I find ingredients in food have a certain protein or other element removed for use somewhere else. That element is then replaced with something less expensive and artificial so that its taste is recognizable to the taste buds. Unfortunately, it is not recognizable to the body which does not always know how to process the food. I think we need to respect our food and use it wisely. It is better to eat smaller amounts of original, high-calorie food than to gorge on the low-calorie, artificial stuff.

 

 

 

 

Lisa’s Birthday

 

My bride turned, uh let’s just say Lisa celebrated her birthday this week. Lisa, you are the best. Happy Birthday!

Project Rain Garden

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I mentioned last week I was elected to a supervisor position with the
Pennington SWCD. I decided I would use my column to occasionally
explain SWCD projects from time to time. The agency name and its
mission are closely related; it is the Soil and Water Conservation
District. We are not saving water in large tanks for a later date,
those tanks of water exist naturally underground; rather we seek to preserve the quality
of that same water. When it rains and water flows to where it wants,
the water may pick up bits of soil or fertilizer and deposit them
into a stream or river. This is no favor to soil or water as the
soil is useless in a stream bed and water that carries soil or
fertilizer doesn’t taste right. The SWCD conserves soil by preventing
erosion and conserves water quality in the same action. Now let’s talk
about a very visible project that will attempt to accomplish these
tasks plus a bit more.

The Ralph Engelstad Arena occupies a large amount of real estate and
therefore is subject to an equally large amount of rain. When rain
falls on soil it is absorbed into the ground then is either used by
vegetation, evaporates or drains to lower elevation. When rain
falls on a building it needs to be managed or it will overwhelm the
abilities of nature to absorb, flow or evaporate which often means
erosion. We manage rain as it falls onto buildings with rain gutters and then either pump it
away our use gravity in its course to lower elevation. It is better
to use gravity as gravity doesn’t need maintenance.

The Pennington SWCD and the City of Thief River Falls, Minnesota are now in
planning stages to create a Rain Garden at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.
The project will seek to control runoff in a simple, pleasing way
that requires the least amount of continued maintenance as possible.
The current problem is that water comes off the roof, overwhelms the
current drainage and flows along the front entrance sidewalk as it
descends to the street. The excess water flow removes landscaped soil
and fertilizer which costs money to replace and it increases the
turbidity of the same water we all eventually use. The excess water
from the parking lot on the south side of the Ralph runs north to the
storm sewer in front of the building and causes flooding of the
street, so much sometimes that the water reaches the first step of
the entrance!

This picture shows a rain garden in the background complete with a curb cut in the foreground to allow excess rain into the rain garden.

The rain garden will consist of a two pits (or depressions) that are
created by removing a fair amount of clay then replacing the clay
with an absorbent sand and peat mixture. Beneath the sand and peat is
a slotted tile which will remove the filtered water and into a storm
sewer. There is no standing water in a rain garden so it does
not contribute to the mosquito population. The rain gardens will be
capable of absorbing a typical one-inch rain event. The gardens will
be covered with plants and some type of mulch. The run-off from the
roof of the Ralph will travel through a down spout, enter a drainage
structure then pass underground through an eighteen-inch pipe into
each rain garden to be filtered. Meanwhile, the water from
the parking lot will flow through a cut in the existing curb, past a
drainage structure to strain out garbage, and into a rain garden.

Both rain gardens, one on the north side of the entrance sidewalk and
one on the south, are the most visible portion of the project. The
drainage structures, tile and pipe are either underground or mostly
underground and are interconnected. There will be existing concrete
removed to bury the underground pipe. Plans exist now to add a subtle shade of blue to
the replacement concrete in an effort to remind people of the water
moving underneath their feet and the fact they no longer have to walk
through the water. I think this is a nice, inexpensive touch.
Another inexpensive touch is that much of the construction cost is
paid for by grant money.

This is a project that explains the work of the Soil and
Water Conservation District. It prevents uncontrolled water flow
which removes valuable soil and fertilizer and deposits them into the
water. It also benefits the many people who use the Ralph Engelstad
Arena as they will no longer have to walk through or around pooled
water when it rains. The rain garden will also decrease the cost of
its maintenance to the taxpayer. This is an important point as I know
people may put up with wet feet but they will not willingly weather
higher taxes.