The goose pond: Finding healing in presence
Sometimes, an ordinary experience surprises us — turning the mundane into something extraordinary. Writer Crystal Chan felt this on a ...
Under bridges: A parent finds peace in independence and letting go
You don’t have to travel far to find adventure. Writer Jill Sisson Quinn and her son recently spent an afternoon ...
The ‘most friendly debate’: cream puffs vs. kringle — 2 of the state’s most popular delicacies
There is a lot of hype surrounding the cream puff. And then there is a lot of love for the ...
Rules are rules: Navigating prenatal appointments alone during the pandemic
Over the last several years, many profound experiences that typically would be shared with loved ones were lost in the ...
Lake love: Embracing both new and old experiences
Writer Jill Sisson Quinn and her son had a summer routine. They would go to their local lake for a ...
Wisconsin farmer reflects on a life in agriculture in book of poems
The poetry in Daniel Smith’s book “Ancestral” reflects on life and farming in the Driftless area of southwestern Wisconsin. WPR’s ...
Pregnant in a pandemic: When parenting begins before the birth
The pandemic has been hard on many parents. For N’Jameh Russell-Camara of Milwaukee, her parenting started earlier than she expected, ...
A savory gift of gratitude
Writer Crystal Chan loves to cook. During the pandemic, she traveled home often, enjoying long stays with her parents. To ...
Food traditions: Smoked fish
There are few fishermen like Mike Valley left on the Mississippi River. Valley is a third generation fisherman, the work ...
‘Where time can stand still’: Why most Wisconsin summer camps stay open for decades
Summer camps are a big deal in Wisconsin. Whether it's playing sharks and minnows, roasting marshmallows while sitting around a ...
Why are most Wisconsin waterfalls up north?
Tom Hornung from Madison reached out to WHYsconsin wondering why most waterfalls in Wisconsin are in the northern part of ...
My weekend with the doe
Though sunny weather was forecast, my Memorial Day weekend plans did not include picnics or fishing. Yard chores and planting ...
To morel or not to morel
Morel mushrooms are a coveted treat in Wisconsin every spring. But the right conditions for finding them can be as ...
Little known truths about lilies of the valley
It was May 1977 when my grandmother Nana led me to her basement, past the black-iron cook stove, then the ...
After a yearslong search, Wisconsin’s oldest tree is revealed. Sort of.
Close your eyes and imagine the oldest tree in Wisconsin. When I would do this, I used to picture something ...