Snowing and Blowing

Ha!  I knew the arbutus threat would work.  Just hours after I posted about searching for springtime flowers, it snowed.  And snowed and snowed and snowed!  I shoveled twice the first day it started and three times the second day it continued.  

It was all mostly fluff, however.  We call it champagne snow because you can blow on it, and it just poofs into the air.  We were hoping it would settle a bit, but today is soooooo cold!  Weather Underground says it "feels like" -17 F with windchill.  These are not UP temps!

With winds from the WNW at 25 mph, I'd love to sail across Lake Fanny Hooe again, but I want to keep my nose, fingers and toes!  (Look at me being sensible for once.)  I have been scouting the ice out there and watching the wind because lots more people want to parachute across with us.  Maybe it's because that Para-sledding video made the TV6 News out of Marquette!  I don't know who put it on there, but that just makes it that much more exciting for us!

So far it's snowing on and off today.  If you would like to keep a detailed eye on the snow up here, I have added John Dee's website to my "Harbor Links" on the left column.  Go to his snowfall report and check out his other weather stats.  He is on it!

Thus far Mount Bohemia is predicted to open January 25th.  Feel free to visit their link on the left if you are interested.  I'm ready to shred some pow.

Oh, and with this snow, a few friends and I wend sledding down Brockway Mountain Drive.  You know, that first steep curve on the way up from Copper Harbor?  Yeah, you can really get rippin' down there.  Good thing I figured out how to steer the sled!  Now we just need windshields, so we don't have to squeegee our faces on the way down.

If this snow keeps up, we just might have a real winter!  Keep your fingers crossed.

Para-Sledding

We got creative indeed.

THE SCENE: Lake Fanny Hooe, frozen over.  Gusts up to 40 mph from the west.

THE PROPS: Two plastic sleds tied together at the front.  A parachute.

THE TESTERS: Photographer Steve Brimm.  Writer Amanda Wais.

This is what ensued...

Otherwise, it looks like spring outside.  The temps are supposed to cool right down, but if they don't, I'm going to look for trailing arbutus and hepatica flowers!

Cell Tower Diversion

Drip, drip, drip.  That is what my roof is doing.  

My heart goes out to the business owners around here.  This sunshine and warming temps are killing the economy.  Not much more than the locals are around to partake.  For the commerce, I hope we got lots of snow soon.

For me, I can deal.  I always find something to do outside.  So far, it isn't making a snow fort, but hiking and jogging will suffice.  Some of us antsy locals are starting to get creative as well.  I'll let you know what we come up with!

So's not to linger over things I have no control over, let me tell you about something new you will see when you visit here in the summer or fall (or heck, right now, if you like to watch snow melt!).

Cell phone towers.

You will see the first one as you drive north on Hwy. 41 at the Delaware Mine sign.  It's on your left.

The Delaware tower just before it was finished

During the last couple days of their construction, I visited the site to get some shots of the action.

Notice the long pulley on the left.

That part is going up.

Hoisting the pulley to the top

The boys lay out the cable for the orange gin pole

which attaches to the pulley and shimmies up the tower

Its lights are blinking, but it will be transmitting in the spring.  The structure is standing tall and proud at 285 feet.

The construction crew was here for a few weeks in November.  Since they were the only non-residents around at that time, and they were good-hearted lads, we adopted them.  Some folks were sad to see them go.  I bet they are glad to be back in the warmth of the southland.

The second tower is shorter.  You know that left hand curve just before you get to Lake Medora where you realize you are going a little too fast?  It's there on your right.  I am not sure if this one is transmitting yet, but its red lights are on.

As far as I know, neither one of these will bring cell phone reception to da Harbor.  Remember the Brockway tower dispute?  Officials are still searching for another location for the Copper Harbor tower.  I'll let you know when that one goes up.  Maybe our southern boys will come back to assemble it!

Dreaming of a White 2013

The snow is still confused about where to land.  Chances are, you may have gotten more snow since Christmas that da Harbor has.  Not even a full inch down in town.  But scoot up the hill to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, and they have six fluffy inches!

The ice is nice, though.  Not for skating, but traversing and ice fishing.  Medora, Manganese and Fanny Hooe are all walkable... at least the parts I tried!  *Note: always use extreme caution when walking out onto the ice as conditions may shift over time.  I am the one to talk.  I do use cation, but I also take my chances.  I'm living and learning!

I saw a little spot of sunshine this morning.  Just enough to perk me right up and stick my face out in it. It's so glorious, and such a welcome sight, that I can't resist.  It's a wonder how we can go for so many days without a shadow or sparkle outside.  When it hits, we notice it.  Otherwise, here's to another Vitamin D3!

So, yeah, I've been hiking in the woods.  Still.  Not many other options right now.  We have had some snowmobilers in town, but I haven't gotten to ask how the trial conditions are.

Since I don't have any good pictures of snow to show for this winter, how about a picture from the archives!

Snowstorm of February 2008

That's a cabin on the left!

Wishful thinking for 2013!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Mainland!

I'm back where I belong.  Safe and sound.  Hello Keweenaw!

There are some things I will miss about Hawai'i, though.  Here are a few:

- Being able to have a beach day any day

- Eating fresh, local fruit, veggies, beef and fishies

- The bright colors of the flowers and the lush green of the trees

- The aquaness of the ocean

- Pronouncing the Hawai'ian words in their 12 letter alphabet

- The evening sounds of the frogs and other bugs

- Keeping all the windows open all the time (unless the rain comes in sideways!)

- The mountains and valleys

Sunset from the top of Mauna Kea

- Rainbows!

This is quite Hawai'i

But home definitely has its perks as well.  The first one I noticed?  Crisp, cool, fresh air.  Breathe it in, baby!

The winter is nothing to brag about here yet.  The winds keep blowing from the north over Lake Superior, tumbling the waves.  The snow is only 2 inches of crust.  Lake Medora is mostly frozen over with snow on top.  Fanny Hooe has a couple inches of ice as well.  It has potential for skating if the ice gets thicker before the snow hits!

And it's the holidays, so we have to be ready for a party almost every night!  This is a great community.  The kinship (and hardship) of the locals is a feeling I have found unmatched no matter where I have been.  It is the first thing that Aaron and I noticed that made us want to call this home.  It certainly is.

May your holiday season be merry and bright.  May your heart be filled with peace and joy. May you remember why you are fortunate when you are around those you love.  And if you're alone, remember why you are a gift!

MELE KALIKIMAKA!

Tropical Excursions

I had a couple once-in-a-lifetime events this week.  Things I never thought I would do, not even in Hawai'i.  

The first was a snorkel at Pu'uhonau o Honaunau National Historic Park (aka Two Step).  It's south of Kona off of Highway 11.  Popular spot, and I can see why.  We snorkeled at Kiholo Bay last week, but sight distance was limited due to fresh water mixing with salt water and dark clouds.  This day's adventures were taken in the sunshine and clear water.

I felt so amazing swimming with these fish.  There's nothing quite like it.  I could tell they were used to people.  They just went about their business, eating off the coral.

Since I do not have the technology to record what I saw, I found someone on youtube who did.  Thank you itchykat!

See someone else's video here.

That's pretty much what I saw.  A few other types of fish as well.  One of the coolest parts of being in there was floating between rock crests.  The waves would break above me and toss me around with their current.  Thank goodness for flippers!

Yesterday was an adventure of a lifetime.  Kilauea Mountain is active on the island, and lava is running down into the ocean.  We started a hike at 3 am over hardened lava to get to the fresh flow.  

Three year old lava flow... our terrain in the dark

We hiked for two miles to the ocean's edge, where neither one of them seem to mind each other's presence.  The lava flowed in bright orange, and the waves crashed over it.  Hawai'i gets bigger as this outpouring expands, and it gets smaller as these massive chunks crack and fall into the ocean.

Here is a video as I walked over it.  Don't worry, Mama and Papa!  I survived!

And here is an awesome one that Aaron shot.  I have never seen anything like this before.  It was hot!

As the sun came up, we were able to see the terrain we were on beyond our headlight range.  That in itself was an awakening experience.  I know a guy who gives great tours if you ever want to go!

Besides that, I have some neat pictures of rainforest trees.  Enjoy!

Aloha!

Hawaiian Time

Are you ready for this?  

Aaron and I are on our long-awaited honeymoon.  We are staying with his brother, Adam and his wife, Julie (bless their hearts) in Laupahoehoe on the big island.  Let me tell you about the typical parts of the day.

We get up with the sunrise, approximately 6:30 am.  We put on some cool, colorful clothes since it's going to be 80 degrees.  We go out into the yard and raid the fruit trees.

Starfruit, a favorite

Pomellos, like grapefruit!

Best lemons I've ever had

I got to cut some bananas to ripen on the porch

Pretty pink flowers (I don't eat them)

Then Adam and Julie take us on an adventure!  We get home, eat, and I write about the day's adventures.  As darkness falls, guess what we hear.  Spring peepers!  I guess they have a different name here, but let me tell you, it sounds like Clyde's field to me!  That is certainly a welcome sound.

Now let me show you where we've been in the order we went.

Akaka Falls (We were still pretty white!)

Banyan Trees

Lots of sharks at Shark Bay

Hiking to Kiholo Bay for snorkeling

Swimming at Kua Beach was fricken awesome!

Inside a lava cave north of Kona on Highway 19

Help!!!

Pink flowers near Waipi'o Valley

What?  I love pink flowers

Our descent into Pololu Valley

(Don't ask me about the hike back up)

The hills and flora of Pololu

And the crab, of course

A drive down Highway 200 "Saddle Road"

Entering active volcano area!

Two different lava flows from Kilauea

The lava took out the old road!

A whole new shore formed from this lava

The only trees we saw in this whole area

The lava took out the new road too!

The Kilauea Crater, still smokin'

A view from the top of the ridge

Aaron enjoying our hike to the crater

A purple fiddlehead!

The lava spurted from that reddish hole in the middle

I wanted to take a piece of Kilauea with me,

but Pele would curse me

Can you see the steam rising from this crater?

The sun behind the sulfur cloud

And the Kilauea Crater glowing at night

On our way to South Point

The trees grow into the constant wind

A video of the tide pool at South Point

Our desert hike to Green Sand Beach

Two miles later... Green Sand Beach!

The green sand formed from lava

Then we made it back to South Point, the southern most point in the U.S., where Aaron and Adam jumped off the 40 foot cliff into the ocean.  Not me, boy!

Aaron takes the plunge

Turtle resting area.

Shhh!  They're sleeping!

That's pretty much it so far.  I'll spare you any jibber jabber.  This took me long enough!  Aloha!