original essays

Six Canada geese glide across a calm river lined with autumn trees, their orange and gold foliage mirrored in the still water.

Essay | Summer, Spring, Winter and Fall, Water Calls to Us

A reflective essay by John Weiss exploring our deep connection to water in all its beauty, its warnings and the vital role it plays in our landscape and lives.

A young girl wearing sunglasses, a pink hoodie, gloves, and colorful boots tosses a piece of firewood into a blue wood cart outdoors. She stands on a large pile of split logs next to evergreen trees, with bright sun shining behind her and a red barn in the background.

Essay | Putting Up Firewood: A Family Affair

Just in time for holiday gatherings…Greg Schieber’s original essay about putting up firewood for the winter, from memories of his own youthful years to the help lovingly shared by his own kids today.

Wide view of Stockholm’s waterfront with bridges, walkways, and historic buildings under a partly cloudy sky, with people walking and biking along the water’s edge.

Essay | The Pursuit of Happiness

Touring from Gothenburg to Stockholm, John Torgrimson explores firsthand why Sweden ranks among the world’s happiest nations – and has some “caring and sharing” observations for the holidays.

view from bluffs looking at river valley and beyond

ESSAY | Hiking Wisconsin’s Driftless Bluffs and Prairies

Our scenic blufflands, valleys and trails aren’t restricted to Southeast Minnesota alone, as a day’s hike into Western Wisconsin’s Driftless Area will prove!

two kids playing in muddy water

Essay | Creative Skills and Kids

Essayist Renee Bergstrom’s formula for a “lifetime of joy” includes being creative – and it begins in our youth.

A red-brown hairy calf with ears sticking out to the sides stands in front of a large black cow in a green pasture.

Essay | The Cows are Out!

In this charming essay, Greg Schieber shares the highs, lows and unexpected roundups of life in Fillmore County’s Big Woods.

An illustration of two large horses pulling farm equipment through a brown field with a dark gray and yellow cloudy sky behind them.

Essay | A Teacher, a Rooster and an Outhouse

An essay from the book “A Teacher, A Rooster and an Outhouse” tells the story of young boy shenanigans while entertaining their teacher.

A dark brown snapping turtle lays on the lower bottom half of a skateboard. His tail is on the asphalt and the front end of the skateboard is pointing up.

Root River Diary | How Did the Turtle Cross the Road?

Joyce Roffler finds a unique way to help a snapping turtle across the road.

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