When I was 21 years old I was named the editor of the erstwhile Hibbing Daily Tribune, which has since merged into the Mesabi Tribune newspaper you read today. How does a 21-year old get to be a daily newspaper editor? That’s a good question that lots of people had at the time. After the… Read More →
Snacks, dogs and rock ‘n’ roll
September 18, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Music festivals are to the music-loving introvert what a seed catalogue is to the over-enthusiastic gardener. They seem like a good idea months in advance of what will actually become hard work. And, like any hard work, the results are worth it. (Though, usually, not until well after the fact). Last weekend, my wife Christina… Read More →
Subterranean home septic system blues
September 11, 2022 by 1 Comment
Guess what, everyone? We put in a poo. That’s not a typo. Indeed, we did *not* install a heated in-ground pool. That is, unless you consider an underground reservoir where you should never, ever swim to be the same thing. No, we put in a new septic system. People like to use the term “adulting”… Read More →
Carp 2.0: Mmm, they’re palatable
September 4, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Technically speaking, you’re not supposed to eat pets. But there are work-arounds. For instance, you can reclassify your pet. That’s not my pet. That’s a chicken. I know I’ve been talking cute to the chicken for some time now. But it’s NOT a pet. It’s food. Cultural taboos prevent us from eating cats and dogs…. Read More →
Climbing fatherhood mountain
August 28, 2022 by Leave a Comment
I’m not much of a camper. In the winter I like warm beds; in the summer, cool air. I want all the kitchen stuff to be in the kitchen, not stacked like some Russian nesting doll and then wrapped in a mesh bag with a drawstring. Furthermore, I want to enter and exit my sleeping… Read More →
The old ways are over
August 21, 2022 by 6 Comments
Everybody gets a little older each day. String a few days together and you get a lot older. As I begin my trot through middle age I’m breaking all sorts of promises I once made to myself. “Who cares about watching birds?” Well, now I do. I love birds. Can’t get enough birds. “Don’t talk… Read More →
A ghost in the woods
August 14, 2022 by 1 Comment
I have a friend who’s into mushrooms. Not those mushrooms. Well, sometimes those mushrooms. But mostly the kind you eat. This is how we ended up going for a hike that became a walk that became a slow meander off the trail while scanning the underbrush for fungi. I learned about some mushrooms you… Read More →
Primary colors in late summer hues
August 7, 2022 by 3 Comments
This Tuesday, Aug. 9, voters head to the polls for Minnesota’s primary election. The results will winnow down several races so that we have an easier time picking the least objectionable candidates come Nov. 8. Though there are a few interesting partisan races I’ll talk about in a moment, I’d first like to acknowledge what… Read More →
The best and worst of times on the Range
July 31, 2022 by 2 Comments
It’s the best of times; it’s the worst of times. And, if you’re reading northern Minnesota news these days, both times seem to be happening at once. The unemployment rate hovers around historic lows. Gas prices, which spiked to record highs earlier this summer, are coming back down. Some were heartened by a new partnership… Read More →
With great technology comes great responsibility
July 24, 2022 by 2 Comments
The other day I sat in a fast food restaurant listening to the gentle din of humanity. At one booth, a young mother struggled with a toddler. The scene brought back somewhat recent memories for me and my wife. An older woman stopped at this woman’s table to give unsolicited advice. My eyes widened, however,… Read More →
