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Visiting my Maasai Friends’ Home and an Invitation to Lakeville’s Art Crawl on Saturday

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

Above, from left, Solomon’s mother, me, Mama Mary, and Solomon in front of their house.

I wrote a blog post but hoped it could reach more people. Thanks to Tad Johnson for turning it into an interview and publishing it in the local papers. Here’s the result, with a few extra photos. You can see more of Kenya and Tanzania this Saturday, May 10th, noon to 5:00 at the Lakeville Art Center. Click here for information on the Downtown Lakeville Art Crawl and all the artists. I’ll have photos, my hand-made photo cards, birthday calendars, and my book – which is needed now more than ever! Enchanted – Reflections from a Joyfully Green and Frugally Rich Life

LAKEVILLE WOMAN THINKS OF KENYAN FRIENDS ON EARTH DAY
On Earth Day, longtime Lakeville resident Holly Jorgensen found a way to connect her Minnesota community to her Maasai tribe friends half a world away in southern Kenya.

A chance meeting with a Maasai man during her nine-day African safari in January 2024 led to striking up a friendship with Solomon and her eventual return this spring to Kenya to meet more of her Maasai friends she has stayed in touch with online in the past year.

Jorgensen, who authored the book “Enchanted: Reflections from a Joyfully Green and Frugally Rich Life,” has always been interested in how humans can reduce their impact on the Earth, but her visit to Africa deepened her exploration.

The Maasai, a nomadic tribe that lives in areas of Kenya and Tanzania, leave behind virtually no environmental footprint other than the ones they make in grounds surrounding their villages.

After learning more about the Maasai, Jorgensen felt their way of living would be a good message to share during Earth Day close to home and she returned the favor by bringing Lakeville Friends of the Environment Earth Day T-shirts to her Maasai friends on her trip in February and March.

“I was hesitant to offer T-shirts to people who wore much more beautiful and meaningful traditional clothing, but was encouraged to bring them by people in the know,” she said. “I told the family I was bringing Earth Day shirts because I so respected the Maasai way of living lightly on the Earth. I also hoped it might be a small connection between Kenya and Lakeville. Whatever their reason, they graciously accepted them with appreciation.”

Jorgensen’s connection to the Maasai started during her 2024 safari when she visited a village. Later, she saw Solomon, a Maasai warrior, standing guard outside between the hotel and the wilds of Amboseli.

Despite the language barrier, Jorgensen struck up a conversation with him and the two exchanged phone numbers.

“When he asked me for my number, I thought, why not? I could always block him if need be,” she said. “When our group was leaving and everyone was saying ‘Good-bye,’ he said: “See you later!” I thought, no, you won’t. But Solomon was right. Our brief but regular communications on WhatsApp are just part of all that compelled me to return to Africa in 2025.

“I had always been intrigued by indigenous communities and respected their unique lifestyles and relationships with animals,” she said. “I’ve always been curious and enjoy meeting people — especially ones I can learn from.”

Jorgensen wrote about her frugal lifestyle in her book and maintains a blog at hollyonthelake.com, but she said “in Kenya were people who had much less impact on the Earth and climate, had many fewer material goods, yet were beautiful, gracious, friendly, and seemed happier than many Americans.”

The Maasai live in homes made of mud, cow dung and sticks, allowing the homes to “melt back into the Earth” when they need to move.

“I wouldn’t suggest we Minnesotans could or should live like that, but seeing them makes one wonder just how big and fancy our homes need to be,” she said. “What materials might be kinder to the Earth than the ones we use and discard, use and discard, use and discard?”

She said the Maasai raise cows, goats, and sheep, but they rarely kill them for meat. They drink milk and, as strange as it sounds, blood from the animals. When an animal is killed, they use nearly all that the animal offers to make food, blankets, clothes, and other items.

During her recent trip, Jorgensen visited Solomon’s family and received three special beadwork necklaces and several bracelets from his wife, who thanked Jorgensen for paying for their daughter’s school fees and hospital visit after the girl fainted.

“When I asked Solomon’s younger brother what was the best thing about being Maasai, he didn’t hesitate before saying ‘family.’ He went on about how they live together, share what they have, take care of each other, and respect elders for their wisdom and vision concerning the Earth,” she said.

She said she’s no expert on the ancient culture, as the more she learns the more she realizes how little she knows about it.

“What I do know is how truly indigenous — meaning ‘of the land’ — they are, even as they are forced or choose to adopt some modern ways,” she said.

Jorgensen has always had an affinity for nature, but said her African safari made her fall in love with the whole Earth.

She said during her visit she didn’t experience the dry, cracked ground from droughts or raging rivers from floods.

“But reading, watching documentaries, and staying in touch with African friends, I can’t ignore the fact that climate events are increasingly murderous to precious lives, both human and wild. So forgive me if I keep attempting to speak for the Earth as I share photos of its splendid, yet vulnerable inhabitants.”

Jorgensen, who will have some of her African photos on display during the Lakeville Art Crawl on May 10 and a Burnhaven Library exhibit in November and December, said Solomon recounted to his family his first meeting with Jorgensen in the grassland.

“In his soft voice and Maa language (interpreted by teacher Ann) he said ‘I couldn’t understand your language, but I could see your heart,’ “ Jorgensen said. “I was overwhelmed and humbled by the way they honored me. I resolved to strive for whatever Solomon saw in me that first day. Was it openness? I hoped to develop the gift of seeing into hearts, or, at the very least, acknowledging the heart in every body, regardless of how different their appearance, language, or customs.”

Tad Johnson is a managing editor of Sun Thisweek and the Dakota County Tribune

Solomon, Mama Mary, their pastor, friends, and their youngest son by the open doorway to their home.

Solomon’s younger brother, Benjamin, helped us translate. Solomon’s daughter, Faith, works with AMREF promoting the girlchild’s health and rights. 

Solomon’s son is wearing a jacket my mother made and Mama Mary holds a small quilt that I made, with pictures of northern animals on it. Along with the T shirts and some twinkling solar-powered lights to keep the lions away, they seemed appropriate gifts, knowing they would give me precious traditional hand-made beadwork. I suspect she learned beading from her mother, as I learned quilting from mine. Are you surprised they would wear anything warm? I was, but the rangers wore sweaters all day and it gets “cold” at night.

Daughter Mary was at school, where we visited earlier. This is lovely teacher Ann, who translated for us.

The trees in Kenya are famously photogenic, but don’t supply a lot of wood, as our white pine do. That explains a lot.

GREENIE TONIGHT at 10 and  SNEAK PREVIEW OF GREENIE AND THE GIRL – AN ENCHANTED FISH MEMOIR FOR ALL AGES

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

Many thanks again to KARE11’s Boyd Huppert and Chad Nelson for their outstanding production called Greenie and Holly. It premiered in 2020 and will repeat tonight on the 10 o’clock news with an update. Of course I’m biased, but the National Edward R. Murrow Journalism Award proves how special it is!

For those of you wondering why Greenie’s book is called Greenie and The Girl  instead of Greenie and the old lady, here’s the introduction and a new video.

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved water.  Especially lakes. Even before she could swim, she would stand on a dock and gaze down at the mystery, until one day her curiosity pulled her a little too close and she fell in. She didn’t know enough to be afraid and was mesmerized by the beautiful golden shafts of sunlight streaming down through the pale green water. It was only for a moment, but she knew she wanted to go to that other world again. Her father pulled her out, and decided it was time to teach her to swim safely, always landing back on shore. That made her love water even more. People, even her mother, sometimes called her a fish or a mermaid. She had long hair, but only wished for a mermaid’s tail and to be able to breathe under water. She loved to sing, but she loved quiet, too. That helped her hear the animals and made them more comfortable coming around her.

When she was growing up, most people thought animals acted only on instinct, and that only humans had things like language, tools, art, and emotions. She always asked, “How do we know?” The Girl grew up to be a camp counselor, teacher, librarian, and writer, and always loved sharing stories of animals. She worked hard and saved her money. With a little help and luck, she made her dream come true. Can you guess what it was?

 She had loved living by the Mississippi River, then the Minnesota River, but her dream was to live in a little house in a little forest on a little lake. When she found the perfect spot, she waited until the little old man was ready to sell his little old house. He knew she would love it and care for it, so they both cried happy tears. Owning a house in the woods meant a lot of work, which often made her dirty and sweaty, but also strong. Jumping into the spring-fed lake made her clean, cool, and happy.

As years went by, the gold in her hair turned to silver, but she kept it long and natural for simplicity and frugality. Wrinkles appeared, but they were mostly smile lines, so she didn’t care. As she grew into an elder, other things changed in her body and mind, but she still swam nearly every summer day and walked in the woods nearly every winter day, keeping her heart young. As always, Mother Nature reminded her that change was the way of all things, but if she kept her sense of wonder, she could always be The Girl.

Once upon a time a little green sunfish hatched from a little egg in a little nest in a little lake – the same little lake The Girl swam in. He was just one of thousands of eggs, but there was something very special about him. First, he had to be special just to make it out of the nest. There are many hungry critters in a lake, and eggs are delicious. If you were a fish egg, other fish, turtles, and even dragonfly nymphs might snatch you up for lunch. Even though his father guarded the nest and all his brothers and sisters, many of them disappeared before he got to know them. The little green sunfish and his friends were lucky to have logs and rocks and lots of plants to hide in. But it was a small lake, and everybody knew that there would not be enough room or food for all of them, so some of the eggs were meant to be food for other critters. You had to have some luck to survive.

As the little green sunfish grew, he got bigger and smarter – but so did the predators. Being a cold-blooded animal, (yes, he was cold-blooded, but warm hearted!) he loved to swim in the shallow water, where the nests were, warmed by the sun. But there were herons and egrets there, standing so still you wouldn’t notice them until – they struck with those long, powerful beaks and swallowed you whole.

Like all fish, the little green sunfish knew he belonged in the water, but his superpower polarized vision helped him to see above the surface, and he was fascinated. One day he saw an older fish jumping out of the water and coming back with a tasty mosquito. It took some practice and strengthening his tail to get his head above the surface, but he did, and discovered a whole new world up there. It was only for a moment, but he knew he wanted to go there again. His father decided it was time to teach him to jump safely, always landing back in the water. That made him love jumping even more, especially when thousands of mayflies hatched. Yum!

He loved exploring the beautiful little lake, racing through the water lilies and playing with his friends. As he grew, he learned to use his speed to avoid snapping turtles and his stealth to sneak up on dragonfly larva and eat them before they ate his tiny brothers and sisters. That wasn’t hard. But the occasional scary otters or minks had super stealth and speed and big teeth. Escaping them took all his smarts and skill!

After a few years of playing, growing, and learning, it was time for the little green sunfish to make his own nest and start a family. He used his mouth to pull weeds and his fins to sweep away the mud and silt, leaving a lovely dish of sand, pebbles, and shells. Surely that would help him attract a mate who would be happy to lay her eggs for him to fertilize and guard. When it was cleaned and ready, the sunfish went out to search the lake for a suitable mate. Perhaps it was his confident approach, or his healthy blue, orange, and gold glow, or maybe a meeting of the eyes? She followed him back to the shallows, where the two fish danced in a circle above the nest until it was full of thousands of tiny eggs.

And this is where our story of an extraordinary friendship begins. The Girl knew it was special, so she wrote about it in her journal. The sunfish knew it was special, so he told his friends and children about it. I’ll let them tell you now.

How to remain a girl or boy art 75? Go barefoot. Embrace water and dirt. Feel empathy for all, even grubs! Have wild friends. Share food. Laugh as often as possible.

Greenie, a Lion, and a Tufted Titmouse – heart to heart

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

Today I’ll start by asking – what do a fish, an elephant, a lion, a swan, and a titmouse have in common? It’s not a joke!

But first- You are invited to the Downtown Lakeville Art Crawl! This coming Saturday, May 11th, noon to 5. I’ll be in Phoenix Hall with my art, cards, and books. I’d love to see you there and share some new Greenie and Africa pictures with you while you also enjoy 30 other artists! Here’s all you need to know: https://lakevilleartscenterfriends.org/art-crawl/

FISH! The great news is that Greenie surprised and thrilled me yesterday, returning for the 9th summer! That means he’s at least 11 or 12 years old – quite an accomplishment for a green sunfish in a small private lake full of predators! He gave me lots of fish kisses, seemed to relish my petting him, took a bit of oatmeal from my hand, and jumped for a little tilapia. Then we had a refreshing swim together. Those of you who know him will recognize his gold belly fins in this new video. Click on the picture to play it.

ELEPHANT! If you’ve read my book you know I’ve been blessed by special encounters with birds, dogs, and horses as well as fish. But I doubted African animals would have any interest in me – just another tourist. Yet when offered the opportunity to pet the incredibly adorable baby elephants at Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, I chose first to kneel down and hold out my open hand. I always prefer it if a child or animal comes to me. One of the smaller babies reached out her trunk and touched my hand. There was nothing in it but my love and wish for her to feel it. I became a giggling child and petted that being who has more in common with us than we have ever recognized.

LION! This magnificent lion was drinking from the lake a long way off when I silently asked him to come closer. He stopped to comb his royal mane on the long thorns of an acacia tree before walking straight toward our van. I always acknowledge that it could be coincidence, but the look in his eyes and the awe in my heart felt like an answer to my request. As he walked inches from the side of the van where I stood, my new friend Sue’s phone picked up the words I had to whisper, “I love you. Thank you for coming.”

SWANS! At home after my dream safari, I found myself contemplating – was there more to these special moments than I knew? Seeing the first two swans to visit our ice-framed lake, I wondered if these usually shy birds might possibly come to me from the other side of the cove. As I stood on the shore silently calling to them, I was again surprised and delighted as they started toward me. I started talking to them, and singing that old  song, “Swanees, how I love ya, how I love ya, my dear old Swanees”, fully expecting them to turn away. But no, they came slowly but steadily until they were less than 20 feet from me, preening and floating there elegantly, as swans do. I stood, full of wonder and gratitude, for quite a while until my chores called me away. I thanked the swans, and watched them swim off as I walked up the hill.

TITMOUSE! Of course I’m not the only one who experiences these gifts from critters. Yesterday, while I was relishing attention from Greenie, my dear friend Carol Gillen had an even more surprising visit from a wild bird – a tufted titmouse. In her words:

“OMG…the most amazing thing just happened to me. I was sitting still on my patio watching the squirrel on the table and a bunny in the grass, when 2 little birds (tufted titmice) landed on the chair next to me and twisted their heads back and forth looking at me. One flew off and the other flew up to the back of my chair and started pulling my hair out. Then he flew up and landed on top of my head and for the next half hour he pulled my hair out!! It was Awesome!! He’d flutter his wings, tail hanging down in front of my eyes, scratching to rearrange my hair and plucking and plucking and plucking…sometimes on top, sometimes on the sides and on the back. I couldn’t believe he could take that much hair. For a moment it felt like he was going to make a nest right up there on my head. I have never in my life experienced something like this. Tears were streaming down my face. When Mike brought the dog out, it scared the bird away and I started sobbing and laughing at the same time. Mike was trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I couldn’t speak because my throat was totally constricted from the sobbing/laughing. Such an incredible experience. And now somewhere in my woods there is a nest made of my silver hair…and I am crying again. (Mike may have me committed.) And my scalp hurts….surprised I don’t have a bald spot. I feel like a Disney character. Wow!”

Wow is right! But clearly, that little bird sensed that Carol had the special kind of heart that would cherish an experience that might horrify others. Lucky bird, lucky Carol.

THE ANSWER! Telling these stories, I often fear that I may be perceived as arrogant. Yet I know that the special powers are not in me, but in the animals – all the animals. Every animal that has survived and evolved has done so by reading the body language – including scents – of other animals – including us. It should not be surprising that they know when someone means them no harm, is unafraid of them, and respects, or even loves them.

I share these stories in hopes that they might diminish fear and inspire curiosity and love for our fellow citizens of planet Earth. Perhaps you’ve had a special encounter? Come to the art crawl on Saturday, meet Carol the tufted titmouse whisperer, see that she’s not bald, and share your special encounter with us! Phoenix Hall Event Center, 20732 Holt Ave, Lakeville, MN 55044 Sat, May 11, noon to 5

Two fun events, three fun photos

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

Do you remember the Pozo-Seco Singers lamenting “Time, oh, time, where did you go?” It’s easy to feel that way as summer ends, especially when it drops from the 90s to the 50s so quickly! It makes me reflect on time itself – spending, saving, wasting, sharing, and savoring it.

I could write more on that, but I don’t have time! So for now, I’ll just share a couple of invitations and pictures.

This Saturday, September 16th, I’ll be at Rosemount’s Country Faire from 10 to 4 with my books, birthday calendars, cards, and some framed photos. I’m sharing a booth with my friend Sarah Rosenthal, who will have her beautiful hand-made jewelry and photos of her travels. Check out her website for her amazing needlework and more! www.RysalkaxStudiya.com For more on the many books and talents on display at the Faire, see COUNTRY FAIRE | rosemountwritersfest (rosemountwritersfestival.com)

I’m excited to have been invited to do a photo/poetry exhibit at the Burnhaven Library all of November and December! Please join me for the all-ages reception, where I’ll share stories about my unique friendships with wild animals like Greenie the sunfish and answer questions about my art, poetry, and my award-winning book, Enchanted – Reflections from a Joyfully Green and Frugally Rich Life. I’m hoping some of my work will get to be gifts and grace the hands and homes of strangers and friends for the holidays.

Sunday, November 5, 2023   1:30 to 4:30pm  cst

Burnhaven Library      1101 W County Road 42      Burnsville, MN 55306

Holly and Slim with double chins. No room for vanity here! This is where I’ve spent much of the summer as I try to write from my fish friends’ point of view.
I love swimming as the sun sets and moon rises. My GoPro lets me capture that point of view for you.
Here, to welcome autumn and preview my new exhibit, are delicately frosted oak leaves. Surely I can come up with a poem for this, right?

Sweet Beings: George Winston, Greenie, a striped fawn, hummingbirds

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

First and foremost, I want to thank all those who came to my photo/poetry exhibits. I learned a lot and am looking forward to exhibiting at the Burnhaven Library in Burnsville all of November and December. Maybe my art and books will have the thrill of being wrapped up and opened as gifts for the holidays!

Greenie the sunfish

Until October, I’m committing to focusing on Greenie’s book. Yes, he’s back! Along with Slim and the kids. Not every day, so I suspect he’s busy guarding a nest, but he checks in and warms my heart every few days. My sweet fish and my daily swims keep me happy and healthy. I took this picture with my phone between the boards in my dock and was delighted with how it turned out (with a little editing). Doesn’t it look like a painting in a children’s book?

Thanks to Sue Lund for taking this picture in 2004. Today I want to acknowledge the sad passing of George Winston, who honored me with his friendship and music for 40 years. My book tells how we met in 1983 while I was a volunteer usher at Orchestra Hall and how he chose to save precious time by wearing jeans and a casual shirt, even while playing (stocking-footed) at ornate halls around the world. I so appreciated his giving me tickets and CDs so I could share him and his music with friends, but his generosity went far and wide. His constant support of food shelves locally and nationally while he played about 100 concerts a year is just one example. He spoke of the wonders of his beloved cats, but never spoke of his battle with cancer except to encourage support for the City of Hope, where he had a bone marrow transplant. We only talked once a year, backstage, but the cards he sent me with brief messages show me how one can maintain a friendship while maintaining focus on a larger mission. I learned much more from this gentle man so dedicated to bringing beautiful music to the masses. Perhaps some day I will go through my journals and glean wise or funny things he said. But for now I am embracing his example of focus while I write Greenie’s story and listen to George’s sweet music. 

Click on the picture to watch the video and see the unusual stripes on the back of this darling’s neck. Imagine him/her saying “Look Ma! I can clean myself, wipe my nose, and even poop by myself!”

I need to hone my photographic skills to catch the wings on a hovering hummingbird. For now, I’m happy when they pose in the sun. I know they can be very territorial, but their beauty is as sweet as the nectar they drink from flowers. May your days be the same. 

Good news, an invitation, and nature updates

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

I’ve been so busy creating, communing, and celebrating that I didn’t even think of that other c word, cancer, or notice the first anniversary of my lumpectomy slipping by on April 8th. But I must share with you that my annual mammogram showed no sign of it – Hallelujah! The tiny bit of cancer remains gone, but not what it awakened. As with most dark clouds, there was a silver lining. I’ve always believed I’d live a long life, and I still do. But I’m now more committed than ever not to waste the most precious of gifts – time. I’m more passionate about sharing what gifts I have with the world. But I also feel the glory in embracing the joys of life, whether a quiet moment of awe or the laughter of friends. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my many blessings, especially good friends, good docs, and good health.

As you may know, 2023 started out gifting me with two great opportunities to share my art and thoughts, thanks to the MN Izaak Walton League and Rosemount Steeple Center. I’m so happy to know that my pictures will be scattered to many through my cards and that some of my larger framed photos will be gracing the walls of old and new friends. I was nervous about using all used frames, but delighted to find that people loved their variety and personalities. The first piece I sold was to an expert in art. I can’t tell you how much that boosted my confidence. The second I sold was to an expert in conservation, who plans to hang it in her workplace to inspire others to consider the land, air, water, and wildlife in every business decision they make. I can’t tell you how gratifying that is. What more meaningful role could my art and words have? To see and read “Ashes” and “The Sunrise of Compassion” scroll back to my post of April 7, 2021. These exhibits have also brought attention to my book, Enchanted, which illuminates many of the stories told by my photos, and encouraged me to turn my photos and poems into a book. But that will have to come after Greenie’s book!

My exhibit will be at the Steeple Center this week and next. You are welcome to visit there Monday through Thursday 8 to 3:30 and Friday until noon. Please contact me if you’d like me to meet you there for a walk-through or to buy art, books, or cards. The center will also be open the afternoon and evening of Saturday, April 29th for two performances of “Shenanigans at the Blue Pelican Inn” performed by the Second Act Players. I will be there to take my exhibit down that evening. 14375 Robert Trail (CR 3) Rosemount. Parking in front and back.

I will also be at Lakeville’s Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 22nd  with my books, cards, and calendars. Click here for the fun details. https://www.lakevillemn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10679/Earth-Day-Celebration-Invite?bidId=  Central Maintenance Facility (7570 179th Street West) from 11 a.m. to 1. From there I’ll be back at the Izaak Walton House to help plant new disease-resistant elm trees!

On the home front, the ice just went out on the lake, so I’ll be watching for Greenie & Slim as soon as the water warms up. (True, I was in it the day after ice-out, but not for long!) Hearing the happy songs of birds and frogs delights me! Red is now sleeping outside my window only on very cold nights – he and Pinkalicious are nesting somewhere again! I saw him feeding her yesterday, preparing for babies. Poopsie is back from the south and sleeping on the vine over my treehouse deck. The crocuses are blooming, lilacs are budding, and daylilies are bursting through the matted leaves. Life was there under the snow all the while.

How sweet is this? Red feeding Pinkalicious
How sweet is this? Red feeding Pinkalicious
Pinkalicious on the vine at night.
Papa Red after his chicks hatched a couple years ago. Doesn’t he look proud?
A rare daytime shot of Poopsie from last year.

This Sunday Afternoon!

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

You are invited to my first photography and poetry exhibit!

I would love to see you there THIS SUNDAY! Come walk the trails in the lovely Izaak Walton League woods, snow shoe and bird watch, then come inside for wine, snacks, pictures and poems. If you can’t make it, you can reserve another time to come, but you’ll miss the snacks, wine, and fun crowd. All the information is on this poster. I’m sharing my first artist’s statement here to give you an idea where I’m coming from and going. Having an exhibit really makes one think about what and why!

Artist’s Statement  

I don’t have the technical skill I’d like, but I do have special relationships with Mother Nature and her children. Whether silly or serious, my goal in life, art, and writing is simplicity rather than sophistication, and connection rather than perfection. I love when I can catch an interesting expression or pose. I really love when there is a surprise in the photo that I didn’t see in the field!  At times I find that editing an imperfect photo can evoke something closer to the emotion I felt in the wild. My hope is that viewers who are drawn in by a bit of mystery (“Is this real? Is this a painting? Were you that close? What was that critter thinking?”) might also be drawn to explore nature’s wonders on their own. Looking through eyes of love at every wild thing can create magic.

I can’t resist sharing what comes to mind when an image speaks to me. Sometimes it’s a poem, sometimes a memory or a laugh. I’d love to know what my pictures say to you. What do you see? Think? Wonder? Feel? I hope you’ll leave a comment or two.

You may notice a wide variety of frames and techniques. Why? 1) Though it’s a challenge and a lot of work to dress a photo in what brings out its personality, it’s more fun than doing them all the same. 2) If you know me or my book, Enchanted, you know that reuse is a core part of my Joyfully Green and Frugally Rich Life. 3) Giving an old frame a new life rather than filling landfills and extracting more of the earth’s resources is one of many ways to respect and preserve our environment.

Hey, Mom! You’re putting 40 pictures in your exhibit and NONE OF ME??! Sorry. Lucky, but this show focuses on the environment and wildlife of the MN River Valley. You’re wild, but not quite wild enough.

With Gratitude   

I am deeply grateful to the Izaak Walton League for inviting me to present my very first photography exhibit at the Kouba Gallery. I’m even more grateful for the League’s century of conservation initiatives. Clearly our hearts and minds are in the same place – passionate about loving and preserving the natural world. Perhaps you’ll join and become an Ike with me. Special thanks to Joseph Barisonzi for encouraging me as I sometimes color outside the lines.

Happy Holidays 2022

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

What? Another fishy picture for the holidays? Yup, I couldn’t resist this one of Slim and Greenie dancing in the moonlight. You may have read the poem it inspired when I posted it on Facebook. But in truth, it wasn’t the moonlight giving them that magical glow. For seven summers I’d been lamenting evenings when it was just too dark to get a decent photo of my underwater friends. Then it struck me. I have a flash! Duh. Suddenly I had a new way into their twilight world. A little editing brought out their smiles and the magic of this unique couple. So what it says to me today is this: remember what resources you have and “Shine a light!” We’ve been through dark times and surely face more. How often do we have something at hand that can brighten a moment, an hour, a year, a life? Bless the stroke of luck that opens our eyes to it.

I’m still working on a book about Greenie and friends. If you read my blog or newsletters, you know that I can blame the delay on the little bit of cancer I had, sucking up my time and energy. I’m fine now, and immensely grateful. But that scare also motivated me to share what I have while I can. So I posted a few of my lullabies on Facebook, hoping someone might be touched and guided. My friend Marty Winkler is putting one of them on her next album! I framed and entered some photos in the county fair, hoping someone might look more closely at Mother Nature’s other children. Their uniqueness led to an invitation to do my first exhibit! It will be at the Minnesota Valley Chapter of the Izaak Walton League, opening on February 12th. Stay in touch for details if you’d like to join us.

My fish friends are under the ice now, but my cardinal friend Red is back on the vine outside my window and my deer friends visit often. My trail cams show shyer visitors – beaver, opossum, raccoon, fox, coyote, and more. My cats Lucky and Leo are great company with their snuggles and antics. I have deeply enjoyed connecting with human friends, too, as we share bumps and breezes, laughter and music, on this precious road of life. But the brightest light shines from the new baby in the family! My niece Kym had a little boy, known as Sprout, who is already an athletic, outdoorsy, adorable wonder, like his parents.

I wish you all the very best as we step into 2023. May the holidays help you to discover the “flash” you need to light the world around you in the twilight moments. May you rest well in the darkness, and wake to the miracle of another day.

Peace and Joy, Holly

PS – If you are not getting my occasional newsletters, I may have an old email address for you or they may go into your junk folder, since they come through Mailchimp. If you want to, please go to hollyonthelake.com and subscribe. Then watch for a letter with details of the upcoming exhibit and add me to your safe senders. Thank you!

Shopping Lessons from the Fishes

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

Greenie, Slim, and their kids have gone deep in the lake and slowed their metabolism, enabling them to rest and survive with little food or sunlight as the ice covers the lake. I miss them, of course, but have begun to visit the Minnesota Zoo more often for my “fish fix” and to learn more about these amazing creatures. Gazing at the diverse communities in Discovery Bay, I’m mesmerized by the apparent tranquility of the swimmers.

blue fish

Fishes of all sizes, intriguing sea turtles, and humongous sharks – silver, yellow, blue and green drift by. Then Luke, one of the zoo’s many friendly and knowledgeable staff, points out something I hadn’t noticed – a white puffer fish hiding motionless in a corner. He tells me that “Mr. Puff”, as he calls him, when feeling threatened, responds by retreating to his safe place. Puffing up to perhaps three times his normal size and showing off his spikes may protect him from predators. But it also puts enormous stress on his internal organs. This clever fellow has learned to go into his corner and relax before the stress tears him apart. Can we learn something from Mr. Puff? And from Greenie and friends, finding peace by reducing their consumption?

puffer fish

Speaking of stress, I hear that holiday shopping can feel like a shark at your back, especially with labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and higher prices. 

shark

Another black Friday has passed while I stayed home. Cyber Monday will likely pass without my ordering anything online. I guess I am atypical, since this weekend is already breaking holiday shopping records. Yet, as the sun rose on Small Business Saturday, I was reminded that I have a small business. Very small. Selling is not one of my talents. But a friend recently read my book and was struck by the line “We can rest gratefully in the bosom of sufficiency.” His quoting it reminded me of why I wrote the book. And why I’ve been speaking on “Saving Money, the Planet, and your Sanity” since 2005. And why, exactly three years ago, I wrote about “Turning Black Friday Green” in my blog. Go back to that if you’re looking for ideas on alternative gift-giving – ideas that save money and the environment.

Holly & book

Or order my book. It does make a great gift. You can order from my website or email me. Let me know if you want me to sign it, and to whom. I’ll even gift wrap it and send it directly to your giftee if you like. I am designing my 2023 calendars now and will update my website soon. In the meantime, email me for details and with your calendar requests.

I hope your Thanksgiving was as satisfying as mine, feeling deeply grateful for friends and family, fish and fun.

Greenie’s back, my cancer’s gone!

by holly@hollyonthelake.com

(and some pretty pictures)

If I sound emotional, I was! Read the story to see why.

Watch this short video to see how happy Greenie and Slim and I are to be together again. (If you don’t know who Greenie is, check out some earlier blog posts, read page 134 of my book, Enchanted, or google “Holly and Greenie”.) Every spring I’ve been amazed and thrilled when Greenie was the first fish to show up at my dock, and clearly remembered me. But this, the seventh year, it truly felt like a miracle. Why?

The Horror Movie

Last fall, as the water was getting colder, the fish came less frequently, as usual, but I still looked for them most days. One evening I went down to the lake and found the head of a sunfish on the dock. I didn’t panic. It could be anyone, half eaten by any of the predators who frequented our lake. But then I saw the head of a bass. Slim was the only bass I’d seen by the dock. My heart sank as I reasoned that the bass was Slim, and, since they were always together, the sunfish could very well be Greenie. I imagined a mink or otter catching one of them and the surrounding fish scattering in terror, except for the mate of the victim.

I knew someday I would lose my friend Greenie, but never pictured this. Could it really be that the universe or fate or some strange power left these two heads on my dock as . . . what? A good-bye? A sign that they would not be back? I truly marveled that Greenie could have such a life – living free and long, touching the hearts of thousands of people, then dying with the one he loved while giving life to another of God’s creatures? I should be so lucky! Yet I cried and grieved deeply, as we all do at the loss of one we love, be they human or another animal.

I told just a few friends. They were shocked and very sad, but agreed it seemed likely that it was Greenie and Slim that I found that night. I went down to the lake every day in hopes that I was wrong. Only one green sunfish showed up and did not come up to me the way Greenie always did, so I had little hope to cling to. I decided then that I would not share the sad possibility with anyone else. After all, I couldn’t know for sure it was them. If they were not here in the spring, I’d have to decide whether to reveal my suspicions about their demise – a violent yet necessary part of the circle of life – or to assume they didn’t make it through the winter. Greenie was, after all, at least nine years old. Everything I’d read put a green sunfish’s lifespan at ten years max.

I knew I owed it to Greenie to write a children’s book about our friendship, but it was even harder than I expected. Gleaning six years of my diaries, I pulled out 70 pages of notes related to him and our other wild friends. I had studied the best of children’s books and knew that hard truths – be they danger, fear, or sadness – were often vital elements of a treasured story. But could I really end the book with two heads on the dock?

The Miracle

That’s where I was stuck when the ice finally went out this spring. People were asking “Is Greenie back?” I checked the lake every day, putting my hand in for anyone there to smell, but not really speculating on the chances.

On May 5th, it was finally warm enough to keep my hand in there a minute or more. Wondering how long it would be until I could swim, I wasn’t really expecting any fish. But suddenly, there they were. Greenie and Slim and a little one (presumably one of their kids?) looking up at me. I was beyond happy, and I believe they were pretty darn glad to see me, too. I brought our joy to Greenie’s ichthyologist and the few grieving friends – “the report of their death was greatly exaggerated.” Now Greenie’s book will have a happy ending!

The Cancer

Cancer? Oh, yeah. I had a little bit of breast cancer, but it’s gone. I didn’t tell a lot of people because I knew I’d be okay and didn’t want you to worry. It was a 6mm spot on a mammogram and I had complete confidence in my docs at Mayo. From diagnosis through surgery to end of radiation was less than two months – all made less scary by the support of caring friends. My heart goes out to so many whose stories are not so easy. I’m sharing mine now just to remind us of the power of early detection.

The really fascinating part of my story is that Greenie may actually have smelled my cancer before I knew I had it, like dogs and cats and pigeons can! That will be in Greenie’s book. But even if you have a critter to sniff you out, please consider a doctor. My little cancer road trip could have become a cancer journey had it not been for regular mammograms. And men, please get whatever tests your docs recommend, too!

The pictures below are proof that there is beauty around us, even during challenging times, if we can dry our tears and open our eyes.

On my many trips to Mayo in Cannon Falls, Redwing, and Northfield, I got to stop and say hello to cows.
cow and calves
They were checking me out, too, as they played in the April mud.
wildflowers
Spring wildflowers make dying leaves fade into the background.
trees reflected in water
A good time for reflection.
goslings
How could I not be delighted at the sight of fluffy new goslings!
flowers and cat
I deeply appreciated flowers, food, rides, prayers, and caring words from friends, along with snuggles from Leo and Lucky.
sunset, barn, power lines
The day after Greenie and Slim showed up, I was coming home from my last radiation treatment when this scene grabbed me. Seeing all those poles supporting and connecting power lines made me think about all the sources of power in my life.
Holly moved a big rock
Just to assure you I really am okay and am getting my energy back, I mowed the lawn, swam the lake, and moved this BIG rock. And yes, I still have my breasts and my hair. Pretty darn lucky, ha?! My sincerest thanks to all the kind folks at all the Mayos. They were amazing.