Letter to Dave

Over the past eight years, I have written amonthly letter to my brother Dave and used it for that week's column. Dave is an older brother and lives with his wife in Carrington, North Dakota. He has been a mechanic over thirty years and most of those years has been as a service manager for …

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Pastor Brekke

I recently received an email from Dan Brekke who lives in Berkeley, California. Mr. Brekke found a picture of his grandfather, Pastor Sjur Brekke, seated with the 1923 confirmation class of Zion Lutheran church on the Viking, Minnesota website. Brekke’s email is the story of how his grandfather emigrated from Norway to Chicago and eventually …

The Rescue Deere

My hobby is to collect old John Deere snowmobiles, I’ve explained the reasons for this interest in past columns. For the most part, this hobby is based on my personal history with John Deere snowmobiles and an appreciation for their simple, dependable design and function. This week I want to write about a sled whose …

The Daytrip

I don’t believe I’ve ever taken you on a day-trip with me. Last fall, I did write about our trip to Idaho, but that was seven times longer than a day-trip. Last week, my nephew, Jamie, and I retrieved an Oliver manure spreader from North Dakota, during a trip that took less than a day. …

Project Flagpole

(a little project for this Spring) I love seeing the flag of the United States flown prominently in front of businesses and homes. I believe the American Legion can provide you with the rules for proper flag display but they are fairly simple; just treat the flag like you would any symbol for the greatest …

Garage Sales

(summer/2008)   Summer means vacations and fishing to some, but to many the word summer is interchangeable with the phrase “garage sale.” It’s the season of the year to seek valuable information contained on garage sale signs before they are removed for the week-end. No one wants to purchase old plastic flowers or bent aluminum …

Dog Gone Deb

Today’s column will end with an email and picture I recently received from my sister, Deb. First I have to give you some background to give the story context. Deb is the oldest of my siblings and has always looked after us. I would describe Deb’s matronly ways as part mother hen, part border collie …

Loving/Hating Winter

This might sound strange but, winter will soon be over. Winter is the season that defines this area; ask someone about the weather in Minnesota and most likely they will mention the cold and not our brief, but lovely, summer. A January thaw brushed by us lightly this month and next month may be more …

A Greener Shade of Satisfaction

A counter-culture of sorts has been growing from behind the frost covered windows of garages and shops across the country. People, craving a youth that included many brands of snowmobiles, have stepped from their poorly lit work benches and into the glare of sunlight rebounding from frozen snow through the windshield of a vintage snowmobile. …

Instant Coffee

I have poor impulse control when it comes to coffee. I have spilled many partially-brewed pots on our counter trying to sneak a cup. The answer to my impatience was simple but unthinkable as I really appreciate good coffee; my answer was a brew that demands little or no patience from those who drink it; …