A Little Slice of da Harbor...: Picture Perfect

Friday, June 12, 2015

Picture Perfect

Every time I'm going to write, I think Okay, now Amanda, don't apologize for not writing in a while. It makes you look bad. Well, you deserve an apology because it's now been well over a month. I'm sorry. I hope to make it up to you.

So here's an inside scoop into my brain. After so long, and so many adventures and so much to say, I feel overwhelmed. What am I even going to say? What order do I put it in? How should I organize it? And I just can't make a decision, so I just wait longer.

Luckily, I thought of a good way to do this. Pictures! I took lots of pictures, so I'll just show you them all and write a brief caption. I hope that works for you!

Before I begin, here are a couple facts that aren't necessarily captured digitally. The blackflies are almost gone already. And the skeeters are coming out more. The weather has been lovely -- a little cool, but we are not going to complain! Weekends have been busy, and the weeks are still a bit slower until after July 4th.

Okay. Moving on. And yes, there are a lot of plants.

Early arbutus in May

Manganese Creek in May

Then I went to a Michigan Outdoor Writers Association conference in early June. We stayed at Treetops in Gaylord, MI. Really now, that part of the state isn't so scary. It was a nice time.

It took us two hours to hike two miles here in Gaylord, MI

I was with true naturalists that day.

A Gaylord beech tree looking at us

My first partridge berry sighting ever!

Trilliums on their way out for the spring

A not-so-wild herd of elk in Aspen Park

"Tom" foolery in Aspen Park

Three awards won by yours truly at that conference

And back to da Harbor...

Starflowers on a mossy log

New growth on the balsam trees

Bunchberry flowers

Freshly sprouted cherries standing straight up!

Chokecherry flower clusters

I have two gallons of dandelion champagne brewing...

Freshly budded douglas honeysuckle

Gaywings!

Flowerless hepatica leaves

Lilacs in peak season!

Cream pea vine

The first wild rose I spotted this year!

Lonesome thimbleberry flower

Serviceberry/Juneberry/Sugarplum flowers

Wild sarsasparilla -- still tiny and red

Not sure what this one was... anyone?

Little man and me enjoying our hike!

Ducks in Fanny Hooe Creek. See them?

The Copper Harbor Volunteer Fire Department spaghetti dinner is tonight from 5-8pm. Bake sale and silent auction. I'm going!

The Isle Royale Queen IV sunset cruise fundraiser for the fireworks is Wednesday, June 24th. Boat leaves at 7pm sharp. I'll be there too!

Catch me if you can!

6 comments:

Dennis W. MontvilleJune 12, 2015 at 12:58 PM
Nice to see you're pegging the fun meter. Keep knocking it out of the park, but by all means stay in the park. Love the selfie+1. You make it all worth the wait.
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Rich FJune 25, 2015 at 11:49 AM
Thanks for posting, even though you have more important things going on in your life. Pictures are always welcome. You must be bound for Duluth soon if not there already.
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AnonymousJuly 11, 2015 at 11:11 AM
Neat awards - Congratulations !!! Nice pictures of greenery and spring flowers. I wondered what some of that stuff was called. Nice pix of you and Brandon . . "giddyup Mom" !!
You and fam in Duluth ?? John
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AmandaJuly 13, 2015 at 11:54 AM
So far we are dividing our time between NW Wisconsin and Duluth -- that way B and I don't have to live with 5 trail working dudes! We are well... I'll try to write soon!
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Dennis W. MontvilleAugust 10, 2015 at 3:57 PM
Come on now. It's been nearly 2 months now since your last post. We need another Amandagram soon. Hope you're all well. Maybe you're too busy making Thimbleberry jam? Just checking.
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AmandaAugust 11, 2015 at 1:05 PM
Dennis, maybe you missed the "Adventure Redefined" post from July 20th? More to come soon!
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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!

Friday, June 12, 2015

Picture Perfect

6 comments:

Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

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