Brute’s Bleat

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By Harold Brutlag

Sunday’s early morning news on TV reported a domestic call to the Burnsville Police Department that resulted in two policemen being shot and killed and one fire department Parametic also shot and killed by someone in the house which also contained seven children ages 2 – 15 years old. The children were not injured. The gunman took his own life when negotiation failed and now the officials are trying to piece together the reason why.  A fourth person and policeman was injured and taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

The gunman, who was not publicly identified, was reported dead around 8 a.m. That was the saddest news to hit Minnesotans and others this year and an incident that will take the families and others a long time, if ever, to come to terms with the killing. My heart and prayers go out to them. I don’t have the answer as a way to stop this type of behavior and killing, but it’s obvious something has to be done. It’s sure to be a hot item in state government and we’ll be waiting to see what action they take!

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I had a pleasant surprise coming back from Buffalo when Anna and I spotted a large rooster pheasant picking up grit on the right of way a day before our 4-6 inch snow fall.  I also saw a pair of swans walking on the ice on Varner lake and wondered if it’s time for them to start their nest. The internet gave me this information. “Mating usually occurs every year, from March to May.” After swans are reunited with their mates, both will begin to build a nest that will take 2 to 5 weeks to complete. Nests are built on the ground or mounds of vegetation surrounded by water.” That answers my question about swans and I’m wondering if they follow the calander or Mother Nature. I’ve  also noticed several road kill skunks which seems kind of early, but the DNR has reports of bears leaving their dens up north so maybe it’s the mild winter we’ve been enjoying that causes this activity.

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