A Little Slice of da Harbor...: Baring Arms

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Baring Arms

What a beautiful, sunny Sunday!

Since I have been unable to get out for a good sweat lately, I decided to go for a run. Yeah, my favorite thing to do. Cough, cough. But the sky was blue, and the temperature was already at 43 degrees in the morning! I donned a short sleeve jersey and a neon windbreaker, and took Mr. Butters up Highway 41.

The town was so quiet. Not a car passed me until the very end of my journey. The air was still and the lake was blue. I kept blowing kisses at her Majesty out there because she was just so darn gorgeous, sparkling in the sunshine!

The warm weather must make the grubs move, because I heard two pileated woodpeckers and one downy drilling away. At one point, the two pileateds were talking to each other.

"How are the bugs on those trees?"

"Pretty good, how about your neck of the woods?"

"I've had better. I'm coming your way!"

Then he flew off. I love how they fly. They just stop fluttering their wings when they descend. They always remind me of a diver.

Fanny Hooe Creek is getting rambunctious too. She is starting to flow a little more to the big lake. It was neat to hear her splashing. I can imagine there will be some nice runoff to watch during this next week in all the creeks!

So all that was quite wonderful, but I didn't even tell you the best part yet. About a quarter of the way through my run, I was getting hot. As I ran, I took off my neon yellow jacket and tied it around my waste. I bared my arms to the sunshine and early morning shadows. I felt so free! I held my arms out in the air and squealed! Woo hoo! It feels like spring time! At least for this week...

The snow is melting quickly. I can't believe how fast my driveway went from a skating rink to gravel. But that happens. Sometimes we can lose a foot of snow as quickly as we can get one! The snow is dense and heavy now, and depending on the temp, a person can either walk on top of it or sink to their knees. Oh, spring, you always keep us on our toes!

Just a note that I managed to publish a trailer for Little Slices of da Harbor. I am just a yooper chick with no major technical skills, so keep that in mind. But if you want to see my creation, you can watch it at the bottom of this page.

Enjoy the beautiful day!

3 comments:

RichMarch 11, 2012 at 9:07 PM
Deb and I went skiing today, I was in shorts and t-shirt. We saw the bigest wolf prints I've ever seen and a recent deer kill on our land.
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MichaelMarch 11, 2012 at 10:10 PM
Hi there Amanda, Pileated Woodpeckers are about as cool and prehistoric looking as them come. I'm glad you saw one. It was interesting reading your blog since I just saw one on top of one of my wood bird feeders today just before I read of your experience, trying to peck a hole in the top. Very unusual since I usually only see them working on dead trees. As nice at it was in da'Keweenaw today is was incredible in southern MN all weekend... mid 60's,sunny and glorious! Worked outside all day today. I've definitely got Spring Fever big time! Also, I loved your cute little video ad for your book. Keep up the great work up in God's country. Take care!
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Carla from The RiverMarch 12, 2012 at 9:02 PM
Love it! Great Job!
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Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

“If you’ve never been there, you wouldn’t understand” is a quote printed above an outlined picture of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on a t-shirt sold in gift shops in the area. Some people cock their heads in bewilderment of what this could mean. Well, if you’ve never been there (to da U.P.), then you wouldn’t understand.

It’s simple really. Where are you guaranteed to see more trees than people on any drive or walk? Where can you sit in a bar in April and know everybody’s name? Where can you wear flannel and Carharts anytime of the year without a flinch from a passerby? Where can you end most of your sentence with the colloquialism eh, eh? Where can you go to truly get away from the civilized world? If you answered “da U.P.” to all of these questions, why, you must have been there.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula makes up one third of the state’s land mass, but only 3% of its entire population. It’s no wonder the average number of people per square mile is 19.3. Nineteen people per square mile! Its lack of inhabitants combined with a plethora of wilderness, unique geographical features and an abundance of water is a big part of what makes the U.P. so unique. In fact, it was included in the Sherman Travel worldwide “Top 10 Places to Go in 2005."

And unique in itself, at the most northern tip in the Keweenaw Peninsula sits the little village of Copper Harbor. “Tops in Michigan,” “the beginning of the road” and quite frankly, the hardest place to leave once your soul has found its peace. It’s the least visited and most revisited place in America. Returning visitors make an appearance at least once a year, no matter what gas prices are. And when they’re back at home, they dream of their next visit to the end of the world.

Why would people want to return to a place where their cell phones don’t work and they can’t get a Big Mac for at least 54 miles? Once you drive through the one and only blinking stop light in town, you are 99% guaranteed not to see any authorities. The town can take care of itself for the most part, and people respect each other and each other’s property.

To the local residents and the handfuls of returning tourists (of which some have been adopted), Copper Harbor is the only place where they can be themselves -- completely and shamelessly (at least until the next morning). Fashion does not exist, but comfort is a must. Possessions mean nothing, but attitude means the world. Loitering is encouraged, and talk is ceaseless. Fresh air is plentiful, and serenity is down the block on Lake Superior’s shore. Ahhh.

Only 90 people can bear to live there year-round (good thing because the post office only has 130 mailboxes), but the population peaks around 250 in the busy summer months when people reopen their business or their summer home.

Copper Harbor and the rest of the Keweenaw Peninsula average 270 inches of snow each season. Whether it falls consistently throughout the winter or all in one dump, it’s guaranteed to fall if it isn’t drilling sideways. Only four businesses stay open through these long months because sometimes, there’s just nobody there.

U.S. Highway 41, which runs all the way to Miami, Florida, begins in Copper Harbor, and yes, it gets plowed the whole way up. A half mile north, six miles east and five miles south of this landmark puts you in magical Lake Superior. I know it’s magical because I’ve caught myself and many other people staring, mesmerized by its pure vastness, undulations and crashing waves.

When you can enjoy every breath of Lake Superior air, wear clothing soley for funtion and not mind seeing the same people day after day after day after day, then, my friend, then, you’ll understand.

A Little Slice of da Harbor...

Copper Harbor, That is!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Baring Arms

3 comments:

Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

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