Chris Hardie

icicles

Appreciating the science and beauty of icicles

We live in a part of the world where they are pretty commonplace, but icicles rarely occur in nature with the exception of areas in cooler climates around waterfalls or during severe ice storms.

frugal fashion, fun run, old clothes, chris hardie

Don’t throw it out, wear it out

My clothing principle is if it still covers, snaps, buttons or zips — sometimes partially but still enough to prevent wardrobe malfunctions — then it’s still good enou

franklin store

Reader memories fill in details on general stores

Chris Hardie's recent story on local general stores generated a lot of reader response through both email and social media, the WNA past president writes. The responses also filled in some of the missing information on the history of the Wisconsin stores.

In his most recent column, which is available for publication by WNA members, Hardie incorporates the information gleaned from reader feedback. 

winter, water, hydrant

The sound of winter

If below-zero temperatures had a sound, it would be this: the clang of an iron maul striking the frozen apron of a manure spreader.

hibernate, deer beds

The annual urge to hibernate

It’s always this time of winter with the cold and snow that the prospect of hibernation seems pretty darned attractive.

animals, 60 below

The day Wisconsin froze to 60 below zero

Old memories become blurry with the passage of time, but A particularly cold Sunday 45 years ago, when temperatures hit 60 below zero, was memorable across western and northern Wisconsin.

franklin store

The days of the general store

Much of the history and the people who lived and worked in the general stores are gone, but here is what I could piece together on these once thriving centers of commerce.

Wisconsin Newspaper Association