Man vs Golf You know how sometimes you go to visit your parents but you don’t want to stay with them because, you know, they’re your parents? So you decide to stay nearby, but not that nearby because, well, they’re your parents? But it’s also spring break for the kiddos so you dish out a little more scratch than usual and stay not just at a hotel but a resort with a full-on water park, with lots of pools and water slides galore? And you know how the first few days are good, clean family fun, swimming during the days, seeing the folks in the evening but then you learn that the resort offers something else and that something else is… golf? And you know how halfway through your stay, the PGA walks in like they own the joint? I hate it when that happens. One minute, parking is first come first serve, the next it’s: Are you with the Open? Oh, you’re not with the Open.

Migration on the Move For the past month or so hundreds of thousands of birds have been streaming up from Central and South America, heading north along major flyway routes across the United States. Minnesota sits along the eastern edge of the Central Flyway and the western sweep of the Mississippi Flyway, becoming both the fly-over zone and summer residences for a large portion of those birds: waterfowl from the east, songbirds/ upland birds from the west, with a mixes from both sides.

Much of the region had some snow on Sunday as a low-pressure system pushed across the state. It was pretty to see but I think many of us are over this winter and want to see the warmer weather settle-in “for good,” or at least until next fall! I know some of our area farmers have told me that they are hoping to be able to get out into the fields, and that they needing some drier days and warmer temperatures to dry things out this spring. Unfortunately, more moisture will be with us for Wednesday into Thursday. It will also be very windy as we could see some gusts to 40 mph! It certainly won’t be a couple of great days weatherwise.

Mother Nature sure has her wires crossed. Snow and slush and then warmer and then rain and snow again. AND. There is more mixed precipitation forecast for the coming week. Come on, Mama. Give us a break. I am so looking forward to flowers blooming in nature.

April is National Fair Housing Month! Fair housing is a growing need and concern within all communities. This is especially true for the victim/survivors that WRAP works with. WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs, Inc. (WRAP) provides advocacy for victim/survivors of domestic abuse and sex trafficking/exploitation in Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, and Yellow Medicine Counties.

Each year Medicare gives every Advantage plan, Cost plan, and Part D drug plan a rating between one and five stars. A 5-star rating is considered excellent. The stars are assigned on factors including quality and performance of the plan and come from plan details as well as feedback from customer service surveys from beneficiaries and health care providers. The star ratings for the upcoming year are assigned in the fall and are useful during the annual Open Enrollment Period when people are looking at coverage for the upcoming year and wondering if a plan they are considering is any good.