An August sunrise over Daggett Lake. I took this photo one morning. The clouds dissipated and we had a beautiful sunny day.
Up at my friend Barb’s cabin this week, on Daggett Lake, I found myself hoping to see Minnesota’s elegant state bird, the loon. Although I heard it calling, I never did see it. I wrote a haiku.
A photo of me sitting on the dock, taken through the cabin’s window screen. Photo credit: Barb Sackett
Sitting on the dock, I hear, but cannot see them, Watching for the loons.
Overlooking the dock from the cabin (not through the screen. ;-))
We did see some wildlife…a great blue heron walking along the shore, and a large turtle swimming off the dock, a deer in a field, and multiple families of wild turkeys in several places, squirrels, chipmunks, seagulls…
A blue heron walked along the shore to our dock to check us out, then turned around.
All though I did not see any loons while we were up north, it’s always wonderful to hear their call. And we had a relaxing time and refreshing time…
I was not at the cabin when my friend’s granddaughter took this beautiful photo of a sunset over Daggett Lake. Photo Credit: Jeri Sackett/Summer 2026
Thank you for all the wonderful happy birthday messages.
I was delighted to read each one.
The sunrise over Lake Superior, the second day.
We had a very relaxing and refreshing birthday/wedding anniversary trip to the north shore of Lake Superior. Our cozy cabin had a wood-burning fireplace next to patio doors to the deck overlooking the lake.
Enjoying a fire while viewing the lake from the cabin.
We had fires In the morning and fires in the evening…and enjoyed watching the lake with its many moods. On Tuesday the lake was churning with huge waves crashing against the rocky shore. The other days it was much calmer.
Huge waves crashing and spraying high above the rocky shore.
Mesmerizing Lake.
All our attention goes there,
It’s restorative.
A calmer day…photo taken from the deck of the cabin.
However, we did bring along our cross-county skis, snowshoes, and Yaktrax to get out for fresh air and exercise.
We hiked at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.
This is the upper falls at Gooseberry Falls State Park, where we hiked.
A old Norwegian fish house on Stoney Point Drive…a nice walk from the cabin.
Our hikes kept us close to the lake, but cross- county skiing took us inland.
We usually ask locals for recommendations. Our resort owner told us about Korkki Nordic.
In the morning, the sun was shining and it was a decent temperature so off we went to ski this trail. Next to the warming house (a nice touch to this trailhead) was a guy standing near a snowmobile with trail grooming apparatus hitched on the back. We started a conversation and found out he is the regular trail groomer. Mark lives on the property and grooms four ski trails.
The trail groomer machine.
The ski season is, of course, winding down – it was the first day of spring after all- so he was not planning to groom many more times this year. During our conversation, we mentioned it was my birthday. He was a jovial sort and said, as a gift to me for my birthday, he would go ahead of us and groom the trail. It would make skiing much easier for us.
And so he did, and we followed about three minutes behind him, and the skiing was great.
That is one of the more unusual gifts I’ve received for my birthday. It was a random act of kindness and we were grateful.
