My wife, Shawna Gilmore, just painted the back of Charlie Parr’s guitar. It’s the one you see here, which he has been touring the country with all summer and fall. I think she did a darn fine job. Here’s the finished product: Charlie’s instruments are essentially irreplaceable, so it’s amazing that he trusted her with … More Painting Charlie Parr’s Guitar, and Who the heck is Dave Hundrieser?
Coffee chaff in the chicken coop??? This chicken is pondering the same thing, but we’ve determined that it’s completely awesome! A byproduct of the roasting process, they are light, fluffy, compost much more rapidly than the pine shavings these are replacing, smell fantastic, block odors, and are free! I collect mine from high-end coffee roasters located … More Caffeinated Chickens, Castoffs, and How I Finally Used My Master’s Degree
In just about the craziest turn of events ever, I’m organizing an event that will feature two mayors (one present and the other future), four well-known bands/musicians/musical savants, and a freaking tap dancer. It all started when the current Mayor nonchalantly mentioned, “Hey, we should do a book event.” Since this is much like Cinderella … More CORNUCOPIA 2015, A Lavish Feast of Local Talent
A thousand words and emotions are embedded in this image. My wife’s painting spent a month in the city council chambers a while back, and I was just now able to retrieve it from the Duluth Art Institute (by the way, leave all of February open to enjoy her upcoming show there — the Depot). Albert Woolson holds … More Weaving Community Connections On My Historic Bicycle
It was like I won the lottery. Picked as the lucky winner, I could pick virtually any book on Earth and have it shipped to me for FREE! Being a frequent user of the library, and facing a significant cash shortage, I haven’t purchased a book for myself in years. Such extravagance! Additionally, I’ve been … More Winning the Lottery With Berry, consuming The Grapes of Wrath, and Some Relevance for Labor Day
I’ve been quiet lately. That’s ok, I think. Probably the most memorable experience of the past month was a trip the family took to pick strawberries together. We took the country route, rather than the busy highway. I was inspired by several farms, and stopped for grass fed beef and a full gallon of maple … More The Power of Place
Throughout the summer months, Duluth is regularly carpet-bombed by boxes of vegetables. The popularity of CSA’s (community supported agriculture) has exploded in recent years in these parts. Where previously this sort of labor-intensive, organic farming comprised a small, niche market, it now seems to be penetrating the outer periphery of the mainstream. Not only are … More A tale of three organic farms defying the odds, and one on the way
This post is in response to a reader who passed along a thoughtful comment in reaction to my newspaper column (pasted below). Her comments were rather encouraging, but they provide an opportunity to expound on something I’ve been thinking a lot of these days. The barrage of social media in our lives can produce an overwhelming … More Reflections on a great activity, inadequacy, thrilling in the chase.
My quest to meet freaks, weirdo’s, people using useful skills USEFULLY, non-conventional humans, artists (who may or may not be human), continues. Today, however, I must return to a fascinating couple that I introduced in my recent post on the Food Farm. They are Duluth’s very own “odd couple.” The show Green Acres comes to … More An “Odd Couple” Producing Food and Art ORGANICALLY in the Heart of a Renaissance
The view from the mountaintop is stunning, but the hard slog of getting there is what allows us to really appreciate it. So much hard work is required, the path can seem to drag on interminably, eventually we catch glimpses of the landscape which build anticipation, and finally the panorama opens up in all directions. … More Teachers are the salt of the earth, secret messages from arachnids, and gratitude for every layer of life.
Ed's Big Adventure 