Boy, this spring surely didn't want me to have to miss winter like I thought I did! Nearly every time I had to drive to the big town, I drove through snow, freezing rain or slush. But I didn't have to shovel, and I didn't get to go skiing. And after being acclimated to an Arkansas spring, I really couldn't put on enough long underwear to stay warm.
So I stayed inside a lot. I was just plain cold. Shivering with the wind. Deploring the precipitation. Preferring to stand in front of my wood stove and think about the sunshine. That experience, of feeling trapped in my house because of the weather conditions, made me understand a term that I never understood before.
Cabin fever.
Cabin fever does not mean you yearn to go to your cabin. It doesn't mean you are sick while being in your cabin. It means, that with every fiber of your being, you want to get the hell out of your dwelling and soak up some rays.
So thank you, crappy Keweenaw spring. Now I get it.
But this whole week has been sunny! It's funny because Brady P and I get out to throw rocks into the big lake each day it's tolerable. And I know darn well that other places are 70 degrees in this sunny weather, but we are at 50. Especially by that big lake. Her Majesty, Lake Superior. I don't mind. I have jackets to wear. And the rocks are usually warm, so I just lay in them gratefully.
Today I submerged my foot in the lake. Usually, by this time, I would have dunked myself in her glory, but the air has never been so warm to make me wish I was cooler. Today, however, I accidentally threw back a rock that I wanted to keep. It wasn't too far out, so I just took off my shoe and sock, stood carefully with my shoed foot on a protruding rock and stepped in with my naked foot. Sure it was chilly, but my motivation kept me warm. Braeden thought it was pretty neat, too. Not an exciting story, but a story. Wink.
Guess who is back in the harbor? The bell buoy. It came back on the 3rd or 4th of May. I looked for it one morning, to no avail, and by the afternoon, there it was! What the heck, bell buoy! How do you always sneak in on me? After my 11 springs here, I have never once witnessed its return. But I guess there are worse things in the world.
The Isle Royale Queen, however, I greet each time she returns for the season. The captains now come off the boat and say, "You're always here for this trip, Amanda. You're like a tradition now!" Yes. Yes, I am. Because Isle Royale has such a big place in my heart, and the Queen is what gets me there. So yeah, I like to greet her upon her return from the Portage Canal.
The Harbor Haus has reopened. Jamsen's Fish Market and Bakery is open Friday through Monday. Some of the gift shops open up -- at least on the weekends. So we're getting back into business around here. It's kind of nice to see some more activity around town.
And the biking and hiking trails are open!!! Alleluia. I got to go for my first trail ride a few days ago. Man, that felt good. And I am stoked for more rides to come!
Not much for blooming life yet, however. I believe that the hepatica has been the only wildflower I've seen so far, but the arbutus are soon to follow. No leaves on the trees, but some of the buds got brave and popped. The waterfalls are still pretty rockin', and lake levels are high. Still no bugs -- for the most part.
There are some events coming up. I hope you can read through the glare, as I took pictures of the posters already hanging on the general store's door. Keeps it authentic, right?
Please note that the Zik is actually July 1st.
Well, maybe we will see you up here for one of these! Take it easy.
