Sunrise – Valerie's Voice

A Fishy Story

On our trip to the north shore, once again we were blessed with beautiful sunrises…always a highlight when we are up at the cabin…looking out over the great expanse of water, Lake Superior. I never tire of seeing the orange ball.

We did have unseasonably warm weather while up north. On our first day we drove into a park looking for cross-country skiing. The weather had been too warm, so there was none to be found. I asked the ranger if there were any clear paved paths to walk or hike on, and her customer chimed in that he had been looking all around the area and hadn’t found any. It is that in-between season in Minnesota, a lot of slushy-icy-melting snow cover.

It was a beautiful sunny day and since we couldn’t ski we drove into Two Harbors and parked at Agate Bay to walk out on the pier. The path was clear and it is always fun to walk out “on the water.” Along the pier we saw the gentleman I had talked to earlier at the park. He recognized me and said, “looks like we both found some clear pavement to walk on.” And we laughed.

The beacon at the end of the long pier. We saw its warning beam at night.

Soon we were almost to the beacon at the end of the pier. There was a fisherman along the side and he looked like he was struggling to hold onto his pole. Then, I heard him ask the guy (our new friend) who was walking in front of us if he would help him pull in a fish. Now that’s an unusual request.

The guy willingly hopped down on the ledge and grabbed the large net, ready to swoop in and capture the fish. It took a while…the fisherman kept reeling in the line, and then letting out a little slack to keep the line from snapping…and it took several minutes of alternating between the two. Gary and I stopped to watch the process and take some photos.

After several minutes we could see the fish on the line, in the water, near the surface and it was a big one! A really big one. The guy on the pier with the net went into action and caught the fish in the net. It was exciting. The fish measured 24-30″, from the fisherman’s mid-thigh to the ground.

I asked the fisherman what kind of fish it was…he said a “Lake Trout”. Nobody guessed the weight, but everyone (a few others had gathered to watch) realized it was unusually large. I took some pictures and the fisherman gave me his text number. I sent the photos on to him and thanked him for “the show.” And we merrily walked back towards shore.

We ended our day by sitting around a bon fire outside the cabin.

Fiery orange in the morning, fiery orange at night, and a serendipity in-between…how splendid.

Captivating Colors

Random photos of autumn colors.

The entrance to St. Olaf College, off Hwy. 19, usually has the best color in town. 10/17/25

And St. Olaf has the best potted plants…

And the best mum gardens too (at St. Olaf).

I love it when the trees have multi colors…

New to me this year…I saw this very large (probably 10 ft diameter), happy, inflatable pumpkin.

Heath Creek Trail., in Northfield. 10/17/25

Very few wildflowers in bloom…this hairy aster is a hold out.

A friendly ghost and large, inflatable black cat. Fun holiday decorations.

Bright red-oranges and yellows…down our street. 10/20/25

Evening glow over downtown Northfield. 10/20/25

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Psalm 96: 11-12

Doggie through the Window

Recently I was up in northern Minnesota at my friend’s cabin on Daggett Lake. We sat on the bench on her dock…to read, visit, or just sit and enjoy the lake.

We also enjoyed seeing the full moon and its refection on the lake, and going for walks, playing cards, going out to eat, and teasing the dog next door.

The Corn Moon; the nickname for September’s full moon.

Each time we saw the neighbor’s cute, little dog meander into the front yard of my friend’s cabin, we would peek through the window and knock on the glass and wave to him.

Each time this little pup jumped…and then started barking at us, and we smiled back at him. We teased him so, but he kept coming back.

I see a dog in this cloud formation…He’s laying down with his paws out in front of him, looking out.

So it was fun to see this cloud art on our way home from the cabin, reminding us of the cute, little doggie through the window on Daggett Lake.

The North Shore

We went up to the north shore to celebrate my birthday last week.

There was a beautiful sunrise the morning of my birthday, and the sun continued to shine all day long.

We wanted to do a little hiking. We had tried hiking at Gooseberry Falls the day before, but we had to turn back due to a very icy trail. Although there was no snow on the ground anywhere, the shaded trails in the woods still had ice cover making it difficult to hike on them.

When we stopped for a specialty coffee at Vanilla Bean in Two Harbors, another customer joined our conversation with the waitress about places to hike in the area that might not be icy. The stranger asked us about the Gitchi-Gami bike trail. And it was one of those ah-ha moments; “I can’t believe we didn’t think about the wonderful paved bike trail with sections all along the north shore.”

An portion of the Gitchi-Gami Bike trail along Lake Superior.

So we found our safe place to hike along Lake Superior, and it was lovely.

Besides the sparkling lake, we saw different images on two different hikes. Do you see what I see?

A bat…a sheet of ice still clinging to a large rock in Lake Superior, facing south (no sun to melt it).

The head of a wolf (right), and a deer lying down looking out (left) in the hollow of a tree.

Several little bear cubs climbing up the tree.

It was a fun birthday; with hiking, cabin time, and watching the waves roll in. A great beginning to another trip around the sun.

Wintertime

It’s cold here in Minnesota. Below zero temperatures were the norm this past week…with the wind making it feel even colder.

The sun makes a difference. When it’s shining out on the field behind us it doesn’t look to be so cold…until you open the door.

When we were driving in the cities yesterday, I saw this scene and thought, only in Minnesota. The outdoor service person working for Century Link set up a portable tent to protect themselves from the cold and winds.

The clouds opened just a bit this morning, for about a minute, to reveal another stunning sunrise. Then just as quickly, it clouded up again. We are in for two more days of very cold weather.

I grew up in Minnesota, and I’ve always liked winter, but as I get older it’s harder to get motivated to go out and play in it. So, I’ll walk on my walking pad, and enjoy the outdoor scene from the warmth of our new home. And, anticipate the warm up that is coming this weekend.

Color and Light, Morning to Night

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.  
                                                                                                Psalm 118:24

7:03 am on 10/1/24… the moment of sunrise.

A couple hours later we trekked up Oberg Mountain and saw more beautiful colors of a different kind. Once again, I was grateful to be able to hike this trail, and was thankful to have the opportunity to do so.

10:15 am on 10/1/24…a view out to Lake Superior on the Oberg Trail.

10:30 am on 10/1/24… one of seven outlooks on the Oberg Trail.

And back at the cabin…the lovely, wispy clouds.

The sky was constantly changing, but the waves continue to roll in, year after year, reminding me of God’s faithfulness.

7:43 pm on 10/1/24… the cabin backlit by the early evening light.

8:30 pm on 10/1/24 …the end of our day, fire light on the rocks and a stunning display of stars overhead in the night sky.

Amen.

A Few More Photos

I want to post a few additional photos from our road trip in the southeastern states.

The beautiful Pineapple Fountain in Charleston, South Carolina.

Special artwork using paint and sweetgrass, on display in Hyman’s Seafood restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.

We were surprised to see this bobcat one morning in northeastern Florida.

These fun boats caught our eye. The boats shaped like cars were docked at an outdoor restaurant where we ate in Clearwater, Florida.

We tried boiled peanuts for the first time, and liked them. We ate at Hyman’s Seafood restaurant. The Hyman family has been at the same location for over 121 years (five generations). It started out as a Wholesale dry goods store then changed to Hyman’s Seafood in 1987. The restaurant has a great reputation.

Some “funky birds” in a park in Dunedin, Florida.

In Myrtle Beach we tried fried green tomatoes, for the first time, and liked them.

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Lake Superior

Our trip to Duluth to see the Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” also provided an opportunity to witness some beautiful and interesting scenes of the magnificent Lake Superior.

Sand and snow on the shore of Lake Superior.

A sandy beach on Park Point, Lake Superior.

We arrived on a bright and sunny day. Except for an small accumulation of snow -remnants of a recent snowfall- the shores of Lake Superior look like an ocean beach. There were no tropical temperatures though!

As the sun set, the skies remained clear so we could see the full moon rise and shine (however, the clear skies kept the temperatures below freezing!)

Morning light: 6:39 am the next morning.

The next morning a cloud bank appeared over the lake.

The silhouette of a ship in the mystical misty fog rising from Lake Superior.

A freighter heading towards the canal in the early morning light.

I went out on the balcony, which faced north, to take a few photos. As I leaned over the balcony and turned to the east, I saw the stunning sunrise and images over the lake.