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Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Founded 1901

Royal Purple

Two bare spots in the snow indicate deer beds in the woods. Deer can bed down for hours or even days if the conditions warrant. (Chris Hardie photo)

The annual urge to hibernate

Chris Hardie, Contributor January 30, 2022

It’s always this time of winter with the cold and snow that the prospect of hibernation seems pretty darned attractive. After all, I have a lot of hyperphagic practice already in place by the additional...

A button marking the historic cold on Jan. 9, 1977, in Rice Lake. (Photo courtesy of Jack Daniel)

Cold-weather column stirs memories of frigid day

Chris Hardie, Contributor January 23, 2022

Apparently, there’s nothing like a cold-weather story to warm up memories from folks in Wisconsin. Last week, I posted a link on the Facebook group Forgotten Wisconsin to my recent column about Jan....

Chris Hardie’s barnyard animals gather at the feeder on a morning when the temperatures were minus 20. (Chris Hardie photo)

The day Wisconsin froze to 60 below zero

Chris Hardie, Contributor January 16, 2022

Old memories become blurry with the passage of time, but a particularly cold Sunday 45 years ago that stands out for me was memorable across western and northern Wisconsin. I’ve written before about...

Chris Hardie was trapped on the roof when the ladder fell down. (Sherry Hardie photo)

Stranded on the rooftop

Chris Hardie, Contributor December 12, 2021

‘Tis the season for holiday lights and while I’m no Clark Griswold, I’ve always enjoyed putting up a few exterior decorations. The interior holiday decorating I leave to my far more capable...

Chris Hardie and his 9-point buck and an 18-inch antler spread shot opening day, Nov. 20, 2021. (Ross Hardie photo)

A sweet end to a successful hunt

Chris Hardie, Contributor December 5, 2021

The trees were silhouetted by the light of the waning but still large Beaver Moon as I slowly made my way down the hill toward my hunting spot. It was shortly after 6 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, the opening...

Half of this blue hubbard squash is big enough that Chris Hardie could wear it on his head. (Chris Hardie photo)

Bountiful squash, a tire blowout and reader response

Chris Hardie, Contributor November 28, 2021

The garden harvest season is long over, but we’re still enjoying the bounties. Sort of. A few weeks ago, I wrote about harvesting our winter squash, including a couple dozen blue hubbard squash....

Chris Hardie’s deer stand is ready for 2021 hunting season that opens Saturday, Nov. 20.

Making scents of deer hunting

Chris Hardie, Contributor November 14, 2021

I learned a new word the other day referring to the desire of hardcore deer hunters to be in their stand as the fall breeding season heats up. Apparently, a “rutcation” is when you set aside...

The view from atop Brady’s Bluff in Perrot State Park.

A view steeped in history

Chris Hardie, Contributor November 7, 2021

As we stood atop the bluff some 460 feet above the river, I was struck by the breathtaking vista before us. A few weeks ago, my wife Sherry and I hiked to the top of Brady’s Bluff in Perrot State...

What did 13-year-old Chris Hardie hear while walking through these woods on a late summer evening? (Chris Hardie photo)

Spooky tales of sasquatch sightings

Chris Hardie, Contributor October 24, 2021

Halloween is the season for ghost stories and hauntings, but are there even bigger creatures that go bump in the night? Many people consider the legendary creature Bigfoot — also called Sasquatch...

It won’t take this combine long to finish picking the remaining corn in this field

Harvest time means busy time

Chris Hardie, Contributor October 10, 2021

It’s harvest time in the country, with farmers busy in the fields at all hours of the day collecting the annual crops. The warm and dry fall has created ideal harvest conditions so far across...

This sycamore growing on the Hardie farm is a survivor.

Hardie sycamore is a hardy survivor

Chris Hardie, Contributor October 3, 2021

Fall is the time of year when we enjoy the different trees and the range of colors they display as the leaves start to change. Maples, birch, elm, ash, hickory, walnut, poplar and oaks account for...

Warm fall day sparks memories of cinnamon

Warm fall day sparks memories of cinnamon

Chris Hardie, Contributor September 26, 2021

Memories are strange things at times because you never know what triggers recollections from the aging gray matter. It’s been years — decades, really — since I thought of the times on the...

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