Author Archives: canoelover

There we were, walking through the neighborhood, enjoying some fine weather between the scatter showers, and this little fellow zoomed past us. I was able to sneak up and get a picture. It’s an Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum). They’re little, … Continue reading →

If you drive along the back roads of northern Wisconsin this time of year, you’ll be certain to see an orange mist covering some of the grassy areas beyond the gravel shoulder. That would be caused by Orange Hawkweed (Pilosella … Continue reading →

So yesterday I am in a restaurant grabbing a quick bite for lunch. It was almost empty except for another table with two women talking about their family woes: “My sister-in-law…really tired of all this…cheated on her husband…just disgusting…can’t believe … Continue reading →

Tilley Hats are something of an inside joke to canoeists. They’re decidedly old-school canvas wide-brim hats with traditional Canadian styling (i.e., not that much styling) and a lot of function. There are stories of Tilleys being swept over waterfalls and … Continue reading →

Cool. Super cool. We were privileged to see a hatch of Ophiogomphus colubrinus, also known as the Boreal Snaketail. It was, of course, Ian, who first noticed the nymphs crawling out of the Brule to complete their metamorphosis into full-on … Continue reading →

…and someone had a great time. I’ll have more to say when I dig out of the giant pile of mail, email, voicemail, and any other x-mail that exists. Respectfully submitted, Canoelover

“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.” – Thomas Merton As the sump pump goes … Continue reading →

In my old job a few millenia back we had the annual giving campaign, an organized coercion that to this day reminds me of all I hate about cubicle farms and large state government buildings. The person in charge of … Continue reading →

Legend: Black means “High.” Blue means “Over 90 percent. Green is normal flow, red is the drought. So you can see why Cedar Rapids is under water right now. So sad…

David and I go out to lunch a couple of times a month. We often try to find a place we’ve not been to before. I picked up David and started driving toward the near West side, where there is … Continue reading →