Every year my husband and I head up north with a few friends where we rent a cabin on one of Minnesota's many lakes. We spend a week boating, fishing, drinking and relaxing. Sometimes we visit local casinos and shops and there's always a trip or two to town for supplies. We've accrued many memories of our annual summer trips.
Two years ago, August 2016, we stayed on Girl Lake near the small town of Longville, MN. On one of our many trips to town, my friend Susie and I waited by the truck while our friend Mandy walked behind a gas station to dispose of fish guts. Within a minute, she was power-walking back to us, a bear cub behind her. "Is he following me?" She asked, her voice tense. Yes, indeed, he was following her, at an unhurried pace. As the bear came closer we realized he wasn't a bear, but a really shaggy, large dog. The dog came over to us and waited patiently as we each pet him. Susie looked at the tag hanging on his collar. "Bruno" was his name. After visiting with us, Bruno headed down the street. The three of us fretted - where's his owner, why was no one looking for him? Should we tell the local police? We watched Bruno walk with purpose as he disappeared around a corner. I posted his picture on Facebook and one of my friends responded with a link to a news story about Bruno. He was the town's most famous resident and we'd been lucky enough to meet him! Every day, Bruno trekked about 4 miles to town to make his rounds before heading home again. He greeted locals and tourists alike and was well known throughout the state of Minnesota. On Sunday, May 7, Bruno was struck by a car and killed. He'd been 15 years old, a long time for a dog. And a life he enjoyed on his terms, belonging not just to his owners but to the Longville community. Rest in peace, sweet Bruno. We'll always remember you.
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Last night at about 8:45 PM I heard the familiar sound of a helicopter flying overhead. Familiar, yes, because nearly every day since we've lived in our home (twenty years), the helicopter flies over between 8:30 and 9 PM.
Several years ago I was at a neighborhood party and I overheard someone talking about a resident of our small town (population 16K) who owns a helicopter and flies it to and from work. I wasn't engaged in that conversation, so I didn't hear the rest of what they said nor did I have the opportunity to ask questions. The subject changed and life moved on. A few years ago after hearing the helicopter fly by, I did a lazy Google search to see if I could determine who the pilot was and any other interesting information. My search terms consisted of "helicopter" and the name of our small town. The results did not provide any information. More recently I performed a more aggressive online search with specific keywords and learned the pilot lives only 4 miles north. He had been involved in a few legal disputes regarding his right to use his property as a heliport. He lives on 1 acre. A heliport. On ONE. ACRE. At least one of the legal disputes began because of neighbor complaints. No Kidding. Imagine relaxing with your family, watching your favorite TV show or lying in bed to read a book at the end of a long day only to be rattled with the CHOP-CHOP-CHOP-CHOP from your neighbor Stanley's Rotorway Exec two-seater coming in for a landing at the "heliport" next door. One acre is not a lot of space. My house sits on just over 1 acre. I can't fathom a helicopter landing on the front lawn, though I suppose in an emergency, it's possible. There are other considerations when landing a helicopter in a semi-rural, residential area, especially at night. Kids, pets or wildlife running around, weather and wind. Power lines. I looked at it on Google Maps and though the pilot's yard is mostly open, there are trees - hardwoods and pines - on the neighbors' properties and along the road. Seeing the satellite map view makes that 1 acre seem oh, so tiny. It would be more appropriate if the pilot's property were, say, around 10+ acres and his heliport was situated smack in the middle. My friends and family know that I'm very particular about neighbor "etiquette" - behavior and common courtesy. I've experienced more than my fair share of crappy neighbor situations, like a Halloween party with 300+ attendees (resulting in multiple stabbings) to having my yard set on fire. (Stories I will share later.) I wouldn't be thrilled to live next to a residential helipad. I'm sure there's more to the story. And maybe through the course of his daily commutes the pilot has stopped to perform search/rescues of lost hikers, a la Harrison Ford. That would be cool. Or maybe he IS Harrison Ford. My husband and I are planning to move soon and we've been meticulously researching neighborhoods in hopes of finding our dream oasis of property; a sanctuary for eventual retirement. In addition to all the other criteria we have in mind, we'll need to add "no residential heliports nearby" to that list. |
About Sally FarleyI'm a typical, hardworking Midwesterner, enduring (and sometimes participating in) the passive-aggressive complexities of life in Minnesota. ArchivesLinksAsk a Manager
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