iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/10/2026

autumn trail hike rustle of fallen leaves an unseen grouse flushes piercing the stillness nature's loud heartbeat #DailyHaikuPrompt - fallen #tanka #smallpoem

A grass-covered walking trail with newly fallen leaves scattered on its surface. Background features aspen trees--some leaves still green, some turning gold and yellow; a conifer tree; blue sky with wisps of thin clouds. It is a sunny day, and some tree shadows are cast on the trail.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026

My first #coffeeneuring post. We’ll see if it sticks. I biked 7 miles to the bus station, took the bus down to Minneapolis, got coffee and lunch at Chimborazo, a delightful Ecuadorian restaurant on Central, then biked home with a strong southern tailwind […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

A road bike emplaced in a bike rack on the front of a transit bus

A road bike leaning against the front of a building. A white sign reads Chimborazo and has artwork of a snow-capped blue mountain. The awning reads LUNCH DINNER WEEKEND BREAKFAST

A cup of coffee with cream, a glass of ice water, and a plate of food (beans, rice, salad, fried plantains, and other Ecuadorian food). Fiesta ware plate and cup on a metal mesh outdoor table.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 14/09/2026

My adult daughter and her dog, aka my granddog. He's a bernadoodle, aka Bernese Mountain Dog x Poodle. (It is rainy and seasonably cool at home today, so I'm catching up on some photos from this past summer.) #FamilyPhoto #bernadoodle #doodle #DogsOfMastodon #Dogstodon #doodles

A young woman wearing a baseball-style cap sits at the end of a dock, with her large dog. The two stare into each others' eyes at close range, the dog's nose nearly touching the baseball cap's bill. Lake with a fishing boat holding two anglers in background. Sunny day.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 14/09/2026

Common Loons from this past July, Trout Lake, Superior National Forest, northeastern Minnesota. They gave us some good looks around sunset. Please note that a couple of the real closeup shots--I did not attempt to get *that* close to the birds. We had […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

A pair of Common Loons swimming in a lake; rocky shoreline in background. The loons' eyes reflect red light

A pair of common loons swimming in a lake; both of their heads are underwater as they search for fish. Their backs and humped necks are visible above the water

close-up photo of a solitary Common Loon, nearly filling the horizontal width of the frame. A red loon eye is visible, and the loon's reflection is somewhat blurred in the gentle waves of the lake surface

A pair of common loons swimming in a lake. The closer loon is in focus; behind it is a second loon, slightly out of focus, but still recognizable

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 14/09/2026

Some alternate views of one of our favorite spots & favorite cabin rentals on Lake Superior. Gotta love The Rock. #Minnesota #LakeSuperior #lichen #LichenSubscribe #NaturePhotography

A panoramic view of a rocky outcrop that juts into Lake Superior at sundown. The panoramic view captures the shoreline to the left and to the right of the outcrop, which is centered. Clouds reflect sundown colors, and some blue sky is visible.

Another sunset view of the lichen-covered rocky outcrop jutting into Lake Superior. A glowing campfire is on the mainland, in the lower left of the image.

A lichen-covered rocky outcrop juts into a large lake. The slow exposure results in a blurred lake surface. Some green foliage and wildflowers grow amongst the rocks, closer to shore.

An old man wearing a hat stands at the end of the rocky outcrop; he holds a fishing pole and is casting a lure out to the large waters of Lake Superior.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026

Fireweed seed pods capture morning fog—waves pound the shore below #DailyHaikuPrompt - morning

Fireweed seed pods capture morning fog—waves pound the shore below. Several Fireweed flower petals are still visible; most have given way to thin seed pods which are covered in dew. In the blurry, foggy background waves can be seen lapping against a rocky outcrop that juts into the lake. Photo ©️ Mark Brigham 2026

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 09/09/2026

branches bending the weight of migrant sparrows and aging leaves #DailyHaikuPrompt - sparrow

A White-throated Sparrow perched on a small tree branch; green leaves above the bird. Blurred tree branches in background. Photo ©️ Mark Brigham 2026

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 08/09/2026

Three-for-one today: a three-point shot from the corner—rejected —by willow leaves … boys drinking beer wading a sandy stream under willow leaves … high-rise apartment all races of songbirds’ nests in willow leaves #DailyHaikuPrompt - willow leaves #haiku #journaling #journal #3amthoughts

Hand written text-pencil on lined paper- from my journal 8 September 2026 (2/3)

Hand written text-pencil on lined paper- from my journal 8 September 2026 (3/3)

Hand written text-pencil on lined paper- from my journal 8 September 2026 (1/3)

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

nighttime thunderstorm whitecaps and gulls blow southward cold waters well up … gentle morning waves kiss agate pebble beaches three mergansers dive … sunrise fisherman calm seas reflect purple-orange herring gulls take flight … sun glistens off waves […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

Photo of my journal. Pencil text on lined paper. 4 September 2026 nighttime thunderstorm yields to morning showers steely seas and skies 5 September 2026 (transcribed from my entries in L’s cabin #5 guests book 12 Sept 2021 and 5-11 Sept 2022) nighttime thunderstorm whitecaps and gulls blow southward cold waters well up … gentle morning waves kiss agate pebble beaches three mergansers dive … sunrise fisherman calm seas reflect purple-orange herring gulls take flight … sun glistens off waves waxwings gather juneberries wind shifting northward … Sawtooth Mountains traced dark, jagged clouds above crescent moon descends

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 04/09/2026

Gitchi-gami from Croftville Thunderstorm fades into darkness crashing waves mellow with age Dawn reveals a textured surface— rag watercolor paper Absorbing. Reflecting. Orangey-purple, red, blue, steel-grey The colors undulate and rearrange painting a […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

An orange sun, mostly obscured by clouds, rises over a large lake (Lake Superior). Rocky shore and a Mountain Ash tree with green leaves and red berries visible, but dimly lit, in the left. ©️ Mark Brigham 2026

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 04/09/2026

nighttime thunderstorm fades to morning showers steely seas and sky #haiku #smallPoem #MeRightNow

A steel-grey large lake (Lake Superior) under a steel-grey sky. A bright spot in the clouds hides a hidden sun. A large lichen-covered boulder crops out into the lake. Mountain Ash tree (small branches and leaves visible at the left, and ground-cover foliage in lower left.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 04/09/2026

blue skies, golden sun leaves flitter from the breeze and waves of warblers nature’s perfection is not free there will be a reckoning #DailyHaikuPrompt - reckoning #tanka #SmallPoem

A Northern Parula perched on a branch, its tail partly obscured by green leaves. Blurred background with a large tree and green foliage

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 03/09/2026

#DailyHaikuPrompt - splendid #tanka fishing a clear lake one thousand casts reeled in the trout are safe a splendid day outside nourishes soul and spirit

Orange twilight and a partly cloudy sky over a calm lake surface. Remnants of a wooden dock remain (left side of photo). Dark forest along the lakeshore

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

From this morning’s amble. Merlin identifies this as a Merlin. #birds #birdwatching #BirdPhotography #falcons

A Merlin perched high up in a leafless tree. Sunlit bird; blue sky background

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

Chasing warblers… Most of the time, they don’t even let me capture the escape. #warblers #birds #BirdPhotography #birding #Birdwatching #FallMigration

An unidentified warbler takes flight amidst small branches and green leaves. The photo shows the hind end, tail feathers, and outstretched legs and feet just after take-off.

Another warbler (Northern Parula) similarly escaping in flight.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

River Otters, two pups and a mother, playfully enjoying a fish. North Shore of Lake Superior. CW: Mama takes a crap near the end of the clip. #nature #naturephotography #LakeSuperior #minnesota #MNastodon

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 02/09/2026

River Otters North Shore of Lake Superior, just outside our cabin rental. I may post more… #nature #naturephotography #LakeSuperior #minnesota #MNastodon

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

From this morning’s amble, North Shore of Lake Superior. I’m not very good at raptors (or raptures, as some call them). Merlin app identifies these two as Sharp-shinned Hawk and Peregrine Falcon (aka Prayer-again Falcon, for the rapture people). The Sharpie […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

Sharp-shinned Hawk perched on a tree branch. Small branches in foreground; grey sky and scattered leaves in the background.

Peregrine Falcon perched on a wooden telephone pole/power-line pole. Bluish-grey sky and some blurred leaves in the background

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

Chasing warblers today. Northern Parula warbler. Lucky shot and typical warbler shot. Northeastern Minnesota. #birds #birdwatching #birdPhotography #NaturePhotography #warblers #FallMigration

Bird perched on a tree branch, head slightly tilted toward camera. Northern Parula.

©️ Mark Brigham 2026

And the same bird in a more typical warbler pose, just having jumped off a lichen-covered branch, rump and tail feathers to the camera.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

Watched the moonrise from Lake Superior’s North Shore this evening. Then clouds moved in. Probably won’t see the moon again until Tuesday, but It put on a show this evening. #moonrise #FullMoon #LakeSuperior

Full moon with light, wispy clouds against a dark sky

Full moon just after moonrise, golden and orange. Blue sky over a blue lake surface

Full moon increasingly enveloped in clouds; clouds reflecting moonlight against a dark sky

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 28/08/2026

midnight mischief the full moon playing hide and seek #DailyHaikuPrompt - full moon I took this photo last night and posted it under eclipse hashtags before looking ahead to today’s haiku. I deem it worthy of reposting

A full moon in near total lunar eclipse. The eclipsed portion is peach or fiery orange and the non-eclipsed sliver is bright white. ©️ Mark Brigham 2026

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 27/08/2026

@Nonilex Folks should be writing their members of Congress, telling them to support H. Res. 944. www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congres… #impeach #ImpeachRFKJr #WriteYourRep

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 25/08/2026

The judge for the inaugural Scott King Award in Eco-Poetry Nice poem if you click through… #poem #poetry #RedDragonflyPress triohousepress.substack.com/p/scott…

First part of a poem. Source of full poem is at: https://triohousepress.substack.com/p/scott-king-award-contest-judge-announcement?r=2imkf4

Rules for Proximity Tonight the rule is you can be with the tree frogs from over the river saying everything, everything, each with its syllable, each its own note, overlapping jubilations; cat in the window, satisfied, drinking the night as you do, but better. The rule is you can hear them in all their clamor if you'll also breathe something past rotten or rotted by purpose- breeze through the screen and frogs, if you don't mind wondering again if it's the landfill or maybe the factory that's in the newspaper every so often for making the air even in town smell like cat piss. "Harmless," the factory says to the paper. Do the frogs smell it? Sense it with eyes and skin? All evening they breathe and call anyway, anyway, tonight or a night … see above link for full text of poem , properly formatted

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 24/08/2026

This afternoon’s ambles and paddles. I wasn’t familiar with this mushroom. We get a lot of Chicken of the Woods (aka Sulfur Shelf, Laetiporus sulphureus), but I don’t recall seeing a brilliant display of Jack-o’lantern (Omphalotus illudens, per Seek app) […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

A brilliant orange mushroom cluster on the forest floor, forest foliage in view. Deciduous tree trunk in background. Seek app identifies the mushrooms as Omphalotus illudens, commonly called Jack-o’lantern mushroom.

A cedar-strip solo canoe on the sandy shore of a fluvial island, a bent paddle laid across its thwarts just in front of the cane seat. A tranquil river and riparian trees are in the background, and reflect off the river’s surface. Mostly cloudy sky.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 24/08/2026

chewed leaves warblers return—duller summer’s fading light #DailyHaikuPrompt - fading light #haiku #warbler #warblers My second haiku of the year invoking both “warblers return” and “leaves.” I love both spring and fall migration seasons.

A springtime Yellow Warbler, in song, perched on a small branch.

A haiku is insert in the image:

warblers return
insects among the leaves
—filtered view

A Yellow Warbler in autumn plumage perched on a small tree branch, against a clear, blue sky.

See toot for the late summer haiku.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 21/08/2026

southern belle expert catfish noodler a fine catch #DailyHaikuPrompt - catfish #catfish #noodling #haiku #fishing Postscript: blame the prompt.

Screen grab showing a young woman wearing shorts and a bikini top, with a large catfish slung over her shoulder; her gloved hand in its mouth. Source:
frontierpartisans.com

Text: American Woman March 22, 2024, by JimC Internet kerfuffles are silly, and usually not worth paying any attention to. But I had to weigh in on this one just a little.... Hannah Barron is a young woman from Alabama who embodies and extolls a Southern outdoor lifestyle. She became internet famous for catfish noodling. Because a cute gal and a giant fish she caught by sticking her arm in its mouth and hauling it out of the water is an image pleasing to the spirit, right?

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 21/08/2026

Canadian mist an ice floe swirls frothy brown water #DailyHaikuPrompt - mist Postscript: I wrote this to work on two levels. One: standing below a waterfall in a cold climate, winter or spring breakup, with a humic acid-stained river frothing beneath the […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

An intrepid hiking dog and his human stand on a wet rock ledge. A tannic-stained waterfall is behind them, at high flow, creating mist and frothy water downstream

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 20/08/2026

Scrolling? You have to click on the photo so you can see the tail feathers of the Turquoise-browed Motmot. I saw this beautiful bird the first morning of my second trip to Costa Rica. #WorldPhotographyDay #birds #BirdPhotography #birding #motmot #CostaRica

Turquoise-browed Motmot perched on a small branch, green leaves above its head. Bright sunny day. Photo from Costa Rica, © Mark Brigham 2026. NoAI.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/08/2026

Posting again, for those who missed it first time around. No affiliation, other than Scott and I were good friends in grad school. Scott King Award in Eco-Poetry, www.triohousepress.org/submissions (Limited to English language, and U.S. residents) […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

Pic of an online announcement of: Trio House Press Scott King Award in Eco-Poetry.

Full text of the announcement and Guidelines for submissions are at:

https://www.triohousepress.org/submissions

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/08/2026

A six-link #poem, by Paul David Mena and Mark Brigham Letters From Earth: The New Normal empty osprey nests overlooking overfished seas today's catch laced with mercury and microplastics dead river delta who could have foreseen a toxic algae bloom? Gulf […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

17 Augast 2026

Letters From Earth: The New Normal

empty osprey nests
overlooking
overfished seas

today's catch laced with
mercury and microplastics

dead river delta
who could have foreseen
a toxic algae bloom?

Gulf of Mexico
red tide of ignorance
washes ashore

windless summer afternoon
a feather falls from the sky

a trawler returns
into the still harbor
no gulls in its wake

Paul David Mena and Mark Brigham

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 17/08/2026

A six-link rengay poem, by Mark Brigham and Nara Moore Where We Once Skated—The New Normal where we once skated our neighborhood pond— a weedy meadow Frogs now silent No bees hum hummingbird sortie evasive escape after drinking hot nectar jamaican […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

16 August 2026

Where We Once Skated—The New Normal

where we once skated
our neighborhood pond—
a weedy meadow

Frogs now silent
No bees hum

hummingbird sortie
evasive escape after
drinking hot nectar

jamaican swallowtail
In Tierra del Fuego
Of penguins alas

the flying nun blown off course
—shifting baselines

Soft landing
in the Rhine desert's
Sahara dunes

Mark Brigham and Nara Moore

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2026

#DailyHaikuPrompt - Joy the toddler years two modes—sleep— and infinite joy Bonus: pic of a tiny poem by Walt Whitman (included for “joyous;” see Alt text for credits) #poetry #RedDragonflyPress #WaltWhitman @waltwhitman

The Prairie States A newer garden of creation, no primal solitude, Dense, joyous, modern, populous millions, cities and farms, With iron interlaced, composite, tied, many in one, By all the world contributed-freedom's and law's and thrift's society, The crown and teeming paradise, so far, of time's accumulations, To justify the past.

Poem by Walt Whitman, as published in Fifty Tiny Poems by Walt Whitman, Red Dragonfly Press, 2022

15 August 2026
Daily Haiku Prompt - Joy

the toddler years two modes—sleep—
and infinite joy

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 14/08/2026

polite applause boisterous on the inside “Want to have a catch?” #DailyHaikuPrompt - boisterous #FieldOfDreams Postscript: our Minnesota Twins played the Phillies last night at the Field of Dreams in Iowa. I watched from home. And I’m aware that any […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

Twins quins TEXAS Bangers, Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame walk out of the corn before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Minnesota Twins at the Field of Dreams, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Dyersville, lowa. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register

(Des Moines Register photo and caption)

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2026

When a church moves in across the street from a bookstore and the Sheriff’s Office suggests to the bookstore owner that they might want active shooter training Because Of The Church Nothing to see here It’s just the new normal #TheAtlantic #journalism […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

Left half of a black and white illustration. Showing a small church building with a sign that reads “THE WELL,” two pickup trucks are parked outside. A tall cross is at the roadside. Title of article in upper portion of page “THE DEMONS of MARYVILLE”

Published in The Atlantic, August 2026.

Right side of the image. A small building in a small town. Dark nighttime sky.

Text on the page:

A growing number of charismatic Christians see themselves as waging a spiritual battle against the forces of Satan. Sometimes those forces are right across the street. By STEPHANIE MCCRUMMEN ILLUSTRATION BY LEWIS CHAMBERLAIN

Published in The Atlantic, August 2026.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2026

before first starlight searching for a three line verse —crickets #DailyHaikuPrompt - crickets Bonus haiku: brown leaves grey sky beatles byrds and crickets the oldies station

A hazy twilight sky, just after sundown, no stars yet visible. Dark trees—some with leaves, some leafless standing dead trees in lower half of frame.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2026

endangered species in the digital age more common than thought #haiku #hokku #RengayThis See alt text for species and photo credit.

A Central American squirrel monkey perched on a tree branch. The monkey holds its two forearms out, bent at the elbows, fingers extended, as if it is counting its fingers. Blurred foliage and another monkey’s head (lower right) are visible in the background. Photo©️ Mark Brigham 2026

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2026

generous milkweed sacrificing its leaves for tussock moths #DailyHaikuPrompt - leaves #haiku #nature

A solitary Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar on a partly chewed milkweed leaf

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 07/08/2026

banks of 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘱𝘢 𝘸𝘢ḳ𝘢ŋ bald eagle silhouette Venus setting #haiku #MeRightNow Postscript: 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘱𝘢 𝘸𝘢ḳ𝘢ŋ is one of the Dakota names for the river currently known as Rum River (Minnesota). The bald eagle is still roosting, about an hour after this photo was […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

A silhouette of a dead tree against a dusky sky, Bald Eagle perched on a branch looking down.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

a tea brew-up savory snacks and red wine on Lake Pepin’s shore #DailyHaikuPrompt - sardines Postscript: picture of two close friends with their picnic spread, at the 3-Speed Tour of Lake Pepin’s tea brew-up—a rest and nourishment stop on our bicycle tour […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

A man and a woman sitting on grass, with teacups and snacks spread across a blanket.

Grey clouds and a large lake in the background, with bluffs visible across the lake

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 02/08/2026

orange clouds wavy sea three days from nearest land topsails stowed #DailyHaikuPrompt - sail #sailing Postscript: This photo is from a bucket-list sailing journey I took circa 2015, aboard the Schooner Heron, a 55-foot wooden schooner built as a facsimile […] [Original post on universeodon.com]

Photo of sunset reflecting orange off of clouds, over a wavy sea. A cropped view of a schooner’s boom and rigging in foreground.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026

climate conference How to Cope With Extreme Heat cancelled due to heat — it will get worse passing limits of adaptation #haiku #ClimateChange

Crooked picture of part of a newspaper article, including text: It led organizers in London to call off a conference on how to cope with extreme heat.

From a New York Times article Europe’s summer of fires ‘just the beginning’, as published in the Minnesota Star Tribune, July 30, 2026 print edition.

Pic of New York Times article Europe’s summer of fires ‘just the beginning’, as published in the Minnesota Star Tribune, July 30, 2026 print edition.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 30/07/2026

thin overcast a sallow haze lingers blood-orange moonrise #DailyHaikuPrompt - overcast #haiku Bonus: outside my window dry hazy overcast jaundiced trees

View of a nearly full moon rising over a gap in tree cover. The moonrise is also reflected off calm waters of a small lake.

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Mark @markbrigham.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy · 28/07/2026

drumming wingbeats a mossy fallen tree tiny forest glade Alt take: drumming wingbeats ruffed grouse stakes his claim king of the tiny glade #DailyHaikuPrompt - glade #haiku #TinyPoem Photo of male Ruffed Grouse: Brad James, published at audubon.org (I wish it were mine!)

A male ruffed grouse atop a large, mossy, downed log in a forest clearing. Blurry, orange-backlit trees in the background.

Photo: Brad James; source: https://www.audubon.org/magazine/heres-how-ruffed-grouse-make-wild-drumming-sound-and-how-hear-it-yourself

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