Salutes... ADELINE LUNDIN Twigger tales

Editor’s Note: Twiggers are small woodland creatures composed of twigs and other natural materials.

Paynesville

320-243-3938 www.feedcomn.com

School: Litchfield High School

Grade: 11

Parents: Erin & Daryl Lundin

FFA Chapter: Litchfield (Region V)

Tell us about some of the things you’ve done in FFA. Currently, I am serving as our chapter president for the 2022-2023 season. FFA was something I started as a freshman and I’ve grown to love it because of the people and the fun things we can participate in.

Name one current issue you believe will impact agriculture in the future. One of the biggest challenges I’ve noticed just in the last few years has been climate change. The climate could potentially affect the crop yield more than it already has and cause more challenges for farmers.

How would you encourage an inactive FFA member to become more involved? There are many different CDEs and LDEs kids are able to participate in. I know for our chapter, if we think someone has good potential for anything involved in FFA, we ask them to try it out.

What is the greatest benefit you have received from being involved in FFA? The greatest benefit for me has been the community outreach and involvement. Although I’m a part of some pretty great things in our school, I still believe the most amount of community communication has been through FFA.

What do you enjoy most about FFA? Why? I like the leadership opportunities along with meeting new people. I think it’s really interesting meeting people from different chapters, and even different regions. I know my first region banquet I attended was sophomore year, and I met so many new people. The same thing goes for the state convention. You get to learn about some of the things other chapters do which could be something you incorporate into your chapters, schedule.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership isn’t being the person who does everything by themselves; they’re the person who communicates with others, and sets good examples that others want to follow or be a part of.

What other hobbies and interests do you have outside of FFA? I am involved in marching band, choir, student council, swimming, basketball, and I enjoy golfing with friends in my free time.

When you spend a lot of time outdoors and in the woods, you begin to notice things you would have otherwise missed: the different sounds of birds, wind through the trees, sometimes sounds that you can’t quite identify. You notice the colors, textures, designs and patterns. You see how things fit together. Concepts materialize. One could say that things come to you.

Working out –outdoors, that is by

Nancy Packard Leasman

Such is the case with the Twiggers.

Having regularly spent time in the woods over the last two years, I have proved myself to be harmless to these little creatures that inhabit the woods. In fact, I’ve been quite constructive.

Skater was one of the first Twiggers to introduce himself.

Skater loves the ice and lives for cold winter days. It doesn’t take very much ice to make a rink for Skater. He’s never played hockey. He’s more of a speed skater.

Skater begged to meet the water wizard, or ice maiden, who has been so instrumental in getting an outdoor ice rink in town. He heard her name was Lu and was so excited to meet her in her office. He thought she must be a really brave woman to deal with that much ice. Twiggers are naturally fearful of ice. Skater is an exception, though, and now that he’s met Lu, maybe she’ll show him what sticks and pucks have to do with ice.

Diedre is a dog walker. Yes, there are tiny dogs in the Twigger world. Diedre would like to have her own dog but for now is content to walk her friend’s dogs, Sybil and Evie. She is firm with the dogs and keeps them on leashes. She always has treats for them.

On one of their walks, they decided to visit Sybil and Evie in the human world. It was terribly frightening because the human-world Sybil and Evie are so large. Bravery is a combination of terror and desire, and the little duo was very brave, as was Diedre, who led the foray through the floor level to get to the high place where it was safe.

The human-world Sybil and Evie were gracious to their visitors and really didn’t act any way other than friendly. But, still, they were very large.

Unfortunately, there was a catastrophe. While the dogs gave little notice to their Twiggers visitors, one of the resident cats (there are two) climbed, stretched and batted until Diedre and the small dogs fell within reach. The trio was terrified! All three suffered greatly under the attack.

A decision needed to be made. Should there be a Twigger funeral, or should an attempt at restoration be made?

All three underwent surgical procedures to reattach limbs, heads and smaller details. They survived and, in the manner of “getting back on the horse,” have fearlessly (but not without trepidation) gone back to the site of their attack.

They are more watchful, now, and live on a safer plane (we hope).

Aggie had a much less adventurous visit. He loves agates, which, to him, are very large rocks. He wears chaps to protect his tender shins from getting banged up by the rocks. He has some favorite fields to hunt for agates but is fearful of the huge machinery that sometimes moves through them. He knows the best time to look for the striped treasures is after a rain. He waits until the sun shines because that’s when the rocks really glisten.

Aggie was the first of the Twiggers to venture out into the greater world. He’d heard about a family with a huge agate collection and yearned to see it for himself. They were thrilled with his visit and the fact that he shares their passion for striped rocks.

Rhea, Fern, Amy, Rocky, Lily, Mapeline, Rubi, Acer, Carrie, Callie, Vita, Angie, Burly Man, Flip, Amora and Peep are also brave Twiggers who have left the woods to explore the human world. Rhea lives in a library, Amy a post office, Flip a hair salon, Amora a pharmacy. Angie and Burly Man will go to Wisconsin to live with mushroom hunters. Callie lives with new friends in a bird cage in Minneapolis.

Collin carries a shamrock staff and a bucket of golden beads. Of course, Collin isn’t Irish. He’s a Twigger from central Minnesota. However, he fancies the stories of leprechauns, loves to dress in kilts and honors the folklore of Ireland.

Happy St. Patty’s Day!

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face And the leprechauns bring only treasure.