Outpost Motel

06/08/2026

We are lucky to have had (and have in the future!) Kelly Schamberger : Art as a guest at The Outpost. Her work is truly amazing, and with Grandma's Marathon coming up, it just makes us happy to share this. We have been witness to her magic as she painted our Adirondack's and lake view one time while here. (I posted a picture of her painting that picture in the comments.) Her realistic paintings are quite something. You should definitely check her out. And you should, of course, purchase your very own Grandma's Marathon 50th anniversary poster! You can do so by visiting https://www.grandmasmarathonstore.com/products/grandmas-marathon-poster-2026-special-edition .

Resolute - 24” x 18” oil on panel

Each year, Grandma’s Marathon commissions an artist for their commemorative poster, and I was elated to take on this year’s milestone 50th anniversary! Such an honor to make artwork to inspire thousands of athletes from around the world (23,605 runners, over 50 countries, all 50 states), and to add to the historical record of this world class event.

I knew the organizers were familiar with my Lake Superior seascapes and that past posters had focused on beautiful scenes from Duluth. But… I was given full creative freedom and wanted to capture the feeling of my experience of running the marathon, representing all of the miles and hours and sacrifices that lead up to race day, the excitement and anticipation, the grit and determination, the brave belief and strength it takes to prepare for this extraordinary event. I felt shoes were the best representation of this… the moments of training, preparation, breakdowns and breakthroughs that those soles have carried.

Setting up the still life took weeks: rearranging my studio, propping up pieces of furniture in dangerous teetering configurations to reach eye-level, my old training shoes painted gold (for the golden anniversary) and Grandma’s green on the inside, trips to the thrift store to find a shirt and shoelaces that matched the colors of this year’s logo and training shirt. I visited every store in Duluth that sold water bottles and vest inserts looking for the perfect combination of size, shape, and color. I’m embarrassed to even share how many I bought and returned. 😂 Ha!

I was stressing about the direction I chose, that it wasn’t runners in a pretty North Shore landscape, but stumbled across a quote from the legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese: “The most personal is the most creative.” I needed that reminder, that this was coming from the artist and athlete heart and vision and life experiences God gave me.

I hope it inspires something in runners up to and through these coming long miles. That they stay determined, steady, unwavering, and… resolute.

06/08/2026

And on this day in 1949, George Orwell's "1984" was published. You know we have a particular fondness for this book here at The Outpost. IYKYK

As a reminder, this was a book of dystopian fiction. It was not meant to be a manual.

06/07/2026

Today is June Bug Day. I hate these bugs more than I can adequately express in words. Often, it is expressed in the screams and wild, flailing "dance" that occurs when I am confronted with, what I now refer to as, a crouton of the sky. I am sure they serve a great purpose in the balance of nature. That does not change my view on them. They are just gross and I have naturally curly hair which seems as though is an intoxicating web for these directionally challenged loathsome creatures. Sorry if you have compassion or empathy for them. I am sure they deserve as much--but they will get neither from me.

06/06/2026

Today is National Bubbly Day. Simply one of my favorites. A toast to a great day!

06/05/2026

Don't even THINK about celebrating National Donut Day today without stopping in, or giving a shout out to World's Best Donuts!

06/04/2026

It was on this day in 1984 that Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" album was released. It was a huge commercial success that topped the charts in 11 countries and sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

06/03/2026

It was on June 3rd in 1927 that Homer—“Boots” as his brother called him—Randolph was born. He went on to become a great studio musician, playing with Elvis, Chet Atkins, Floyd Crammer, Johnny Cash, and Tommy Newsome as well as with Roy Orbison on “Oh, Pretty Woman”, REO Speedwagon on “Little Queenie”, and Brenda Lee on “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Pretty good resume, no?

But, what is he remembered for? “Yakety Sax.” That music from Benny Hill. Sorry for the earworm and the memory of Benny Hill chasing women around in circles.

06/02/2026

Week #22

"David" by Michelangelo



Look at that detail. Wow.

06/01/2026

Today is National Olive Day! You either love them or you hate them. I love them! And not just in a martini—but you can’t have a good martini without them.

Did you know…

There are more olive trees in Greece than people. There are about 170 million trees, while the population is only about 9.8 million people.

Out of the 20 million tons of olives produced every year, 90% become oil and only 10% become table olives.

Olive trees, as a species, are between 20 million and 40 million years old. They have found fossils proving this in the area that is now Italy.

The average lifespan of an olive tree is between 300 and 600 years. It won’t produce any olives until it is five or six years old, and it will not hit maximum olive production until it is 40-50 years old.

Olives change color as they ripen. They all start out green and then change to light brown, to red, to purple, and finally to black.

Although olives do ripen to a black color, it takes a long time so most of the “ripe” black olives that you see are actually fake. Well, kind of. Once harvested, the olives, which have been picked unripe and bright green, are introduced to a solution of lye and water. Lye, or sodium hydrochloride (caustic soda) is also known for its role in solvents and paint-strippers, and less commonly, for dissolving human tissue. Its role in olive curing is not entirely dissimilar: after 24 hours in the solution the unripe olive will have been aggressively softened or ‘ripened’ to the point of edibility. It will also have turned a deep black: a color we associate with ripeness but which is here achieved by oxidation: thanks to the oxygen which is bubbled through the solution.

05/31/2026