"Late September was still warm as the Minnesota Volunteers under the command of Henry Sibley set up camp on the shores of Battle Lake." Thus starts the story of how events in Minnesota history have shaped John Homme's family history. John owns a farm within the floodplain of the Minnesota River and has interacted with that beautiful river for over 70 years. Within this book, John shares interesting stories about the history of the river, its various moods, and how it effects plants, animals and people. The stories of his family and personal history allow the reader to experience the river's influence on its surroundings.

John is a retired science teacher and media specialist who currently lives in Rochester, Minnesota, with his wife Martha. He still gets to the farm about four times a year even though it is about a 400-mile round trip. These trips usually are for hunting, fishing, fellowship, time with grandkids, or picking wild fruit to make jellies.