Here I am, writing about beavers again. That’s what happens when some of your best tours explore trails used by practioners of the North American fur trade and the impact it had on American history. I have a tour director who has been crazed to buy her own pelt for… read more >
This isn’t a story about “days dwindling down” that we all know from the familiar “September Song” by the twentieth century composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Maxwell Anderson. But it seems apt, nevertheless. Let me start with the fact that I had a tough week. It was just one… read more >
Just before Christmas of 2017, the Black Hills of South Dakota suffered it’s third largest wildfire ever, burning 54,023 acres of forest and prairie. That’s more than 84 square miles. You probably didn’t hear about it because the massive California fires – which pre-dated this one (and continued long after)… read more >
Here in the Black Hills we had a little extra excitement in the days leading up to the year-end festivities. You could even call it a miracle, which I’m proud to say, is typical of our part of the woods. On December 20, the Black Hills Humane Society was asked… read more >
I saw a robin last week. Forgive me for stating the obvious: It is January. On the northern plains. The temperature hasn’t been above freezing in about a decade. I don’t remember the last time I saw the ground. This is the kind of weather when – in a long-ago… read more >
No one questions the historic significance of the sites along the Lewis & Clark Trail – the first trans-continental exploration designed to fill in the blanks on the map and hopefully stimulate commerce. Following the trail is educational – the opportunity to walk (or paddle) where history happened, and all… read more >
I should probably preface this by stating that “climbed” is a definite overstatement of what I did last August. More accurately, I “strolled”, or maybe even “ambled”. Spirit Mound is not exactly Mount Everest. No climbing gear was involved, no harnesses, no spiked boots, no rappeling ropes, not even a… read more >
There are well-worn deer trails in my back yard. For some reason it’s important to me that as I look out beyond my deck – although I’m not exactly in the country – it’s not the city either. One side of my wraparound deck overlooks a large valley dotted with… read more >
