Today begins part two of my artist residency at the Pine Needles cabin on the edge of the St. Croix River. It offers beauty, solitude, and everything else I need to work on my book about the St. Croix and its watershed.

I was here for two weeks in July and August, and now I have two more weeks as autumn arrives. I’ve noticed that the river is lower, with a huge sandbar where it was merely shallow last time. It’s quieter, too, as many birds have flown south. Flowers have fallen and the forest that surrounds the cabin is fading from green to yellow and orange. 

In the weeks since my last residency, I’ve accomplished a great deal of work. While continuing to publish St. Croix 360 every week, I’ve toured the upper St. Croix region, read research materials, met new people, and written many pages.

This month also marks another milestone for the book: Thanks to 122 donors so far, we are halfway to our fundraising goal. That is incredibly humbling to me, and I’m very grateful. Such support is essential to the success of this ambitious project.

I would love to reach the $50,000 fundraising goal at the same time I complete this residency in mid-October. I am respectfully requesting your help. Please consider contributing whatever you can today.