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Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Founded 1901

Royal Purple

On the road to recovery

On the road to recovery

Chris Hardie, Contributor January 29, 2024

All journeys begin with a step. I thought about that as I ventured outside for the first time since my left hip was replaced eight days ago. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, I walked without...

It’s snow fooling around

It’s snow fooling around

Chris Hardie, Contributor January 21, 2024

As we settle into winter and the appearance of that four-letter word that is both cherished and hated, I’d like to take a moment to thank J.W. Elliot. It was Elliot, hailing from Toronto, Canada who...

Farewell, Cosby sweaters

Farewell, Cosby sweaters

Chris Hardie December 3, 2023

Regular and faithful readers of my meanderings will recall that my name does not come up with the mention of fashion icons. I dress seasonally with the notion that clothes serve a utilitarian purpose to...

Finishing the harvest

Finishing the harvest

Chris Hardie, Contributor November 19, 2023

The big combines of today make short work of combining corn, moving up and down the fields, harvesting several rows of stalks at a time. It’s a far cry from 50 years ago, when my father used a one-row...

A season of rain in one day

A season of rain in one day

Chris Hardie November 12, 2023

I knew the rainfall was heavy when I spotted overflowing creeks while driving home the night of Oct. 24. It was raining steadily as we headed north from La Crosse but nothing like the wall of water that...

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The world of shrinkflation

Chris Hardie, WNA October 29, 2023

Let’s set the record straight – I am not an economist – which the Bureau of Labor Statistics defines as “an expert who studies the relationship between a society’s resources and its production...

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Building his own bridge

Chris Hardie October 15, 2023

Back Home by Chris Hardie Download this column as a Word document Download the photos that accompany this story Chris Hardie’s headshot   Last week I wrote about the remaining...

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Covered bridges still part of the landscape

Chris Hardie October 8, 2023

A year ago I wrote about some of the historic or memorable bridges that I have crossed or traveled to – including a few located near my home in western Wisconsin. The topic was a hit with readers,...

Squashing the harvest

Squashing the harvest

Chris Hardie, Contributor October 2, 2023

Did you know that the word squash comes from the Narragansett Native American word askutasquash, which means “eaten raw or uncooked?” And did you know there are more than 100 varieties of squash...

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The slow turn of summer to fall

Chris Hardie September 24, 2023

The turn of summer into fall isn’t an overnight makeover but more like the gradual creation of an autumnal artist. It starts subtle with splotches of yellows, oranges and reds dotting the green canvas....

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Milker photo brings surge of memories

Chris Hardie September 10, 2023

One of the staple events during farm shows is the milking contest, usually pitting some local celebrity against another stripping milk from a cow’s udder. The rules vary, but the winner is usually...

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Nothing bitter about this island tour

Chris Hardie September 3, 2023

You can feel the history as you cross Death’s Door across the turbulent currents of Lake Michigan from the mainland tip of Door County to Washington Island. The six-mile crossing was once traversed...

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