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Meteorologically minded people are calling 2025 the year of the flood. National Weather Service records indicate it hasn’t been this wet since 1986. Powerful floods have hit places like Texas and we’ve seen a few deluges, too, but luckily not as badly as those places down south. The culprit is increased humidity pumping into the U.S. by the Bermuda High.

Blueberries are out in full force when the weather warms. Blueberries are delicious freshly picked, and can be topped with some light cream for a refreshing dessert. Blueberries also are equally at home baked in muffins, breads and cobblers.

Homeowners enjoy gardening for many different reasons. In addition to adding beauty to a property, gardens can offset grocery costs by yielding tasty produce. They also offer important habitats and food sources for both insects and animals.

I pet a wild moose once. It wasn’t due to stealth, or bravery on my part. Rather, an unfortunate yearling bull had brain worm which left it unable to do much other than walk in a tight circle in a field near our home. So I took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get close enough to a moose to pet it and, at the same time, wow our kids, who were sitting in the car a short distance off. The poor thing was doomed to a miserable end and later dispatched by folks from the Minnesota DNR.

This photo was submitted to the Cook News-Herald by the Cook History