In my humble opinion - by Deb Bently

Real definition of ‘Aurora borealis’

It’s one thing to understand something academically, and quite another to watch it happen in front of you. Thanks to an astronomy class taken during my (long-ago) college days, I knew “aurora borealis” means “lights of the north,” and that they result when above-typical solar activity ejects...

The exciting life of a retired teacher

I went to the Orpheum Theater in the Cities this past week to see Shen Yun, a show which features dance and music styles from China. During the show, the emcees informed us the tumbling and acrobatic acts usually associated with the circus actually originated as part of Chinese music performances...

On tour of Waseca's greenhouses

I interviewed three greenhouse owners for stories in this week’s edition of the Pioneer. I learned a lot–and I deeply enjoyed the chance to visit warm, sunny spaces filled with plants and flowers. I also got a refresher course about not making assumptions. When I set out to arrange interviews...

A privilege to write

I’ve mentioned before what a privilege it is to hear and write the stories shared with the Pioneer by the wonderful people of our communities. This week there are a number of cases in point. Whitey Thompson of WET Signs and Murals is a good man with a big heart (Sorry, Whitey, your secret is...

Ruminations as the seasons change

I noticed long ago that I spend all summer wondering why I bother to keep my winter clothes, then all winter wondering what use I can possibly ever get out of those summer outfits. Only in spring and fall do I remember the merits of both. Along with that, the 80-degree temperature last week...

The Eclipse did not go according to plan

As always, it’s good to be home again.. But, boy, am I glad I took a trip to see the eclipse “in totality” off to the east. As is almost always the way with trips, especially ones which must be monitored and adjusted along the way, things did not go perfectly. But they went well–very well...

The anatomical position of their feet...

I am pleased to report I saw a Loon on Waseca’s Loon Lake this past week. I know this happens only in spring and fall, during migration, so I was happy to be in the right place at the right time. I went online to see how far our state bird travels and came across a whole bunch of “I had no idea...

The words I'm looking for are 'thank you'

Someone close to me ended up in the emergency room this past weekend, then needed to be admitted to the hospital. But it wasn’t “the” hospital, it was “a” hospital. When my family member experienced unexplained pain and was taken into the Waseca Hospital emergency room, it required a number...

Unexpectedly crystallized honey

It might be said I owe the members of NRHEG’s culinary competition teams an apology. I went along last week as 10 “ProStart” students took part in state-level competition. ProStart is a program sponsored by the National Restaurant Association. It creates opportunities for students who enjoy...

Two Minnesota swans

A pair of irritated swans

No one should ever be bored. Me, I’ve been entranced twice in the past few days. The first time was during a drive I took in the direction of Moorhead. As a member of a fishin’ family, I’m very interested in how much ice remains on our lakes–especially in this year of weather curiosities. ...