The French doors leading from the dining room table laden with food, were wide open to the outdoor patio where there were tubs of cold drinks. The weather was delightful… a perfectly wonderful autumn afternoon in Minnesota. The skies were blue with lots of sunshine, temperatures in the 70’s and no wind… spirits were high. A great day for an open house.
We were helping our son and daughter-in-love in the kitchen while they invited their neighbors and colleagues over to see their new home. I met a few of the neighbors myself and they were so happy to be invited to the party, to see this new home that replaced the old house they were familiar with, and to meet the young couple new to this old neighborhood. It was a festive atmosphere and, to me, a confirmation that getting together with neighbors and friends, and making opportunities to connect, is good.
At one of the several weddings we attended last summer the bride was unusually animated as she continually looked out at the church full of guests, with a wide grin on her face. She was so excited and was enjoying the moment.
In the pastor’s homily he used a quote which apparently is paraphrased but accredited to Walt Whitman:
“ We were together. I forget the rest.”
It is a heartwarming sentiment and I think it applies to more than young couples in love. To me it says being present and being together is what counts.
While looking for my Steiff dog in the bassinet I was reminded of a story about our cat, Caramel Corn. She was a wonderful little kitty cat. She loved to be around people. A friend reminds me of the time she came over for coffee and we sat at our kitchen table and I pulled up a stool so Caramel Corn could jump up and sit there with us!
Another fun memory of Caramel Corn happened when we moved into our new house in Northfield (over twenty years ago). One day I was looking for Caramel Corn and I could not find her anywhere. It was so unlike her to go outside…even when the door was wide open she usually didn’t venture out, but this day I thought she must have sneaked out when a contractor was coming in or going out…that’s the only thing I could think of since I had looked everywhere for her!
I kept working on my project while trying to figure out what to do. I went upstairs to get something and saw a slight movement in the corner….I walked over and there in the bassinet was Caramel Corn, buried among all the stuffed animals! (just like ET for those who remember the scene in the 1980’s movie.) I laughed, took her picture and was relieved to find her safe and sound.
We loved Caramel Corn. She died in 2006 at the age of twelve.
A few years ago I gave myself permission to buy a stuffed animal when I found one particularly irresistible…I enjoy it for awhile and then give it away at Christmastime. I found this black bear at the outfitters in Tofte where we rented two kayaks for the day. This cute little bear came back to the cabin with us.
In recent years the fabric for stuffed animals has changed and very soft fabrics are used to make the animals so cozy and cuddly.
We bought “teddy bears” of the soft and cuddly kind for our grandchildren; one for Zoey and one for Ezra. This black bear may go to one of them.
I have my teddy bear from when I was a little girl and the fur is worn in several places. My husband’s sister retrieved his boyhood bear from the farmhouse attic several years ago. I saved our two son’s teddy bears and have all four bears displayed on a shelf in our home.
An old baby bassinet downstairs holds some other stuffed animals from when our sons were young. Although I have discarded several I have kept the favorites…including “Racoonie” the one that came with us on several road trips and bothered the other brother endlessly.
When my cousin and I were in Zurich, Switzerland in 1972 we went in to a famous Steiff toy store and I bought a stuffed dog, with the trademark “button in it’s ear.” I still have that little guy in the bassinet downstairs along with the other critters.
Just captured another beautiful sunrise this morning…it’s going to be another beautiful day on the north shore!
It’s so amazing…there is just a pinprick of light and then POP…the sun is almost above the horizon line before getting a snapshot…it’s a miracle everyday…so blessed to see it rise, so blessed to see it rise over (and over and over) Lake Superior…so amazed at the beauty and the miracle…Thank you Lord.
The Sawbill Trail road is a beautiful drive from Highway 61 to Sawbill Lake, an entry point to the BWCA. We have traveled it many times over the years, since coming up to this part of the north shore.
We drive it for fall colors, looking for wild life, to access certain trails, to see a sunset, and it also holds memories of us running on the road when our sons ran cross-country in high school. At one time all four of us ran (I ran in two 5K’s but that was enough for me). The guys needed to practice so we took them to this beautiful road.
Hints of color on Sawbill Trail
Only the first three miles have been paved for years…the remaining was dirt road so we were pleasantly surprised to see it had been paved this summer, and that the new section was paved with wide shoulders so now it can accommodate cycling.
There are several finished sections of the Gitcha-Gami (Great Sea) bike trail which is why we bring our bicycles along to the cabin. It’s a beautiful trail close to “The Lake” with the plans being one continuous trail from Two Harbors to Grand Marais. For us, coming as far north as Tofte, the Sawbill Trail offers another great biking option.
We were excited as we drove to the top of a three mile hill and parked our car. We unloaded our bikes and put on our helmets and started to pedal. The road was so smooth yet it was a difficult ride because we were biking into the wind. After we turned around (eight miles out) we had the wind at our backs, pushing us along we clipped back at a steady pace.
Back at the car Gary asked me if I wanted to ride down the three mile hill to Hwy 61 (he knows the thrill of going down a big hill.) This hill is the old section of the Sawbill Trail that winds around and takes you down as though you were driving into Lake Superior. This section is without a wide shoulder but has little traffic. He’d drive our car down to meet me at the bottom. I decided to go for it.
I was going fast and it was quite the ride. This summer I considered riding a zip line over waterfalls in Quebec but didn’t. I think the ride down the Sawbill Trail was the thrill for me!
The sunrise was a welcome sight after a stormy night and I was glad to be awake to watch it come over the horizon and clouds.
We drove up near the Canadian border today. We were in search for a trail I had heard of and knew we had not hiked. (It is not a maintained trail.) We found the parking lot. We grabbed our hiking poles and started down the rocky road to find the trail-head. We walked a ways looking intently but turned around after not finding it. Back at the car a lone woman got out of hers and asked us how the trail was. We told her we never found it. She said she was going to try because she had hiked it before.
We continued to drive up Highway 61 along Lake Superior to Grand Portage State Park, about ½ mile south of the border patrol station. There we hiked to High Falls on the Pigeon River. It is the highest waterfalls in Minnesota and was cascading down with gusto from all the recent rains. We decided to hike farther to an observation point overlooking Lake Superior and the inland forest. Up we went to the scenic overlook and it was beautiful. The skies were blue and the sun shone down and made the lake glisten.
High Falls
On our way down we saw our “recent acquaintance” from the other parking lot. She said she had found the trail-head we were looking for but she didn’t climb it because it was too muddy. So she had the same idea… hike to High Falls and beyond. We visited with her for awhile and found out she is camping at a Superior National Forest campground for a reasonable rate (seniors 60+ get a discount.) After we parted ways we wondered if it she gets lonely hiking and camping by herself.
Heading back to the cabin we stopped at Naniboujou Lodge, an icon of the north shore, with its famous dining room stone fireplace and Cree Indian designs painted on the walls and ceiling in 1929 and has never been repainted, yet the colors remain brilliant! I’m sorry I didn’t get a picture. They have the best Wild Rice Burgers and we ordered two to go and brought them to the waters’ edge and ate our late lunch picnic style. The wind was strong and the waves were high and forceful with huge a surf. Awesome!
After stopping in Grand Marais to we drove back to the cabin and it was great to be back on the rocks reading our books.
After dark we built a fire in the fire ring on the rocks in front of the cabin. We waited for the moonrise and it was a beautiful sight! It comes up where the sun rises and it’s a wonder to see it peek over the horizon. Again, we thought about the lone woman we met today and wondered if she was having a campfire at her campsite and watching the moonrise.
I do not feel sorry for her…she seemed very happy and delightful. I’m just grateful I have somebody to share my love of nature with me and to enjoy doing things together.
While looking for my Steiff dog in the bassinet I was reminded of a story about our cat, Caramel Corn. She was a wonderful little kitty cat. She loved to be around people. A friend reminds me of the time she came over for coffee and we sat at our kitchen table and I pulled up a stool so Caramel Corn could jump up and sit there with us!
We loved Caramel Corn. She died in 2006 at the age of twelve.
Lake Superior Psalm 23
