SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW, bluebirds sing, and dreams come true. At the foot of the rainbow lies what—a pot of gold, a fortune, great wisdom? Some say a rainbow is a bridge between the spirit world and ours. Or perhaps the rainbow, in first incarnation, sealed a covenant between humankind and the deity. One thing is for certain. To gaze
At The Church O The Island
AT THE CHURCH O THE ISLAND, work goes on—even on the sabbath—in cleaning up and clearing up from storm damage. With breaks , mind you. The breaks, of course, are more important than the work, especially on the sabbath. For there is always more work to do, and it never leaves a completely satisfactory or permanent result. But the breaks—well,
Igneous Intrusions
ON FAWN ISLAND, as with many rocky outcrops in the North Country, the bedrock is creased with veins called ‘igneous intrusions.’ This particular white streak is composed of milky quartz. I once wrote of these intrusions in a book called ‘Paddle Whispers’:
One Of The Iconic Settings Of The Environmental Movement
A CABIN IN THE WOODS. One of the iconic settings of the environmental movement and American nature writing of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Sigurd Olson’s Listening Point cabin stands beside John Burroughs’ Slabsides, Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Pond cottage, and Aldo Leopold’s Sand County shack, as symbols of an ethic and a way of life. It stands in harmony
At Tettegouche State Park
FROM THE NORTH SHORE at Tettegouche State Park, on a beautiful day, we unfortunately see the smoke of the Greenwood fire billowing into the sky. It towers like a great thunderhead, but it is no thunderhead. Meanwhile Greenwood has jumped the highway and is immediately threatening homes and structures, other fires burn, the Boundary Waters is closed, and Isle Royale
Shovel Point, Lake Superior
A GORGEOUS DAY on Shovel Point, Lake Superior. We felt so lucky to be hiking, absorbing the beauty of blue waters, jagged cliffs, lichens and mosses and little, wind-shaped bonsai spruces. And yet to know that just a few dozen miles away, firefighters are struggling desperately to protect people’s homes and cabins, their dreams, and keep more of the forest
Thirty Years Ago
THIRTY YEARS AGO at this time, I was anxiously awaiting publication of my very first book, entitled Old Turtle. I did not know what sort of adventure, or joy, or disappointment, might lay in store. There has been little disappointment. Old Turtle has found friends all over the world. She has carried me on her back to many a place
Wonderful Boxwood
A GOOD BONSAI MORNING to you! I found this wonderful Boxwood as a round, ragged, outdoor shrub in a ten gallon plastic pot at Home Depot this past spring. But pulling apart the thick foliage I found a trunk that seemed to have potential. Parting with $40, I brought it home, cut away more than half the roots (encased in
Lyrics to ‘Higher Ground,’ from the Solitary Shores CD
THERE HAVE BEEN REQUESTS that I share more about my music on my FB page. I am also going to be learning more about sharing digitally in this new media world. As many may know, I began as a musician before all the books came along. I still love performing with my old friend Steve Borgstrom and my son Bryan
After A Week Of Teaching And Guiding
AFTER A WEEK OF TEACHING AND GUIDING, sharing Gooseberry Falls, Split Rick, Shovel Point and the North Shore; Kawishiwi Falls, the Dorothy Molter Myseum, the International Wolf Center and North American Bear Center; Burntside Lake and Listening Point; Ash River and Namakan, a Voyageurs Park boat ride to Kettle Falls, a Lake Kabetogama canoe outing and visiting Ernest Oberholtzer’s Mallard