Pumpkins photographed at a roadside pumpkin stand in Stanton. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
WHILE AT THE GROCERY STORE the other day, I picked up limited edition pumpkin spice bagels and pumpkin spice cream cheese spread. Yum. I crave the seasonal taste of pumpkin, not in excess, but just enough to satisfy me.
A sidewalk dining area, next to a parklet in downtown Northfield, features autumn decor that includes pumpkins. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Every autumn, pumpkin prevails. If I wanted, I could have bought pumpkin spice coffee to go with my bagels. Or pumpkin spiced cereal or whatever other foods feature this flavor. The options seem endless.
I do have two cans of pumpkin in the cupboard for muffins. I probably won’t make a pie. Does anyone make pumpkin pie from scratch, from baked pumpkins, any more?
A sign along Minnesota State Highway 19 directs motorists to a roadside stand in Stanton. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
That brings me to roadside stands that pop up in Minnesota each autumn to sell pumpkins, squash and other garden goods. There’s something about a wagon loaded with bright orange orbs or a field of pumpkins that makes me break out in a wide smile.
A roadside produce stand in Stanton. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Charles Schulz may have influenced my reaction. The Minnesota-born artist created the “Peanuts” cartoons. I grew up watching his animated cartoon TV specials, including “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” There’s something endearing about a boy—Linus—sitting in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin. His is a testament to unwavering hope and faith, trusting that the mighty pumpkin will appear.
Trust is essential for anyone running an untended, self-serve roadside stand like the ones I saw recently along Minnesota State Highway 19 in Stanton and also between Faribault and Northfield along State Highway 3. Pick your product and drop your money in a secured lock box. Now that’s trusting on the part of the vendor.
Pumpkins are incorporated into an autumn display outside Althoff’s Floral & Gifts in Cannon Falls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
While picking from the pumpkin patch is mostly done with Halloween over and jack-o-lanterns carved, pumpkins are still in demand as Thanksgiving approaches. Or at least I think they are with pumpkins often centering autumnal décor in yards, planters, at businesses, inside sanctuaries and elsewhere.
Pumpkins, squash and gourds pack a wagon at a roadside stand in Stanton. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Pumpkins in various sizes, shapes and colors, mixed with squash, gourds, corn and mums, make visually-appealing displays that say “autumn.” And I’m all about prolonging autumn for as long as possible before winter settles in for the next too many months.
Among the many animatronic frights at the Cauldron County Scare Grounds, 234 First Avenue Southwest, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
WHAT SCARES YOU? If you say nothing, I won’t believe you.
Ghosts overlook Bridge Square on the second floor of Cottage Tearoom Fare in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Here are a few things that frighten me: Tornadoes, pandemics, bats, mice and unleashed dogs in public places. But not Halloween.
The hand of an animatronic fortune teller in a Faribault Halloween display reaches out. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
A time existed, though, when Halloween held some fright for me. Imagine for a moment a Halloween party in the basement of a local veterinarian’s house. Then imagine playing a game of touching objects while blindfolded. And then imagine being told you were fingering a cow’s eyeballs. That would be me, a gullible elementary-aged girl who truly believed that cold grapes were a bovine’s orbs. Why wouldn’t I trust the veterinarian’s daughter?
A hanging skeleton in the Lanes’ Halloween display, which is open to the public. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Coy Lane drew the clown for this bean bag toss board while Kathy painted it. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
While the Lanes buy many of their frightful props, they also craft many, making this a truly home-grown display that includes games for guests to play. Last time I stopped in about a week ago, they’d already counted 1,000 visitors to their Circus De Soulless which is open from noon-9 p.m. daily through October 31.
Halloween decor is featured in the front window of Antiques of Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
While out and about in the region, I’ve seen the creativity of residents, business owners and others who clearly enjoy Halloween.
A funeral staged in the window of Fate Vintage, Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Take Fate Vintage in Northfield, a Division Street antique shop now showcasing skeletons in funeral and medical scenes. Definitely creatively creepy, these front window displays draw shoppers inside to peruse racks of Halloween costumes and more in this packed store.
A Fonzie costume for sale at Fate Vintage. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Looking at a “Happy Days” The Fonz Halloween costume here, I was reminded of the importance of choosing just the right costume. My two Minnesota grandkids, ages seven and 10, chose Gryffindor and Ravenclaw robes from houses at Hogwarts School as their Halloween attire. Mega fans of the Harry Potter book series, their choice did not surprise me.
A Little Free Library in Elysian offers some books fitting for Halloween. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Over in Elysian next to Scoops Ice Cream & Rentals, readers won’t find Harry Potter books in a Little Free Library. But they can take home books in The Vampire Diaries and the Goosebumps series.
Suggested Halloween reading at the Cannon Falls Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
To the east in Cannon Falls, the public library has gotten into the Halloween spirit by creating an outdoor “DYING FOR A GOOD BOOK” display. Staff slipped covers of fright-appropriate books, like Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Tales,” into empty DVD cases and hung them on a tree. I’ve always found the story of the headless horseman to be ghoulishly creepy.
“Bloody” cupcakes at Sweet Kneads, Cannon Falls Bakery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Down the street and around the corner from the library, display shelves at Sweet Kneads bakery are filled with Halloween-themed cookies and cupcakes, some cutesy, like an over-sized green spider, and others macabre, like a blood-dripping knife stabbing a cupcake. It’s all in good fun.
A roadside stand in Stanton vends pumpkins, squash and more. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Fun comes in choosing a pumpkin from a patch, roadside stand or store and then a parent carving just the right face while the kids supervise. I remember those jack-o-lantern days.
A scene from the Faribault Fall Festival earlier this month which included kids in costume and kids’ activities. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2026)
I also remember, and this is going back to my childhood again, the rock-hard popcorn balls handed out by my Great Aunt Gertie. To eat one was to risk a trip to the dentist. And, yes, my siblings and I chomped our teeth into the sugary sweet popcorn balls. Now I’ll take dark chocolate candy over any Halloween treat, if you’re so inclined to “treat” me.
Halloween fun in Faribault began October 3 at the Fall Festival. The event included a chili contest with this offering from Faribault Transportation. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Ah, Halloween. Onward with the fright, the fun and the sweet, and not-so-sweet, memories.
The Cannon River in Welch. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
DESCENDING DEEP into the Cannon River valley, it’s easy to feel transported, disconnected, as if in a place distanced from the realities of everyday life. At least that’s been my reaction when I’ve traveled to Welch, an unincorporated burg nearly 40 miles southeast of St. Paul in Goodhue County.
Gravel roads like this twist through the state forest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
On a recent fall color drive, Randy and I aimed east toward this riverside location as we left Cannon Falls along Minnesota State Highway 19. Not long after, we turned off the paved highway onto gravel, eventually following Wild Turkey Road and other routes that twist through Richard J Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest toward Welch. The state forest encompasses 1 million acres in seven southeastern Minnesota counties.
Before driving deep into the woods, we saw farm sites and acres of farmland. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
I felt completely lost as gravel roads rose and fell before us, as farm sites came into view, as an occasional house hugged a forested hillside, as we looped back and forth, seemingly without direction.
Because I grew up on a square prairie grid where roads run straight, I always feel off-balance when I can’t grasp a sense of direction. But I trusted that Randy would get us back on track with the help of a paper atlas. There is no trusting cellphone service in remote areas like this.
A gravel road takes us deep into the forest. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
As we traveled, I appreciated the natural beauty of the forest. But my imagination sprinted, too, with stories of fictional crimes committed here deep in the woods. I am a fan of mysteries, especially those set in Minnesota.
Heading down winding Goodhue County Road 7to Welch. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Eventually, we reached a paved roadway that runs between Vasa and Welch. I admittedly felt a sense of relief when I spotted a guy picking up his mail, then saw vehicles packing the parking lot along the Cannon Valley Trail, a popular state recreational trail for bikers. By then we’d met a sprinkling of vehicles also. I felt like we were back in civilization.
If this all sounds a tad dramatic, it’s not meant to be. Rather, I’m simply trying to describe this region. Remote. Rugged. And beautiful.
Muted fall colors remained on our October 23 visit to the Welch area. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
It was here, winding our way through the Cannon River valley, that we saw the fall colors we’d hoped to find. Not as bright or brilliant as anticipated on a windy, hazy day. But beautiful none-the-less.
Randy steps on shoreline rocks to view the Cannon River up close in Welch. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
In warmer weather, this area is a recreational destination for those wishing to canoe, kayak or tube on the Cannon River with Welch Mill offering rentals and a launching spot. I walked to the edge of the Cannon, taking in the tranquil scene of water flowing between tree-lined banks. To my right, the river curved out of sight. To my left, water flowed under the county road bridge we’d just crossed.
A unique railing built of paddles subtly markets Welch Mill. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Other than a pest control truck leaving a public parking space and motorists pulling in to park and dine at The Bleu Dog Cafe, all was quiet in this village. I expect there are times when Welch thrums with activity. But not on this day.
A colorful treeline along Highway 19 between Cannon Falls and Vasa. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Shortly after taking in the river view, we returned to Goodhue County Road 7, winding our way uphill through hardwood forest toward the unincorporated village of Vasa. On this afternoon, the route proved popular for motorcyclists out for a fall color drive. Just like us.
Following hilly Highway 19 back to Cannon Falls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Eventually we emerged from the woods, heading back on Minnesota State Highway 19 to Cannon Falls, detouring briefly onto a gravel road flush with color.
FYI:Please check back for more stories from this late October day trip that took us east to places within 40 miles of Faribault.
All along, and on, our route, we saw farmers working, bringing in the harvest. This scene is near Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
LAST WEEK’S STREAK of gloriously warm, sunny days here in southern Minnesota beckoned Randy and me to hit the road on Friday to view the fall colors. We’d worked hard earlier in the week, me writing and painting and he laboring over automotive jobs.
A sign propped outside a downtown Cannon Falls business fit the focus of our day trip. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
As life-long Minnesotans, we understand that these golden autumn days are fleeting. And, indeed, the weather has now changed to cold, gloomy and rainy. So our decision to take a day off and away proved the right choice.
Grazing in a pasture near Nerstrand on a beautiful autumn morning. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
I love these day trips into the countryside and into the small towns in our region. It’s an opportunity to get out of Faribault, reconnect to our rural roots and delight in new discoveries.
The sky of sunrise as photographed from my home on Friday, October 23. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Before this outing even began, though, the day opened with a sunrise so lovely that I simply stood at my living room window taking in the scene before me. Light in shades of red, gold and orange fired across the eastern sky, blazing between clouds, creating a painterly visual.
Soon we would be off, picnic lunch packed, driving east into a landscape hazy with wind-blown harvest dust and land in need of a good, soaking rain.
The colorful Big Woods of Nerstrand on October 23. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
We saw our first masses of color in the dense woods of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. We opted not to stop at this busy fall destination park, but rather continued on to the small town of Nerstrand.
A home decorated for autumn in Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
A quick drive-through didn’t reveal much new in Nerstrand. But I did spot the most inviting front porch area graced with autumn décor of pumpkins, mums and a corn shock plus a vintage bike and lush ferns. I wanted to walk right up the front steps, knock on the door and ask to sit a spell in one of the comfy wicker chairs for conversation and perhaps a mug of steaming coffee. I’ve always wanted to live in a house with a front porch.
A colorful treeline between Nerstrand and Dennison. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Onward we drove, winding our way toward Dennison, past farms and occasional splashes of colorful trees.
The name of this new business in Dennison, with the grain complex in the background, grabbed my attention. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Once in town, I noticed a new establishment, Cattlemen’s Saloon, which seems a fitting name for this small farming community. The saloon, previously the 625 Bar & Grill, opened a year ago under the same ownership but with a new focus and branding.
Warning signs posted in a vacant storefront window in the heart of Dennison. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
I also happened upon some no trespassing signage that left me feeling uneasy. I got the message, as intended, that I ought to stay clear of this vacant property or else. I just don’t share the owner’s sense of humor regarding weapons.
Next we aimed toward Cannon Falls, twisting through the picturesque Sogn Valley area. Some fall color tinted hillsides of trees, but nothing spectacular. We realized that perhaps we were a week late to see the peak of autumn hues here.
This up-high vintage draws my attention in Cannon Falls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Yet, a drive like this doesn’t depend on a singular attraction to make it enjoyable. Rather, I delight in the unexpected, the quirky, the details that help define a place. And first off in Cannon Falls, that was an old John Deere tractor hoisted high atop a metal frame on the south edge of town. I wondered how that tractor was lifted into place.
With sweet treat murals painted on front display windows by Dani Liana of Red Wing-based Legacy Murals, there’s no mistaking this as a bakery, Sweet Kneads bakery in downtown Cannon Falls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
Beautifully-decorated cookies in a display case at Sweet Kneads, Cannon Falls Bakery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
But it was in downtown Cannon Falls where I found the highlight of the day—Sweet Kneads. I love a good local bakery. Only on day trips do I treat myself to a bakery sweet, this time a blueberry Bismarck donut that was over-the-top yummy, oozing with blueberry filling that tasted fresh, not canned. It was one of the best bakery treats, if not the best, I’ve ever eaten.
Cannon Falls businesses, like this floral and gift shop, do a good job of creating inviting exterior seasonal displays to draw customers inside. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)
With sweets fueling us, Randy and I were ready to hit the road again, but not before a quick look at seasonally-decorated storefronts at neighboring businesses. We could easily have spent several hours downtown, home to restaurants, boutiques, a cheese shop, florist, winery, brewery, antique store and much more. Cannon Falls offers a lot. We’ve previously lingered for hours here. But this trip we focused on finding fall colors. So out of town we headed, eastward bound toward Welch.
FYI:Please check back as I continue on this fall color day trip into rural southern Minnesota.
Books on Central is housed in the former Dandelet Jewelry, 227 Central Avenue North in downtown Faribault. This photo was taken before the bookshop opened in early October. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo January 2023)
THIS SEEMS THE SEASON for creatives. At least in my community. Wednesday evening I listened to local writer Larry Gavin read poems and tell stories at Faribault’s new used bookstore, Books on Central. It’s always a delight to listen to this creative and especially so in the former Dandelet Jewelry Store. This cozy space features a grand vintage chandelier, built-in shelves and drawers, and other historic details that make it inviting, charming and unlike any bookshop I’ve ever shopped. Plus, this volunteer-run Rice County Area United Way bookstore boasts an inventory of 8,000 used books for all ages and in all genres.
Among artists selling their art at Holly Days is Julie Fakler, Paradise Center for the Arts executive director. Fakler is known for her animal portraits, these showcased in a previous exhibit. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2022)
Shopping. This is the season to shop the goods of local creatives. The Paradise Center for the Arts kicks off its Holly Days Sale with an artists’ reception from 5-7 pm this evening, November 16. Twenty artists are selling their art, from pottery to needle felting to stained glass and much more. The sale runs until December 22.
Tis the season of holiday craft sales/bazaars/boutiques. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo November 2022)
On Saturday, November 18, creatives will vend Christmas items (including porch pots), quilts, wood and metal works, baked goods and more in the Trinity Lutheran Church auditorium along Fourth Street in Faribault. My friend Mandy has been baking up a storm, creating cupcakes, pumpkin-shaped centerpiece cakes and more for the 9 am – 3 pm Holiday Boutique Sale. Trinity youth will sell lunch, snacks and treats.
Also on Saturday, the Faribo West Mall hosts its Fall Bazaar from 10 am-4 pm with crafts, flea market finds and baked goods. A bonus feature is kids’ free craft making from noon to 2 pm.
Now, even before all those one-day shopping options open on Saturday, there are non-shopping creative opportunities. The Faribault High School play, “A Trip to the Moon,” is on stage at 7:30 pm Thursday – Saturday and at 2 pm Sunday. It’s been a while since I attended a FHS play. This one intrigues me since its set in 1969, my coming of age teen years.
Promo courtesy of Jeff Jarvis of Cedar Lake Studio/ The Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour.
And then there are Irish musicians, coming from the Twin Cities to perform at 7 pm Friday, November 17, at the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour across from Central Park near downtown Faribault. Bonnie Drunken Lad, an Irish folk band, is performing as part of the free Merner Concert Series. If you’ve never attended a concert in the historic cathedral, I highly-recommend doing so. The acoustics are outstanding. And you can’t help but feel the history here while sitting on pews once graced by the Dakota people of the region and by early settlers.
An ice cream sundae at Berners’ Ice Cream Parlor in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, home of the ice cream sundae. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2011)
Finally, but certainly not last in level of creativity—and perhaps most creative—is an event from 1-2 pm Saturday, November 18, at the Cannon Falls Public Library. “Baking Yesteryear” is a free buffet style sampler feast featuring foods of yesteryear. Library staff worked with the Cannon Falls Historical Society to develop a collection of recipes from 1880-1989. People could peruse the recipes and choose a food (s) to make at home for Saturday’s sampler feast. I absolutely love this idea. Teen and Adult Services Librarian Matthew Stelter said his history buff teenage son will be there dressed as a 1930s soda jerk creating flavored sodas and ice cream floats with flavorings and ice cream donated by local CannonBelles Coffee and Ice Cream. Now, if I still fit into my 1970s lime green pants, perhaps I could come bearing banana-laced red Jell-O. Period-fitting dress is encouraged.
All in all, creativity defines the next several days. Food. Art. Music. I am grateful for all the creatives who share their talents with the greater community.
Just outside of Cannon Falls along Goodhue County Road 8, we stopped to admire the treeline and the gravel road winding toward it. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
WHITE ROCK. Belle Creek. Hader. They are among the 60-plus ghost towns of Goodhue County. Places that once thrived, marked now only by signs along a road, a cluster of homes, perhaps a church or abandoned buildings.
Oh, lovely hues of autumn near Cannon Falls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
Yet, acknowledging their existence, as the Goodhue County Historical Society does with roadside signs, matters. Because these towns mattered to previous generations and still matter to those with connections to the likes of Aspelund, Burr Oak Springs, Crystal Springs, Eidsvold, Skyberg and so many more with names that hint at heritage and sound poetically beautiful.
On a road trip to Goodhue County a month ago, Randy and I followed County Road 8 east and then south of Cannon Falls back toward Faribault.
Clouds and trees and field along CR 8. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
Our route took us past clusters of woods, some tinged in autumn hues.
Goodhue County Road 8 near Cannon Falls sweeps into the valley. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
Soon the road curved and swept into the valley, rows of corn rolling across the landscape. Only groves of trees surrounding farm sites broke the vista of endless unharvested fields.
Somewhere between White Rock and Belle Creek, this farmyard drew my eye. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
Sometimes those farmyards hugged the paved road and I caught a close-up glimpse of farms, some with aged weathered barns and outbuildings, others updated with modern equipment and structures.
Likely a former creamery in Belle Creek. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
In Belle Creek, Randy and I noticed a white building, likely a former creamery. Creameries often graced these small settlements, a necessity for farmers who sold cream for butter-making.
In Belle Creek, a building with an unknown-to-us story. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
Another building in Belle Creek left us guessing at its past life. Perhaps a general store. Then a dance hall. We could be way off…
Seeing cows in the countryside takes me back in time. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
Near Hader, I spotted calves outside their huts. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
Occasionally, we spotted cattle, cows, calves. Growing up on a dairy farm, I delight in seeing bovines, especially Holsteins. But rare are the small family farms today that still raise animals. Corporate and mega farms have mostly replaced that self-sufficient lifestyle. That’s reality.
Lots of sky and cornfields along CR 8 in Goodhue County. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
Just like ghost towns, many farms have become, in some ways, ghost farms. They are but ghosts of the past. Ghosts of their former selves and purposes. I see that in decaying, empty buildings, especially barns. I see that in the absence of livestock. I see that in families who can no longer support themselves solely via the farm.
Farm after farm after farm defines this area of Goodhue County. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo mid-October 2021)
All of this is unsettling. But with time comes change. And with change must come acceptance and perhaps also an added historical appreciation for the past.
I used a magnifying glass to study this vintage Cannon Falls area map, among clues in the “Gangster’s Gold” mystery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2021)
THE “Mailbox Mysteries” SIGN POSTED in the front window of a downtown Cannon Falls insurance agency, drew my interest. I’ve always appreciated a good mystery and I wanted in.
So I headed to the nearby library, home base for the mysteries, to inquire about the featured Gangster’s Gold mystery. Within a week I received an introductory letter about notorious gangster and bootlegger Dutch Schultz and his $50 million treasure hidden somewhere in the Cannon River Valley.
Background and clues. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2021)
Channeling my inner Nancy Drew, I determined to locate that treasure. If only my sleuthing skills matched my enthusiasm. Right from the start, I couldn’t figure out how to fold, and then use, a Tri-Hexa-Flexa-Coder to de-code a secret message. I needed help. My friend Stephani, who once considered becoming a private investigator but stuck to family genealogy, solved the folding/coding problem.
I realized solving this mystery would not be easy. Exactly as “Mailbox Mysteries” creator Matthew Stelter, Teen and Adult Services Librarian in Cannon Falls, likely intended. He created this interactive mystery series last winter as an outreach program for library patrons stuck at home during COVID-19 and, as he said, “tired of a life lived entirely through a computer screen.” At that time, the library building was closed to visitors. All of the clues for his mysteries are sent via US mail to the home-based investigators.
Eventually, Stelter crafted six mysteries—five for adults and a math-based set, “Postcard Puzzles,” for kids 12 and under. A bit overwhelmed by managing all of those mysteries, Stelter has since tweaked and downsized the “Mailbox Mysteries” to three.
The final clues to locate the hidden treasure. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2021)
His past experience developing escape rooms and murder mysteries shows in “Mailbox Mysteries.” I admire his ability to craft a fictional mystery rooted in facts with added local elements. He uses newspaper clippings, photos, letters, historical documents, maps, coded messages (he created the code for the challenging Hexa-Flexagon) and more in believable story lines.
A seemingly authentic newspaper article, for example, references the long-ago Fleckenstein Brewery in Faribault and a possible connection to the underworld. Turns out that story was pure fiction as is gangster and bootlegger Dutch Schultz’s connection to Minnesota. He never had ties here, although many gangsters did. Rather, he lived in New York, where his treasure is rumored to be hidden. Schultz died in a gang shoot-out.
So much to consider in solving “Gangster’s Gold.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2021)
In the end, I found the location of the $50 million treasure after hours of dissecting documents—yes, I became a bit obsessed—and using a magnifying glass to better view details on a map. Stelter rewarded me with a personalized Certificate of Commendation and advised me to bring a shovel to dig deep for the buried treasure.
These three items were in the first mailing of “Spy School” mystery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2021)
Now I’m on to the next “Mailbox Mysteries,” Spy School. I’ve received my introductory letter, a brochure for the Vera Atkins Spy Academy and an encoded note warning that the school is compromised.
The arched entry to Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, upper campus, in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
VASA happens to be in Faribault, as printed in a brochure so professionally done that I would think the academy really existed if I didn’t recognize the photos of Shattuck-St. Mary’s School. Stelter lived at Shattuck for 10 years. I’m also semi-familiar with the campus so I’ll see if that familiarity helps in solving the mystery. As in Gangster’s Gold, I expect this mystery writer to weave more local details into the fictional story line.
While I await the next set of clues, I invite you to join the team of private investigators. Stelter welcomes all Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes types to register by November 30. Simply email your request for Spy School along with your name and complete snail mail address to: mstelter (at) selco (dot) info
Be forewarned, though, that these mysteries are challenging and time-consuming. Yet so worth the satisfaction of solving and of reaching into your mailbox to find, not a bill, but rather the efforts of a talented and creative librarian.
The third “Mailbox Mysteries,” Cypher Cabin, will be available starting December 1.
This ghost sign and stairway caught my interest in downtown Cannon Falls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
I VIEW THE WORLD through a creative lens. So when I see an exterior metal stairway, I see beyond the intended purpose of a pathway up or down. Rather, I see the angles, the details, the architectural, artsy side of the utilitarian.
Look to the right to see the lovely floral design in the bracing bracket. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
Aiming my camera lens up to the underside of that artsy stairway. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
And I appreciate, too, the fading ghost sign lettering for a dry goods and clothing store painted on the brick building.
I spotted this magnetic word board at the library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
JUST UP THE STREET a half a block away at the public library, a magnetic word board invites patrons to create. And while I didn’t, I took note of the coupling of words, whether by intentional placement or not:
smile just once
SHOP sausage
AMERICAN SPORTS are on fire
You bellow blind information like an ugly flood of manure
AMERICANS like cake more
This mural graces Cannon River Winery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
WE AMERICANS ALSO LIKE our wine. Back across the street, near the artsy metal stairway, Cannon River Winery also embraces the arts with a sprawling mural on the side of its building. The scene depicts the area’s rural-ness and the business of growing grapes and crafting wine.
I’ll raise my glass to that—to the winery, to the library, to the antique shop and to all the places in, and people of, this Minnesota community who value the arts. Thank you. I am grateful for the creativity in Cannon Falls.
The inspiring quilt displayed at the Cannon Falls Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
DREAM BIG. Be Creative. One World, Many Stories. Make a Splash.
Make a Splash! applies to more than reading. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
Those phrases inspire. They push us to do our best. To pursue our passions. To make a difference. To tell our stories.
When I recently read those words on a colorful quilt gracing a wall in the Cannon Falls Library, I felt empowered.
The library quilt as inspiring art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
The messages have been part of Southeastern Libraries Cooperating summer promotionals to get kids into libraries and reading. They’re simple words and graphics. Kid-appealing. Eye-catching. Positive.
The top section of the quilt art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
As someone who values books and libraries, and the arts, I appreciate the works of the seamstress who stitched this quilt. It’s a good visual reminder to each of us—whether child, teen or adult—of our talents and worth. I may be good with words. You may be good with numbers. I celebrate that difference in talent (especially come tax time when I hand my financial records over to my accountant).
All Year Round With Little Frog was one of my granddaughter’s favorite books as a toddler. I would read and reread it to her whenever she visited, just as I did decades ago to her Uncle Caleb. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)
I’ve always loved books and now I have the joy of reading books to my grandchildren, ages nearly three and 5 ½. Books pack shelves in their toy room with more books from the library. Their parents value books.
The world of words is opening even wider to Isabelle, who is in kindergarten. During a recent visit, I would say a word and she would guess the starting letter. Her face lit with sheer delight in determining the correct letter. Her mind is beginning to connect—to understand that sounds define letters which form words and then sentences and stories. I can’t wait to hear her read.
One World, Many Stories… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
So when I read about dreaming big and being creative and making a splash in this world of many stories, I think of my precious grandchildren. And I hope that in some small way, I inspire them to be all they can be. And one way to do that is via books, art and modeling creativity.
The beautiful Harvest Box inside the Cannon Falls Library. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2021)
INSIDE THE ENTRYWAY of the Cannon Falls Library, a multi-tiered mini vegetable stand holds an array of fresh vegetables on a mid-October morning. Green peppers. Green beans. Cucumbers. Squash.
The produce is artfully displayed in a beautifully-crafted wooden shelving unit labeled with an appealing graphic of colorful vegetables and the words, Harvest Box. I figured this was the yield of an on-site garden, similar to the one at Buckham Memorial Library in Faribault.
But assumptions are not always correct as I discovered. Rather local gardeners provide the produce. That includes Quiet Waters Ranch, a 22-acre Sogn Valley farm owned by Ben and Amanda Luther. Their non-profit received a Healthy Eating in Community mini-grant in 2018 from Live Well Goodhue County for a Community Giving Garden. Now they supply free fresh, organic produce to the library’s Harvest Box which launched in June. The library also received Live Well funding in late 2020 for the display unit and a mini fridge.
Cannon Falls Library Director Nicole Miller initiated the Harvest Box project after learning of one in North Carolina. She sought county funding for the display unit and fridge and also connected with Quiet Waters Ranch. All of this was prompted by her concerns about local food insecurity. “It’s a low cost way to help people out and to supplement the Food Shelf on days they aren’t open,” Miller said.
She delights in watching local gardeners drop off their extra produce.
I love this concept, this spin on the Little Free Library movement which saw mini libraries popping up all over. I love when communities work together, contribute, support, share. There’s so much good that comes from unity, from understanding that we have the power as individuals and communities to care for one another in real, tangible ways.
TELL ME: Do you have a similar Harvest Box or fresh food program at your local library or elsewhere in your community? I’d like to hear.
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