Hope found...

Even with all the turmoil in the world... hope appeared. At a funeral, no less! Even though disastrous headlines may show the cruelty of man... and the emptiness of souls... I found hope at a gathering of broken-hearted folks as they mourned the death of the individual who was their mother... relative... or friend. She wasn't a famous person, this Mary Olson.  Even her name was not unusual... we're in Scandinavian Minnesota ya know!   Nor was she highly honored... except in the hearts of those who knew her. As I sat in the balcony of the little old church on the prairie for her memorial service, I was encouraged by the words of those who had known and loved her. The pastor went though the old liturgy as you would expect.  The songs were ones I presumed she would have loved. Although I, with my usual wandering mind appreciated it... at the same time I worried if the old balcony I was sitting in was strong enough to hold the crowd of people jammed in!  And then I thought about all the chores I could be doing... and so on. But my concentration came back when her son Wyatt spoke.  He explained how Mary had passed away after heart surgery.  And it was "not surprising" that her heart was prematurely worn out, he concluded.   "If the heart is where love comes from, then (hers) got a real workout. "She empathized with people.  She made them feel special.  She brought them comfort.  She put her heart out there for others." His sister Cammy told the congregation that her mother "has given me great inner strength.  I don't mourn my Mom today, I celebrate her life.  What she gave to the world, her family, her friends... "The good deeds she has done.  The smiles she has brought forth.  She always helped people.  She saw a need and acted.  She taught her children to help." And because of this training, when Cammy was on her way to the church she had stopped at a gas station.   The lady at the next pump had realized she had forgotten her purse and asked for $3 so she could just get a gallon of gas and could get her grandson in the car to his destination. When going inside to pay, the clerk explained to Cammy that she didn't see people help a stranger very often. But Cammy had been taught by Mary. And she concluded that "There are people all over this world who need us to help them in their daily lives.  People all over this world need our kindness.  They need that spirit of giving without expecting anything in return." Cammy pointed to a table filled with angel figurines that Mary had collected over the years.  It was the wish of Cammy, Wyatt and their sister Deanna that everyone take one home and remember Mary. Cammy concluded, Let it be a reminder of "what good and kindnesses you can share with the world each day.  Be someone's angel." Thereby you will be continuing Mary Olson's legacy. Because of this experience, I have been given back some hope in mankind.   And so I thank all the quiet and hidden "Marys" in the world... and the folks who honor them. .

No where else on the planet!

    Rare species blooming here.

The larger and more common Trout Lily is surrounded by the 

endangered species of wildflower, the tiny Dwarf Trout Lily.

It's that time of year in the Cannon Valley!

The budding of the rare and endangered forest wildflower, the Dwarf Trout Lily (Erythronium propullans), that only grows in in this area and nowhere else on the entire planet.

Each spring, folks search for the tiny flower in the river bottoms, also in state parks and along trails.    

Concern this year is due to the effect of flooding and the deposit of sand on some of the known colonies.

The Dwarf Trout Lily is only about six inches tall with four to six petals that may be pale pink to whitish, about the size of a dime as compared to the larger Trout Lily which has a flower size  of about a quarter.  

It is found on fewer than 600 acres of woodland habitat, rich slopes that are dominated by maple and basswood and adjoining floodplains dominated by elm and cottonwood.  It grows before the deciduous trees develop their leaves and in approximately three weeks it has  bloomed, generated its food reserves for the coming year and disappeared.

“The Minnesota dwarf trout lily possesses a genetic and chemical makeup unlike that of any other plant... (and) is potentially valuable to all of us... (as) ingredients in medicines and other useful products." It is listed as federally endangered with a penalty for violation set at $25,000.  (Information from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.)

For more information look at the video on www.paulrosie.com or contact Paul and Rosie Schluter, spiritsonghorses@yahoo.com or Pat Anderson at the Cannon Falls Chamber of Commerce, www.cannonfalls.org.

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder

              A place where even a

       “Nobody” is a “Somebody”

A couple of days before 14 time Grammy Award Winner Ricky Skaggs and the Kentucky Thunder came to perform in Cannon Falls, I was exchanging phone and e-mail messages with  his staff to find out how I could cover his concert as a photo journalist.

Their legal statement seemed to say there could be no flash photos and no audio recording.  

But how do I report on this public event to the newspaper and cable channel with that prohibition?

The result was that after they checked out my request including my website (www.paulrosie.com) so they could see my previous programs, columns, etc. they decided to allow me to take photos during the first three songs only.  They requested approval rights of all photos to be published.  Any video would have to be pre-approved.

This was getting a little irritating for someone who has been a journalist for 50 years.  But on the other hand, I could understand their concerns.

And I have had so many wonderful stories resulting from frustrating circumstances in the past that I just figured there’s another good one hiding in here somewhere!

(Not the paparazzi point of view perhaps.)

So why not respect their request?  At the worst I would still get to hear some fantastic music.

Now consider that it was my first exposure to an entire concert of bluegrass music.  I didn’t recognize any songs.  But you had to be amazed at how fast they were played!    

And I got to thinking of all the work involved in the performance.  It was a fundraiser for the local Shepherd’s Center and involved a lot of effort and dedication from sponsors and volunteers.  I’m sure it was a scary venture too because it costs a lot to get a world famous group like this here.

Shepherd's Center Director, Rod Johnson, Ricky Skaggs and 

SC assistant, Twyla Geiken.

Then I pondered all the work the musicians had to do to perform.   

Consider all the years of practice to get to be the awesome performers they are.

Consider the energy they need to set up their equipment, the travel time, and what about if they aren’t feeling so good?  What if they had worries of their own?  The show goes on... you’ve got a lot of folks depending on you.

After the performance this night, the happy crowd milled around outside the auditorium as the musicians manned the tables selling and autographing their CD’s.

Several local folks kidded me that although the audience had been warned not to take pictures or record the performance, they had seen me with my camera videoing close to the stage.

And they chuckled when I told them some of the restrictions I had been given in order to do this.  I revealed that I had been a bit frustrated when flashes from the audience betrayed “illegal” photos being taken and I couldn’t let myself be tempted to do this!

Later some folks were getting their pictures taken with Skaggs himself.  So when I was talking with him I decided I would do that too... to prove to my kids that I really met him.

After my photo was snapped I started moving away so others could photo Skaggs.  But one local resident called out, “Stay there Rosie!”

So I was in their picture too.  And Skaggs commented, “They know you here.”  

I just smiled.

You don’t have to be famous in a small town.

Many years ago after we moved to Cannon Falls from a big city suburb I had coined the phrase: “Everybody in a small town is a Somebody... even if you’re a Nobody.”  

That’s the fun of it.

(Check for video coming on www.paulrosie.com)

If it looks suspicious...  

I received a box in the mail but didn’t recognize the return address.   I was suspicious because our e-mail had just been hacked and also there wasn't an invoice in the package to identify it.

I contacted UPS and Amazon and they couldn't track it either.

So to be safe I stuck it out in a shed.

The next day a relative e-mailed that they had sent a package to us to give to another relative as a surprise!   

They were lucky I hadn’t blown it up!  (I think I've been reading too many crime novels!)

And here’s another warning - be suspicious if you get an e-mail asking you to send money to me in the Philippines.  I’d prefer if you just sent it to me here at home!  (OK - I’m kidding!) 

Yes - I got “hacked”.   

It was 7 a.m. when I got my first phone call asking me about my trip to the Philippines!  And then an e-mail came from a friend in law enforcement who had no sympathy to my “plea” and e-mailed “Ha ha ha”.  (My friends are funny!)

A cousin in Wisconsin got a call from relatives in Germany (she speaks the language better than I do) who had heard I needed money - in the Philippines.

Frontier, my internet provider, helped me send out e-mails to everyone in my address book warning them not to pay attention to my “request”.

This whole process took several hours and was a mess.

 How to protect yourself...

   A friend who asked to only be identified as a 16 year resident of Cannon Falls with a long career in education and law enforcement, recently had his e-mail hacked even though he was careful of any unsolicited email.  

  He explained that the key to not becoming a victim rests largely with the individual.   

Be aware that legitimate internet fraud complaint centers associated with the FBI and States Attorneys’ Office will not request payment for service nor will they request extensive personal information. 

   One point was to have “a separate address for your friends to e-mail, a separate address for work and a separate address for family. This way, if one account is hacked only a handful of people are affected.”

   More suggestions...

Here are some more suggestions to protect yourself as explained by the Goodhue County Elder Justice Network, Jennifer Cook contact.

Don't use the same password on Facebook or any other social network that you use on other websites.  

 If you think something's amiss with a request you receive, contact the sender through another channel — such as a phone. 

Never open emails that don't include your actual email address in the "To:" line. Fakes are often addressed en masse to dozens of random email addresses.

Roll your cursor over any URL sent in an email to reveal where it really goes. The text displayed may be completely different from the actual destination.

Beware any URL that is excessively long or uses numbers (such as 192.155.12.38) instead of a traditional URL format.

Beware URLs that have been shortened, disguising where they actually go.   They frequently are used by scammers to hide the identity of malicious websites.

Wi-Fi hot spots

The rapid growth of Wi-Fi hot spots has made it convenient to crack open your laptop and hop online just about anywhere.  Crooks operate lookalike hot spots with the sole purpose of eavesdropping on all the data you send through it. When you type in your password, Social Security number or credit card information, scammers can capture it all and be on a fast track to stealing your identity. 

Another less common attack involves a hacker simply eavesdropping on a legitimate wireless connection by using special equipment to capture your signal, either from next door or while driving down the street.

Most phony hot spots leave telltale signs that they aren't legit, such as typos, strange sign-in web page designs or URLs that don't seem right. If you aren't 100% sure a site is legitimate, don't sign in to it. 

It's also a good idea to do your banking and bill-paying at home, on a line you know is secure. Make sure you're using Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 security on your home router and protect it with a strong password, such as a combination of numbers and letters.

Any “pop-up” asking for money is undoubtedly malware and not part of a legitimate security program.  

So if you plan to protect yourself from fraudulent e-mail requests,  I guess that means you won’t be sending me any money in the Phillipines!

Wise decision.

.

Who had the Strictest Parents?

You think your folks were strict? What if your mom was a prison warden and your dad was a probation/parole officer? And if they left town they had the local police check out how their kids were doing at home! 

This is how it was in the home of the first female warden in 122 years at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Red Wing. Kathy Halvorson visited Cannon Falls recently to respond to questions from kids and adults at a meeting of TRIAD at the Shepherd's Center. 

Halvorson has had many previous jobs in the field of corrections to prepare for this position. Those in the Red Wing facility are "serious chronic male offenders." They may range from aggravated robbery, controlled substance crime, to murder - unintentional or intentional. They may have had two to three placements that failed. Current juvenile population is 130. There are also adult male offenders. Over 40 currently reside in a separate area.

The Red Wing facility was built on a 450 acre site in 1891. The purpose was to restore the offender, promote public safety, and provide a therapeutic environment, among other goals.

They keep order by making sure the boys are safe and keeping them in small groups consistent with their age level. They don't socialize with the adult offenders.

Halvorson explained that they have nine months to a year to help the young men make better choices. This includes helping them find jobs. The costs: 65% is paid by the county and 35% by the state.

She added, "Some of the opportunities for residents include attending Walter Maginnis High School, located in the facility, learning carpentry skills, job seeking skills and vocational programming. Residents also participate in community service projects and projects that focus on restoring justice to victims. 

"The adult population is made up of minimum custody offenders who serve on work crews around the community. They often assist local communities when nature disasters strike, like the Cannon Falls flooding last year." 

Besides professional help for the young men, there are over 200 volunteers at the facility. These range from volunteer "grandparents" who make sure every kid gets a cake on their birthday, or they make cookies so the good smell permeates their cottage.

 

And as far as I'm concerned about who had the strictest parents? I had them! Although they weren't wardens or parole officers, they were immigrants with a high standard for their American offspring! Something to live up to anyway... and not a bad deal when I think about it!

Crime Scene Mystery Book Tour!

The great response to my recent column about mystery writers locating crime scenes in and around our Cannon Valley, (like Christopher Valen’s novel, Bad Weeds Never Die), led me to want to have a “Crime Scene Mystery Book Tour” to check them out! 

We can make these books come to “life”, so to speak, and then end up at one of our local restaurants or winery to celebrate.

Some of the crime scene scenarios I heard about referred to bodies buried near the bluffs of the Cannon River, then some off a county road next to the Cannon River, then a murderer hiding out in Cherry Grove township, plus drugs and bodies hidden on a horse farm near Highway 52, etc.

We’ve also had some real ones... like the robber of the White Rock Bank who got stopped for speeding following his caper and then was later recognized by the same officer when he was looking at the bank’s surveillance video.

I figure you all have probably read about a lot more scenarios so please let me know so we can add them to the list.

Plus, we can invite some of these authors to join us.  

        John Sandford, author the Prey series with Detective Lucas Davenport, has a video online showing some of the scenes he used up in St. Paul.  (Check out: John Sandford - Scene of the crime on the Star Tribune website.)

We can video ourselves and our tour for YouTube and the world!

Keep reading and let us know the locations!

.

Assassins... 
             Drugs... 

                     Bring your shovel?

The assassin for the Columbian drug cartel aimed the gun and the victim fell into the pit.  It had been previously dug by a backhoe as the gravesite for a sick horse.  

And it wasn’t the first human body dumped in there. 

It was on a horse farm near Cannon Falls.

This scenario is part of a book written by crime novelist, Christopher Valen who has won many awards for his series featuring St. Paul Homicide Detective John Santana.  

I met Christopher through e-mail interviews as I was trying to find a speaker to visit the Cannon Falls TRIAD - citizens and law enforcement partnership.  He explained that he loves visiting the local Cannon River Winery because the winemaker, Vincent Negret is from Colombia just like Christopher’s wife.

But the key point was: Cannon Falls is actually referred to in his third novel!

He explained: “A few scenes in ‘Bad Weeds Never Die’ take place at a Paso Fino horse ranch modeled after the ranch in Cannon Falls.”

This immediately caught my attention because we have had such a ranch for the past 25 years... Spirit Song Paso Finos.  To surprise the author I e-mailed back our website: www.paulrosie.com with our farm on it.

Christopher responded: “I didn’t realize... When I was researching the third book, I needed a ranch/farm where Paso Finos were bred in Minnesota and found Spirit Song in Cannon Falls. So my wife and I drove by one day, and then I "fictionalized" the farm in the novel. It plays a key role in the story.”

OK.  So let’s take a glimpse at his novel... and the role Cannon Falls has in it.  He writes:  “The sun moved in and out of darkening clouds as (Detective) Santana drove south on Highway 52, past the huge Pine Bend Oil Refinery, and through a flat landscape... to rural fields of soybeans and stalks of tall corn...”  (We have that.)

Turning off the highway about three miles from the farm on to the county road which was narrow and curving. (We have that.)

There was “...a windbreak of evergreens planted along the end of the pasture...”  (We have that.)

As he drove up the circular driveway (we have that)...  he saw a woman riding on a beautiful black Paso Fino.  (We have that!)

Here’s what we don’t have!

Detective “Santana recalled that Colombians liked to bury things of value... whenever a cartel kingpin was knocked off, the first thing the new leader did was dig up the yard and tear up the floors and walls of the former leader’s home, looking for... treasure.”

When setting up the scene for the murders the author describes the method a vet uses to euthanize an animal.    And the backhoe that digs the grave. 

The strange part is that this book was being written in 2010.   That’s the year we had to “put down” one of our horses because of illness.  And we decided to bury him on the farm so we needed to use a backhoe to dig the grave.  I’ve got a video on Youtube about our memory of him.  http://youtu.be/h__qRIDF2gM

But that’s all that is buried there folks!

I’m looking forward to meeting the author when he visits Cannon Falls this spring.

Until then, a friend, Susan, loaned me some other crime novels written by another Minnesota author, John Sandford.  I opened Storm Prey, also from 2010, and to my surprise I read about “a horse ranch thirty miles south of St. Paul... 40 acres... round gravel driveway...” where two men who had stolen about $1 million in drugs went to hide it but were executed by a hired killer near the horse barn.

It seemed to me that this was all getting kind of creepy!

I was telling about this “literary connection” to one of Cannon Falls’ Police Officers and he just shook his head and said, “Now I suppose we’ll have to get a shovel and come out and dig.”

(Well, I’ve got a garden that could use some work!)

.