I’m fascinated with history, particularly when it has local relevance. A new contest from Iowa Valley Scenic Byway Coordinator Dora Bopp ups the ante by combining history with places that I treasure in Tama County, along with the added element of a mystery.
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Tag: Chelsea
Spirits of the past come alive through s...
It was a true moment of serendipity. A list of work that I needed to complete battled with wanting to hear Diane Ott Whealy, the co-founder of Seed Savers Exchange, speak at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, the last in a gardening series presented by the ISU Extension Linn County Master Gardeners. Diane’s speech won […]
Pumpkin shopping and another neighborhoo...
I don’t recall ever buying pumpkins from a grocery store, as I’d rather see that money go directly to the farmers who haul those heavy loads to a farmers market, or right on the farm, as I found at a stop this weekend near Chelsea. Still, I can see that many people rely on their […]
Mystery insect ID at the farm
Many Eastern Iowans know my sister, Margaret Wolter, from her years as a naturalist at the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids. While she is now dedicating her work to teaching preschoolers, she still keeps nature at the forefront.
Grandma’s miracle flower
Our challenges in saving the family farm continue and it looks like, despite all of our efforts, it probably won’t remain intact. I found one message of hope, however, in all of the despair that surrounds losing something you love. A little background: our uncle was living on the family farm in rural Chelsea, Iowa, […]
Saving the family farm, phase two: the m...
CHELSEA – As a reporter, you’re often thrust into unfamiliar territory. Whether it’s covering a shooting in a dark alley or stem cell research at a medical institute, you’re expected to know enough to ask the right questions to make sense of the situation. I’m hoping that experience serves me well as we embark on […]
Saving the family farm: next step, the a...
CHELSEA – These past several weeks have been exhausting, heartrending, gut wrenching and occasionally, enlightening. Anyone who has had to prepare an estate auction for a close relative can probably relate. In this case, my uncle, Craig Musel, should be out on his farm, doing what he loves. In past years, that would mean getting […]
Iowa sets record with rainfall; most pre...
Just a month ago, we worried about another drought in Iowa. Now the concern is too much water. Earlier today, I traveled to Tama County and saw the flooding up close, a reminder of what we experienced in Cedar Rapids in 2008. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources noted in its water summary of May […]
Under water, again; flooding and storm w...
CHELSEA – It was odd seeing ducks and geese today, next to Highway 30, swimming in farm fields. I traveled to my uncle’s farm near Chelsea, in Tama County. I’m grateful that the past generations of my family chose to settle on high grounds in the rolling hills of East-central Iowa, but even that land […]