This week’s questions both involve situations full of emotion and a sense of pressure to act a certain way.

Part I of this article traced the beginnings of ski jumping in Burnett County on a 20-foot ski slide built on Albert Johnson’s property northeast of Grantsburg around 1930 to the construction of …

It takes a long time to write a book. Actually, writing a book does not take that long. Getting a book sold and edited and published takes far more time than I imagined. But my waiting is …

The last leg of my morning commute takes me from the museum’s parking lot to the front doors. Though short, this walk is often filled with birdsongs. Chickadees can always be counted on, blue jays …

Have you ever been around a certain person that, when they speak, you listen just a little bit more closely? It seems that these types of people don’t speak all too often, but when they do, it is …

“‘I know the moon,’ said the fox.”  My colleague read this title line aloud from a children’s book recently, as part of a staff training. At first, I was just as enchanted with …

This week’s questions both focus on navigating conflict with people you care about—and deciding how to respond when frustration runs high.

On Feb. 7 the ski jumping competitions of the Winter Olympics begin. Ski jumping has been included in the modern Winter Olympics since 1924. Ski jumping originated in the Telemark Province of …

For the most part, I congratulate myself on being relatively competent at managing technology. I don’t have an overwhelming fear of learning new apps or platforms and have even caught myself …

I had the pleasure of being able to be a stay-at-home dad when our girls were young.  As a teacher, I was introduced to Teaching With Love and Logic early in my career. I can say it changed the …

Last summer, Judy approached me one day when I was walking by an old church.  “I see you walking by here every day!” she said.  “Oh, yes. I need to walk!” I told …

Years ago, Lois Nestel, the Museum’s founding director, wrote: “I was stalking a pileated woodpecker whose calls and rapid fire hammerings seemed to come consistently from one area of trees not …

In the first installment of a new monthly feature highlighting updates from community leaders, Polk County Sheriff Brent Waak shared insights on current crime trends, traffic safety efforts, and …

I read 50 books in 2025—50 adult books that is, of course not counting the hundreds of picture books I read to my toddler. My 50th and final book of the year was an advanced reader copy of …

The wide brown trunk of an ash tree in front of my house makes a good backdrop for assessing the density of falling snowflakes, their potential impact on the ski trails, and the unique beauty of a …

“I miss our conversations!” Marilyn wrote to me.  I don’t know Marilyn well, but I like her very much. “You want to get a coffee sometime after Christmas?” I asked.  …

Both of this week’s questions explore what to do when a friend’s behavior isn’t what you expected. Mary in Centuria writes: My friend is a personal trainer, and she just got engaged. …

Over the years, many people with an entrepreneurial spirit started businesses in Burnett County. Some of these businesses lasted a few years, some a few decades or more. One had the possibility of …

Yesterday I saw a friend, Bridget, whom I had not seen for a full year. “How have you been?” she asked.  “I have learned a lot about myself this year,” I told her. But at the time …

This is the season for lists highlighting our most-listened-to or best-of-whatevers at the end of the year, so I decided to dig into the stats on my Natural Connections blog. To my surprise, the …