Recently I was out riding my bike on the dirt roads where I live. The great thing about riding a mountain bike on dirt roads is that you can cover ground quickly but still slowly enough that you can look at all the things that you are riding past. Right now, there are many wildflowers in bloom. Flowers like fireweed, the milkweeds, bergamot, Black-eyed Susans, bluebells, Culver’s root, sunflower and …continue…

While many complained about this winter’s weather, and I won’t go so far as saying that the weather was great, the weather’s effect on Lake Superior was quite extraordinary. Starting in late November when windswept waves coated the rocks and ninebark in ice, topped off by a dusting snow. Then in mid December a snowstorm coated the trunks of trees along the lake’s shoreline in snow. By Christmas Eve morning …continue…

On Central Minnesota lakes the activity levels on a summer weekend can be quite high. Though, going out on a mid-week morning solitude is almost attainable, with the effect enhanced by quiet mode of transport such as a kayak. Recently I was out on a calm morning, heading out while many were thinking of a second cup or maybe even pot of coffee. It was after the golden light of …continue…

In late November with winter just settling in, I went for a walk along Amity Creek in Duluth. I was looking for sections of open water but only a few spots of open water were to be found. Even the waterfall above “The Deeps” was frozen over, though you could still hear the thundering of the falls through the ice. Above the falls there are some cascades where I found …continue…

While sitting on the dock with my camera in hand, I watched two dragonflies crash onto the lake’s surface. One flew away and one was left floating on its back. The one on the water struggled to right itself and fly away, but its movements attracted a nearby bluegill. A quick sequence of events, and a link the food web is completed.

Now that I knew that this bog had stemless lady’s slippers growing in it and that they were in bloom, a return trip was in order. After reviewing the photographs from my first experience with the stemless lady’s slipper, I had a better idea of how I wanted to capture these flowers to really showcase their beauty. I also researched their ideal habitat to know what to look for in this …continue…

Summer in Minnesota is why many choose to live and deal with the 4 to 6 months of winter, I happen to think winter is great but that is another story. Summer does however come with its own set of problems, the foremost being the mighty mosquito. Mosquitoes’ primary habitat is the area surrounding swamps and bogs. For most people this means that avoiding bogs is just common sense. Knowing …continue…