When I tap “beauty” into the Google search box for my photo collection, I get a flood of too-easy, stereotypical beauty. There’s enough sunsets and mountaintops to induce indigestion in even the most hardened tourist. But the picture at the top of this post is top of the search results. It’s October 2015. I’m standing… Continue reading Northumbrian Beauty
Month: November 2015
The Remains of a Tree
In the past few days, a sculpture has appeared on my running route around Lake of the Isles (Minneapolis, MN). It’s a defiant sculpture, but it’s not the creation of an artist. The remains of the tree wait to be felled and chipped: it was diseased, it has to go. New trees will be planted… Continue reading The Remains of a Tree
Urban Hike and Bike: All Over the Nordeast Map
Nordeast (Northeast Minneapolis) encapsulates much of the early working class history of Minneapolis, but it gets short shrift in guide books. Recently I’ve been exploring Nordeast, trying to decode it’s history and culture. Later in this post I’ll introduce some tools I’ve developed, including an interactive map and a feature to customize and print Nordeast… Continue reading Urban Hike and Bike: All Over the Nordeast Map
Veterans Day 2015
Today I cycled to Sheridan Veterans Memorial beside the Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis. The monument reflects on the cost of war, expresses hope for peace, and is even-handed about the conquerors and vanquished. The push to build this memorial came from veterans. It was dedicated just two years ago, so it is not a strong part… Continue reading Veterans Day 2015
Mirepoix
I like to cook from scratch, but some days I simply want to assemble previously cooked ingredients. The solution is to have a selection of “subassembly” ingredients in the freezer. I’ve written about one of these ingredients: stock. Another is mirepoix. Mirepoix is the “holy trinity” of two parts onion and one part each of… Continue reading Mirepoix