Hello
Hi, I’m Dee (Dena) Harris, a journalist and photographer in Southwest Wisconsin.
Dee Harris
I just can’t help it; I was born curious and creative. My skills as a writer and photographer blossomed early and have grown with time and experience. And now, with this blog, I’m able to share my experiences with anyone interested.
Here’s a little of my background:
-I grew up in rural Richland County, Wisconsin. There wasn’t much there for entertainment, so my siblings and I learned to create our own fun by exploring our 40 acres. If you’ve never been to Richland County, you should visit, even if it’s just to drive through. The rolling hillsides (mini mountains it seems if you’re hiking or biking) provide a spectacular view any time of the year. Our farm had a stream with its own spring, some woods for hunting (I mainly hunted morels or black caps, not animals) and fields of crops (mostly corn). We had a barn and there was usually some variety of domesticated animals on the property—cow, steer, chickens, turkeys, goats, hogs, pheasants, ducks, dogs, sheep, cats, guinea pigs, fish… But, with the fun of keeping animals comes chores. They weren’t all bad. I’m not saying I want to clean out the chicken coop every day, but I had some great experiences and lessons learned by doing farm chores. It’s a great experience for any kid.
-The busy and successful high school years led to college. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, located approximately one hour from my hometown. And even after changing majors three times, I still managed to graduate in only 4.5 years. I was a resident assistant in the residence halls for two of those years and eventually graduated with a degree in communication technologies with an emphasis in journalism and minors in English and imaging media.
-I have worked throughout the southern and central portions of Wisconsin and did my internship in northern Illiniois (Galena). Each of the newspapers I worked for taught me more about writing, style, voice and procedure. I wouldn’t trade any of those experiences!
-I have traveled to and photographed parts of each of the 48 state parks in Wisconsin. It took me two summers to fit it into my schedule, but I’m glad I did it. It gave me a better understanding of the state I grew up in and what it has to offer. More on that in a former blog featuring 200+ posts from my two-year photo-taking adventure: http://storyofdee.blogspot.com/.
-Now I serve as editor of a small weekly newspaper in Grant County, the southwestern tip of Wisconsin. I like my job, but I want more. I want to travel and explore new places. I want to make my own schedule. I want to write about the things that interest me. Most of all, I want to share my experiences.
I hope you enjoy my blog. And if you’re intersted in seeing my portrait photography, check out freshinkling.com.
-Dee