By MIKE O'ROURKE Associate Editor Last week was a busy week in Republican circles and as developments prompted the rewriting of last weekend's Eggs and Issues stories, I neglected to include one interesting bit of information from that Brainerd Lakes Chamber session. Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Brainerd, said Friday morning he had decided to run for at least one more term in the Minnesota Senate. That's probably no surprise, but it's the first time I had heard him state his intentions.

For all you shoppers out there this is your favorite time of the year. For me, following the swans always coincides with Thanksgiving and Christmas. The swans are out in the lakes and rivers but the freezing temperatures brings them to areas where we can expect to see them for photography. I can tell when we are close to the right time of the year because the Bald Eagles are also moving into the area, fishing and hunting on the dwindling areas of open water. The swans love the shallow water...

What would winter be without days on the ice with blades on your feet? Well, it wouldn't seem like Minnesota. Chilly temperatures made for good ice making Thursday but a warming trend expected this weekend could threaten plans for skating just yet.

The concept of photographing Christmas lights late at night never seems to produce the best results. Instead, head out just as the sun sets and use the twilight sky as your background. Shoot your wide angle photos with the sky until you lose your color in the background. Those twilight skies will give you a beautiful blue with the Christmas lights. This old trick comes from news photographers who shoot a number of Christmas decorations but really need that blue background to set off the...