When despair grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting for their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
— Wendell Berry, The Peace of Wild Things
Seven Mile Creek Park is 628 acres, with ten miles of hiking and equestrian trails winding along the creek for which it’s named. Seven Mile Creek got its name because from the creek crossing, it took seven miles for early settlers to get to the county courthouse via a trail that is now Highway 99.
Read MoreWhile these warmer spring temperatures are appreciated by everyone, myself included, the extreme temperature swing from a horrifically cold winter to an unseasonably warm (and snowless) March are undeniable effects of global climate change. Every spring hike this season will no doubt be tinged by this undercurrent of fear at the future state of the environment.
Read MoreOn a beautiful last day of summer weather a few weeks ago, Kayla and I decided we wanted to take full advantage of one of Minnesota’s best features: its lakes. After the somewhat lackluster experience sitting beside Spring Lake in Mankato, I did some Googling and found that there was a park with hiking and a lakeside beach less than a half hour away in Madison Lake, MN. So we packed our bags and headed out to Bray Park.
Read MoreThat brings us to this message that popped up on my phone last weekend: the forecast for my first Minnesota blizzard. And folks, it was a good one. As promised, it snowed bucketfuls overnight Sunday into Monday. Before I fell asleep, MSU called off classes for Monday for severe weather conditions (whiteouts are no joke). When I awoke, everything outside my window was a blindingly bright pure white. The roads were untouched, yards blanketed in smooth marshmallow fluff—that oddly satisfying vision of unblemished perfection.
Read MoreANTM is Tyra Banks' passion project: a "cycle" of contrived drama and cringeworthy product placement that allows aspiring models to kickstart their careers. It's over-the-top and laughable, but as I strayed into the [too high] hour of watching models cry about haircuts and lack of sleep, I noticed some striking, uncomfortable similarities to the reality of my life.
Read MoreThis weekend was anxiously awaited for in my little apartment in Mankato. Why? Because my fiancé drove the 12 twelve hours up from Kentucky on Thursday so that we could spend Labor Day weekend together. Life is just better when Ryan is here.
Read More
