Nature makes quite an impression on me: it gives depth to my life daily, is foundational for our Iowisota venture, and inspires my pottery designs. As we close out our second year of programming at Iowisota, it seems fitting to reflect on some of the things that have “made a mark” (or impression) on us in 2025! Living in the Driftless Area of Northeast Iowa makes an impression on me every day. This photo and the framing clips were taken from the "North Bluff" today, January 1

The 1931 Blackhawk Bridge over the Mississippi River at Lansing, Iowa, is often called iconic. Something “iconic” is a representative symbol, or something widely known or important. This got me thinking about WHY the bridge is iconic. The 1931 Blackhawk Bridge spans the main channel of the Mississippi River between Lansing, Iowa, and Wisconsin. It has been closed to traffic since October and is scheduled controlled collapse/destruction on December 19th, 2025. The bridge is ce

A while back, my daughter observed that her work is an endless series of side quests. Any given day may start with a specific project or objective—call it a quest—but then complications and new facets lead to other activities. Some of the side quests just keep growing to become major adventures. She works at a camp, so it is no surprise that she encounters this often, but I think we all experience this to some degree. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to squeeze in a hike on a

Fall is the time to clean up those loose ends of summer, so they aren’t blowing around in the winds of winter. I’ve been busy with my task list, preparing for the cold, snowy Iowa winter that people keep saying we are due for. One of our tasks is to renew our firewood supply. The woods are full of opportunity; we just need to cut, haul, split and stack it! Thankfully our son Nathan came home for a while and wielded the chainsaw for his dear old parents. A winter day doesn’t g

Shortening days signal the impending arrival of winter, and it seems everyone is heading South. Not me; I have a cozy space by the fire reserved for the coldest of days. But birds and people are on the move. We’ve been watching various stages of migration for several weeks now. In early September, the barn swallows left us. They spent the summer nesting under our balcony, cavorting above the yard, and singing (scolding?!) from the rail. But suddenly they were gone: off to Sou

I went looking for ART in nATuRe, and with a bit of a scramble, I found “une ART”. Une is the French feminine infinitive for “one” or...

This season always brings mixed emotions for me: the excitement of harvesting wild and cultivated foods, the weariness of food...

In a July blog, I talked about latitude that stretched from northeast Iowa to northern Minnesota. In August, we took latitude to a whole...

The origin of “common ground” would logically lie in shared land use; however, the term has always held ideological meaning. Common...

Latitude is “scope for freedom of action or thought”. It is also the “angular distance north or south of the earth’s equator”. Last week...

It seems appropriate to discuss parades on this holiday weekend. A parade is a celebration, with sequential units passing by. Each unit...

We all weigh up risks as we make choices; at least we should! So what is dangerous? What is too  dangerous?? Many of you know that our...

I cannot capture the depth of nature with a single snapshot. The complexity of it all extends beyond what we can see in a glance, there’s...

It begins with the first distinctive call of the sandhill cranes in the slough in March, and the observation of a new arrival every few...

I went to the woods to look for morels, but all I could see was green. A wonderful carpet of all hues of green. I had no choice but to...

Collecting ramps (wild leeks) is a ritual for many people; these early-emerging greens are a hallmark of Spring throughout the moist...

Forces opposite and powerful bring their unique beauty and even complement each other. Our steep hillside “goat” prairie is healthier...

Annual routines, like making maple syrup, are dependent on weather conditions. 2025 has been a bit unpredictable in our corner of the...

I love sparkly things… not like cut diamonds and jewels, but rather the important things like snowflakes, rocks, and stars! Nature gives...

I wrote about public lands a few weeks ago, today I’m writing about private land stewardship. Awhile back, the quote, “It’s not my land,...