My Sunday column prompted a loyal reader to wonder if I would conclude my winter snowman series. I hereby offer the conclusion. I’m now taking nominations for the art motif I should use through the summer. Related posts: No related posts.

We’ve made much of the lack of snow this winter. It’s still poised to be a well-below-average snow year here in northern Minnesota, and certainly a record warm season. Nevertheless, inexplicably (well, it being winter) it began snowing again last week. We got about 10 inches at our house over the weekend in Itasca County… Read More →

The Minnesota moose population is in free fall, according to recent reports. Scientists are preparing us for the possibility that Minnesota might one day soon lose its moose population entirely. The cause is not over-hunting. Rather, moose mortality and pregnancy rates are being affected. Biologists in this Duluth News Tribune article say that a generally… Read More →

Our oldest boy, a first grade lad prone to particularity, spent several minutes wiping mud off his gloves and coat this morning. “Why does the outside have to be so dirty? The outside is filthy.” And indeed it is. Here in Minnesota, a land sometimes known only for snow, we continue one of the mildest,… Read More →

On the wall of my boys’ bedroom is a poster picked up at the county fair a few years ago. It’s a picture of a bluegill with the caption: “The Bluegill: A Creature of Fresh Water.” Bluegills hold a place of honor in our family. My father-in-law is an avid “pan” fisherman who eschews trophies… Read More →

I just went for a walk outside. I had to unzip my coat. I sweat through my shirt. This is Hibbing, Minnesota. The temperatures in northern Minnesota are running 50 degrees warmer than you often see this time of year, a couple dozen degrees above average. There’s almost no snow in open areas, just an… Read More →