Month: January 2024

On Thin Ice

These ice fishermen are a crazy lot. Despite all the warnings of thin ice due to unseasonably warm weather, they insist on driving out on it and putting up their ice houses. They must have their fish!

On Lake of the Woods, one person has drowned already, and over forty others had to be rescued by boat when the ice broke off from the shore and floated away.

On Red Lake, it’s even crazier; a plane and several vehicles have gone through the ice, and over a hundred eager fishermen had to be rescued. I love fish too, but not that much!

people are dying

to get out on the thin ice–

some more than others

–Photos by me

the moon and me

when i was a young boy,

it was the ancient face

that cows jumped over;

when i was a young man,

it became my chaperone

and followed me on dates;

and now that i’m old,

it’s the pocked and ruddy

face of an adolescent–

by these observations,

i can only surmise

that when i die,

the moon will be born

–photo by me (double exposure)

Staying Creative

When I just can’t seem to put any words together on the page, I’ll put something else together on it, like this birch bark pick-up truck. It keeps the creative juices flowing through the dreaded writer’s block, and when the dam finally breaks, I’m ready to go.

Of course, good photos are the best inspiration for me, but this time of year it’s hard to get out in the woods, and now that we finally have an appreciable amount of snow, the options grow thin. Maybe I’ll go look for more birch bark.

–Photo by me

Happy New Year ’24!

The new year is a good time for some cool, calm reflection on our lives. It’s a time to take a crystal clear look at where we’ve been and where we’re going. A lot of folks like to make resolutions on this day of the year, but I find that planning a big change on a certain date does not carry the gravitas needed for success.

Anyway, I can’t believe it’s 2024! I remember when the year 2000 seemed so futuristic, and I wondered if I’d live long enough to see it. Where’s those flying cars?

As for me, I’m just going to grab my camera, mount my sturdy beast, and head into the wilds, continuing to do what I love most. Happy New Year!!

–Photos by me (and AI)