The Listening Places

Planning Season

It’s that time of year again. Last Friday we finally came out of winter and entered spring with the Spring Equinox. It’s great to be on the other side of that thing, to know the days now contain more daylight than night and each one is a little longer than...

The Luminary Loppet

I began The Listening Places to write about Northern Minnesota and the events, places, and culture that makes it special, but I would like to travel south this week and share the experience I had at The Luminary Loppet on Lake of the Isles. During the loppet over a...

The Beargrease

First of all, I have to be honest. I’m writing this post about the John Beargrease dogsled race from bright, sunny Orlando. It’s not exactly ideal vacation weather here right now, being in the 50’s and cloudy, but it is substantially more comfortable...

Minnesota Point

It was a cold, gray January day in Duluth and I was hurdling up 35 North, determined to get to the YMCA. Coming out of another carb fueled holiday season, I had made a personal vow to stick to my workout routine. It felt good to know that soon I would be running...

Camp Tettegouche

It’s been more than a week since I returned home from a long weekend in a camper cabin in Tettegouche State Park. Now from the comfort of home, I find myself recalling the quiet nights beside the glowing wood stove while the winter wind howled past the windows,...

Dark Days, New Ventures

It’s been less than a month since the first snowfall of the year, and though there have been many since, it’s always the first one that makes the biggest impact. This year it came on November 26th. I woke up in a warm bed and looked outside to see the...