I was born in the southern U.S. and raised by a 21 year Marine Corps Vietnam Vet and his hard working, successful, Tennessee born bride. They set the bar pretty high for their three kids...so I decided to just walk under it and go into radio at age 16. After years of "town to town, up and down the dial", I made my way to Billings in 2005. That turned out to be the best decision I ever made. It lead to a great job, and the love of my life, my daughter, Eliana. I'm happy to be raising her in a place with a great mix of conservative family values and progressive ideas about inclusion and embracing the differences in people (provided they are not too liberal or from California).
Kris Edwards
Five Things People With Respiratory Problems Can Do To Deal With Wildfire Smoke
Obviously they cause death and destruction for the immediately affected area, but for people who have asthma or other respiratory conditions, they can cause serious breathing problems even for those hundreds of miles away from the flames. I have someone in my family whose asthma can be a real problem and there were many days last year where she simply had to stay indoors because the air quality was so poor.
Prairie Dogs As Pets?
They can damage crops, but their tunnels can lead to issues with livestock as well. I was reading this article which discusses the pros and cons of prairie dogs. In the article, a Texas veterinarian says there are three or four times a year where he has to treat or euthanize a horse or cattle that has fallen because of a prairie dog hole. That's some expensive damage and an obvious reason for ranchers to want rid of them.
Billings Castle On The Market
If you put 20% down, you're looking at monthly payments of just over $82,000. It's just a little out of my reach, but for the select few who could use and can afford a castle (or want to see additional photos), here is the official listing.
YouTube Bans Live Streaming For Kids – Good!
There are many minors making money on youtube and for the 16-18 year olds, this restriction is probably not happy news, but as a parent, I still say yes to this move from Youtube.
Any Good Deals At Shopko?
June 16th is the estimated final day of the Shopko store on King Ave. West in Billings. The sign out front boasts items for up to 80% off. I stopped in today and they still have some inventory (more empty shelves than full), but I saw very few "deals" left.
Community Garden Update – A Few Spots Remain
I have to say, this is one of the best things I've done in years as far as parenting goes. My daughter is actually excited about working in the garden. Amazed by the miracle of getting food from the earth (it is amazing after all). I'm overjoyed to see her so excited about something that doesn't involve a screen. Even though we're just getting started, she's already proud and wants to show it off.
Three Reasons I’ll Miss IGA
IGA was actually my store of choice. Don't get me wrong, it's not the only place I shop, but it's where I shop the most and here are the reasons:
Billings Pools Open Next Week
On Wednesday, June 5th, both Rose Park and South Park pools will be open for business. Cheap fun and healthy exercise (definitely better than sitting on the couch playing Fortnite).
Homemade Soda Update
I decided to make a couple of gallons this weekend; one strawberry and one blueberry. They'll sit in the jugs for a few days to build up some fizz, then I'll put them into some swing top bottles and leave them on the counter for another two or three days. After that, they'll go into the fridge to stop the fermentation process so I don't get our editor drunk at work.
Would You Ever Leave Facebook?
I know the thought of there being a mass exodus on Facebook seems pretty ridiculous, but there was a point in time in which I would have said the same thing about Myspace. Any platform has the possibility of being replaced by the "new thing". Facebook just typically buys the "new thing" before it can become the "new thing".