Rural Arkansas Tour

It seems like they are having quite the winter up in da Keweenaw.  Man, it's really weird to say "they" when talking about the Keweenaw.  And the U.P.  It is my home, but here I am soaking up the sunshine in Arkansas.

This is the first winter I have cheated (it sure feels like cheating) in my whole life.  And the people down here say that this hasn't really even been winter either!  It's only mid-February, but buds are forming on the trees, the grass is greening up, and new shoots are coming out of the ground.  I am getting a suntan too.  I can't lie, though.  I like it.

Here's a little tour of some of my favorite natural beauties in my current place of residence near Kingston.  Remember, I am not a photographer.  The lighting is bad and things aren't focused well, but I am using an old iphone.  Like an iphone 4S that isn't even connected to a tower.  Haha.  I am still a yooper at heart!

Anyway, here we go!

Some landscape shots.

A pan of the Ozarks and a beef cattle field

A fifteen foot high rock pyramid

(Photo does no justice)

The Kings River at a low crossing

Some cool boulders -- perfect for a picnic or sunset

My favorite tree

Brady P. overlooking the valley

That little boy.  He is eating a granola bar, so pardon the messy face.  Aaron took that picture, that's why it looks so good.  Plus, well, Braeden makes everything look better.

How about some fauna?

Aaron and Brady P. calling the cows

Horses at sunset

Not pictured are the turkey vultures that consistently circle the skies.  Or the lovely birds of prey that sit in the trees after a rain.  Or the deer that scamper out of site when our family crests the hills in the side-by-side.

That's kind of the jist, really.  This area is rural, hilly and quiet.  I would come back here next winter for sure...  Don't judge!

New Favorite Season

I sit in the same room as I did when I wrote my last post.  Somewhere lost in the woods of northwest Wisconsin.

Since then, I have been to Copper Harbor, Central Wisconsin, Portland Oregon, Bend Oregon, Eastern Wisconsin, Marquette Michigan, Copper Harbor and back to these woods at Grammy and Grampy Rogers' house.  All those adventures with a one-and-a-half year old.  All while trying to enjoy our time to the fullest wherever we were.  And, well, getting sick a few times. 

So, yes.  I miss you.  There you are, in all your glory.  Here is mine.

This spring in Copper Harbor was amazing.  People often ask me what my favorite time of year is, and I always tell them that it's whichever time it is at the moment or whichever time the weather is reeling in next.  But now I have a new answer, and this one might hold true for some time.

It's those moments I can spend with my little guy, my husband and my friends outside.  Out in the sunshine with no jacket.  Out in the woods with no bugs.  Out on my front porch with no tourists (no offense).  It's that time when we crawl out of our long winter cocoon and stretch our butterfly wings, noticing how our new colors sparkle in the seemingly brighter sun (that's a fancy way to say "get sunburned").

But really, it's the best time!  It's short -- four weeks at most -- but we enjoyed it thoroughly.  Let me show you how!

An ice alligator head on Hunter's Point in early April!

A fresh baby turtle by Lake Manganese

My friend Annele and I watch this turtle in awe for, geez, an hour or so.  We speculated its origin, watched it get from here to there and wondered where it would end up.  We even got a video of this little munchkin going for what may have been its first swim.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TURTLE SWIM!

Manitou Island on the horizon during our anniversary ride to High Rock

Lots of fishermen at the mouth of Fanny Hooe Creek

I do have to apologize because there was lots more worthwhile stuff that my brain fails to recall at the moment.  I remember the thought often going through my brain, I should tell all my readers to come up here right now because it's so heavenly.

But, of course, I didn't, and now the blackflies and mosquitoes are out.  Oh, no!  I mean, no they're not!  It's still heavenly.  Come anytime.  Wink.  What?  It's probably more peaceful than most places in the country.

I do have a few pictures to show from Oregon also.  

B and me out at the Pacific Ocean!

Then on our family drive to Bend, we went through a couple mountain passes.  The scenery was gorgeous.  At one time we had big desert rock to the left and a mountain range to the right.  However, I was not a very good tourist, and I couldn't figure out what those formations were called.  Anyone?

Rock up high to the left

Mountain to the right

That snowy mountain is smack dab in the middle of the shot.  Can you see it?  I can't say pictures through moving car windows are that great, but it's better then nothing!

Oregon was beautiful.  I'm a sucker for the green lushness of the world.  And water.  And huge blooming flowers.  Well, it was full of that, so I was giddy.

Now here's one thing in Copper Harbor that made me giddy.  Well, one that I actually remember.  I got to mountain bike the start of the Keweenaw Point Trail.  I don't get out on my mountain bike much.  I have to coordinate with a babysitter, and that's more work than putting all that bike gear on.  But I finally rode the KPT.  It was so fun, and now I'm addicted.  But having withdrawls of course.  Oh, that reminds me.  I have some news for you.

Starting mid-June our little family will get to be together in Copper Harbor for most of the summer.  Plus we will have Gramma Rogers with us.  WHAT?!?!  A live-in nanny?  I think this just might be the best summer ever!

Sparkling, Rushing Water

Hello!

Except for today, it's definitely springtime.

But that makes sense -- the today thing.  You know that saying that includes, "Red in the morning, sailors take warning?"  This morning, when B woke me up, I looked out the window to a spectacular sunrise.  Oh, man.  Red and magenta beamed from the sky.  I considered taking a picture, but the power lines were in it, and pictures just never do it justice. 

In general, though, the weather has been sunny and pleasant.  My cheeks are getting rosy from getting out pretty much everyday!  Here are some highlights.

April 12th, I believe, the ice left the harbor.  She was all open and sparkling like a freshly opened bottle of champagne in the sunset.  I don't know which is better.  Wink.  Here is proof!

Open water from Third Street Dock

The waterfalls are pretty great right now.  Well, I'm assuming they are.  I've only been to Manganese Falls so far, but it was sweet!  Here's a video from Friday, April 17th.

It's always enchanting there when the sound is loud, the air is wet and the ground turns green and woody.  I love to watch the mist suspended above the rushing water.  Surreal, you know?

Another cool thing about that day was that I got to go there with three other friends.  Kind of cool how our little group hike randomly came together for a magical experience.  We got up to Lake Manganese and the serenity continued.  At the mouth near the creek leading to the falls, we paused (mostly because the bridge was no longer adhered) and chatted away.  Who did we scare up?

At least 200 geese.

A fraction of the geese on Lake Manganese

Suddenly they flew east past us in many different V (and some not-so-V) formations.  We stood there in awe.  "Woah," exhaled from all of our bodies.  These geese then circled back west and east and west again.  Then we watched them land on the southwest end where they must have took off from.  

Silly humans, riling up the peaceful geese.

People must be coming up to see the falls because I feel like there are more people around than usual this time of year.  Usually it's just us local folk.  But people who come up this time of year often don't have high expectations for a little town that's half shut down.

I knock on wood as I say this, but I seem to be getting this mom thing under control.  Nap times are somewhat on a schedule.  Solid foods help the boy sleep longer.  We have not had a medical emergency in a month.  Life is good!

What's my point?  Well, don't hold me to this, but I hope that this may be the beginning of a break for me.  A break in favor of my writing.  I miss it so much, and even this blog helps me feel like a whole person again.  

So I hope you enjoyed this post with actual media besides my rambling words.  And stay tuned because I have some news for you...

Spring Somewhere Else

Boy, am I glad I left when I did.  While I was gone, Copper Harbor got more snow.  However, all evidence of that was gone by the time I got back.  Also, in ND and WI, I had three days of hanging out outside in short sleeves!  Talk about rejuvenation.  That was the ticket.

I haven't been out of the U.P. for quite a few months, so a variation of landscape, economy and dialect was much appreciated.  My parents' gardens are already blooming with a variety of flowers and vegetables.  The grass is so green and lush, I almost rolled around in it.  The North Dakota fields are black and wet.  And guess what I found on a little walk not far from my parents' house: a variety of blooming wildflowers!

The first one I spotted was the trillium -- a species I have yet to find in the Keweenaw.  I bet it's around somewhere, probably south of da Harbor.

A bouquet of trilliums

And I found some spring beauties.  Another one I don't see much of in da Harbor.

Spring beauties

And I found what I would think is an anemone, but I couldn't find the exact match in my Michigan Wildflower books.  Somewhere between the wood and the rue anemone according to the leaves.

An anemone of some sort

I also saw this little bugger that intrigued my mom and me.  Any Ideas?  The umbrella-like leaf got up to 6" in diameter on some plants.  What a neat specimen!

An, um, brella plant?

Spring wildflowers are special because they contrast so well against the brown leaves and remnants of last year.  Finding these plants was definitely a highlight of the trip.  I can't help it.  It makes me tick.

Let's go back to ND; I want to share some of their culture with you.  We mostly hung out in Hankinson, where the birthday party/reunion was held.  It's a small town where everybody knows everybody.  But they know the value of hard work, and they are down to earth.  I liked it.

They also have lots of railroads.  Here is a picture of one of the trains hauling 103 vessels of crude oil from the fracking lands.

One of many trains in ND

This picture is conveniently taken by, shall I guess, a corn mill?  It looks like those big silos would hold corn or some other widely harvested grain.  That was also a common site in the flat farmlands, along with the fields themselves.  It was neat to see how that is such the lifestyle there.  I never took it all in throughout my years there like I did on this trip.

And here's an example of a big agricultural machine.  I couldn't believe how big something with only one wheel in the front can be!

Big farm equipment!

I laughed at myself as I took pictures of their everyday life.  Yes, I was a tourist!

And now I'm back.  Of my time away, I spent 26 hours in the backseat with a large black dog.  Good thing I love the snot out of him.  He's a good travel buddy.

While I was gone, I figured two things would happen.  One, the Queen IV would return.  She did.  Safe and sound, and she already took her maiden voyage to the Island!  Two, I thought the bell buoy would return.  Nope.  Just fog horns on the Big Lake today.  I'll keep an eye out for that bloat, though.

Otherwise, more snow has melted, and more plants are budding out!  Somebody took a picture of hepatica from this spring, -- probably the first native wildflower to blossom here -- but I have yet to see it myself.  Today started so rainy that I didn't get out yet.  But I hear you can drive over Brockway Mountain now.  Probably up to Manganese Falls too.  See, that list of "Can't Do's" is getting shorter already!

Here's to a big weekend!  Here we go again...

Aaaaaaaaaalleluia!

Finally, those three little words I've been waiting for.

"Spring is here."

I know it's for real this time.  The open water on the harbor, the almost all melted snow, the mostly all days above 35 degrees, the budding trees and bushes, the greening grass and the peepers don't lie.

Yesterday evening, I walked around a new town.  It was still da Harbor, but more neon lights were on in business windows.  People were out burning brush from their now snow-free lawns.  The sunset turned the skies pink and orange, reflecting off the open water.  And the peepers, oh the spring peepers, were chirping in the wetlands.

I literally stopped in my tracks to take it all in.  I've waited so long for this moment to come.  Sooooo long.  You've witnessed my internal struggle.  And now victory is here.  The seasons have changed.  I feel like a new woman.

Even though the entire day today was cold, rainy and dark, I still know it's springtime.  You can't go back now, Mother Nature.  Even one freak snowstorm will melt quickly, so save it for November.

Here's a moment for you to bask in.  Thursday night we got a loud, relentless thunderstorm.  It rained all night.  So Friday morning, when I descended my porch, I saw the most amazing sight.  But I didn't believe it at first, so I rode my bike down to the Harbor Haus dock.  Low and behold, this is what I saw.

First day of open water since...

I feel like I've been crossing the lake to Porter's Island since January.  Now I can kayak there!  And guess what else is nearly all open.  Lake Fanny Hooe!!!  The water level is above the ground there in some spots.  Oh, man.  This is all so exciting!

And remember the Fort Wilkins sign from just a few weeks ago?  NO SNOW around it!  None!  The remaining snow is mostly hiding in the cedar swamps or on the north side of buildings.  The day when I took that picture above, I was so hot in a t-shirt that I was sweating coming back up the hill.  I think Duce was hot too because he plopped down in one of our two remaining snowbanks to cool off.  I laughed.

For water birds so far, I have seen geese, buffleheads, mallards and even a loon.  All out on the open harbor.  Here's a pic of the geese and buffleheads, though they are a bit hard to make out.  They're those white specs in the middle, I promise.

Waterfowl and The Gap

Perhaps you know that old church song that repeats the word "Alleluia" several times with gusto.  I've had that one in my head ever since I saw that the harbor was open.  It's a whole new world, and it changes every day.  Here's another example.

Snow chunks in a reflective harbor

That picture was taken Sunday evening.  And today, the waves are choppy from the wind.  Changes everyday, I tell ya.  Cuz if it doesn't, we get bored and ornery.

Now perhaps you're thinking, "Amanda, did you get pictures of anything besides the water on the Harbor?"  Well, I did find one: this charming little creature that I don't ever remember seeing before.  Do you know what it is?  It looked very fuzzy, but I dared not touch it.  It's on the sidewalk, so it's only as big as the pebbles in the cement.

The mysterious red bug

I just couldn't believe how red it was!  Let me know if you are an entomologist and can identify this critter.

Other than that, Memorial Weekend is two weeks away.  Holy buckets!  While that three-day weekend means different things to different people (though it really has a purpose), to Copper Harbor it means "Here we go again!"  The tourists start to arrive more and more each weekend until they are a mind-numbing mass 24/7.  I mean that in the nicest way possible.  Wink.

I have a couple surprises for you about this summer.  It's going to be a good one, so stay tuned for those.

For now, though, let's concentrate on Memorial Weekend and how exciting it's going to be for visitors. Here are some of the perks:

1) All the businesses will be open (well, except the Berry Patch), so you can eat, stay and shop at all your favorite local places!

2) The Copper Harbor Trails Club is putting on its annual Ride the Keweenaw biking weekend.  Click the link for more details on that.

3) The Copper Harbor Improvement Association is hosting a town-wide rummage sale.  Maps will most likely be available at the Welcome Center, so you can locate all the people who have goods to peddle.

4) Fingers crossed on this one, but Touring the Tip, my Copper Harbor adventure guidebook will be available locally in stores!  This baby is a must-have for curious visitors and locals who want to confidently navigate the area.  I will add a link to this line and my blog when the web page is complete.  So pumped for this -- book number two for this girl!

Just an update that next week I'll be in Wisconsin and North Dakota.  I will probably have weather shock, but I am prepared.  On a personal note, my last surviving grandparent, Grandma Gert O'Meara just turned 95 years old, so I get to visit her in ND.  I haven't been there in years!

But enough jibber jabber for now.  I hope to see you up here soon!

The Can's and Can't Do's of Springtime

So in the last post I was all "nobody is here."  Well, this past weekend was Michigan Technological University's graduation.  Congrats to them.  That is a tough school.

I forgot this bit of information while driving South to Houghton on that Sunday evening.  Imagine my shock when I saw a) an absurd amount of traffic traveling northbound for this time of year, and b) over half the vehicles were not from Michigan.  Lots from Texas, actually.  I was thinking, "What the heck do these people think they're going to do in Copper Harbor right now???"

And that is the question.

What can you, or any other visitor do right now in Copper Harbor?  Here is a list of those activities.

Can Do:

• Drive to Jacob's Falls, Haven Falls and Eagle River Falls
• Hike through snow treachery to Manganese Falls and Montreal Falls
• Sit somewhere and watch the raptors and other birds migrate
• Go for a not really snowshoe/not really hike
• Ride a bicycle on the highways
• Watch for freighters
• Fish the open water at creek and river mouths
• Watch tulips start to pop up from the dirt
• Get drunk at Zik's and The Mariner and Brickside Brewery
• Stare out at the Big Lake and sing ice melting songs

Now I really had to dig into my brain to beef that up.  Guess there's more to do than I originally thought.  You'll need some winter gear.  And the bugs are not out. 

But the falls are awesome.  I hiked up to Manganese's just the other day.  Here are some shots from the top down.

The first drop

The big drop back in the crevasse

The last drop from above

That last drop in the background from the bridge

 

Finally, some action.  You know, I thought this was going to be a great year for falls because of all the snow that has to melt.  Well, it's melting so slowly that nothing is too catastrophic.  I suppose that's okay because last year lots of bridges got wiped out from the fast, heavy melt.  But then, the falls were even more awesome.

As for migratory birds, I've had some cuties in my back yard picking away.  I've seen hawks circling the skies.  The robins are back.  And there are all sorts of other birds to speak of, but I am a wildflower nut who doesn't really know all her birds.  I'm just sitting here waiting for something to bloom.

Now hear this.  There are some things you can NOT do up here right now.  Either because it's impossible, illegal or dangerous.  Here's that list. 

Can't Do:

• Mountain Bike
• Drive over Brockway Mountain
• Drive up Manganese Road
• Ice fish (unless you know otherwise)
• Cross the harbor's bay to Porter's Island (even I won't do it)
• Cross-Country Ski
• Golf
• And everything that involves flora, of course

I may have missed some things, but hey, I'm more of an optimist, so I concentrate on the "can do's" of life.

Oh.  Check out these mushrooms.  I have spotted fresh mushrooms now in three different places.  That sounds like spring to me!

Stump fungus!

I had to poke them just to make sure they were from this year.  Yup.  Cool, moist and squishy.

For some updated business information.  The Pines is now open for breakfast and lunch and evenings at Zik's.  The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge will reopen this Friday, May 9th.  I hear they'll have live music that night.  It's May now, people.  Things are on the upswing.

Woah, May?  That was fast...

Freighters, Open Water and Deer

I'm a day late and a buck short.  Pretend it's Monday.  No.  Don't.  Monday never makes anyone feel better.

I've neglected to realize the beauty of this season.  Sure it's still cold enough to wear long johns and hats.  Sure the snowbanks linger and loom.  But you know what?  

Nobody is here.

Those snowmobile engines seldom echo from Brockway Mountain.  I know almost every car that goes by.  I don't really need to look before I cross the highway.  Sure there's not much for businesses open, but that's okay because there's not really anyone to patronize.

Ah, spring.  Snowbanks or not.  It's still spring, and it's so peaceful.

The most commotion lately has been about the freighters.  They're busy transporting again.  I can't say conditions are desirable.  Lake Superior is still 60% covered in ice averaging 5 feet in thickness.  The cargo ships are using caution, as they often send an icebreaker first, followed by a convoy of ships.  Here's an example from last week, when we saw a train of them pass in the sunshine.

Six ships passed in the 5-mile shipping lane

Yesterday, since the winds were so strong from the east, Duluth Harbor was stacked with ice.  The freighters en route must have anchored to wait it out.  Here's one that was in front of The Gap for the better part of the day.

A spinning freighter seen through The Gap yesterday

So it wasn't spinning like a bottle in Spin the Bottle, but it wasn't gaining any ground, and it was usually pointed in a different direction when one would look out at it.  It left before I checked on it today.

As for the rest of the days this past week, well, I'm not sure when they all occurred, but I have pictures from them!

Perhaps Saturday I went snowshoeing to Hunter's Point.  I saw the open water, and I was beckoned.  Now I'm just going to say this.  Snowshoeing is terrible right now.  One minute you need them, the next minute you don't because you're walking over rocks and bridges.  Even when I did need them, the ground was so uneven that I kept sliding in the snow.  I honestly felt like it was my first time on snowshoes -- I was that awkward!  But Duce felt the same, so we could sympathize with each other.

I did finally make it to the Hunter's Point beach.  Then I saw the Lake.  Now I'm a believer.

Open water ho!

I know.  It still just looks like a tiny strip of blue out there.  Way out past all the other solid ice.  Yeah.  That's just what it is, though.

H.P. beach view to the northeast

This beach picture pretty much shows why snowshoeing should be left until next winter.  Now you need 'em.  Now you don't!  Oy!

While we're somewhat on the topic of open water, guess where I saw some yesterday: The Portage Canal!  Nearly the whole area under the Lift Bridge is open.  It was awesome to watch the waves yesterday.  But don't get too excited about that because looking east and west in the canal, it still has some thawing to do before a vessel could pass through.

Guess what else I saw in Houghton.  Oh, man, I almost peed my pants: Crocuses!!!  There they were with their little yellow and purple petals amongst the daffodils that just shot out their shoots.  I look at my daffodil patch here and just see soil.  But it's better than snow!

On an actual sunny day, I went to check out the mouth of Fanny Hooe Creek, which I heard was open.  Sure enough, she was, and still is.

Duce and some duck in the mouth of Fanny Hooe

And here we are upstream on the highway bridge, looking toward Lake Fanny Hooe.  She's starting to swell!

Fanny Hooe Creek

We may as well get all our Fanny's in a row.  Here's the infamous sign.  Now a visitor can truly tell where they are.

The Fort Wilkins sign for comparison

On another sunny day a few friends and I took a cruise to Eagle River.  I must tell you.  The food at Fitzgerald's is quite amazing, and their beverage selection is unrivaled.  They are located right on the lake, and have a great perspective for sunsets.

Plus, we always go by the deer yard.  That day, we brought them some apples.  They were ecstatic!

Eagle River deer eating apples

They would get into fights over these apples, let me tell ya.  But from what I saw, no blood was shed.

Another cool thing about Eagle River is the waterfalls (Jacob's and Eagle River).  If it warms up just a bit more (like maybe to 50 degrees) with sun, they will be primo.  But they're not bad now, if you're jonesing.  Still better than they will  be in August!

So life is good.  And peaceful.  I'll leave you with a picture of the sun behind the clouds from yesterday.  What?  I thought it looked cool.

The sun still shines behind the clouds

A New Spring in My Step

If someone blindfolded you, drove you to Copper Harbor, cloaked you in only a light jacket, set you in the middle of Highway 41 in front of the General Store, then took off your blindfold, you would be surprised at the large snow drifts before you.  And everywhere else around you.  Today and yesterday, for the most part, were gorgeous, sunny and warm (relative ~ 50 degrees, maybe?).

The snowbanks are currently melting.  And draining.  And going back to the lake from where they came!  My plan is working perfectly.

However, it wasn't all sunshine and melty banks all week.  The latest blizzard started Wednesday night, and went through most of Thursday.  Aaron and I had to drive to Houghton for a meeting.  Here is the Covered Stretch at about 1:00 pm on Thursday.

Highway 41 in Thursday's blizzard

April 17th, 2014.  Still want to live in Copper Harbor?  Oh, yeah.  Not in the winter.  Or spring.

The following day showed a nice sunset, though.

Sunset after the storm

What's that?  A sunset picture over the lake would be better?  You're telling me.  Hopefully I'll get out there again sometime when the sun looks all lavish.

In the mean time, you're stuck with this Fort Wilkins sign I promised you.  I believe that today, it's a tad lower then when this picture was taken (between the 14" of snow and now), but it's close.  And hopefully it will be lower yet the next time.

Ye old Fort sign, grinning and baring it

For Easter, I took three of my four-legged friends (cuz they're the only ones that will hang out with me) up to Manganese Falls.  The last couple times I was there, I got skunked, so I wasn't expecting much for rushing volume.

On our way up Trail 134/Manganese Road I realized that it's going to be a snow trail for quite a while yet.  Look at all that snow on the road still!

Snow-covered Manganese Road... still

We saw some cool icicles hanging in the moss.

Icicles in the mossy rock

We didn't even get passed by any snowmobilers.  Imagine that.

Also on the way up something new happened.  I was so hot that I had to take my jacket off!  Outside without a jacket since probably early November -- what a treat!  It was truly glorious.

And then I heard it.  The falls.  So loud I could hear them before I crested the hill!

We perched as close to the edge of the top of the falls as we could to see what we could see.  With all those cedars casting shadows, I could barely make out the moving parts, still mostly under snow.  And the darkness made my pictures turn out terribly, so I will spare you that.  At least it sounded refreshing!  I can't wait to go back!

Oh, and I saw Jacob's Falls yesterday as well, on the way to Eagle River.  It was doing pretty well.  Probably triple since the last time I saw it!

I also caught a shot of The Gap between Hunter's Point and Porter's Island.  The ice is still at least 2 feet thick on the Harbor.  People are even out ice fishing yet.  It's a bit slushy out there, but I'll have to get out to Porter's another time yet, so I can check out that lane of open ice on the Big Lake.  I believe it's for the freighters to cross.  Man, are they having a heck of a time this year.  Have you been keeping up with that fiasco?  I'm glad I don't have reservations to be on Isle Royale in early May.  How would I even get there???

Holy cow, look at the train of thought in that last paragraph.  I didn't even show you that gap picture yet.  Please forgive me.  Here it is.

The Gap

It may look a bit puddly, but it's crossable.  And ice for quite a ways out after that.

I think the end of winter is in sight, my friend.  Probably not going to be a swim-in-Lake-Superior kind of summer, but the berries should be juicy!  I am pumped to see some colors around here.  But the forecast doesn't show much more than high 30's for max temps.  Better than earthquakes, I guess!