Luverne, Minnesota

Last weekend, three friends and I went to Luverne, Minnesota, in the southwestern corner of the state to attend the memorial service of a friend.



I had never been in that part of the state before. There farmland stretches as far as the eye can see and the landscape is flat or gently sloping. The earth is that Minnesota variety that looks almost black and is full of nutrients.



This was originally prairie land. The wind is awesome and a great place for the huge, odd newer windmill farms.



We went to Blue Mounds State Park, a huge stone cliff that rises 100 feet up from the flat plains. The entire cliff is two-thirds grass and one third rock, Sioux quartz, that is very colorful: red, blue and purple. From Eagle Rock you can see South Dakota and Iowa.



It is also the site of the only cactus native to Minnesota; a rather intimidating being that was not in bloom yet, but whose spikes were impressive.



It was a good place to say goodbye to a friend whose battle with cancer was long, miserable and heartbreaking. He is free now from all this. Flying with the birds he loved.