At this time of year, I remember the encroaching Minnesota winters, and I am thankful for all my fingers and toes! I could have frozen them off and much more — but, thank goodness, Providence saved me at the last moment every time!

Winter’s approaching, and as others buy their stockings, engorge themselves on early-snuck Christmas cookies and buy everything that everyone doesn’t need — I’ll reminisce about dirt biking…

That doesn’t make any sense, you say? Well, in my semi-oddly mis-shapen head, it makes plenty of sense!… This was the time of year when you had to get out and make the best of every day before the snow came — don’t get me wrong — I was just hoping it would snow, anytime — but until the days of making ski jumps and throwing snowballs at passing cars came along — dirt biking had to suffice…

Not dirt biking in the nasty, eat my dust and diesel fumes kind of way — but I had myself a mean little dirt bike — blue and white — I got it for my 8th birthday from my parents, and I got a matching helmet. I rode up the steep cliffs of the St. Croix River, all the way to the top of the mountain, and up there, on a little dirt road, was a dirt bike track — and I would go up there and pretend that I was somebody else…

Something that I lose now, when winter is approaching — the days getting shorter… Eating dinner in the dark!… Sometimes I cut loose — but it never feels quite like it did back then…

Crazy kid…

Check out my newest oddly-interesting sketch using my computer’s sketch pad and Photoshop:)…

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I hope you aren’t celebrating Christmas yet, but that’s just my thing — let’s think about Advent!! If you are an Advent person, we need to get the word out (good luck:)…

And then, I say, we celebrate Christmas for all 12 days this year — really tear loose, pull out all the stops!

Here’s my odd impression of the dirt bike path in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota where I went as a kid: