Rainbow

I saw this rainbow yesterday.  You'll have to hold your computer (or your head) sideways.  I am not a photographer.  This is the best I could do.  

With Lake Superior in the background, it looked like this double rainbow was a portal to another dimension.  I stood at the end of the Harbor Haus dock and gazed for a while.  Notice how the colors actually reflect in the water.  Truly captivating.

Where did Everybody Go?

Okay, so I've longed for the days when the only people around are the locals -- my friends -- people who don't ask 100 questions about me and da Harbor.  Now that time is here, and it's so surreal.  I've seen two tourist couples in the last week (though the weather has been nice).  The residents' spirits are renewed.  I can tell.  Here is a picture of Main Street taken this morning.

Not much going on.  Not only is this our main drag, it's Highway 41, which runs through eight states and two time zones.  Ah, we have our town back.

One funny story (maybe more of a shocker to me) was that a couple days ago I set out on my bike to deliver thank you letters to some of the businesses, and over half of them weren't even open!  Either boarded up for the winter or closed on a mid-week day.  I shouldn't have been surprised, but that sure helped it soak in.

Well, back to work for me.  I've got lots of projects before next summer!

Playing Catch Up

Patience is a virtue.  Since you waited so long for me to post, I’m going to make it up to you by adding some lovely pictures. Go ahead, scroll down.  Hopefully I won’t forget everything I have to tell you.

Let me start by saying that “The Walk” went well.  We had two runners and three walkers covering our 37 mile stretch.  Jo and I walked the last 12 miles together.  Here we are at our starting post.

A couple notable events:  We saw a turkey cross the road.  That might be the first turkey I have ever seen up here.  During our stretch of pavement, we wondered how the heck we walked that whole way the last few years.  Jo kept saying that it was nice not to be walking on “stumps.”  Yes, we could actually feel our feet by the end of it!

Next year’s adventure is scheduled for May 9, 2012.  That one will be a doozy.  Stay tuned for details!

If you have experienced any kind of media today, you probably already know that the Northern Lights made an appearance last night.  A crew of us walked outside at around 10:30 pm to watch them fill up the whole north half of the sky.  I have never seen that phenomenon where they all meet at the halfway point and turn the rest of the sky green.  From here, they were only green, but a spectacle as always.

Today I went for a hike up Keweenaw Mountain.  Oh, did I need that.  I thought I might find some Harboresque pictures for you, so I took my camera.

Below is the “bear” made out of a fallen over tree stump.  It gets me every time -- even when I know it’s the stump, I think, “oh, but there could really be a bear there this time!”  Come on, use your imagination... he even has a face!  He looks like he's coming at me with a stick.  Run!

I also saw this little birdie eating something white.  Do you know what kind of bird this is?  It made a beautiful sound.

As I looked back at the nose of Brockway Mountain, I thought you might like to see its yellow colors reflecting in the little pond.

Here is another shot with the Garden Brook Valley as the dip in the middle.

Other than that, I AM FREE!!! and it feels wonderful.

The Walk

Tomorrow I will be a part of "The Walk" from Calumet to Copper Harbor -- 37 miles.  However, previous years in darkness and blurry dusk have proven the unlit beginning and end of this trek to be sketchy with drivers.  So we broke it up into parts.

Hannah and Kelly will be running (yes, they are crazy running girls) from Calumet to Phoenix.  Donica will be walking from Phoenix to Delaware.  Jo and I will be walking from Delaware to da Harbor.  I think that's a good split, and everyone seems to like it.  Others may join along the way.  Come on up with your walking shoes!!!

Why are we doing this?  To raise awareness and funds for the Gundlach Women's Shelter in Calumet.  Help save the women!!!  If you are interested in donating to our cause, you can send a check their way; let them know it's for "The Keweenaw Path" fundraiser.  Any amount helps, and it is much appreciated!

That's what I'll be doing tomorrow.  If you drive by, please honk, and show your support.  We are all meeting at the Mariner North at 3 pm when we are done.  Mmm, food will taste so good!

Pretty Little Oaks

Hey there!  I hope this day brings you pleasant thoughts and lofty goals.

I saw a few pretty oak leaves yesterday, and, though the lighting was much better then, I captured them digitally for you today.  My goal is to help you enjoy the color and variety of the oak leaves -- not win a photo contest.

Kinda nice, huh?

Color Update:

When I jogged back into Clyde's field this morning, I really couldn't tell it was fall.  Some of the leaves had fallen off, some birches were yellow, but some trees were still green!  Here on the north shore, much of the leaves have yet to change, but I have a feeling that process will be anticlimactic.  Some of them are just turning brown and falling off.  I believe the best is over.  If, for some reason, the trees prove me wrong, I'll let you know.

This week has been much slower with tourism.  This weekend, many places will shut down for the season.  Then we'll hardly have any tourists at all!  This is my favorite time of year... as long as it's not raining every day.  The weather has been un-Octobery, but quite pleasant.  I'm sure that will change soon.  Enjoy yours!

4th Annual Bike Over Brockway Mountain

This week promised to be sunny and 60 degrees, so when I woke up on Monday morning, I decided to take my annual bike trip over Brockway Mountain and back: 20 miles round trip.

Ah, yes, Brockway Mountain.  726 feet above Lake Superior.  The place all the tourists and locals drive up to look at the turning leaves, watch the sun sink into the lake and use their cell phones.  I figured a Monday morning wouldn't have heavy traffic, so I went for it -- in shorts and a short-sleeve jersey.  Woo hoo, sunshine!

Note: If you are not familiar with Brockway Mountain, please reference the end of last year's post to learn about direction, mileage and riding time.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I don't have anything too memorable to report except  that it was hard work.  Man, oh, man there are some steep spots on that hill -- going both ways!  When I came back down the east side (down, mind you) I really had to pedal hard in my lowest gear in a couple spots.  And going down some of the spots I came up, I asked myself, "How the heck did I make it up this hill?"

My pictures of the valley didn't turn out either.  Drat.

But I have another year under my belt, and it took me the same amount of time as last year, almost to the minute.  Maybe someone will come with me next year.

Color Update:

The leaves have not yet peaked on the north side of the Keweenaw.  Looking at pictures of past years, they certainly are behind now.  But who wants to tell Mother Nature she's running behind?!  Maybe this weekend or next week they will peak.  Highway 41, Gratiot Lake Road, Lac La Belle Road and others south of here are quite spectacular, though -- at least they were last week!

Missed Colorful Opportunities

HAPPY OCTOBER!!!

Ahh, the month I look forward to the most every year.  It's here!  I love you, October!

My last trip to town was a flop for you.  Before the rain started, I got some great videos as I drove south on 41.  The colors were just amazing!  Oranges, reds, purples, yellows, pinks and everything in between.  I was so excited.  I knew you would be proud of me for my wonderful footage.

Then I got home and looked at my videos.  I accidentally pushed the stop button when I meant to push start, and visa versa, so I only got videos of me setting the camera on my lap and exclaiming how beautiful the leaves were.  Sorry.  I really am.  I hung my head for you.

I did get this picture, though.  Ehh, it's okay, but not what I was hoping for.  It was raining, however, so it's better than nothing at all.

Remember how I told you that the winds were going to get crazy?  They did.  Not quite as bad as they were predicting, but the power did go out around 4 pm.  Up here, we are used to the power being out for hours when the wind is blasting like that.

So Aaron and I shared a bottle of wine that I picked up that morning.  Nothing else we could really do, and, for some reason, I just never feel like being productive when the power is knocked out.  It's kind of like school being cancelled early, you know?  You just want to shout "woo hoo!" and be lazy or mischievous.

At 6:14 pm, the power came on.  What a buzz kill.  

Then it went out 4 minutes later.  Yes!  Back to the chardonnay!  The power went back on and off a couple more times before finally resuming at 9:15 pm.  I was surprised it stayed on all night.

Color Update:

I kick myself in the head because I went to the top of Aetna Ridge today and gazed south without my camera.  Oh, lordy lordy.  The colors were in FULL bloom.  It was even better than the Covered Stretch the other day!  I mean, oh, I don't even know how to explain it, but the southern Keweenaw is certainly peaking.  Copper Harbor, on the other hand, is still pretty green.  That lake, she keeps those leaves hanging on to their youth.

Other than that, the town is abuzz again with lots of color-seeking tourists.  People are everywhere on the weekends, at least.  So now that October is here, I am anticipating the 15th.  Two more weeks!