Little Pasture on the Prairie

When we were kids, my brother always wanted to play army and I always wanted to play pioneer family. It is funny how things work out —my brother has been employed by the U.S.

Of mothers and memories

I remember waiting at home for my mother as she returned from work. It was spring and she was wearing a raincoat, with a scarf over her head. The smell of the spring rain and her perfume was unforgettable. To my young sensibilities, that was the unequivocal scent of home.

Letter to the editor

Dear Editor, I would like to thank my many wonderful and caring friends for the love and support I received after the article in the Thursday, April 20, 2023, Timber Lake Topic. Anyone who knows me would know that isn’t how I operate.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Here on the short-grass prairie our “average” yearly precipitation is 13 inches. I put the average in quotes because it can be a whole lot less or a whole lot more, and the difference entirely defines the year for those of us laboring on farms and ranches.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Last May, after selling most of my flock the previous fall, I had very few pregnant ewes under my care. I’d been proclaiming for years that I needed far fewer ewes or far more if I was going to make shepherding sustainable.

Stray Thoughts: The New Game

The students eagerly line up to cross the finish line, which is what graduation feels like to most of them. Only seconds after the rotation of the tassel on their cap, they realize they have not actually finished anything.

It’s always construction season for the body

Like a car racing along the interstate, exiting onto a highway, and finally reaching the family farm along a dusty gravel road, our blood circulates inside our bodies.

LETTER

At Mobridge Regional Hospital & Clinics (MRH&C) we frequently encounter challenges working with Medicare Advantage plans. They often erect unnecessary and/or inappropriate barriers to care, including burdensome prior authorization requirements, payment delays, and payment denials.

Stray Thoughts: Meritocracy

Our small group of communities celebrated something quite unusual this past week. One of our local young adults was selected for inclusion by a National Football League franchise.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

During calving season, we keep the first time mothers close to the house so we can check them often. If there’s going to be a problem during labor and delivery, it usually happens to a first-time mother.