One day last week, the high was 87 degrees. Tomorrow, we start working back to the more normal highs in the 50s and 60s with lows in the 30s and 40s. Spring in Minnesota is ever an adventure. No frost is forecast over the next couple weeks, so the mosquitos get an early start. But still, it could be worse. The checkered lily, also known as chess flower, frog-cup, and… Read More »Is It Spring or Summer?

In 1976, Irma Bombeck published her humorous book  “The Grass Is Always Greener Over The Septic Tank.” We don’t have much grass over the septic tanks. Just clumps of Karl Forrester, designed to hide the lids. But in early April, Karl Forrester is just awakening from winter’s slumber. This year, it is the daffodils over the septic tanks holding forth in a profusion of gold. Other daffodils in the garden… Read More »The Daffodils Are More Golden Over The Septic

Spring, it appears, has decided to stay. The forecast shows no periods of snow nor even morning temperatures lower than the mid 20’s. Ice is virtually gone from the pond and lakes are beginning to open. Even the frost is mostly out of the soil. Spring has truly returned to this land where winter usually lingers well into April and even May. It seems a bit early, I worry, for… Read More »Spring Takes Hold In The North Country

A flock of geese flew over the house, announcing the beginning of Minnesota’s First Spring. Temperatures soared to the upper 40s and, after a brief frost tonight, we expect several days without a dip below 32. Remarkable for early March. One of my great pleasures in early spring is chipping ice off the driveway. Our driveway is old and has some dips in the middle that accumulate water, which can… Read More »First Spring

I had a surprise today. Two brothers, middle schoolers, told me they are reading my book of poetry for a school assignment. Their parents bought the book on Amazon and decided it would be appropriate as part of their sons’ school assignment on poetry. The boys said they really like the book and to prove it, the younger one recited, from memory, one of the poems, “Portages on the Mind”.… Read More »Memorizing

We, in Minnesota, are in the true depths of winter. The forecast for tomorrow morning is -14 Fahrenheit (-25.6 C). Temperatures have been in the negative range for a week and we expect at least another eight days below zero. For many areas of the country, this weather would be a calamity, but for Minnesota, it is business as usual. Our recent family addition, Amber, the rescue dog from Laredo,… Read More »Frost Crystals On The Heated Birdbath

For most of the weeks between early November and the third week of January, we have been wrapped in a dreary overcast, spiked with episodes of windy anxiety. Last night, three inches of fresh snow fell, gently guided by tranquil air. Today, we awoke to a bright sun reflecting the fresh snow as if it were tiny diamonds sparkling on white velvet. The sky is a blue beyond blueness. Between… Read More »Diversity