Hooooome

Guess what!  1,100 miles and thirty less degrees later, Braeden and I are home!  Back to the Yoop.  The Keweenaw.  Da Harbor.  Our little house on the rock.  Ahhhh.

On the drive home, I expected to see more snow.  Now, I try not to have expectations in general, but we drove during the first week of April, so some snow was not out of the question.  I didn't see much.  The areas with the most substantial amounts of snow at that time were Twin Lakes, Calumet and Lake Medora.  I think Lake Medora still has the biggest piles.  They seem to have the longest winters.  And that lake is still frozen!

Then, while coasting down the hill from the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, I saw her.  She was dazzling in her blue gown.  Lake Superior in all her glory for the first time in three months.  I got all choked up, of course.  I mean, don't you?

Once I got to the blinking light, I shot down to the nearest beach, put the van into park, and jumped out to the shore.  I swished my hands in the icy water and smacked it onto my face.  Oh, it felt so good.  Right down to my soul.  There really is no substitute for Her Majesty, Lake Superior.  I was giddy, grateful and relieved all at once.

I got back the day before my birthday, and I only had one birthday wish (besides being back home).  That was to go for a bike ride.  Luckily, Annele was still with us, so she could watch my little man.

I had conquered some hills there in the Ozarks, and I wanted to see how it translated to the Keweenaw.  Well, the actual bike trails were too snowy and wet to ride, so I opted for the snowmobile trails.  Not any better, but at least I wouldn't get in trouble if I rode those!

Arkansas must have built up some strength in me because that hill up Manganese Road was like cake.  I wasn't even breathing hard!  I just gunned it through the hard-packed snow areas, and enjoyed the ease of the pavement.  I'd say proportions were half and half.  Probably less snow by now.  I hope to take Brady P up for a ride there today, so we will see.

Then up Trail 134 was a bit more difficult because of the mud, but I went as far as I could before I would have to push my bike.  That is not fun, so I just found somewhere else to go.

It was slow and wet, yet it was amazing.

That's how I know that I have a new love for mountain biking.  In fact, I am taking an instructor certification program through the International Mountain Bicycling Association this June, so I can teach other people how to mountain bike effectively and lead group rides.  Woohoo!  I am stoked.

Other than that, my return was anti-climactic, yet peaceful.  I'm sure you always feel a sense of peace when you get here, but it was different this time.  It was like my whole life is peaceful -- not just the fact that I'm here.  But that fact totally helps because I don't have to drive through traffic-laden towns.  Or go past tall buildings.  And it is still quiet.  Spring is  so lovely here.

I am still working on my memoir.  I have finished the first draft, actually!  There's still a lot to add and edit, but it is coming along!  It can only go as fast as a couple nap times a week. 

Well, I am looking forward to the best summer ever, but I'll let spring roll along first.  I hope you are well.  Maybe I'll see you up this way!  Take care.

A Transition for the Shore and a Spirit

It's winter now!

Today I was getting ready for an adventure, and I asked myself, How should I turn the cuffs on my jeans so they don't get full of snow?  Then I laughed because it's time to wear snow pants!  And even snow shoes in some spots.  So yes, it's winter.  Smiley face.

So get a tissue ready because I'm about to tell you who didn't come with me on my adventure today.  Got your tissue?  Duce.  My handsome, sweet, goofy buttery boy has been released from his pain on this earth.  A tumor grew aggressively up his paw making walking and life in general very painful.  On Friday he stopped eating.  I took him to the vet yesterday, so he could be free.  He has all the rocks he cares to chase now.

Duce overlooking the lake at Great Sand Bay

Now he can overlook us anytime!  And work on the trails with Aaron -- something he surely missed when the pain arrived.  I have only great memories of that puppy.  A true adventure buddy indeed.

In fact, he led me to what is now one of my new favorite spots!  Can you believe I found another new spot around here?  And it's so close to my house, that I'm not worn out by the time I get there.

It started as a nice flat area overlooking the lake: the perfect spot to build a snow fort when Brady boy can help me.  But I realized that there were too many trees in the way for a great view, so we ventured further through the forest until we found a cool, flat spot with a clear view.  Well I'm not the only one who liked that spot because I saw the indentations of 4 deer in what little snow we had at the time.

Excited at this point, we went all the way to the shore, and Oh. My. Good-golly-miss-Molly. was it beautiful.  Check it out. 

The ice-covered shore in the sunshine

Okay, maybe you are thinking, "Come on, Amanda, that's not that spectacular."  Well, it was when I was there!  Here's another shot from (I think) the same day.  I love it when the sun shines exclusively on Porter's Island.

Sunny Porter's Island in the background

That was on another part of the shore.  I have gone out there day after day, and it's always different!  Thanks, Ducer, for showing me the way.

Another cool thing from out there is the ice couch.  I can just sit on the ice couch and watch the world go by.  Maybe I'll have to melt a cup holder in there to bring some tea!  In the picture below, my beautiful friend Annele is modeling the ice couch for us.

Annele on the ice couch!

I sit on it each day I go out there.  And now it's covered in snow, so it's a little more comfortable.  Snow cushions!  I bet it sits about 5 people if you ever want to bring a party out there...

Now let's take our ice adventure to Hunter's Point.  I went out there with my parents and little Brady boy.  Since it was almost 40 degrees with no wind that day, the little man was happy to join us.  My dad even commented that he had never seen the lake so calm as that day.

My parents were like little kids out there.  "Woah, look at this!" my mother would exclaim like a 4-year-old.  "Ooh, these rocks are dropping from their ice shelf," my dad noticed.  "Phil!  Take a picture of this!"  My mom would shout.  Just like kids, I tell ya.  That's one of the coolest parts of adventuring -- turning serious adults into curious children.  Let me know if you need a turn!

The ice was stunning that day, so they weren't being dramatic by any means.  Here is the ice parrot we found.

The perched ice parrot

And the lighting was so cool when I saw this ice-covered mass.  It reminds me of oozing lava, except the opposite temperature!

Hunter's Point ice formations

Today the journey was pretty amazing too.  I sat on that ice couch almost long enough for my buns to indent it.  But there was so much going on along the shore that I just couldn't sit still for long!

So remember that first picture I showed you of this shore that I made sound like it was unbelievable?  Well, now it's covered in snow, and the ice is growing out over the Big lake.  I saw several instances of ice volcanoes starting to form, only to be overgrown by other ones starting to form. 

That got my wheels spinning.  I remembered that I couldn't walk along the whole shore before because the ice was too slick, and the drop on the edge was too steep.  But today, ho ho, today that ice extended the walkable area and widened my margin of error.  However, I knew that not all that ice meant that there was solid ground underneath.

I am getting smart in my increasing-responsibility age.

Instead of walking along the edge of the icy shore that was constantly bombarded by frigidly swirling waves, I walked closer to the earth.  And I used icicled branches as holds along the slick spots.  I recognized that a false move would mean death, so I was extra cautious.  Oops, except that one time I slipped a bit down the ice mound.  Shoot, that woke me up!

Enough babbling.  Here is what it looks like now!

Waves changing the icy shore

At one point, I found a nice spot to sit and rest, and the sun was just right to light up these pieces of ice.  It looks like they're glowing!  At least one of my pictures turned out for you.  Pictures just did not do today's vistas justice.

Can you see that ice glowing?

In that picture you can also see that ice is starting to form on the lake.  Today it got broken up by the waves, but it started yesterday in the calm of the afternoon.

As far as inland lakes go, I think they are pretty well iced over.  I haven't ventured out on them myself because the last times I was out, I didn't think it was safe.  And especially when there is a baby on my back, I'm not going to risk it to check!

I always had the rule of thumb that if Duce wouldn't go on the ice, then I wouldn't go.  He had good intuition about that.  However, I would go out sometimes anyway because that's just how I am.  So today I asked him to be my ice guide from above.  I know he won't let me down.

Ground Porn

One of the first things I got to do after my last post was get out to my rock.  And luckily, Aaron was still home, so just Duce and I went while B napped.

Without a squiggly little boy on my back, I can be more nimble.  I am also able to hold a camera steadily and not get kicked while I snap the photo.  This particular day, wet and warm, I was interested in ground cover.  Here are some of the shots I took on the way out.

A tiny ecosystem grows on an old stump

If I didn't have a one-year-old,

I might have this as my carpet at home

For some reason, I have always been intrigued by these tiny ground covers.  They turn something old into new life.  Their structure seems simple, yet effective.  Like how those light green stems in the top picture have a dent in the top, so water can pool there, and they can stay moist.  Genius.

Out at the rock, my soul was on fire.  I scampered all around like a child, exploring all areas of this magnificent geological beast.  One of my favorite parts was the lichen.  Guess I was still on that kick, hey?

Lichen on my rock

White, gray, green and orange all in the same spot.  Pretty spectacular.  And once my own heart settled a bit, and I could hear beyond myself, I heard this woh woh woh woh sound.  In not too long, I knew it was a freighter.  For some reason, I got really excited.  Probably because I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there.  I could almost feel it.  So I sat on that rock, and I waited.

Enjoying my view again

The woh woh woh woh kept getting louder, so I figured it would poke out from behind the lighthouse point at any moment.  I tried not to stare at that spot and just enjoy myself, but it seemed to be taking quite a while.  And my excitement just built.

Then there it was.  Haha.  It was pretty anticlimactic.  Yes, there it was: a freighter in the mist on the horizon.  Seen it a hundred times.  Got lots of pictures of it.  So I thought for a moment how the anticipation was more intense than the actual delivery.  Kind of like a kid opening a present on Christmas, you know?  Life is like that.

Now I will forget a lot of incidents in between, but here are a couple more of note.

Winter Wonderfest was a blowout despite the fact there was no snow.  The grass was lush and green.  People hung out by the fire because the air wasn't even too chilly until it started to drizzle.

Okay, but let me back up.  B and I worked a shift at the bake sale that day.  During that time, we saw lots of people come and go.  I always wonder where they come from.  Then around 3:30, before the ornament decorating was about to begin, the kids came in droves.  Holy crap I was almost claustrophobic!  Where did they all come from???  Were they here to make ornaments?  See Santa?  Well, I still don't know the answer to that, but they came.

And after the park lit up at 6pm, they all ran into it to play around the lights.  That part was pretty cool -- mostly because we weren't all in the same room.  Thank goodness for the great outdoors.

Well, HERE IS A VIDEO OF THAT GRAND LIGHTING.   Just click that underlined part.  Oh, you know what to do!

It was pretty sweet, I tell you.  Nice job to Donny and all the helpers.  Maybe you'll be there next year!

The other cool story happened yesterday.  I was out on a walk with my friend Annele (thank goodness I have another adventure buddy for the winter!!!), and while we stood on Jamsen's dock, this freighter scooted by.  It was so close, but we didn't hear it -- just barely saw it in the mist.  Now this photo is heavily edited, so you can actually see the freighter.  But it looks cool that way anyway.

Freighter in the mist through the gap

I mean, how perfect is that?  It's half the length of the gap!  If the wind was from the north, we probably could have smelled the fuel.

Oh, see? Now I'm remembering some other things.

One day I walked along Lake Fanny Hooe, and she was soooooo still.  I mean look how still she was!!!  A perfect reflection!

A perfect Fanny Hooe reflection

Can you tell where I was standing?  That's the resort on the right side.  Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

And lastly, I recall a day when I wish I had my camera.  I had just gotten back from a hellacious drive from town.  It was a day that I wish someone had told me how horrible it was going to be, so I just wouldn't have gone!  But I did, and we didn't die.

So I got back, and often times, instead of turning right at the blinking light, I'll go straight  through and take Brockway Ave. along the lakeshore.  Man, we pulled up to the Jamsen's dock, and I couldn't believe the gap!  It was a constant whitecap!  The water level seemed to be higher than the rocks out there!

When I stepped out of my car -- getting pelted by freezing rain and sloshing through a huge puddle -- I noticed the waves in the harbor itself were breaking over people's docks!  I don't know if I've ever seen that before.  A lot of elements had to be aligned for that to happen.  And it did.  And I got to see it.  But I didn't have a camera.

Let me leave you with the fact that we are in the middle of a lake effect snow storm.  I'd say approximately 3 inches of fluff has built up on my porch so far.  It's beginning to look a lot like the Keweenaw!

Adventure Redifined

You're probably wondering how things are going in Duluth.  Well, I don't even know!

I've been west of Duluth a couple times this summer to see my sweet man, but I haven't really been in Duluth - the city.  But the times I've been to that area have been interesting and adventurous.

"Why haven't you been living in Duluth, Amanda?"  That's a fair question.  See, when you bank on the life of a contractor, you bank on chance and waiting.  We waited (and are still waiting) for some of those chances, so I am staying nearby at Aaron's parents' house for the month of July.  Then Braeden and I can book it the 100 miles each week to be a family -- in a house with a bunch of trail working dudes.

Here are some of the interesting and adventurous parts of Duluth, or, west of Duluth.

The flowers are quite similar to those of the Keweenaw.  I suppose you would assume that, but there some differences that I have noticed because for some strange reason that is what the essence of my being gravitates toward.  

• They have lots of dewberries (which are delicious).  I have only found a few of those in da Harbor.
• Like this western part of Wisconsin, where I currently reside, they have lots of water hemlock.  Cicuta douglasii.  Do you know what that means???  It means that it's a good thing that I don't hate anyone.  I know where the hemlock is, and I know how to use it.  But don't worry.  I won't.  That would be wrong, and besides, I just said this in my blog, so that's evidence.
• Their shinleaf is not as scarce.
• They have thimbleberry plants, and they may not even know it.  I have not seen a single flower or berry, but the plants are rampant in thimble-loving areas.
• I saw my first Michigan lilies bouncing in the breeze.
• I saw my first bloodroot leaves, but the flowers already dropped.
• Virginia creeper is common.

Wow, I am a nerd.  But most people fill their mind with useless information of some kind.  Some people have sports.  Some have Hollywood.  I have wildflowers.  Thank goodness for diversity on this planet.

Also, west of Duluth, I have hiked part if not all of the original Seven Bridges West trail.  I can recount most of those bridges though many of them have been crumbled by floods.

Then one day the president of Rock Solid Trail Contracting LLC. (aka my husband) asked if Braeden and I would like to go on an adventure ride in the side-by-side.  He was hauling lumber from the road to their new trail via an old ATV trail.  Well, what else did we have to do?  We went.

We buckled the little man in nice and tight.  I would have done this anyway, but the fact that Aaron did too should have set me off for what he meant by "adventure."  My definition of adventure is setting off into new or old places where one can always learn something new and expect the unexpected.  Aaron's definition includes something along the lines of hopefully not dying.

So we went on Aaron's "adventure."

Early in the trip, as we rounded a corner and I thought we might slide off and sink into the muddy clay, I said, "Whew.  That was an adventure right there."  Aaron laughed and said, "The adventure has just begun."  Still no red flags went off in my mind.  And I have been with this man for over 10 years.  Have I learned nothing???

A few branches whipped and ripped beside my head.  That didn't bug me, though.  I knew parameters were tight.  Some flesh-stinging wounds were just part of the ride.  But then he took us on some turns where I thought that maxly packed machine was going to tumble down the hill.  I tried not to envision us rolling down the hill, but I did.  And we didn't.  But the adventure wasn't over.

Have you ever been to Six Flags Great America?  They have this roller coaster ride called Raging Bull.  I've included a video that I found on youtube of some people riding this beast in the front seat to help illustrate how I felt.

Did you watch it?  Okay.  Now remember the first part as they chug-chug-chug up and up that first hill, but add the element of Oh-my-God-are-we-going-to-make-it-up-this-hill?  Even Aaron wasn't sure.  We were on one of his test runs.  After making it up one, I asked, "Was that the worst one?"  He shook his head.  I kept wondering why he would take his wife and  infant son (who was fast asleep) on such a ride.  That's Aaron for you.  Never a dull moment.

Then remember the part where they go straight down and you can hear the woman say, "I can't see anything!"  What she means is that you can't see what's in front of you because it is so straight down that it's out of sight.  I remember being on this roller coaster ride at Six Flags.  I thought that exact same thing.  Then I shrieked the whole way down.

And that is the experience that flashed through my mind when Aaron took us down the hill.  Again, I envisioned us tumbling down bumper over lumber.  But we didn't tumble.  And Aaron had to keep up his speed at the bottom in order to make it up the next hill... the worst one.

But I am here to write about it, so you know we didn't die.  We all stayed quite buckled in, actually, so I give that Kubuta 4x4 a lot of durability and safety credit.  Aaron ran that trip multiple times.  It was just a day in his work life, but a day that I thought might end mine.

Aaron's definition of adventure is forever ingrained in my brain.

You know what I miss?  I miss the cool Lake Superior breezes.  I forgot how hot Wisconsin summers can be, and my veins are no longer use to this.  I can't even lay out for a suntan because I feel like a slice of bacon ready to crisp up in a cast iron pan.  But a slice of bacon does sound good right about now.  Mmm, bacon.

The only picture I have that applies to this blog is the one I took of the Copper Harbor bell buoy just a few days before I left for Wisconsin.  Here it is as the sun set behind it.

Ye old buoy up close

Ding da ding ding!  Man, I miss that sound.

The Harbor All Over Again

So remember, I have news for you.

Sunday, April 26th, I had a great hike with Annele and Braeden.  B had the easy ride in my backpack while I got to sweat extra.

Along the way, I saw those tough oval leaves trailing through the fallen brown oaks.  Arbutus?  Is that you?  Sure enough, it was another arbutus plant.  She even had buds!  Annele knelt down to smell them, but apparently they need to be open to be fragrant.

As we ascended the ridge, we heard a boat motor on the lake.  It was really loud, and it lingered.  Well, when we approached the top of the ridge at Stairway to Heaven, guess who we saw!  The buoy tender!  How cool.  I have been waiting to see it drop off for years, and by some chance it was out there while we crested the ridge.  B would have seen it too if he wasn’t snoozing the whole time.

The buoy tender from afar

But that is not my news.

Today was magical for B and me.  Only, he doesn’t realize how special it was (or does he?).  It was a day full of firsts for him.  Here are a few:

• ·      He got to see his first wildflower – hepatica.  I picked one for his stroller.
• ·      It was the first time we got to take the stroller on the crushed gravel trail beside Fort Wilkins.  Only a couple snowy spots.
• ·      It was his first real experience with Lake Superior.

Let me elaborate on the last one.  We journeyed to the shore by the lighthouse overlook.  The sun sparkled the water and the trees at the mouth of the Fanny Hooe Creek held the breeze at bay.  I decided to take B out of his stroller, so he could get a better look and feel of things.

I sat him in my lap and put a warm rock in his hand.  Then another and another.  We threw some for Duce, and he got to watch that crazy doggy splash around in the water.  I even sat him right on the rocks to warm up his tushy.  Then I laid him belly-side-down, so he could feel all those rocks underneath him.  He seemed to enjoy the scene!

We found driftwood, and noticed how the creek entered the Big Lake.  We listened to the buoy ding, and I even dipped his little fingers in the water.  He was taking it all in.  I realized that I didn’t have my camera to capture such inaugural events, but as we waved good-bye to the shore, I was actually glad that I didn’t have to try to pose him for pictures.  Our time there in the moment was really wonderful.  I’m so glad that I get to share this beautiful place with such a perceptive little being.

I realized right then and there how much I am going to love being a mom up here.  What a unique way to experience the Keweenaw – like it’s the first time all over again!

That is not my news either, though.  Here it is.

So, this blog is titled “A Little Slice of da Harbor.”  “A little slice” refers to the fact that it is only my perspective.  And “da Harbor” refers to Copper Harbor, a harbor town on Lake Superior.  Well, would you be mad if I was at a different harbor town on Lake Superior for a little while?

My little family is moving to Duluth, MN from July through September.  Aaron has a trail building contract out there, and he doesn’t want to miss us all summer again.  Awww.

At first I decided to do it for the family.  But now I sort of feel like it will be a neat change for me personally.  Duluth is a cool city (albeit a city which is scary), and variety is the spice of life.  Braeden won’t know the difference because he’s never had a summer anywhere besides in my belly.

So there you have it.  My slice of da Harbor will be from Duluth this summer.  We’ll be back, though, don’t worry.  Our hearts are in this little harbor.

Keeping It Curious

I've been hanging out with my parents in Wisconsin for a week, so I really don't know what's going on in da Harbor right now.  Sorry.

But I have been out for a cross country ski since I talked to you last.  A ski around Ft. Wilkins with a new friend, Annele.  The conditions were wonderful, the scenery was spectacular and the company was pleasant.

A couple areas of interest along the way were Fanny Hooe Creek with her sleek water sliding over the rocks and bubbling under icy banks.  The white buildings at the fairgrounds were another cool spot.  The uniqueness here was that the roofs were all covered in a fresh layer of snow -- white buildings with white roofs on the white ground against a white sky.  That would have made for an interesting picture with the lack of contrast.

But here's the part that made my heart swell.

While we were out, we passed two people out waking their dogs, one skier with her dogs and two snowshoers.  Usually when I'm out, I don't see anyone except my buddy for the day.  That day I saw five!  And three of them were locals!  Yes!  I love it that people are getting out to enjoy the magic we have out our back door.  I was still giddy about this when I got home.

For another sweet adventure, I took Annele on a snowshoe.  We crunched up to the original spot of Fort Juniper, then followed the Lake Superior shoreline to the mouth of Fanny Hooe Creek.  Here are some shots from the shoreline part of the journey.

Surfboards of harbor ice

Annele above a monster ice hole

An icy shore

I want you to pay particular attention to that last picture.  See that chunk of ice in the middle?  It's blue.  Really, truly blue.  I didn't edit that picture at all.  Pretty snazzy, hey?

On our trip through the Fort area, we were going to take the south trail next to the lake.  It would have been pretty chilly with that bully south wind.  Luckily, Annele spotted a meandering snowshoe trail past the bridge.  We followed that through some trees and camp grounds.  Really a neat perspective that I hadn't experienced before.

Then we saw this spectacle.

A snow-curl slide off a picnic table

So this display was sighted all throughout the west campground on south-facing tables.  A few days before this picture was taken, we had a couple days of sunshine.  That sun heated the tables just enough to make the snow slide slowly but surely off the tables.  As the edge of the snow hung over the edge of the table, it started to bend down.  By the time that bend hit the ground, it continued to curve slowly but surely back under the table.  Pretty cool, huh?

It was another wonderful adventure.

Now I don't usually do this personal stuff, but little Braeden sure looked cute in this mohawk hat.  So here he is... 

Braed-man rockin' the mohawk hat

You don't have to tell me.  That's a cute little boy right there.  He steals my heart daily.

I'll be back to the yoop soon.  See you then!

Adventures Resume

Let me start this one out by saying that I have a wonderful husband.  He makes sure that he is home at some point in the day to watch the Wee Man, so I can go out and enjoy some beauty and fresh air.  "More than just a walk," he says. "Do something fun."

Well, you don't have to twist my arm!

One day, when I only had time for "just a walk," I saw that the harbor was frozen over.  Then I saw ice volcanoes in the gap.  That little spark that is Amanda lit up inside me and I nearly ran across the ice.  I have to go to the gap, I murmured hypnotically.  I carefully crawled onto the ice to check it out.  Shore slush and slight seiching sounds assured me that was not the day.

Here is what it looked like.

The icy harbor 4 days ago

I'll give it a couple days, I told myself.  Ooh, I couldn't wait.  Ice volcanoes are high on my exploration list.

But a couple days later proved that I was smart in not crossing right away.  The south wind took the ice out a day later, and westerly gusts stirred up some waves the next.

The wavy harbor today!

So I'll just wait.  That trek from the Marina doesn't seem as exciting, but at least it's an option...

A couple days ago Duce and I crossed Fanny Hooe.  Oh, the sun was shining and lighting up my spirit.  Here's what it looked like on that lake.

On Fanny Hooe looking East

I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go once I crossed the lake.  However, "up the ridge" was definitely on my mind.  I turned into Paul's Plunge and started climbing.  I saw some "snowcicles" along the way.  I don't know if I've ever seen those before!

Snowcicles on a rock

As I hiked, I just let my curiosity do the talking.  Then I saw it: this open ridge slope.  My first thought was, I want to go up there!  But my second, and more logical thought was, I want to go down that!!!

So I followed the trail up while keeping my senses on that ridge.  It was so quiet in there.  When I stopped walking, the only sound was my pulse thumping through my body.  So peaceful.  Ahhh.

At the top, I just trusted my instincts to get me to that open ridge.  When I found the peak of it, we had a pretty nice view of sunlit Superior through the trees.

Lake Superior in the distance

Then I did what any full-grown kid would do: I skied down that slope on my snowshoes, woo-hooing the whole way.  Yes, I will do that again.  Let me know if you want to go with me.

At the bottom, Duce and I found the lake, and started across.  We did hit one slushy spot right about where it was on the way there.  Well, if we fall in, there are some ice fishermen over there.  Hopefully they will save us!  Luckily, their services were not needed.

So these were just a couple of my journeys.  But let me tell you, when I strap on those snowshoes, I feel like I can go anywhere -- especially if I had a cup of coffee. :)

Keep the good thought going.  I'll find you again, down the snow-covered road!