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In my opinion, nothing beats a great, well-written book with believable, all-too-human characters, an intricate plot, and the clash of good versus evil culminating in an exciting ending. Feast Day of Fools, written by James Lee Burke, provides all these thrills, exceptionally well-fleshed out characters, and with plenty of villains and good guys that clash, sometimes in gruesome ways, throughout the book. The story pivots around Hackberry Holland, the sheriff of a southwest Texas county. I...
The end of daylight savings time signals the arrival of long dark winter nights with their correspondingly short winter days. The end of daylight time is as depressing as Labor Day Monday, as there is no doubt about it, darkness envelops the MonDak by 5 p.m. Even on a bright winter day, long purple shadows stretch out from their sources by 3:30 or 4 p.m. in the afternoon, letting us know nightfall lurks just around the corner. We plan winter outdoor activities during the day in increments of...
My brother had knee surgery a few years ago and after the surgery, his doctor inquired as to whether my brother wanted crutches or a walker to use while the knee healed. My brother opted for crutches, which came as no surprise to me as not only do I know my brother very well, but I also have noticed the status we as a society apply to the use of crutches, canes and walkers. We also as a nation place a high premium on youthful attributes, and that also impacts the choices we make even on somethin...
Sherri Hardy, Fairview, snapped the photo which won The Roundup’s Women in Agriculture photo contest. As the picture demonstrates, women play an important role on the Hardy farm, particularly during harvest. Hardy explains that family and friends of both sexes all chip in to help out during the busy sugarbeet season. Without women, the Hardys would have a difficult time completing harvest. “We draw from family, friends and retired people to complete harvest,” explains Hardy. “My sister is a fl...
This year’s Bovine Connection, scheduled for Thursday and Friday Dec. 1-2 at the MSU EARC and Extension building meeting room, Sidney, promises to provide an interesting program, complete with a variety of pertinent information for cattlemen and agribusiness people. Committee members have worked hard to provide a quality program for those who attend. Richland County Extension Agent Tim Fine points out that people will certainly benefit by attending this year’s event. “The committee has obtai...
Bovine Connection organizers have invited Steve Dittmer, Agribusiness Freedom Foundation, to speak at the Thursday, Dec. 1 session of the Bovine Connection, scheduled at the Extension office building meeting room, North Central Avenue, Sidney, and also to present the address at the Thursday night banquet scheduled for the Sidney Country Club. Dittmer will discuss free marketing and the preservation of free market options. “We promote free market principles throughout the food chain,” Dit...
The Richland County Extension office, in cooperation with extension agents from adjoining counties and other professionals, will host two evening pesticide classes on Nov. 15-17 at the new extension building on North Central Avenue. The classes will enable people to obtain necessary pesticide points to remain current with their applicators licenses. Those who attend both classes will earn a total of four points. “People need to have points to keep their licenses current,” says Richland Cou...
Difficulties in communicating with others can lead to problems and misunderstandings. Getting your message understood, dealing with people of a different generation, and effectively airing viewpoints can present challenges for many of us. Times change, fashions change and attitudes change from year to year and from generation to generation, sometimes making it difficult to bridge gaps. When four generations live and work together, it is critical to maintain good communications and understanding...
The word ‘harvest’ brings to mind small grains, alfalfa, sugarbeets, potatoes, legumes and the bounty from the gardens and orchards. Harvest, the seasonal reaping of any natural product, also includes lesser thought about products, including the harvest of trees for wood. Crane resident Ken Redman harvests trees and runs the logs through his small mill, producing slabs and boards of whatever dimensions he desires. He uses his end product to build anything from cabinets and trim to corrals and...
Methods of handling cattle may differ from ranch to ranch. Some ranchers find livestock handling a relatively simple matter, while others feel it is a stressful experience for both man and beast. However, ways do exist to make handling livestock a chore than no one dreads, rather than a painful marathon for all involved. Because cattle handling has become something that the public looks at more carefully than they did in the past, and because methods do exist that make moving cattle easier for...
Although growers experienced a tough growing season this year, Mother Nature rewarded their perseverance by providing good weather for sugarbeet harvest. Growers had to wait an extra week before starting harvest due to warm temperatures, but once they began bringing in the crop, they had uninterrupted digging. “We finished on the 24th of October, with Savage the last station to complete harvest,” says Russ Fullmer, Sidney Sugars agricultural manager. “We had beautiful weather, the beets came...
Losing a child might be one of the most difficult situations families face. The loss of a child of any age can devastate families and it may take years for the healing process to complete. A group of three ladies, all of whom have lost a child, decided that a good way to remember their children who have passed and at the same time preserve precious memories for family and friends, lies in the development of a special cookbook. Jacquie Pourroy, Vicki Waddington and Becky Kallevig have teamed up...
The Dry Redwater Regional Authority (DRWA) has asked the Richland County Commissioners to fund a portion of the DRWA rural water system. Without this funding, the project will go on hold for several years due to new government regulations and required paperwork. Brian Milne, Interstate Engineering president, Sidney, the consulting firm assisting DRWA in its efforts to provide water for rural residents, explains that if the county provides funding, the project can begin construction as early as...
After over a week’s delay from scheduled start-up, the sugarbeet harvest got underway on Oct. 8 for Sidney, Culbertson, Savage and Fairview area growers. Those growers in the Powder River and Pleasant View areas followed suit on Oct. 9. At press time, weather has continued to cooperate and growers have had relatively smooth digging with only a few delays at individual stations due to heat. “We’re about a third done,” said Randy Jones, Sidney Sugars, on Oct. 12. “If the nice weather continues...
Every summer, Sidney Sugars crews work to repair, maintain and upgrade the six pile grounds, preparing these beet receiving stations for the upcoming beet harvest. Some years, a particular pile ground may require additional attention, and this past summer, both the Savage and the Culbertson stations had special needs that crews attended to over the summer months. Because of this extra work, Savage this year has the capability to weigh semi trucks, an improvement that brings this pile ground...
When sugarbeet harvest ends each fall, many of us figure that harvest has ended for another year. Not so, for those who have planted such crops as corn, sunflowers and pumpkins. These crops may still be in the field, awaiting picking or combining, as the case may be. Pumpkins have a long growing season, usually needing anywhere from 75-100 frost free days to reach maturity. Those who plant pumpkins commercially often do not start the harvest until October, depending on weather conditions, as...
The word ‘harvest’ brings to mind small grains, alfalfa, sugarbeets, potatoes, legumes and the bounty from the gardens and orchards. Harvest, the seasonal reaping of any natural product, also includes lesser thought about products, including the harvest of trees for wood. Crane resident, Ken Redman, harvests trees and runs the logs through his small mill, producing slabs and boards of whatever dimensions he desires. He uses his end product to build anything from cabinets and trim to corrals and...
For the 38th straight year, Sidney Sugars Agriculturist Kerry Rasmussen has supervised beet harvest, organizing and training pile ground employees, working with growers, and doing everything possible to ensure that beet harvest runs as smoothly and trouble-free as possible for everyone. Rasmussen, who plans to retire from Sidney Sugars in the spring, expects harvest 2011 will be his last harvest as an agriculturist. “It’s been a good run,” Rasmussen remarks. “I’ve served at every pile ground in...
Land usage changes through the years. The small patch of ground located along the highway south of the Dore elevator served as a sugarbeet pile grounds for many years until sugar factory officials closed it in 1996. During that time, residents saw a lot of heavy truck traffic in and out of the pile grounds during harvest. Today, that same piece of ground now stores tanker rail cars for the movement of crude oil and residents see a tremendous amount of truck traffic all year long, not just during...
While rushing around town the other day, hurrying so I could get out of the crowded mess and disarray of what used to be a peaceful little burg, I bumped into an acquaintance I haven’t seen for several years. When she said ‘hello’ to me, I looked at her, realized in short order who she was, and the first thought that entered my head was ‘my goodness, has she ever aged’. My next thought, following a nanosecond after my initial shocked disbelief at seeing the gray hair and other signs of age in...
The calling of cranes and the honking of geese high overhead reminds us in no uncertain terms that summer has fled, fall has arrived, and the birds have packed their bags and started their annual migrations south to warmer climates. The cawing of blackbirds as they flock up by the hundreds preparing to take flight out of this region reinforces the truth that winter will arrive sooner than we care to admit. Many bird populations travel long distances twice a year along flyways that generally...
Change happens all the time; nothing lasts forever or remains static for very long. Some change we regard as good and embrace with open arms, while we dread and anticipate the worst case scenario when other events cause change to occur in our lives. Our outlook depends on circumstances and experience. Supposedly older people have more problems adapting to change, but I don’t believe that. Regardless of how old we are, circumstances can bring much wanted and appreciated changes which we d...
I just completed the book The Language of Flowers written by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, and I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The story kept me engrossed throughout the entire book, not only because of the great prose and the plot, but also because of the different world it opened for me. The story revolves around a lonely young woman who has encased her heart in cast iron because of her life experiences. Abandoned as an infant and growing up in foster homes and group homes, her childhood experiences...
Upland bird season has arrived, and hunters tend to separate into two loose groups: those who hunt with dogs and those who hunt without the assistance of a four-legged friend. Those who prefer to have trained dogs along to help with the hunt generally use either pointing or retrieving dogs in their quest for game birds. Bob Crandall, Yellowstone Kennels owner/operator, Sidney, trains both pointing and retrieving dogs but he specializes in the retrievers, as he believes retrieving dogs best fit...
It turned out to be the year of the grasshopper in many areas of eastern Montana. Many regions did not notice these voracious pests early in the spring, but by summer’s end, hoppers had appeared in droves throughout eastern Montana. Dave Branson, USDA/ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab ecologist, Sidney, notes that grasshopper populations were particularly high in certain regions, with highest populations largely south and west of Richland County. “We saw areas in eastern Montana wit...
