Here in MN, winters last long and test sanity. So we create curious pastimes that might strike Californians as crazy—like ice-fishing, snow-shoeing, and (of course) snow-sculpting. Some call me the Snow Whisperer.

This particular creation required fast photography action, or the flowers that dot the i would freeze and droop, just like we humans do. But faith pays; even the longest winters eventually end. As will this one. Someday…

Looks to me like someone stole a sweet weathervane from a barn in Iowa and plopped it under the ESB in NYC!

While the vane actually sits atop a building near the ESB—not on the ESB—they make a lovely pair. It’s true: You DO see it all in New York!

For six weeks around Christmas every year, Kenny Irwin transforms his 2-acre yard into what may be the world’s biggest, unique-est light display, Robolights.

He uses found art, bizarre garbage, constructed creations, and endless holiday lights. Art? Kitsch? Trash? That’s for the visitor to decide. And visit they do—at least 40,000 annually—transforming the neighborhood into a crowded chaos of shock and awe.

Advice to parents: Run away with your kids. Far away. Which, in this photo, meant ambling alone through Hamlet’s Kronborg castle in delightful Denmark. Sounds cool, right? But my son wasn’t buying it. And I get it: Travel at times feels so foreign, so laborious, so irrelevant.

Still, my children have seen the world, experienced extended and exotic stays, and even survived months of home schooling with assignments like creating a travel blog, BreakAway Kid. So they’ve learned things schools can’t teach—including that post-castle activities might include invigorating midnight-sun Frisbee on the beach.

Now THAT sounds like something even Bill Shakespeare would enjoy!

Everyone wants to get away. It’s particularly cool when a hot August day feels like another planet—yet you’re close to two cities. That’s the Fair!

What do you see? I see one sheriff who looks grumpy. Another who wants to go home. Lots of pale faces seeking sunburn. And beer—lots of beer—because the Fair has relaxed its rules and been over-run by umpteen craft beer vendors and upscale eateries.

Why not? It’s a party! It’s summer! No wonder 200 million fans attend the 11-day get-together each year. I rarely go. But this year’s visit resulted in dozens of great shots—including this one of my new best friends.

TGIF! And finally, a new feature! The photo trove is full of pictures that are worth at least 1,000 words—ideal both the writer’s frozen fingers and today’s readers’ attention spans.

This image comes from a panoramic overlook near popular Portland (OR) last March. The grandstander on the bridge is my fearless friend, Brian. Naturally, the wind was as gusty as my pal is gutsy. But no, he didn’t fall off!