Hi there,How are you? How’d it get to be the first of March already? Where did February go? Where did winter go?February was a busy month for sure. It started with a trip to Chicago on the 3rd for the Chicago Men’s Collective, a great show that features offerings for next Fall/Winter. Normally I fly out Sunday, the day after the Klondike Dog Derby, and scramble to get to see all of my suppliers, as the show ends on Tuesday. This year, with the cancellation of the Klondike, I was able to get there Saturday which meant I could see all of my trusted Brightwater brands, and have time to search out new lines. I found a few...
Hi All,Happy soggy January! I’m getting tired of fog and high 30°F temps. Damn it, this is January in Minnesota! It’s forecasted to get over 50°F next week! I guess I just need to focus on the positive. I haven’t had to shovel snow or dig out my snow boots. Yet anyway. I keep thinking to myself that this is MN, and it's likely that we will get the snow… It’ll just show up in April and May!I am grateful that the local ski areas have been able to make enough snow to be open. I’m having fun racing twice a week with the Ski Challenge down at Buck Hill. I laugh that after 15 years of racing, I’m...
Hi All,Happy New Year! Let’s make 2024 the best one yet, shall we? My year was off to a good start as Deb and I were up at the cottage, with the fire warming our bodies and souls. We got a dusting of snow on New Year’s Eve, which made it cozier. Not enough to cover the grass, but still pretty! I did make it out to Giant’s Ridge, in Biwabik, MN, for a day of skiing. The snow was okay on the runs, it was just weird to go up the lifts with no snow under them! I met up with Bethany Hway and her family, who are getting started into the ski world! It was great to...
Hi All! It’s hard for me to believe it’s the 21st of December, especially if I look outside! I do remember some warm winters, but I can’t remember the a Christmas season quite like this. It’s certainly frustrating, but we’ll get through. We’ve just been spoiled! The important part of the holidays is being together, with laughter and love. Snow does make it a little prettier, though! By now, many of you have received the 2023 Brightwater Look Book. We shot this last March up in and around Knife River, on the north shore of Lake Superior. There was so much snow up there! We had many of our usual band of merry pranksters, and had the privilege of having...
How are you? I’m hoping that all is well in your sphere. Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here! Time flies! What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Deb and I are having a quiet Thanksgiving at the house in Chanhassen. We’ll cook the turkey and make the necessary fixings: mashed potatoes, gravy, wild rice and a few more sides that will come together Thanksgiving morning. Sometimes kitchen spontaneity just happens! I hope that wherever your Thanksgiving happens that it can be full of grace and gratitude. We all have so much to be thankful for. We’ll probably head in to Brightwater for a while, too. I’m one of those old school retailers who believes holiday decorations don’t come out until...
