Driftless

I mentioned to a friend that his name appeared in one of my recent blogs, so he looked at my website for the very first time. He later told me his initial impression of the site was that it had a good feel to it, but he didn’t like the fact that I called our bioregion...

Two Bikes

Over the past month and a half, I’ve had four flat tires on my daily bike ride. The reason eludes me. I haven’t noticed broken glass or other sharp objects on the road. I’ve changed the bike shop where I buy my tubes and tires, thinking the first shop might have been...

First Lake, Second Lake, Third Lake, Round

My fishing hotspots change with the seasons. During the first open water of spring, the main channel of the Mississippi River flows too swiftly for me to feel comfortable in a canoe or kayak. I usually start my summer fishing season in a quiet backwater called Black...

My Compost Pile

For the first time in a while, I struggled with a topic for this week’s blog. Considering all of the hunkering down this past year, it is surprising that it’s taken this long. I just watched the Ken Burn’s documentary about Mark Twain and was frequently reminded that...

It’s Different, But Is It Better?

On Monday, March 8 at 8:56am, I finished the last chapter of my current book project. My writing style is to edit as I go, so completing the conclusion means that the manuscript could be 100% done. Having said that, I have been revising it nearly every day since. At...

You’re Young and You Got Your Health

Because of COVID, Clare had been home since March of 2020. Recently her college invited her back to campus for the last two months of her senior year. When she left La Crosse to return to Grinnell, I hadn’t planned to write about it in a blog. Other than stating that...
Steven Simpson