Seasons Greetings

I found these cutouts last week while walking around downtown. All they needed were two faces to fill the holes. So, with the help of a couple of my favorite cards: my niece Amanda and her friend, Kim, I'm sending you a little holiday greeting. I hope you take some time to have fun wandering about exploring the season, too.

First Snow

And so it begins...the first snowfall of winter. Luckily it didn't stick to the sidewalks; by late morning it had melted off of the cars. I guess this means I should dig out the snow shovels before we get a real snow storm. The snow's pretty now, but it won't be long before it's whining time again.

Nutty Behavior

I watched a little neighborhood drama unfold while I ate my breakfast yesterday. One of the chipmunks who live under my deck, poked his head out his front door, perhaps to see if it was a good time for him to gather his breakfast. A red squirrel also noticed him and decided to investigate. The chipmunk must have said something rude, because the squirrel didn't stick around too long. After the squirrel left, the chipmunk came out again, sniffed the rock by his front door, and with an indignant, "harrumph" went back to collecting his breakfast.

Playing With Numbers

For the last week I've been working on a photo project involving prime numbers, specifically the numbers 17 and 19. I've been borrowing sports jerseys from neighbors, making a nuisance of myself in the aisles of Home Depot and taking my camera with me to bowling. Basically, I'm participating in a weird numerical scavenger hunt. It took an even stranger turn when I located a stash of hockey bobble heads. Luckily for me there was a #17--Brett Hull and a #19--Steve Yzerman. The craziness began while trying to decide where to photograph them. It seemed to me the only place to photograph hockey players was on the ice. Since the only ice I could find was in the freezer, you'll understand why Brett is eyeing a giant stack of ice cube trays and Stevie is next to a tower of frozen bacon.

Fall Colors

I went hiking this weekend, in the hopes of finding a bit of local fall color, although it was pretty late in the season. It seems like all of the leaves in my neighborhood have fallen, except for the ones on the trees in my yard. I think they are waiting until after the city has finished their final leaf pick-up for the year and the snow plows are out on the roads. There's nothing like shoveling freshly fallen snow and leaves at the same time.

It was a beautiful sunny day, though and I enjoyed myself. I didn't locate any "grand vistas" but by taking my time and looking beyond the obvious, I saw some fascinating sights.

In The Hot Seat

I was having trouble deciding what to write about today, so decided to take care of a few chores first. While moving the vehicles out of the driveway, I found my inspiration---the car I was driving filled up with smoke and flames started shooting out from under the hood! I called 911, then spent the next hour photographing today's story.

My thanks to the local police and fire department community.

Grand Portage

I've always loved history. Even as a kid I knew history wasn't about memorizing dates and dusty old facts---it was about stories! Grand Portage National Monument near the Minnesota-Canadian border is a great place to hear the stories of our past. Not only will you hear them, you'll get a chance to taste, smell, touch, grow and wear them.

More than 200 years ago, Grand Portage, on Lake Superior's shore, was the site of an annual summer rendezvous. Winter furs, trapped as far away as the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, were transported along the waterways and trails to the North West Company stockade where they were loaded into big canoes and paddled by voyageurs to Montreal.

Today you can explore the reconstructed stockade, encampment and Ojibwe village. You can taste food picked from the historic heirloom garden or gathered from the forest. You can learn how it was dried on racks, cooked on the hearth or baked in a wood burning oven. You can try on period clothing, listen to a piper playing and singing songs from the past. You can see shelters and canoes being built and even walk along the ancient portage trail. You'll hear the stories and will catch more than a glimpse of the past.