Something about our bus ride wasn’t making sense. Our driver kept his foot on the gas pedal, even as we zigzagged on a single-lane switch-back gravel road in the Andes Mountains. What, I kept wondering, was his game plan if we met another bus or maybe a logging truck?
Across Minnesota, chloride levels in lakes and rivers are on the rise. So far, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has identified 54 lakes with chloride pollution above state standards and more than 70 more that are at risk. Even though salt is common in our diet and needed for winter saf…
At this time of year, stalking through the forest with my camera in hand in search of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is one of my favorite activities. The crunching of leaves under my boots, the crisp cold air and the smell of the decomposing leaves are all part of the autumn whi…
With the September release of the Netflix true crime series Dahmer—a dramatized retelling of the life and crimes of the notorious American serial killer—discussion about the ethics of true crime media and its seemingly endless production is being revisited once again.
Early fall brings an amazing insect to our flower gardens across the United States. It is the White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata), also called the Hawk Moth or Hummingbird Moth. No matter what name you use, this is a large nectar feeding moth that looks and acts just like a hummingbird.
What ingredients would you add to have a delicious life? A delicious life is what you want, not what others want for their life.
Sitting at the edge of the nest, the young Osprey is calling out in a begging call, trying to be fed. His high-pitched screams echo across the lake and, unfortunately go unanswered. His parents are not around. He is all alone and, worse yet, he is hungry.
When was the last time you laughed—a really good belly laugh? Hopefully, it was not too long ago. The reason we bring this up is because recently something got us laughing so hard, we both had tears in our eyes. And did it ever feel good to do that! In today’s world there’s so much going on …
What you see is not always what you think it is. This could be my mantra for nature.
Are there any critical people in your life? We’ll guess you’ve come across people you find to be critical. You’re not alone. We all have critical people in our life. Maybe it’s someone at work or maybe it’s even a family member. Constructive criticism is fine, but some critical people are so…
Club Book returns with a virtual author visit at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13 with acclaimed essayist and poet Boyah J. Farah. Farah immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s as part of the Somali diaspora when thousands of families fled the war-torn Horn of Africa.
The Friends of the Chanhassen Library is preparing for the fall book sale. We’re in need of volunteers to help set up the sale, as well as to work the sale taking money. The sale will be Thursday, Sept. 29, through Sunday, Oct. 2. If you are interested in volunteering, contact the Patrick Jo…
Saturday, Aug. 13, is the last day to turn in reviews for the Oceans of Possibility Summer Reading Program. You can earn tickets to the State Fair and Minnesota Twin games just by reading and reviewing books.
I spend the entire month of June on a boat watching the sunrise and sunset. I do this because I am leading wildlife photography tours, to capture images of Loons. I am so fortunate to be outside, surrounded by nature for such a sustained amount of time. I see and hear so many cool birds and …
In water management, many projects seek to prevent pollution from getting into lakes and rivers. But one type of project both prevents water pollution and conserves drinking water at the same time, stormwater reuse.
Do you find yourself yearning for the days when life was simpler? We understand! There definitely were some advantages to those times. We found ourselves talking about that exact idea recently. How ironic it was when we learned that the first week in August is “National Simplify Your Life We…
What does trust mean to you? Trust may mean different things to different people. We thought a lot about trust as we flew home recently. We trusted people to fly us home safely. When we got home, we had trusted our refrigerator to keep working but, unfortunately, it proved untrustworthy. Now…
Have you noticed what has been happening with communication in the last few years? We’re concerned because there seems to be a decline in effective communication. Today, we see how it’s more and more difficult to find subjects that people can discuss without polarization. There are divisions…
The last couple of years of launching into adulthood have not gone as planned.
This past April, the Chaska Human Rights Commission hosted several events as part of an initiative called “Chaska Celebrates Immigrant Voices."
What will you be doing on July 4 to celebrate our nation’s freedom?
Are you fully using your strengths and sharing them with the world?
Recently a sign went up just east of our church, which seemed harmless at first glance. But upon closer inspection, it does not hold up as a good use of county resources.
Last week, while leading a wildlife photography workshop to capture images of American black bears (Ursus americanus), we experienced a cuteness overload. Over three and half days, we saw many mother bears with spring cubs.
Are you living strategically? What got us thinking about this is because we know how important it is for businesses to be ‘strategic’ in their activities.
It was a big deal when Carver County Schools Superintendent Rudolf Siewert came to inspect our District 24 one-room schoolhouse in the 1950s. We took it very seriously.
Join Carver County Library and the Loft Literary Center for an online seminar where you’ll learn about writing for the web.
Warning: This column contains spoilers.
Are you a perfectionist? We all can be at times. Like the name implies, the perfectionist wants everything to be just so. Therefore, being a perfectionist may have both some positives and some pitfalls.
Why just read a story with your kids when you can walk through one?
The library is closed on July 4. Access to parking at Chanhassen Library will be limited Saturday, July 2 and Sunday, July 3 due to the city of Chanhassen’s Fourth of July festival.
Recently I have been spending some time photographing a pair of trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) with six little cygnets. This swan family is not in a wilderness setting, but a suburban backyard pond.
In the movie, “Queen of the Katwe,” Madina Nalwanga plays the role of Phiona Mutesi, a young girl who grew up in Uganda, Africa. She had a difficult childhood, but it did not affect her.
“Do you have two feet in the boat?”
After long and rather cold spring, warm temperatures are finally here. If you’ve been doing some spring yard cleaning, you might have piles of brush or last year’s fall leaves you need to get rid of.
An aphorism that I say too often to friends and family members is “Don’t do a ready, fire, aim.” That is a reference to people who make unwarranted criticism about subject matter without sufficient research or due diligence. As a result, many of us confuse our “opinion” as fact.
If you are getting ready to hit the road this summer in search of family history, we have the perfect program to help you get started.
Do you love me? This is a universal question that speaks to the deepest part of the human soul — to know that you are loved. The Bible talks about three important concepts — faith, hope and love. It then goes on to say that the greatest of these is love.
In 1966, The National Academy of Sciences published the “Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society.” The purpose of this paper was to bring attention to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) that, at the time, was being neglected.
It is storytime, but this one is for adults. Join us at the Charlson Thun Community Bandstand in Victoria at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9 for adult storytime. Bring something comfy to sit in and hear some tales for adults and sing some classic songs with us.
The key to “seeing” nature is to stop and look. I know that seems rather obvious but it’s true. The simple act of stopping and looking is really all it takes to start to see more nature. This is something I learned a long time ago, but it seems that I need to stop and remember it every now a…
“Oceans of Possibilities” is the theme for the 2022 Summer Reading Program at Carver County Library.
How are you? This is a common question that people often ask each other. The answer that often comes back is, ‘Fine, thank you.’
All children need someone to be there for them, whether to kick a ball around, empathize over adolescent friendships, or provide support for mental health issues or other adversities. They need to know that at least one person will never give up on them — no matter what happens in their live…
It is music in May with the Roe Family Singers at the Charlson Thun Community Bandstand in Victoria at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 21.
Not everything in nature appears the way you see it! I’ve said it over and over again in various ways. We see the natural world through the lens of a human and all of the things that go into being a human.
We wonder, what special days do you celebrate?
The Carver County Library and CareerForce Chaska are partnering to serve you better.
Are you a compliant egg or a defiant egg? You probably are wondering, what is this all about? What got us thinking about this subject recently is that we were peeling shells off of hard boiled eggs. Have you ever noticed that with some eggs the shells peel off quite easily (the compliant egg…
