Parade and Fragments
A summer parade in Iowa is a chance to showcase lives for the entire community. Farmers, restaurateurs, insurance agents, bankers, retailers, construction companies, government organizations and more...
View ArticleOctober Days
The forecast calls for 32 degrees tonight so tomatoes and peppers need gleaning from the garden. There aren’t many left, maybe enough to make the effort useful. While at it, I’ll pick apples I can...
View Article100 Years of Iowa Parks
Dedicated in 1920 as Iowa’s first state park, Backbone State Park, is one of the most geographically unique locations in Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The steep and...
View ArticleFalse Spring
Sunday a group of us gathered at Wild Woods Farm to pull plastic over the new greenhouse. Pulling plastic takes a couple of experienced team leaders and a crew that can follow directions. The idea is...
View ArticleEarth Day 50 Years Later
I helped organize my home town for the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders’ Dec. 24, 1968 Earthrise photograph changed the way we look at our lives. We became aware of...
View ArticleFarmers Markets in a Pandemic
There is nothing better than buying a bunch of radishes at a farmers market, biting the root off one at the booth, eating it, then buying a few more bunches if they taste good. The sights, sounds and...
View ArticleRetirement in the Coronavirus Pandemic
I decided not to return to the home, farm and auto supply store after my voluntary COVID-19 leave of absence. Whatever the cultural resonance of the word “retirement,” I’ll take my leave from the...
View ArticleBook Review – A Cook’s Tour of Iowa
A Cook’s Tour of Iowa by Susan Puckett. A Cook’s Tour of Iowa is a well-curated collection of culinary culture that represents a certain view of Iowa. It’s the picture Iowans can recognize. We also...
View ArticleLynching in Iowa?
Editor’s Note: Iowa DCI, Grinnell Police Department and Iowa-Nebraska NAACP held a press conference at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22. DCI announced four suspects had been apprehended and charged....
View ArticleShooting from the Hip
An octogenarian friend talks about “shooting from the hip.” The way I take it is absent guidance, leaders will step up and help us navigate through difficult times together, leaving no one behind. We...
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