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September at Afton: Acorn Years, Monarch Flights, and Simple Joys
Last December I wrote a blog post called New Year’s Nature Resolutions: 12 Things To Do Outside. I must say I’ve done well. I’ve kept my resolutions, with a few tweaks here and there. My September resolution also included a modification. I was set to go hiking at Afton State Park.

A Birthday with Longfellow: Poetry, Nature, and Unexpected Gifts
This year I decided to give myself a birthday gift—an afternoon with nature and poetry. There’s a little garden in Minneapolis, along Minnehaha Creek, called Longfellow Garden. It’s named after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I’d never been there before, but I had read about it. Someone online mentioned going there early

Changing Plans on the North Shore—and Loving It
My August nature resolution was a simple goal: an overnight backpacking trip on the Superior Hiking Trail. Just me, two days of hiking, and my bedroom (tent) on my back. This was going to be a dry-run, albeit short. One day, I’d like to do the through-hike—all 300 miles of

First Time Kayaking in the Boundary Waters: A Solo Trip to Fall Lake
One of my New Year’s nature resolutions was to kayak in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). I’ve never been on the waters of the BWCA. Technically, I’ve was in the geographic location last summer when I hiked Eagle Mountain—the highest point in Minnesota. That “mountain” is just within the

Mining Memories: Hunting For Amethyst in Thunder Bay
I’ve wanted to look for Amethyst near Thunder Bay, Canada, for about 15 years. Not quite a “bucket list” item, but definitely something that’s lingered in the back of my mind—something I heard about once and have been intrigued with ever since. This June, my son John and I finally

Saying Goodbye to My Dog Lacey: A Lifetime of Love
Yesterday I said goodbye to my best-friend-of-a-dog, Lacey. She was my 16-year-old German Spitz. I got her on a sunny summer day at Cabela’s in Owatonna, Minnesota. My family stopped at Cabela’s to look at hunting dogs (only look) and I spotted a pen of spitz puppies. Not hunting dogs.