December 27, 2025 | 15 minutes

When I Met the Hodag: A First-Hand North Woods Encounter

I went to Rhinelander for moss and quiet, and met the Hodag instead: horns, hooked tail, sawtooth spines, eyes wet as pebbles. Folklore breathed: tears like amber, laughter as insult, lemons as truce. I apologized, offered citrus,…

June 2, 2025 | 6 minutes

The Fearsome Critters Stalk The Pines

Old loggers whispered "Gumberoo" when lanterns winked and the wind rattled the bunkhouse. Bullets skated off its slick, tar-black hide; only fire could cure it. One night, it waddled out from the burned stumps, breathing heat and…