tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65874314830235651912011-11-27T18:52:51.255-06:00Photos, stories and thoughts past and present, from West Bend, Wisconsin, to Juneau, Alaska, to Duluth, Minnesota, and all points in between.Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.comBlogger601100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-52239456897391393222010-02-21T00:50:00.002-06:002010-02-21T01:32:26.614-06:00

For all of my 0.1 daily readers, I'm back with a new entry.There's a line from a children's book that has stuck with me for years. The book is "Rascal" by Sterling North. The author recounts how, as a boy, he adopted an orphaned, baby raccoon; they had great adventures for a while until the raccoon grew wild and unmanageable. Eventually, the boy had to take the raccoon in a canoe to a nearby

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-77458084479807176122009-07-01T19:39:00.005-05:002009-07-01T22:48:31.394-05:00

Today - July 1 - is Canada Day. I realized that exactly five years ago, I was on a trip up into the Yukon Territory, and happened to be in a little town called Faro on the big day.Faro was built in the wilderness around 1970s to serve a massive lead-zinc mine. Its population peaked at more than 2,000 in the early 1980s - but then the mine closed. It has reopened and reclosed a few times since (I

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-69154791229380908482009-07-01T05:26:00.005-05:002009-07-01T22:47:52.604-05:00

I've mentioned before the troubles I have with cell phone reception at my home. So, while on my way home last night I pulled into the parking lot of the Kenwood Super One shopping center - one of the last, best places to get a clear signal - to place a few calls.I pulled into a parking space all by myself at the far end of the parking lot, near Arrowhead Road. On my third call, I was leaving a

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-62292388768923238042009-05-24T11:58:00.001-05:002009-05-24T12:00:26.314-05:00

I've been kind of swamped the past few weeks, so I've had to streamline my online efforts. So, I've shared a story at Perfect Duluth Day, and rather than duplicate it I'll just post the link here.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-60946903139906198322009-04-27T20:19:00.005-05:002009-04-27T21:00:57.747-05:00

Phone calls can be a bit of an adventure at my house.I have no land line - just my Verizon cell phone. Verizon's service was fine for the first two years I had it, so in September 2007 I signed up for another two-year contract. In December 2007 I moved into my new house. Problem.Apparently I'm on the very fringe of Verizon's service area, and reception varies from day to day, or even minute to

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-34801384022549895042009-04-21T14:09:00.007-05:002009-04-21T17:30:25.683-05:00

My favorite dish at a restaurant in the Northland is the slaw dog from My Sister's Place in Grand Marais. A few months ago I wrote an ode to the slaw dog for the News Tribune - and here it is. (Disclaimer: Normally I frown upon copying entire articles. But in this case, I'm the author, and I wrote the piece entirely on my own time and at my own expense, so I see no problem in including the story

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-55150326738426265902009-04-13T18:31:00.002-05:002009-04-13T18:50:40.924-05:00

Between taxes and other life events, I've had occasion to sit down and really assess my finances the past few weeks.One part of my "portfolio" is U.S. Savings Bonds, which were my grandparents' financial gift of choice. When I was growing up, every birthday and holiday brought a $25 or $50 savings bond, with occasional larger denominations. My grandmother could buy a bond for half its face value,

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-2137021738056241852009-03-16T08:42:00.002-05:002009-03-16T08:48:19.180-05:00

One summer day in high school, I was driving in a rural area near home and had a classic rock radio station on.Given the lack of any homes or other cars, I threw caution to the wind and turned the music up really loud, even though - gasp! - the windows were down.I kept driving and kept the music up as I passed, unnoticed by me, into a built-up area. I came to a stop sign right by a subdivision.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-51215078195438121182009-03-05T12:22:00.004-06:002009-03-05T12:36:44.218-06:00

I had not been to my "regular" laundromat in a long time, because ever since I bought my house, I have one of the greatest perks of all: my own washer and dryer.But the dog started shedding a few weeks ago, and I was late in getting to the twice-a-day brushing, so tons of clothes and blankets in the house got completely infested with dog hair. A bad thing, when your dog is white / yellow, and all

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-63136573033680313852009-02-25T23:03:00.005-06:002009-02-25T23:40:08.997-06:00

My dad likes the hard candy called "Nips." The chocolate parfait kind. Little, individually wrapped candies that come in a cellophane-wrapped box.Walgreens is the go-to place to buy Nips. It's not that they are cheaper there every day, but Walgreens offers the best sale prices on the candy, by far. Nips usually are about 99 cents a box; this week's Walgreens ad had a three boxes for $2 coupon -

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-55634708848480035022009-02-18T22:37:00.002-06:002009-02-18T22:38:47.446-06:00

The subject of the previous post has been dealt with (gloves, Christmas light box, plastic bag).The sink has been bleached and cleaned. The lint trap is replaced.We're back in business.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-80842359551869356092009-02-18T21:48:00.005-06:002009-02-18T22:03:10.266-06:00

(Warning... kind of gross photo below)I watched Lost tonight, then got ready to do laundry.My laundry set-up is a bit unusual. The water from the first rinse is pumped into an adjacent sink, where it is stored and can be pumped back into the washer for a second load. If it's not needed, there is a little pump that pumps the water up into the outflow pipe out to the septic system.On Monday I did

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-84832342527196555312009-02-15T10:35:00.002-06:002009-02-15T10:53:00.236-06:00

Last night's dream:I am at home. I get a call. "You're going to be in a cooking contest."Then I'm at a loading dock, with a crew of people unloading boxes of cooking supplies.I walk in, and there are two identical kitchens set up. I think it was on a sound stage, so this may have been a TV event.The other cook is already at work, and we have like an hour to put together the meal. How did he get a

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-66897907348189198692009-02-14T12:10:00.004-06:002009-02-14T12:22:00.302-06:00

Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" was released right about when I turned six - and I was obsessed with that song at that time.I had a little radio - wooden box, cloth-covered speaker, metal knobs - in my room, and I remember being very excited when that song was played.I'm not sure how long the obsession lasted, but even now, if that song comes on an oldies or light rock station,

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-78442329785284448552009-02-14T11:51:00.004-06:002009-02-14T11:57:31.119-06:00

I've been seeing these billboards all around town for months:Who is this aimed at? Does anyone really drive past these things and think, "I gotta get me some Canadian whisky!"? Well, I guess some people might - so is this sign just one big reinforcement for alcohol addiction?I guess my thinking applies to all billboards that are not on major highways. I can see the return on promoting a

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-79027996447834863272009-02-11T18:08:00.005-06:002009-02-11T18:41:13.449-06:00

A Wrangell boys basketball player puts up a shot just before halftime of the 2004 Region V Class 3A fifth-sixth place game against Haines at B.J. McGillis Gymnasium on the Mount Edgecumbe High School campus in Sitka, Alaska. The shot was good. (Andrew Krueger / Juneau Empire)It's been only five years since I covered this tournament, but it seems like an eternity - for me, for technology, for the

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-30019761094895460252009-02-07T01:34:00.003-06:002009-02-07T01:51:43.266-06:00

Driving home tonight, as I made the transition from city to country, an SUV zoomed up behind me and tailgated me for a bit. I was going at or maybe a shade over the speed limit (55), which anyone who knows the area would know is, if anything, too fast to drive at night with so many deer around.After a very short while, the driver zipped out into the other lane and gunned it, passing me as we

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-33540742925009513152009-02-03T01:15:00.002-06:002009-02-03T01:23:26.337-06:00

Remember from the last post that Jehovah's Witnesses booklet that my dog knocked in back of the TV stand. Well....That's the shredded remains of the first few pages. I'm on the fifth day of leaving my dog alone, out of her crate, for a full shift while I'm at work. When I got home tonight, I discovered that she extracted the booklet and gave it some good chewing attention while I was gone.I found

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-60034166173996753012009-01-29T14:49:00.006-06:002009-01-31T13:06:46.545-06:00

I was sitting in the recliner around midday earlier this week, reading a book, when there was a knock on the door. It startled me, because someone knocks on the front door of my rural home maybe once every two months, if that.I didn't bother running around to the side window to see who it was; I just opened the door."Hello - remember us?""Oh, God," I thought to myself.-----------------Let me go

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-89475140877619227052009-01-22T11:28:00.003-06:002009-01-22T11:33:33.272-06:00

Last night I dreamed (I think. I hope?) that I woke up, and there were doors slamming and footsteps in the house. The layout of the bedroom and house were different than my bedroom and house, so I'm pretty sure it was a dream.In the dream, I pulled the covers up over my head and hid. That's about all I can recall.Possible explanation? The dog has taken up nighttime residence on an old rocking

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-67317780972307077252009-01-14T23:26:00.002-06:002009-01-14T23:32:36.192-06:00

It hasn't been above zero here since Monday night. I haven't left the immediate area of my house since then - just twice-a-day walks with the dog (we've kept them short; even she doesn't really want to go out), going out to get the mail and take out the garbage, and a few other trips to the garage.I wish I could say I've gotten a lot done around the house. I've done some projects, but not a lot.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-18865543358871910212009-01-12T12:09:00.002-06:002009-01-12T12:15:57.940-06:00

The dog was gone Sunday morning. Someone must have been out looking for it and found it.Anger at neglectful owners aside, at least they had the decency and cared enough to take it back home.I don't know for sure who it belonged to. I have not seen any of the neighborhood's roaming black dogs, so I haven't been able to conclusively narrow it down.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-21064763966361608122009-01-10T23:11:00.003-06:002009-01-10T23:46:52.516-06:00

** Writer's note: upsetting postWhen I'm out and about and see an animal in potential danger, I stop. I've moved turtles off to the side of highways, corralled loose dogs and called their owners, etc. So that's what went through my mind as I approached my house tonight after work. It was dark, and a car was coming from the other direction on my road - a relatively major thoroughfare, with speeds

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-29055006364955701362009-01-07T20:57:00.003-06:002009-01-07T22:12:37.355-06:00

When I was maybe 6 or 7, my family acquired a pool table that got set up in the basement. It was an old, full-sized table, and I remember it having collapsible legs - basically, it was the pool table surface on top of two narrow, full-width-of-the-table rectangle "legs." I also remember being warned of, or being scared of (or both) it collapsing suddenly, so we were not supposed to go under it.It

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-16477638474615254152009-01-07T07:57:00.003-06:002009-01-07T08:06:38.314-06:00

Last night's dream:I was living in a dorm or apartment building of some kind. The building had a big, open common room where there were couches and ping-pong tables, and where the mailboxes were located.For some reason, I had placed a bunch of possessions on one of the couches and was going back and forth between the my room and the common area. Maybe I was moving in or out.I went to place some

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-55651572687888073822009-01-07T03:06:00.003-06:002009-01-07T03:18:58.797-06:00

The power went off tonight, somewhere around 6 p.m.I'm obsessive about power surges ruining my computer - even though I use a protective power strip, I unplug even that when I'm not using the computer - so the fact that everything flicked off when I was online caused me immediate concern.My house is in some disarray, but fortunately I remembered that I still had my winter storm survival pack

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-24000767766204562842009-01-06T01:51:00.003-06:002009-01-06T02:06:13.062-06:00

I did a bad thing a year or so ago.I watched "Duel."Stepping back for a moment, I am a person who has issues with horror or suspense movies. It's not that I'm scared. Actually, if I watch one, I usually enjoy it. It's just that sometimes the disturbing characters and images contained within those films kind of stick with me, and, say, pop into my mind as I head into the dark basement.So, "Duel."

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-6988947385860638452009-01-03T08:44:00.000-06:002009-01-03T08:46:34.919-06:00

I took Yukon for a walk down the gravel town road behind my property a few days ago. A little ways down the street is a house on the south side of the road, with an open field of untouched snow directly across the road on the north side.As we approached the house, a big yellow dog started howling. It was tied up, standing in the driveway in the below-zero morning cold. It quieted down a bit while

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-25263079404696148532009-01-02T08:48:00.000-06:002009-01-02T08:49:36.292-06:00

One of the things I like about going back home to West Bend to visit is that I know my family's land and the surrounding area well enough to walk it on a dark night without a flashlight. There is a plot of about 12 acres of woods I can traverse - on or off-trail - on a moonless night, and another several hundred acres surrounding it in which I know all the trails by heart. It's something I'm

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-1767640863984746142009-01-01T14:28:00.006-06:002009-01-01T15:03:55.145-06:00

I've read stories about Great Lakes shipwrecks in the 1800s in which the cargo from the doomed vessel washed ashore, providing a windfall of loot for people living in lakeside communities. As the stranded ship broke apart on a reef offshore, residents would gather on the beach to collect whatever boxes of cargo floated in on the waves.I visited my hometown over the holidays and was reminded of

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-338036319616622922008-12-18T12:16:00.003-06:002008-12-18T12:19:27.888-06:00

I am terribly, terribly behind on making a new post here. However, I've posted a couple stories / incidents from the past week on Perfect Duluth Day. So, for now, as I continue to finish Christmas cards and gift acquisition, these will have to do:BlizzardCrushed mailbox

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-76366796815047238822008-12-09T20:21:00.002-06:002008-12-09T20:24:33.109-06:00

Do not create a Facebook page for your dog, and absent-mindedly type the same e-mail address and password as your personal Facebook account. It will overwrite and eliminate your personal Facebook account. Then you will have to sign up again, try to remember all your Facebook friends and re-create your page from scratch. And you will lose your cherished high status in Scramble (college president,

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-57894975235961872652008-12-08T14:15:00.003-06:002008-12-08T14:21:27.599-06:00

We had the first decent snowfall of the season yesterday - about 4 inches total.That meant I was able to return to action as an official National Weather Service snowfall spotter. I sent in my first report of the season a little before 6 p.m., and a little after 7 p.m. my report appeared on the weather service Web site:0556 PM SNOW 1 N DULUTH 46.80N 92.12W12/07/2008

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-81458643285076338052008-12-04T00:34:00.004-06:002008-12-05T11:09:28.827-06:00

The roof repair set-up, December 2008I have discovered a lot of quirks about my house over the past year. One of the first, and most enduring, is the "whirly" vent atop the highest part of the roof, and the difficulty in dealing with it.Soon after I moved in, on a windy winter day, I heard a high-pitched shrieking noise while upstairs in the house. I went outside, and discovered that the whirly

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-62878192760024388882008-12-02T11:10:00.003-06:002008-12-02T11:13:36.766-06:00

Last night's dream: My dog was infested with fleas. My house was infested with fleas. Fleas, fleas everywhere.Possible inspiration: My dog has been scratching a lot - audible at night - but, thankfully, the vet declared her flea-free. I think it's just the dry air in my house.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-25984585550471148472008-11-29T12:14:00.007-06:002008-11-29T12:34:02.114-06:00

I just got back from a walk with Yukon. We went up and down the back road, and were about to head back inside when some gunshots started in the distance. She flinched a bit, and I didn't want to take her in right then to reinforce her fear, so we circled the yard for a bit.As we got down to one of the front corners of the property, in an area where I had cleared some brush over the summer,

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-50789918081860735542008-11-29T01:56:00.008-06:002008-11-29T02:29:45.487-06:00

Cape buffalo (image from Wikipedia)When I got my dog earlier this week, I felt I needed to make a financial tradeoff. So, I canceled my cable TV.Yukon has been taking up much of my time these first few days, but late at night, between work and bed, I still find myself with a half-hour or so when I need to just wind down. I can't watch late-night cable offerings, so I've been getting reacquainted

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-22960314283054911722008-11-26T21:18:00.006-06:002008-11-26T21:30:49.471-06:00

Things are going well with the new dog - "Yukon" is her name now - but we had one minor "incident" today.She is a very sweet, mild-mannered dog. She had been so timid, so hesitant to try new things, that I thought nothing of leaving her alone in the back seat of my car for 10 minutes while a few bags of groceries were in the cargo area. To get back there, she'd have to get up and over the back

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-46933133696989569472008-11-24T14:07:00.004-06:002008-11-24T14:24:04.468-06:00

I am not a big fan of radio stations that play all Christmas music starting in early November. But every so often, I'll be in a mood for some, so I'll turn to one of those stations while I'm driving.I hit the jackpot today.First up: Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, "Sleigh Ride." (Argh... it's not on YouTube. Well, "Spanish Flea" is as good, just not Christmas-y)This fast-paced brass version of

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-36374868021775964682008-11-24T03:27:00.003-06:002008-11-24T03:31:03.162-06:00

Two-year-old yellow Lab. Left with rescue group by family that moved and could not take her with. As of Tuesday morning, she'll be mine, after I've waited almost a decade to have a dog of my own.Given name: Gadget. I didn't like that name initially, then thought I'd try sticking with it, but now have decided I can't. So, I will be renaming her ... we'll see how that goes.Now, I have to find a

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-44130109025148777592008-11-22T12:15:00.004-06:002008-11-22T12:40:33.774-06:00

Musher Hans Gatt speaks to the media in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, before dawn on February 25, 2004, after winning his third consecutive Yukon Quest sled-dog race.I took this photo within a few weeks of getting my first (and, to date, my only) good digital camera. As I did a number of other times while in Alaska, I melded together a work/vacation trip - this time, to cover a high school

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-71762507587457406452008-11-22T02:15:00.003-06:002008-11-22T02:19:52.155-06:00

I was driving home tonight when my headlights caught the glare of a deer's eyes on the right side of the road ahead. I slowed down, then saw a deer on the left side. As I neared and slowed down some more I saw two deer on each side, directly across the road from each other.I stopped my car a few dozen feet from the deer. The pairs of deer looked at me, looked at each other, looked at me, looked

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-8273472885073621642008-11-21T03:24:00.007-06:002008-11-21T03:55:20.743-06:00

When I was about six or seven, I was introduced to "The Incredible Journey," a 1963 Disney movie about three pets - two dogs and a cat - who traverse the Canadian wilderness to get from where they are being boarded to their real home. And, to be very, very clear, I am NOT talking about the decades-later "Homeward Bound" remake that is far inferior.I don't know if I was caught at a very

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-28438736583444196642008-11-19T14:27:00.002-06:002008-11-19T14:33:44.642-06:00

I added about a dozen stale flour tortillas to my compost pile last night, thinking that ravens or other birds would enjoy them today. I've seen ravens scavenging out of that pile many times.But, I had noticed lately that food had been eaten out of there with some force - that is, it was ripped apart and scattered about. I didn't think much of it until I saw a neighborhood dog chowing down on the

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-4961824443916207662008-11-19T14:24:00.003-06:002008-11-19T14:27:23.401-06:00

I keep hearing on the news that "stocks are lower today as (insert bad news) sparked investors' fears of a recession."I don't know a lot about investing, but what more do "investors" need to hear to reach that conclusion? Aren't we there already?

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-85377193319612659272008-11-17T10:50:00.005-06:002008-11-17T10:55:57.224-06:00

Found yesterday: My can openerLocation: The bag of kitchen-related items I had packed for use while camping on my cross-country trip last month. Which, of course, I never got to use after hitting the deer in North Dakota; the bag was left with the car while I flew to Seattle. I packed it away with my camping gear and forgot about it - can opener included - until suddenly remembering it yesterday.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-78773183491092404062008-11-14T01:39:00.008-06:002008-11-14T02:28:46.842-06:00

This photo is one of those times where you don't really notice how odd a scene looks as it happens - it's only later, when you look at the photo, that you realize that, hey, that bird looks as big as that dog!I took this photo in September 2004 in the village of Fort McPherson, Northwest Territories, Canada. After covering the Klondike Road Relay race from Skagway, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-76115096885289079012008-11-13T13:25:00.005-06:002008-11-13T13:34:43.289-06:00

When I was growing up, I liked the show "Unsolved Mysteries." It was a scary-but-not-too-scary show for a kid, sometimes had cool stuff on things like the Loch Ness Monster, etc. Plus, the baby brother of a kid I knew was used in a cheesy reenactment for a segment on a demonic haunted house in Horicon, Wis. - not for from my hometown.A few years ago, mostly unedited reruns started airing on

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-54857253905936156932008-11-12T15:30:00.003-06:002008-11-12T15:32:45.778-06:00

I've been on an eat-it-or-get-rid-of-it tear through my freezer. Contributed to the compost pile yesterday:- ice-encased frozen pizza- frozen fish sticks well past expiration comfort zone, even in a freezerThis morning, the fish was gone, as was most of the pizza. Some cheese and pieces of crust were left.

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-20190393950298790032008-11-12T15:27:00.004-06:002008-11-12T15:28:44.562-06:00

Found this morning: New black fleece hatLocation: Under a coat on a chair in the downstairs bedroom

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-39286969989533395652008-11-12T00:41:00.006-06:002008-11-12T00:59:34.552-06:00

My old black hat, pressed back into service upon the disappearance of my new black hat.Missing:My can opener (I have looked at the cans of Spaghetti-Os at lunchtime for a week now, with no way to open them)My new black fleece hat---------I'm about ready to give up on the can opener and buy a new one. I had the old one since college; it has opened cans of Spaghetti-Os in three dorm rooms, eight

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-12982709711447462782008-11-11T15:38:00.003-06:002008-11-11T15:54:41.028-06:00

I don't often have memorable dreams, but on the rare occasions I do, I remember them in great detail. I had one of those last night. Here's how it went:I woke up to a noise - inside or outside, I'm not sure. I got up and looked outside, and it was dusk, and there was a old pickup truck in my driveway but no one around. I walked out into my yard, and suddenly a man on an ATV zoomed by me, did a

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-41151449386131391622008-11-10T15:36:00.002-06:002008-11-10T15:39:12.140-06:00

Added to the list of items tossed on my compost pile that the local wildlife finds delectable:- overcooked hot dogs- frost-encrusted, expired Eggo wafflesOn the list of stuff that doesn't get eaten:- old oranges

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-65521467771571336502008-11-08T13:11:00.003-06:002008-11-10T13:37:19.499-06:00

First day of Minnesota's deer season = guns firing in all directions around my house.Note to hunter to the northwest: I'm not a hunter, but I don't think you're supposed to fire five shots in a row to bring down a deer. That's probably overkill (though I'm guessing that volley didn't kill anything)

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-46009346481960245042008-11-08T12:00:00.004-06:002008-11-08T12:02:55.659-06:00

First dusting of snow of the season, as viewed from my kitchen window, November 8, 2008.There were some flurries in the air in October, but this morning was the first time anything actually stuck on the ground. Winter is here!

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-33834001840831340242008-11-07T14:16:00.002-06:002008-11-07T14:33:08.207-06:00

When I think of places I've been, or places I'd like to go, some have a quality that makes them stand out in my mind: having a "the" in front of their name.When I lived in Alaska, I could take a weekend trip up to the Yukon; drive the Alaska Highway, or the Dempster Highway, or the Klondike Highway, or any number of other "the" roads; go for a hike near the Mendenhall Glacier; etc.I still get

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-58517845160766576792008-11-03T13:19:00.006-06:002008-11-05T15:31:27.293-06:00

Wading in the Arctic Ocean, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, June 2005.In spring and summer 2005, after leaving my job in Juneau and before heading back to the Midwest, I took about four months off to travel around Alaska and the Yukon. I had anxiety about it at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.One of my big trips that summer was a roughly three-week odyssey driving

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-16410805651016544042008-11-02T01:35:00.001-05:002008-11-03T13:19:41.585-06:00

Sea lions resting on Poundstone Rock buoy on a sunny summer day, north of Juneau, Alaska, July 2005.This photo was taken while out on a fishing trip with my friend Brian, a photographer at my former paper, the Juneau Empire. He has a boat and is a remarkable fisherman who has taught me more than I ever imagined I'd know about halibut and salmon, and where to find them (but, of course, in

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-8305901411509371792008-11-02T01:27:00.000-05:002008-11-02T01:20:23.719-06:00

Setting sun shining through the trees, Black River Harbor, north of Bessemer, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, August 2008.One of the things I love most about Duluth is how many cool places are within a day's drive. Every so often I like to zip out of town for a weekend - heading north to Canada, northeast up the Lake Superior shore, east to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, etc. Last August I headed east

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6587431483023565191.post-15700326380397380062008-11-02T01:00:00.000-05:002008-11-02T01:20:03.674-06:00

Northern lights and a shooting star over Lake Superior. Taken from Middle River Beach on the Wisconsin shore, east of Superior, looking north toward the Minnesota shore, October 2007. I was driving on Highway 2, heading home after visiting my aunt and uncle's house near Ashland, when I saw the clear sky, and a hint of the northern lights. I decided to take a detour up to this beach, which is at

Andrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07129191486926674259noreply@blogger.com1