Gun deaths are one of many grave illnesses of the United States of America — “Republicans will decry the carnage. Then, their leaders will call for a moment of silence, and perhaps offer a prayer.” — The author I shed private tears as my wife and I drove from Chicago, Illinois, on a ribbon of pavement between barren fields, to Ames, Iowa. It was the…

On May 1, 2022, the US Treasury increased composite interest rate for Series I Savings Bonds to 9.62% — “Don’t pass up something that’s attractive today because you think you will find something better tomorrow.” — Warren Buffett, Investor In November 2021, I published the article Now is a Great Time to Buy Series I US Savings Bonds. From November 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022, the US Treasury…

Recent walks around Harriett Lake and Lake of the Isles surprised us — The city of Minneapolis in Minnesota boasts thirteen lakes within its boundaries. Known as the City of Lakes, the Mississippi River also flows through. My wife and I have enjoyed walking around the lakes and riverbanks for years. But on recent walks around two of the city’s lakes, we discovered…

Six Word Photo Story Challenge: Freestyle — The brightest stars will shine forever. In April 2022, Mary Chang Story Writer challenged writers to publish a photo and story in the category “Graffiti and Street Art.” I accepted the challenge, and wrote Bob Dylan in Living Color, about a mural in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Knowing that the artist Prince was from Minneapolis, Vidya Sury…

Ottawa is a beautiful city filled with architectural treasures — According to the photographic record, I spent five hours in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s national capital. Based on the experience, a stay of several days would have been ideal. The city was founded in 1826 as Bytown, and incorporated in 1855 as Ottawa. With a population of just over one million…

Minnesota is a pretty good place to live after all — Recently, I wrote “7 Reasons Why You Should Never Move to Minnesota.” While I intended the story as a satire, it contained some truth. Winters are very long, and there are a lot of rough roads, for example. But there are also many good reasons to move to Minnesota. 7. Cost of Housing For…

Hit songs from my birth year, 1959 — Recently, Steve Devine challenged some writers on Plethora of Pop to share favorite songs from their birth year. I decided to try the challenge, too. On the one hand, it was easy, because artists produced so many good songs in my birth year, 1959. But on the other hand, it…

In many ways, Minnesota is a pretty good state to live in. But in other ways, it is a terrible place to live, too — In some ways, Minnesota is a terrible place. I should know, because I have lived here for more than 50 years. I have been afflicted since the day I was born. The winter weather is terrible, and on the six nice days per year, the mosquitoes are ferocious and bite. …

Or, how eBird has helped me become a better bird watcher and bird photographer — A songbird sang sweetly as I approached the savanna overlooking the valley of Bear Creek below. It sounded like “drink your tea.” Turning the corner, the bird, perched on a branch, displayed its black, rufous, and white feathers. I had never seen this species of bird before, at least as…