Creative Dubuque

Writing projects

May 172013

Again this year, I wrote a couple of features to promote DubuqueFest fine arts festival. First, I interviewed photographer Tim Olson, creator of the stunning A City at Work exhibit, for an article on the DubuqueFest photo panorama that appeared in the May 2013 issue of Julien’s Journal magazine.

I also wrote about the Austin, Texas, band The Heavenly States, based on my phone interview with musician Ted Nesseth. Here it is on the DubuqueFest website. And I interviewed Dubuque glasswork artist Barb Zehentner McKinlay and wrote this article for the website. Brief, 500-word versions of the above three DubuqueFest stories appeared in the May 9-22, 2013 issue of 365ink (issue #186).

The week of DubuqueFest, I decided to write one more, and talked to Dan Hedblom, a copper artist from Rochester, Minnesota. Here’s the feature. I wish there was more time, because I love talking to artists and sharing their stories. If you are an artist or a local arts promoter, definitely I would consider lending a hand to write stories — send me email and let me know what you’d like.

In the midst of the DubuqueFest runup, I researched and wrote a slew of words about the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. My feature will appear in the June 2013 issue of Julien’s Journal magazine. I’m very fortunate to be able to report that I have 2 more projects underway for regional magazines. I hope to sustain this writing momentum through the summer.

Earth Day concert

Apr 232013

We had just finished supper on Saturday and were looking for distraction when I remembered an Earth Day concert at the Mines of Spain. We scrambled to get ready and made the half-hour drive from our lovely woodland home in rural SW Wisconsin to another natural gem on the Iowa side of the Mississippi river.

Not quite outdoors, the auditorium of the nature center is a gathering space that brings wisps of woodland indoors. Mounted birds dangle from the ceiling and children’s artwork serve as a bird-collision deterrent on the windows. That evening, panels from a small exhibit about native prairies stood inside the doorway.

Although we arrived at dusk, it didn’t dim my recollection of trudging the trails of the nature preserve, winding betwixt oak-crested bluffs and creek-side woodland. Memories of looking up through the sun-trickled canopy to see a rare glimpse of a scarlet tanager. Or of sitting alone in the late afternoon on a bench perched high above a valley, only to hear the great rustle of a tom turkey suddenly bursting free from nearby brambles.

I have other memories of climbing steep steps, bordered by railroad ties, pausing to catch my breath, to watch a chipmunk, and surprised to notice the bloom of an exquisite woodland orchid. I recall hearing the water echoes of canoeists on Catfish Creek, their paddles slipping into the quiet stream as their voices traveled along the current.

A little late for the evening’s event, we found seats amidst a sparse but attentive crowd, while a man with a grey mustache sat before a slideshow of bird and landscape photos. He spoke passionately about the seasonal calls of red-shouldered hawks. Conga drums set up in a front corner of the room, along with a couple of guitars leaning nearby, gave us hope that music would follow.

The speaker was Jon Stravers of the Big Blue Sky Project, who eventually called upon local musician Denny Garcia to sing and play a duet about the Driftless Region. After that, three more musicians joined them for a couple of improvisational tunes. The result was an intimate, living room style concert in a room of like-minded bird lovers, well worth the jaunt across the river.

Tomorrow will be 14 months since I met the love of my life, and 5 months since I sold my house in Dubuque in order to move to the beautiful Wisconsin countryside. How could I have ever foreseen that on the verge of age 50 I’d meet a strong smart sexy handsome man who tells me every morning that he loves me and who opens his arms for a hug the moment he steps in the door! I am a privileged woman, and I’m thankful every day to have found him.

Although the timbre of my life has changed, I continue to take pictures, and you can enjoy some of the best ones over on my Flickr photostream. I’ll share a few recent photos below.

The other day we were were heading out to an East Dubuque location for a photo idea I had (my camera was out and ready to go) when about a mile from our driveway, the man of my dreams inexplicably stopped the car. A pair of whitetail does stood placidly a short distance from the road behind some brambles. These quiet creatures allowed me to get a couple of photos before they calmly turned and decided to head away.

At the photo location I had in mind, I couldn’t find the exact spot and the daylight was too faded for decent pictures. So the next day, I went back and got a couple of interesting black and white photos of the Julien Dubuque Bridge from the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.

With binoculars, from the same location I could see a nesting eagle. It was too far away for my camera to do the bird justice, but in this photo you can make out the big regal bird as she awaits her hatchlings’ arrival:

Incidentally, according to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, disturbing a bald eagle nest site can result in a large fine and/or imprisonment. In our travels around the local countryside, we know of at least 3 other nests, one of which borders a new industrial endeavor (not naming names here) that I hope will be made to pay dearly for destroying vital riverside habitat. We all need to act like stewards of the land.

On a more optimistic note, after a long sewing hiatus, I made these appliqued rustic country placemats, which I’m thinking of trying to sell on eBay or Etsy. I did some hand stitching — a blanket stitch with embroidery floss around the edge of each applique patch. They are made of all new fabric and are washable. Let me know if you’re interested in something like this, because I will take requests:

Bald Eagle photos

Feb 082013

Click on the image below to link to a slide show of bald eagle photos on Youtube. I took these photos on Jan. 26, 2013 in the O’Leary’s Lake area near Lock and Dam #11 on the Mississippi River at Dubuque, Iowa:

Creative Dubuque

Writing projects

Earth Day concert

14 months into a new life

Bald Eagle photos

My Flickr photos

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