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!

The Refreeze

Today is the first day I have not been able to sing the Snowbank Song in over a week.  It's snowing, and the wind stings my face.  The puddles have turned to ice.

But on the warmer days, I got out to check on a couple things.

One day I went out with my friend Bryce and our dogs.  We went to Porter's Island because he's never been there before!  I knew he would like the blue ice formation.  Here's an action shot of him and his pup (Bryce, I hope I have your permission to post a picture of you on the internet!)

Bryce and Mr. Zi by the ice mound

As I looked to the south, I couldn't believe the wall of dark gray clouds crawling our way.  "Is is supposed to rain today?" I asked.

"I don't know," Bryce said.  "I learned never to watch the weather up here.  Just look outside."  Good answer.

But as you can see by his t-shirt, it wasn't terribly cold that day, so we didn't fret.  I was a little surprised, though, when the rain started as we began our trek back across the lake.  It was kind of an irony: walking across the frozen lake in the rain.  Who knows if I'll ever get to do that again?

Not today.  It's snowing.  Just some flurries, though.  Luckily I haven't heard word of any accumulation.

With all those other sunny, warm days, I thought Manganese Falls might be giving a show by now.  Actually, Aaron thought that.  But a snowshoe to the falls sounded good to Duce and me, so we went.  I didn't even have to put my snowshoes on until we got near Lake Fanny Hooe itself on the JLG Trail.

Then something embarrassingly odd happened.  I was lost.

"Where is the trail?" I asked Duce.  He couldn't find it either.  I knew which way to travel along the lake, but I didn't see what resembled a trail anywhere in the area.  So we bushwhacked.  

Have you ever snowshoed in a forest full of snow that has been melting for days?  Snowshoes don't really work.  Nothing does.  You just sink proportionately to the weight of your body.  I sank down to my knees and thighs in spots.  Ugh.  That was a lot of work. 

Finally, we found the trail.  I was relieved for myself and Duce.  He looked like he was swimming in the snow!  But that relief didn't last long because we sunk in on the trail just like in the middle of the woods!  Holy buckets!  I never experienced that phenomenon before.  Oh, I couldn't wait to see that bridge by the falls.

But before that bridge, I saw the colors in the puddles on Lake Fanny Hooe.  Just like this.

Pretty green and blue ice on Fanny Hooe

Then after a few hundred more grueling steps, we came to the bridge and took a break.  Was the sight worth it?

The bottom of Manganese Falls

It sounded nice, but still pretty snowy under all those cedar trees.

We took a little break, turned around and went back along the snowmobile trail.  The easy way.

Remember that unreadable Fort Wilkins sign from the last post?  Here is is three days after that.

Fort Wilkins is peeking out now!

It's peeking even more today, but I didn't get a picture yet.  We'll save that comparison for the next post (if I remember!).

As I stepped out to bring in some wood today, thankful that we still have some, I experienced a different phenomenon.  The last time I brought in wood, I stepped through snow thigh deep.  In some spots I could barely get my boot back out!  Know what it was like today?  Walking on top of a rock.  This refreeze refroze the snowbanks.  I bet the walk to Manganese Falls would be easy now!

A Slow Transition

Hey there!  I didn't mean to leave you hanging for a week.  In fact, I wrote a blog last Monday, but it did not publish for some reason.  My sincerest apologies.  If you like to read these posts in order, please read that one first.  It under this one.

Otherwise, it's still winter.

Roofs are dripping (it's really "roofs" and not "rooves"???) and puddles have formed in the streets for a few days now.  Yeah, yeah.  That's what I said three weeks ago when I was getting the fever.  Spring Fever!!!

This weekend, a couple of my besties and I snowshoed to Manganese Falls, just to see if it was starting to flow.  It's not.  But the sun was warm and the snow was soft.  Here are a couple pictures.

The bottom of Manganese Falls -- usually dramatic

A wannabe artsy shot of the snowy bridge at the bottom

We did hear some running water, but it was all under the snow.  Give me a few weeks, and I'll be out there again!

Today I snowshoed to Porter's Island with the crew from the Ore Dock Brewery in Marquette.  They all came up to sample beer at the Brickside Brewery the night before.  Beer-lovers seek out good beer.  What else can I say?

I must say, for as many times as I have been to Porter's Island (especially this winter) this time was so different because I went with eight people and six dogs.  Instead of just seeing snow and ice and trees, I saw this:

The crew heading north to Porter's

And though I have taken many pictures of this ice shelf, none of them put it into perspective like this one does. 

North of Porter's along the ice

The wind was whipping from the east, but when we were sheltered, the temperature seemed mild and almost enjoyable.  All the dogs were well-behaved and nobody fell through.  

To the north, we could see vast open water!  Pictures of a greyish-blue strip don't do it justice, so I'll spare you that this time.  But the water is closer than it's been for weeks!  Hooray!

A few places in town are now on seasonal hours.  I know The Pines is closed until some time in May (though they are open on Wednesday nights for the trivia team).  I believe The Tamarack will be closed for most of April as well, so bring your own breakfast to town!  The Mariner opens at 11:00 am each day for lunch and dinner until 8:00 pm at least.  And the General Store is open daily.  So is the Laughing Loon Gift Shop!

So now we just sit and wait for the snow to melt.  On sunny days we chisel tributaries in the ice so the water runs where we want it to go.  On sunny weekends Keweenaw locals drive up on a "cruise."  On warmish days locals hang out in t-shirts trimming up the snow and ice in the yard.  It's a transitional time of year.  Just a slow transition.

Spring will just be that much more precious.  Cheers to that!

Still Making the Best of Winter

*This was supposed to post Monday, March 24th

So, yeah.  It's still really wintery outside.  So cold.  Such high snow banks.  Happy Spring.

Today I walked outside to go to the post office and, I tell ya, if I wasn't able to control my emotions, I probably would have cursed this blasted winter.  But I know better.  It is what it is, and it can stay as long as it, gulp, has to.

I made my peace.

But here's a picture honoring of the first day of Spring!

The Rogers residence under all that white stuff

I did get to have some fun adventures this week.

One day Duce and I snowshoed up Stairway to Heaven to the top of that ridge.  Then we slid down the two ridges on our way back.  Now that's what winter is for: sliding through the snow.  Do it on a sled, skis, snowboard, snowshoes, buttocks, whatever.  Just do it, and winter won't be so spiteful.

Another thing I got to do, that I can only do in the polar vortex of winter is snowshoe to Porter's Island with my buddies!  We had a great time checking out the huge ice formations.  We couldn't see any open water that day, but it has been pretty chilly.  Sorry, but I didn't bring a camera.  I've shown you lots of pictures of that stuff anyway.

For the weekend, my ambitious husband hosted "Superior Gales," a snowkiting event.  Fifteen people came up to ski and snowboard through the harbor itself and Lake Medora.  They had a blast.  I at least got some shots of that!

Resting kites, the shanty and a kiter on the Harbor

Kiter by the lighthouse!  See him?

Grillin' out.  Those boys godda eat!

Though I didn't kite myself (I was way too cold out there), I still got a cheeseburger.  Those boys stayed out until dark and had a bonfire on the ice.  If the ice wasn't at least three feet thick, I would think they were crazy.  Fire melts ice, you know.

It sounds like they all had a good time, and the wind cooperated for the most part, so that helps.  You can't kite without the wind!

What else can I really tell you about?  What are YOU wondering?  Am I missing something here?  Feel free to comment with your inquisitions and suggestions.  I can certainly explore this time of year better than others.

You stay warm now.  Or stay hot, if you live in a tropical climate.  Lucky.

Think Spring

You won't believe what's happening out there right now.  The snow is leaving.  Quickly.

Some is melting and turning the roads and driveways into puddles.  Some is getting cut by big trucks and hauled away by other trucks.  I can see things on my front porch that I realized I forgot to put away last fall.  Perhaps we can grill out soon!

Breathing this fresh air when my nostrils don't stick together is rejuvenating my soul.  There's a light at the end of the tunnel.  A tunnel that I forgot had an end.  Yeah, it was more like a cave.

Spring is coming.  

Guess what that will bring!  Waterfalls!  Ooh, I've got a couple in mind to get to during prime season.  I'll get some videos for you.  But if you can, come on up yourself.  They're always more dramatic in person.  And besides, this town won't be overrun with tourists by then.

Gulp.  I forgot about the tourists.

It's only March.  And this summer will be different.  I can focus on experiencing the splendor around me and writing about it.  Dreams come true.  Fingers crossed.  No, really, can I get a little "good luck" thought here?  Thanks.

So no trips for me this week.  Just out to Porter's Island to watch the ever-opening lake.  Oh, the way she sparkles makes my heart skip a beat.  I saw snowmobiler tracks out there the other day when I walked my Cwyfan friend.

Cwyfan sniffin' snowmobiler tracks on Porter's Island

Yesterday we went to Clyde's field because, oddly enough, we haven't been there in a while.  The snow was heavy like mashed potatoes.  Get me some melted butter and a spoon and I could have eaten my way through the field.  Here's a panoramic shot of the field.  You'll want to click it, so you can see it better.

From Brockway to Stairway in Clyde's Field

And here are the poor cattails in the "pond."

Cattails up to their necks in snow

I bet they are ready for spring too.  With so much snow left to melt, and warmer temps, this could be a messy spring.  Knock on wood, but I'll take it.  I'd like to see some green and rocks.  Here's a somewhat artsy attempt at what Highway 41 looks like going through our town.

Slush on the streets of CH

Yeah, that was a little rocky this morning when it refroze.  But, trials and tribulations of spring.  Don't get me wrong.  I don't think this is the end.  Oh, no.  We'll get another blizzard or two.  Some sloppy rain.  Floods.  Maybe even another ice rink!  Anything can happen here.

I'll keep you posted.  Until then, think spring!

The Blizzard Week

This past week shut the sunshine out behind gray clouds and let in consistent blizzard-like conditions.  Thursday seemed a bit ironic, as we listened to the blizzard warnings and looked out to blue skies... all day.  Before I get into blizzard details, I'll show you some of the pictures I took on Thursday -- the day before the blizzard struck.

That day I went out to Aaron and Allan's ice fishing shanty.  It sits at the mouth of Fanny Hooe Creek in the harbor.  If you've driven by there, you've probably seen it.  From there I snowshoed along the shore.  I caught a glimpse of this seldom seen sight.

A range light on the winter shore

Carrying on, I thought you might like to see the terrain I was walking on -- especially with Brockway in the background.

Uneven harbor snow terrain and Brockway Mountain

Along my travels, I saw a few glassy ice thingies that let the sun shine through.  I don't think it magnified the sun, though.  If it did, there would have been a hole where the snow melted.  Wouldn't that be something!

A window of ice

I guess I should tell you that my goal was to hike to Porter's Island and check out the lake to the north.  I heard rumors that there was open water in the distance, and I had to see for myself.  

I'm not going to lie.  The Big Lake just doesn't have the same effect when it's covered in snow and ice like the rest of the world.  I wanted to see some sparkling blue waves.

But before I got there, I saw a work of art that the snow uncovered.  Yes!  Put a little color in the day!

Lichen uncovered by the sun and wind

You know how it's really fun to take the South Beach Trail of Hunter's Point all the way to the point, then see your first glance of Lake Superior once you're out there?  That's what I tried to do that day.  I didn't want to look up too far, so that when I saw her open waters, I would be high atop Porter's Island.

That turned out not to be much of a challenge.  I was already on this shelf of Porter's, and I still couldn't see any water.

Another plate of glassy ice

 See what that shelf is made of in the picture above?  Bumpy ice.  That's what I got to climb to get to the top of the shelf of Porter's to take the picture below.

Open water waaaaaay on the horizon

I can't say that I was disappointed at how far away the water was.  And that I didn't see any waves.  Or that I couldn't even look at it for very long because the high winds seemed to blow right through me.  No.  It was marvelous to see a little bit of Her Majesty without all her winter layers on.   It gave me hope that spring will still come.

But not yet, as the blizzard reminded us.

So, this blizzard.  It was all over the news.  The Weather Channel people even came to Houghton to check it out.  "Over a foot of snow!"  "50 mph gusts and sustained winds!"  "All schools closed for Friday!"  "Stay in your houses!"  "Do not go anywhere!"  And so on.  

I remember the last time they predicted an actual system blizzard like this.  It was maybe 4 years ago.  It had all the same predictions.  And the next day, when we all looked out of our windows, it turned out to be a bust.  "I'll believe it when I see it," is always my motto.

This year was a little different.  I looked out the window Friday morning to see about 5 inches of snow.  But it wasn't the fluffy snow like we've been getting.  The warmer temperatures turned it into cement snow.  It would have easily been a foot of fluff.

Then, get this.  The winds have been blowing hard all the way until now.  They are still blowing nearly 20 mph.  This created drifts of monster proportions.  People's doors, vehicles and driveways were buried.  And here's the biggest doozy: M-26, near Great Sand Bay, was closed for four days due to 12 foot drifts.  FOUR DAYS!  Those poor people (and yes, people live there) were probably stranded.  At least they have a good story to tell!

According to Jeff at the Gas Lite, the Farmer's Almanac says that once March hits, this snow is all going to melt from 70 degrees and sunshine.  If that happens, we'll have floods and raging waterfalls.  I'll let you know how that goes... it's almost March!

The Big Lake Taught Me about Geology and Death

Don't let the word "Geology" make you think this post is going to be anything short of a near-death experience.

It only took a week for the rest of Lake Superior to freeze over.  This NOAA link shows you lots of graphics about ice thickness and even more things that I really don't understand.  But after venturing out to Porter's Island a couple days ago, I now understand a bit more about how land formations form and shift.

I don't know why I didn't think of snowshoeing out to Porter's Island before.  I mean, I even skated to it this winter.  As I beelined from the Harbor Haus ramp past a couple shanties, over the uneven snow, a couple patches of clear black ice caught my eye.  Because I didn't have an auger myself, the only way to see how thick the ice was was to look at the cracks in the clear ice.  This is what I saw.

Thick ice on the Harbor

Well, it was so deep, that I couldn't really see how far it went.  I suddenly felt sorry for those ice fishermen because I knew they had a looooooong way to drill.  As I took this picture, I heard Her Majesty stirring.

Blub blub.  Blub.  Blub.

(Take an old gallon milk jug, fill it with water and turn it perfectly upside down.  The sound the jug makes as it retracts back to it's normal shape is similar to the Blub sounds the lake made.)   

What the heck? I laid there bewildered.  How can I hear the water move when the ice is so thick and the lake is frozen over?  How can it still move?

I had a couple answers at the moment.  

1) The ice fishing holes create an area for pressure to be released.  If the fishermen were throwing bait and catching fish, the volume of the lake would fluctuate -- only slightly -- but if enough people were doing this all over Lake Superior, this transferring of matter could create a shift enough to make those blubbing air bubble sounds.

2) We may not always realize it, but the earth we live on is constantly shifting.  Someone digs a mine, the earth rebalances to accommodate this loss of density.    A company blows up mountains on one part of the world to build Dubai in another part of the world, the earth recalculates so it can still spin on its access without us noticing the giant offset.

Lake Superior covers a significant area where volcanoes erupted, fault lines shifted and glaciers passed.  Any trepidations in the surrounding land will lead to continuing vibrations through the water -- even if it's covered in ice.  And, I did see recent cracks in the ice along the shoreline, so these reverberations are big enough to crack the ice of a solidly frozen lake around the edges.  Especially the edges because that is where different elements meet: ice meets rock.

I could ramble on, but back to the adventure!

I wasn't quite ready for the splendor I saw on the north side of Porter's Island.  The ice cliffs were so big that I had to search for a spot where I could get down without dropping from a foolish height, unable to climb back up.

Ice cliffs on Porter's Island

I found a spot to drop down because I absolutely had to check out this terrain I saw in the distance, perhaps 200 yards north of the island.  It looked like a pristine ice rink.  Aha!  More proof that the ice is pulling and shifting.

The hiking was not easy.  Broken and refrozen ice chunks composed the ground.  Here are some examples.

Blue ice chunks looking toward East Bluff

Modified sheet ice looking toward Brockway Mountain

Now here's where it gets sketchy.

I really wanted to check out that ice rink spot.  Really, really bad.  And you know me, my curiosity usually gets the best of me.  But I have been studying the ice for eight winters here.  I learn from my mistakes, and I know what to look for.

I was out by myself, so I couldn't screw up.

I found a patch of clear ice, and realized it was only two inches thick.  When I heard the fissure next to me crackle, I pounced like a cat on prey to a thicker section.  Whew.  

By this time I began having visions of all the people who would be let down if I never came back.  Aaron wouldn't even know who to call to cancel all my meetings and assignments.  Who would publish my next book waiting on the computer???  

And since this is the terrain I would have had to cross, I decided not to go.

The death trap before the rink... see that rink?

Defeated, but still alive, I walked back across the harbor.  This reminded me of another story of how the Lake moves without us knowing.

"Aaron, isn't your shanty going to be stuck in the ice out there?  It's been there for weeks!"

"No.  It'll be fine."  Such a man.

So he went out there with our friend Cody.  They hopped in the shanty and drilled a hole through the trap door in the floor.  

"Holy $#!*" I'm sure they exclaimed as the water began flooding out of the lake and toward the shanty floor.  Their outside wind flaps were stuck in the ice, so all the water that was pouring out was actually penned in and on its way up the door and into their posh little shanty.

They worked to move that thing as fast as they could, as the drink engulfed them up to their shins.  They finally removed the shanty from its sunken location, but the wind flaps are still in the ice.  I really wish I could have recorded that, but if I was there, I know I would have been forced to help instead of document.

Aaron moves his shanty more often now.

The Best Ice Rink. Ever.

The last two days brought our first break in the snow since early December.  I can't promise that not a single snowflake fell, but no accumulation stuck.  It was traded for our long lost friend: the Sunshine!  I think Keweenaw residents will be rejuvenated for at least a couple weeks before we get all cranky again.

Now this next part is a feat I've been hoping to do since I moved here eight years ago.  A venture that requires the perfect blend of temperature, lack of wind, lack of snow and cooperation from Her Majesty, Lake Superior.  It is a rare occurrence, and by now it's already too late to do it again.  But I took full advantage when I had the chance.

I ice skated across Copper Harbor's bay.

Here is some visual media, so you believe me.

Looking toward Porter's Island over the Harbor's rink

Looking at Brockway Mountain from the middle of the rink

Giddy as I was.  I got a little video for you.  Hopefully it will help quell any fears you may have brewing in your stomach.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE ICE SKATING VIDEO

Skating out there was amazing.  Simply the most scenic, alluring, glassy rink I have ever skated.  

The first day (Thursday) I booked it all the way to Porter's to check out the scene there.  The ice was all chunked by the time I got to the opening on the east end toward where the boats come in.  The 20 mph south winds made it a little tough to skate back to where Duce waited, shivering in cold and fear.  But I gave 'er heck, and finally made it back.

When I went out Friday, my original launch spot at the Harbor Haus was more like a pool, so a couple buddies, a couple pups and I tried the shore at Third Street Dock.  Perfect.

We skated around on ice even better than the day before!  My curiosity antennae pointed to the gap on the west side of Porter's that day.  My friends were a little leery, but I knew what to look for.  By the time I got there, the ice looked only 3 1/2 inches thick.  We didn't stay there too long!

Besides the occasional burp through a fissure in the ice, it seemed really stable out there.  My heart fluttered the whole time with glee.  There was really nothing like it.  Maybe someday it will happen again!

In my own little world, I thought this was really rad.  I posted a picture on facebook, and it seems that over 100 people thought it was really rad too -- people that have never been here!  That made me think... maybe other people who don't know about this will think it's rad when they learn about it!

Here's where you come in.

You like this blog.  You enjoy the adventures, pictures and whatnot.  Why don't you share it with a friend?  One friend who you think might need a little inspiration or a smile in their day.  Go ahead!  Try it right now!  Just tell them that you think this is rad, and they might too.

Hopefully you can brighten someone's day for the rest of their life!  And thank you for sharing.

Now I have to pack for a trip.  I'm traveling to 5 UP ski resorts that I'm writing articles about.  Now that's my kind of research!

Oh, before I go, here's a picture of the north shore of Hunter's Point.  The ice stretched as far as I could see into the lake that day (Tuesday?).  But now, it's all gone.

Ice off the north shore

Have a great week!

Adventure Resumes!

How quickly I went from having the dilemma of not enough time to adventure, meaning I don't have much to share (or time to share it) to the opposite dilemma of too much footage on all the adventures I've been having, meaning I spend lots of time uploading and editing images.  Oh.  You don't care about that.  You just want to see some pictures!

Well, Saturday I got out on some shuttle runs.  Shuttles runs occur when the bike rider pays a fee to the Keweenaw Adventure Company, so the biker and their bike can be transported to the top of either Brockway Mountain Drive or the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge where they then get the thrill of the downhill without the pant of the climb.  Sound like cheating?  It is.  But then the biker gets to keep all their energy for conquering the obstacles instead of huffing up the mountains.

And on that Saturday, I rode down three of the trails I haven't ridden yet either because I was too chicken or time didn't permit: Daisy Dukes, The Overflow and Downtown.  A-ma-zing.  I rode more obstacles than I thought I would and only crashed a couple times!  Nothing major, just some bruising.

I did record my trip down The Overflow, but my camera kept drooping on my handlebar, and there is just too much footage of my feet!  You can find videos of that on youtube anyway -- from real riders!

And yesterday I got to paddle my kayak to Porter's Island!!!  Here is a picture from after I dragged her down the hill on a little dolly.

The Muktuk made it to the shore!

I can only imagine what people thought as this little thing in a wetsuit, lifevest and spray skirt chased the wheeled end of a 16 foot boat down the hill toward the Harbor Haus launch.  But that's just life, and I do goofy things a lot.

I sprinted to Porter's Island only to find that there really isn't much for landing areas on the south side.  I was nervous to go around to the north to park because the waves were tumbling on that side.  I paddled around until I found a spot.  Before I pulled in, I took this picture.

My ship and I looking toward our little town

Then I just hiked around the whole island counter-clockwise in my wetsuit and booties.  Good thing I didn't see anyone out there!  But here are some things I did see!

From the east end looking west

From the west end looking south toward town

I also had to take a few moments to watch the little wonders in the island.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE LITTLE THINGS GO WITH THE FLOW

Cool, hey?  And I was sober!

Also, if you can't wait for a weekly post, I did start a twitter account.  It's @writingdaharbor.  Once I figure out how to imbed it in this blog, you can stay updated without starting your own account!  See, I'm always thinking of you!