Just "hangin' around"!

Warm sunny days are just meant for relaxing...

wherever you are!

At least our cat seems to think so!

This perch on the railing on our front steps

seems to be his favorite.

.

"High Prairie Hermit"

The "High Prairie Hermit"

as he calls himself

usually walks

but this jaunt was a little longer.

We heard the "putt-putt" of his tractor

while he talked on his cell phone saying he was coming!

Finding a spot to park...

And we enjoyed him as he enjoyed seeing

this endangered wildflower.

April Morning...

Life is not just to wish about the perfect we don't have...

but to see the perfect in what we have.

.

Nothing else like it!

It's blooming!

.

The genetic and chemical make-up

of this tiny endangered wildflower

is unlike that of any other plant.

And the only place it grows

on the entire planet

is in the surrounding areas

near the Cannon River Valley

in Minnesota!

.

It blooms for a period of two to three weeks
and then it disappears into the woodland floor

until next Spring.

Why is it here?
It's blessings to mankind are yet unknown.
Maybe you will be the one to discover its purpose.

Or is it just important to realize
that each one of you
is even more rare
and has blessings to give mankind.

.

They're starting to bud...

The endangered species of wildflower

that only grows in a few hundred acres of this area of Minnesota and

NO WHERE ELSE IN THE WHOLE WORLD

is starting to bud!!!

.

The tiny still-closed flowers

are just peeking out

from the mottled leaves

that are so similar to its big cousin,

the Trout Lily.

Its tiny flowers will be about the size of a dime or less,

and pale pink with a variable number of petals.

In a couple of weeks

they will disappear into the soil again

until next spring.

.

The Dwarf Trout Lily possesses

a genetic and chemical makeup

unlike that of any other plant.

.

Who knows what blessings it can bring mankind

when this knowledge is revealed?

.

More updates coming about this fascinating little Springtime visitor...

.

This isn't it!

This beautiful wildflower, the Bloodroot,

blooms before the endangered species of the

Dwarf Trout Lily makes its presence known.

*

When you see these white petals springing up on the woodland floor

you know the blooming of the only wildflower

that is natural to Minnesota

and that grows

NO WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD

is getting ready to make its appearance.

We'll keep you updated.

*

What are they looking for?

They're looking for

the endangered species of flower

that only grows in the Cannon River Valley

and no place else on the whole planet!

And it's starting to bud now!

We'll keep you posted!

***

It's coming... It's coming!

It only grows in a small part of Minnesota

- the Cannon River valley -

and no where else on the entire planet!

This endangered species...

With its tiny bell-like flowers.

It's only visible for 2-3 weeks every spring.

Then it disappears into the ground again.

Its leaves have just started poking up

through the damp mat of wild grasses

protecting them during the winter.

We'll let you know how they are progressing.

It's truly a Harbinger of Spring for the Northland.

***

In this little part of the world...

It's a Friday night in the old home town...

The folks planned a fund raiser and hired a band...

Had treats on the table...

And folks came to lindy and polka

and have a good time in the town's old gymnasium...

and "three somes" work out just fine in these dances!

Or just sit this one out and catch up on the news!

Sometimes the "news" in this little part of the world

is all we can do anything about.

How would you defend yourself?

You’ve watched CSI and Law and Order and now you’d like to be a little better prepared to protect yourself. Are there “smart” ways to do this or could you possibly just get in more trouble?

The local Triad group – a partnership of citizens and law enforcement – tossed around some of these ideas. Colin Callister had found a small flashlight that also had a siren in it. He suggested that it was great to use when unlocking your door, but also the siren could be turned on if you were in danger. Colin suggested that if you were attacked, you could throw the siren/flashlight away from you and run in the opposite direction. Another idea would be to throw your purse or whatever the attacker was trying to get in one direction while you ran in the other.

The pros and cons of defense devices are discussed on the University of Oklahoma Police Department’s website. They explain some may be effective and some “are junk”.

Don’t put too much trust in a device. If you don't have it handy, your whole plan of defense crumbles. And you may have lost “precious moments” that you could have been using to escape or trying another method.

Other “preventive measures” include body language and eye contact. But the “first rule to avoid an assault is often, ‘Run!’ The best self-defense strategy is usually: Escape and Evade!”

Although the Cannon Falls Police Department does not endorse any devices mentioned, Interim Police Chief, Rich Wisniewski gave these tips: Be alert. Park in well-lighted areas. Walk with groups, even if you don’t know the people. Make sure you have proper training when using any device. Don’t become reliant on any device because it may not work the way you expected. Always have a “Plan B”.
Practice how you would be able to get to your device in a critical situation. Would a whistle be better served in your purse, or around your wrist when you are out alone. Is your whistle Plan B or plan A?

Thinking these ideas over, I realized that not all the defense weapons would be comfortable for me. So I decided to check out some local folks who carry many of these devices in their normal work... police officers, David Timm and Mitchell Althoff. They figured they carried about 30 pounds of gear to protect themselves or others.

And I was reminded that with all this extra gear they are still expected to be able to run after someone fleeing in tennis shoes!

*****

Pros and cons of defense devices - University of Oklahoma Police Department

Guns… check the laws applicable. Consider the amount of training and regular practice needed. “A weapon” in the hands of an unskilled user “is at least as dangerous to the user as it is to an attacker.” Also, consider that unintended targets could become victims… like children, etc. Electrical-shock based devices … those mainly available to police and corrections officers are reported to be effective in some circumstances”. But it may mean that you have to be close to the attacker and the point is to get you AWAY from the attacker! Another difficulty is if it doesn’t work… it just makes the attacker “very mad”!

Chemical Weapons (aerosol, stream, foam, etc.) may take some time to take effect or they can be affected by wind, cold weather and its shelf life. Some people “under the influence of drugs or other problems may not be affected or just more irritated. Also, they affect everyone in the area! And they have to be ready. You probably won’t have time to get it out of your purse or pocket.

Martial arts training is encouraged for exercise, both mentally and physically. But the ordinary person might be better off not relying on it except for “escape and evade” tactics.

Personal Alarm/Siren may be good if you have it “in-hand”. Another point in their favor is that they won’t be used against you if the attacker got them! But the battery has to be working to use it. They suggest using a simple whistle. This can draw attention. It takes up little space, and “can be used while running away from an assailant.”

The good thing about noise-makers is that they don't require you be near the attacker to use it.

Your voice “… yell to get … attention… Even yelling at an non-existent passerby to call the police (‘Hey, YOU! Call the police!’) may make your attacker pause to look, giving you a chance to gain distance and get away.”

Remember, have many techniques to defend yourself. Keep on trying things. And prior to getting into such a situation, “develop sound personal security habits, maintain awareness, and project an appearance of confidence.”

Twirling... another of life's lessons from a little child.

Let's go twirling!

Sounded good to the grandchildren visiting Grandma.

(And Grandma thought it might be a way

to let them vent some of their peppy enthusiasm!)

So at the local community center - with music blaring from the boombox,

here is what I learned from one of them...

They swirled and twirled...

and skidded and twisted...

and landed!

Not always as planned!

But with a smile!

(Let's remember to do that when we're all grown up.)

***

"PLAY BALL !"

Can’t help thinking about Kirby Puckett - Minnesota Twins Baseball star and symbol of encouragement and friendliness.

Kirby’s death at only 45 years probably got a lot of us to start thinking about “what’s going on here anyway?” He was way too young.Is that fair?

Now I remember back when I was a little kid complaining to my mother that she didn’t treat me fair compared with my sister. You have to know that my mother had been an orphan in World War I and then had come over to America all by herself. With that history in mind you can imagine that my complaint as a child who had a home and food for dinner didn’t get very far with her! But she did explain that I was not going to be treated the same as my sister and that life was not always “fair” and that’s that! (I don’t ever remember bringing it up again.)

But it feels like such a loss for the rest of us when we lose someone like Kirby.

And it’s seems like a loss for him that he didn’t get to take part in the growth that can come from living.I believe that I’ve probably learned more valuable lessons in life since I was 45 than before.And how far I need to go!

Many years ago a friend of mine was a supervisor in a nursing home and warned me to “get your issues solved before you get old because you don’t just automatically get nicer as you age. And when you are older you don’t have the will power to be nice when you don’t want to.”
That was discouraging.

Do you mean that I don’t automatically get to be that sweet little old lady that everybody loves?You mean that sweet little old lady was probably “sweet” before she got old?

I’m in trouble!

Photos courtesy of the Minnesota Twins