What compels us to sit down with a pencil in hand and stare at a blank page until words slowly start to come? Why do we agonize over each letter and syllable, reading sentences over and over again until they feel “just right”? Why do we struggle to create things that we know others are dying to tear down? Because we love to. We love the rhythm of words that have been carefully arranged. We love...
Desmond threw open the heavy curtains covering the window. “Good lord!” A woman cried from her sofa, raising her arms to shield her eyes. “What is that burning light in the sky?!” “That, my lady, is called The Sun,” the manservant responded in a flat voice. “But, my god, Desmond, it’s so… bright!” The woman said. “Be a dear and turn it down just a touch, would you?” He raised an eyebrow...
The cat stares and licks its lips. A fat, gray ground squirrel moves slowly through the grass towards the feeder.
Step, step – wait.
Step, step – wait.
Its small black eyes shine as it looks from left to right, sensing danger but unable to find it.
Our first camping trip as adults was at St. Croix State Park in 2006. One of the most popular state parks in Minnesota, it was a favorite camping destination for my family when I was a kid. A relatively short drive from home with lots of hiking, bike and canoe rentals, and interpretive activities, they also had a little store in case you forgot anything. We decided this was the perfect location...
Nestled in the trees along a quiet section of Minnehaha Parkway is a beautiful memorial that is such a natural part of the landscape, it’s easy to miss. I finally noticed this big rock as I drove by on my scooter several months ago and pulled over to investigate thoroughly stumped. How could I have missed this memorial for so long? It turned out to be a tragic story with a fairly recent...
Back in the day, Ketchikan, Alaska had a reputation for being a rough and tumble town. It was also known as the only place in Alaska where the fish and the fishermen came to spawn.
We were disappointed to wake up to a rainy and overcast day on the morning we were supposed to hike in Tongass National Forest to see Mendenhall Glacier. It wasn’t long before we learned that it’s almost always raining in Juneau, Alaska because it’s located in a temperate rain forest – the largest in the northern hemisphere. Thanks to Teddy Roosevelt, over 17 million acres...
We spent a long time in Haines, Alaska watching a rowdy pair of siblings while their weary mother looked on. It was amazing.
