We just returned from an amazing time on the north shore of Lake Superior. As I’ve written before, it is one of my all-time favorite places to be. When we arrive at the cabin we rent, I sigh a happy sigh when I walk through the door and see the lake through the floor to ceiling windows. It is a marvelous and breathtaking sight that I never grow tired of. I literally feel a calm come over me. I miss it when I’m not there.
During our time at the cabin, we did what we normally do…we enjoy God’s bountiful creation. We bike and hike, drink our morning coffee on the deck, watch the sunrise, have a bon fire on the rocks, relax, read good books, eat delicious food overlooking the lake, and just sit and look at the lake.
I had good intentions of cleaning up my computer files, or deleting photos off my phone, do a little writing, but none of that happened. The lake is alluring and mesmerizing, and we can just sit and do nothing but enjoy the vista for hours…and so we do, and we do not worry about getting anything accomplished. I believe we are being rejuvenated from the inside out.
We traditionally go up to the north shore in September but this year we had reservations in July. The weather was cooler than normal for July, the sunrise is earlier in July…5:20ish…and different kinds of flowers are blooming in July…like beautiful lupines, perky daisies and bright yellow bird’s-foot trefoil.
A photo exposition follows:
A view outside the cabin. I was pleased to see lupines on the property. We started seeing lupine along Scenic Drive as we were driving up. Lupines are not in bloom in September, when we are usually at the cabin.
Seagulls are an added treat to watch.
One of our hikes…overlooking Oberg Lake in summer, 2023.
This is same overlook of Oberg Lake in autumn, 2019.
Streets lined with gold…Highway 61, back roads and bike trails were lined with bird’s-foot trefoill. It was impressive.
This is a bridge on the new section of the Gitchi-Gami bike trail, which we rode on from Cutface Wayside Park into Grand Marais.
Temperance River…a hike we always enjoy, along the gorges of this wild river.
Sunrise on July 16, 2023 at 5:24 am.
We enjoy a bon fire on the rocks outside the cabin.
Clear water reveals the rocks underneath the waters of Lake Superior.
Our hike to Caribou Falls…down 156 steps to see this beautiful waterfalls, then back up 156 steps! It’s worth it. It’s gorgeous.
We enjoy the deck off the cabin.
The lupines outside our cabin…
Our son Tim took a photo of lupines and a single daisy years ago…it was fun to recapture a similar posturing.
Lake Superior…some days it’s calm, other days it’s not…somedays it’s gray, other times it’s blue, sometimes it’s somber…sometimes it’s glistening… with everything in-between. And, sometimes it all happens in a day. (I told Gary these are the kind of glistening diamonds I like.)
I’m so grateful for our time on the shore of Lake Superior.
I have had a series of annual check-ups recently; dentist, mammogram, eye doctor, lab work and a wellness visit with my physician. All have gone well…I may need cataract surgery…but that’s to be expected at my age I guess.
As I’m driving to my appointments, I think about those folks in countries where they walk a long distance to get health care, and/or wait in long lines to see a health care professional, and/or do not even attempt to go because they cannot afford the services. I think about such things and am very grateful for affordable, accessible healthcare, right here within minutes of my home. I don’t want to take it for granted. What a blessing it is. I am grateful.
Uncle Bob (my dad’s younger brother) and his bride, Aunt Joyce…married 71 years ago today. I’m grateful for their testimony of much love and support for each other.
We like to getaway and ride different bike trails. There are so many to choose from. This year we went to Pequot Lakes in northern Minnesota. Our first stop was in Crosby, Minnesota to ride our bicycles on the Cuyuna Trail System. These trails are well-known for mountain biking, but there is a nice paved trail to ride also.
Huntington Mine Lake is along one of the Cuyuna Trails.
The trail goes past old iron ore mine pits, which are now beautiful lakes, with no development on them. The mountain bike trails go through the woods, and a bicycle with special tires is needed. The mountain bike paths are red dirt, from the iron in the soil.
A photo of our group at Huntington Mine Lake.
After our trail ride we continued to drive north to Pequot Lakes, our destination. We planned to ride our bikes the next day on the Paul Bunyan trail, one of the longest bike trails in the state. The Paul Bunyan Trail used to be the Burlington-Northern railway tracks.
At the Paul Bunyan trailhead in Pequot Lakes.
We rode a small portion of the trail. The weather was hot and humid, but the portion of the trail we rode was shaded and scenic, with surrounding lakes. We’re grateful for the many wonderful trails that have been created on old railway lines.
Above the tree line on the fire tower in Pequot Lakes. I’m in the red shirt.
The third morning we decided to hike in Paul M. Theide Fire Tower Park. The DNR recently acquired this land to create this park to protect the historic fire tower there. The small park is lovely with a nice picnic pavilion and a few trails that lead to the fire tower. The tower, built in 1935, is accessible to climb if one is so inclined. I learned this is the second tower to be built on this site. The first was a wooden structure built in 1927. The current tower is in excellent shape (no carvings in the wooden steps). I climbed up four flights (of eight) and was already above the tree line and could see for miles. Unfortunately, I left my camera down at the bottom.
Climbing up the historic fire tower.
Climbing the tower brought back memories of vacationing with my parents and friends in cabins on Rainy Lake in the 1960’s. There was a fire tower within walking distance of the resort where we stayed. We would climb the tower every year, several times during the week. I do remember some of us kids carving our names in the wooden steps. Whoops.
Several years later we went up to see the resort at the end of the road, Highway 11 East out of International Falls, and the fire tower was fenced in and locked up. I learned it’s called the Black Bay Fire Tower, or Rainy Lake Fire Tower, and it was built in 1939. I couldn’t find much more information online about this tower.
The historic fire tower in Paul M. Thiede park.
There is another accessible fire tower in Itasca State Park which we have climbed a few times; once with our two sons when they were younger, and a few times over the years when we’ve camped in the state park.
A few dozen fire towers remain in Minnesota. At one time there were 120-150 in the early to mid 1900’s. At that time there were about 5,000 fire towers throughout the United States. A majority of the “second generation” fire towers were built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930’s. These towers were built of galvanized steel and included steps. Earlier towers were made of wood and used ladders to access the cab. As airplanes and modern technology took over the task of spotting wildfires, many towers were taken out of service.
I’m grateful for organizations that have insight and resources to re-purpose railway lines and preserve fire towers.
My friend and I met in Dubuque, Iowa for our annual get together. Dubuque is a lovely river town. It has a scenic river walk along the Mississippi River, a wonderful botanical garden and thrift stores.
Peony
Dubuque met our criteria for a meeting place: water, gardens and thrift & antique stores.
Lupine
Lupine
The day we went to the botanical garden was dreamy. An ideal temperature, bright blue skies with no clouds in sight.
One of the garden sculptures: Germination.
Dubuque is five hours farther south than Northfield, and there were many plants blooming in Iowa that were not blooming in Minnesota yet. There were peonies and lupines and iris’ in their full array.
Iris
Iris
Iris
Iris
In the botanical garden there was an herb garden, a shade garden, an English garden, a Japanese garden, a prairie garden, a rose garden (not in bloom yet), annuals, perennials, peonies, iris’ and lupines, a children’s area, sculptures, trees, lots of benches and green, green, grass.
The Japanese Garden
So much packed into those 52 acres.
The shade garden.
Striking sun pattern on the gazebo.
The arb is convenient and close to town. And has free admission.
Peony
Bleeding Heart
They also boast the arboretum & garden is run entirely by volunteers. It’s a young arboretum…established in 1980.
Peony
Peony
We spent our morning meandering, and sitting on the benches, and smelling the flowers, enjoying ourselves in this beautiful setting, marveling at God’s creation.
Lupine
The Tin Man in an annual garden, with more displays in other annual beds featuring characters from The Wizard of Oz.
We’ve put up our Christmas tree, added some decorations around the house, readied Christmas cards for mailing and finished our Christmas shopping.
Some decorations in our living room.
And, this past Sunday we listened to Christmas from St. Olaf, an online, digital concert featuring St. Olaf College music ensembles and a compilation of songs from previous Christmas Festivals. It was created as an offering to replace the beloved in-person St. Olaf Christmas Festival which couldn’t happen this year because of the global pandemic.
The concert didn’t get off to a smooth start. But then it is 2020. Things are not going well this year.
The screen display on computers for the 2020 Christmas from St. Olaf digital concert.
As a previous ticket coordinator for this popular event we had our share of problems when we first offered tickets online so the concert glitch brought back memories of my time at St. Olaf… the difficult but also the good… friendships made and festivals attended, all bringing a sense of gratitude for my time on the hill. As many concert goers told me over and over and over again, the Christmas Festival was the start of their Christmas celebrations. It has become that for me.
The technology was worked out and we were able to connect to the digital concert and hear some beautiful, hope-filled music. The signature finale “Beautiful Saviour” was included and that made everything right. I now have a sense the Christmas season has begun and we can start celebrating the birth of Jesus.
We have enjoyed unusual November temperatures – in the 70’s – these past few days and they have been stunning. It has been great for working in the yard – raking up the leaves that were covered under eight inches of snow that fell in mid-October.
One pile of leaves in the back yard.
We live on a corner lot, downwind it seems. Along with our own leaves, a lot of our neighbor’s leaves are blown into our yard, and stop there. Most of the snow has melted so it was time to rake them up. It’s a big job.
We used these black buckets as scoops to load the pick-up truck.
We took six loads to the compost site in Northfield. Four times we filled the pickup bed to the max.
Filled to the brim.
We also filled 30 big black bags and two garbage cans full of leaves. That took another two trips to the landfill.
I decided to shovel two small, leftover snow piles to get to the leaves underneath! A comic twist.
Last fall (2019) our grandchildren were visiting and enjoyed jumping in piles of leaves.
But I’m grateful…for the beautiful weather to be working outside, for our health to be able do the work, for trees to enjoy, and a good night’s sleep!
