For my cat Tinker, who’s getting older and is having health problems right now… Tink is 14 years old and has lost some of his vision, is having kidney problems, and is generally slowing down. Any person with beloved pets knows how difficult it is to see them go through their health issues. It’s a roller coaster of emotions, but I know it’s essential to remember to be appreciative and grateful of all the love and companionship that’s given and shared over the years. So I’m trying diligently to focus on this, and to remember to cherish the photos I have made of Tinker in his various moods and habits.
Winter still has its hold on us here in Minnesota. We vacillate from cool to cold, cool to warm, and all the variations in-between. We have snow, it thaws, it freezes, then thaws again, leaving us in the middle of “mud season” (as a good friend of mine calls it). So when I get tired of winter and need a jolt of spring I go to the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in Como Park. The current Sunken Garden display is filled with cineraria, primrose, azalea, cyclamen, foxglove and lilies. It’s a welcome visual and aromatic jolt to the winter-weary senses, and gives us the reassurance that spring can’t be too far away… maybe only another flip of the calendar page, from March to April???
I have a new exhibit of photographs that just opened this week at the Hopkins Center for the Arts in Hopkins, Minnesota. The exhibit includes 37 images, and is displayed in both the main and second-floor lobbies. The opening night reception was last Thursday, February 26th, which also happened to be the biggest snowstorm of the winter here in the Twin Cities. My many, many thanks to the people who braved the treacherous roads and the blowing snow to come to the exhibit. The photographs will remain on display through March 29th. For further information, please check my website (
The largest cross-country ski race in North America was held this past Saturday – the American Birkebeiner (affectionately known as The Birkie, the Boston Marathon of Skiing). A total of 7,461 skiers registered for the various races including the 50K Birkie Skate, 54K Birkie Classic, 23K Kortelopet, and the Prince Haakon 8K. With skiers from over 20 foreign countries and close to all 50 United States it is truly a festive event. This photo is from the race start in Cable, Wisconsin at the Telemark Resort. The course runs through the hills and forests of the area, and ends on Main Street in Hayward. Saturday was a great day for skiing (and for spectating — which is what I did). Temps were in the teens, with a light snow falling. We went to the start line to witness all the excitement and fun that precedes an event like this, then we made our way to Hayward and the finish line. Main Street is closed to traffic, snow is brought in to cover the street, and spectators line the course ringing bells and cheering on the skiers. My congrats to all the participants — I admire their training, their commitment, and their love of the sport; and to the volunteers and spectators who know how to celebrate and enjoy a beautiful winter day in central Wisconsin! For more information, check out 
