Boundary Waters Blog

     If you have never been snowshoeing then it is something you need to add to your list of things to do before you die.   It’s a great way to spend time outdoors during the cold winter months when many people lock themselves up indoors. The exercise, fresh air and opportunity to spend time with nature are not only good for you physically but mentally as well. People of all ages and abilities can quickly get the hang of snowshoeing and best of all it’s an affordable activity.

     Folks who like to participate in snow sports couldn't be happier with the weather we have experienced this month.  Our mid-trail weather expert reported 21.75 inches of the white stuff has fallen so far this November.  That is the second highest amount we have received in the past 10 years with 22.5 inches in 2003.  That's enough snow for all sorts of winter fun including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, dogsledding and even snowmobiling.  Those who love winter have even more to rejoice about with this week's forecast calling for more snow. 

Monday...Cloudy. A 40 percent chance of light rain or snow in the afternoon. Highs 32 to 37. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Monday Night...Light snow and light rain in the evening...then snow after midnight. Snow accumulation of 5 to 6 inches. Lows 23 to 28. East winds 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast early in the morning.

Tuesday...Snow likely. Moderate snow accumulations. Highs 25 to 30. North winds 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of snow 70 percent.

Tuesday Night...Cloudy. A chance of snow showers in the evening...then a slight chance of snow showers after midnight. Lows 4 to 9. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40 percent.

Wednesday...Mostly cloudy. Highs 16 to 21.

Wednesday Night...Partly cloudy. Lows 1 to 6.

Thursday...Partly sunny. Highs 16 to 21.

Thursday Night And Friday...Partly cloudy. Lows 1 to 6. Highs 18 to 23.

Friday Night And Saturday...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow showers. Lows 7 to 12. Highs 18 to 23.

Saturday Night...Partly cloudy. Lows 2 to 7.

Sunday...Mostly cloudy. Highs 16 to 21.

 

     Have you ever felt like you need a weekend to recover from a weekend or a vacation to rest from a vacation?  If you went shopping on Black Friday or anytime this weekend then that's probably how you feel tonight.  Maybe you didn't go shopping but you did so much around the house that you spent more hours working than you would have if you would have been at work.  I hope you had some time to relax during the holiday weekend and time to reflect on what you're thankful for.

    Most likely you won't have time for relaxing until the next big holiday has come and gone. From now until Christmas the only music we'll hear will be carols and all advertising will revolve around presents and shopping.  Christmas cards will start arriving and if I'm lucky then this year I'll actually have a chance to open all of them.

     Tomorrow is a new day, make the most of it.

     Some people have come up with different names for Black Friday and the Saturday after.  I've heard the terms "Buy Nothing Day" for Black Friday and "Small Business Saturday." As a small business I rather like the idea of "Small Business Saturday" as much as I like giving the gift of health for the holidays. 

According to an online article "Small Business Saturday was created to help promote small businesses during the holiday shopping rush that are often unable to compete with large retailers during Black Friday and Cyber Monday holiday sales.  Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and their owners and employees are important members of our community as our friends, neighbors and engines for economic growth,” Mayfield said. “While government works to rebuild the economy, this is an opportunity for area residents to join together to support local businesses and invest in our local economy and community.”

     You can be a part of Small Business Saturday by supporting your local businesses or other small businesses. 

     You can also promote healthy lifestyles and support a Gunflint Trail local event by participating in the 2011 Ham Run on May 1st, 2011.   From now until December 31st you can register for the Ham Run Half-Marathon for only $40 and the 5K Fun Run for only $20. Come January 1st, 2011 the prices will go up to $35 and $50 respectively.  http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1912795 

     Tell your friends, tell your family and consider buying an entry into the Ham Run as a Christmas Gift for this year.  You'll be supporting a small business and giving the gift of health this holiday season.

     A store can be a scary place to be the day after Thanksgiving.  Why not stay safe and shop from home this Black Friday?  The Voyageur Trading Post has many great things to choose from- Books, maps, clothing, camping gear and more.  If you can't decide what to get that special someone then order a Voyageur Gift Card!

     May you find many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and always.  Happy Thanksgiving to you.

     Trapping animals for fur used to be a big thing in the United States years ago but most people who trap here now do it as a hobby. We have a friend who does some trapping on the Gunflint Trail and friends up the lake on the Canadian side of Saganaga do some trapping as well.  There are seasons for trapping beavers, otters, fox, martens, rabbits and more. 

     Trapping is still done in remote communities around the world and in parts of Canada it is still a big thing.  The president of the Cree Trappers Association said, "We do not just sell beaver furs, we also use the meat and medicines the beaver provides.  The fur trade helps us maintain our independence and our Aboriginal traditions; it is part of our relationship with the land."

     A flyer I picked up described fur as a natural sustainable resource. "In nature, many more plants and animals are produced each year than the land can support.  We can use part of the surplus nature provides, so long as we protect natural processes and ecosystems."  I guess I never looked at trapping in that way or realized the following five facts.

1. There are as many beavers and muskrats in North America now as when Europeans first arrived on the continent.  Raccoons, coyotes and foxes are more abundant than ever in many regions.
2. The fur trade accounts for about one-quarter of one percent of the animals used for food, clothing and other purposes in North America.  About twice as many unwanted pets must be put down in humane shelters each year.  Ten times more animals are killed on our highways.
3. In many regions, beaver and other furbearing animal populations would have to be controlled even if there were no commercial markets for furs.  Taxpayers would foot the bill.
4. Fur trapping is strictly regulated by governments.  The fur trade is a successful working example of sustainable use of renewable natural resources.
5. Responsible use of wildlife can provide an economic incentive to help protect forests and other vital wildlife habitat.  The loss of such habitat is, in fact, the greatest threat to wildlife today.

     A flyer I picked up stated, "Regulated trapping can help keep wildlife populations stable and healthy.  Sustainable wildlife use helps protect natural habitat and reduce the potential for suffering caused by disease, starvation and habitat destruction."

     I think I'm going to ask my friend if I can buy some beaver pelts and have them made into a beaver hat.  After all, a hat made from a beaver he trapped would make less of an impact than a hat manufactured in China and shipped across the sea to be trucked to a store where I could buy it. And I'll save a few of our trees from being chewed down by the rodent we call a beaver.

There are trapper associations and Fur organizations that try to educate people about the benefits of trapping.  A flyer I picked up once has some very interesting information about the fur trade. 

         The last thing most of you are thinking about as Thanksgiving quickly approaches is planning your next Boundary Waters canoe trip. But just as Thanksgiving is right around the corner so is the opening of the 2011 permit reservation season.

     Snow was coming down like crazy yesterday as we made our way down the Gunflint Trail.  It wasn't snowing quite as heavily when we turned onto Highway 61 to head to Silver Bay.  The roads were quite slippery with thick slush in both of the lanes but we had over two hours before game time and it only takes an hour to get to Silver Bay.

     One of our investments we made when we joined the Gunflint Trail Volunteer Fire Department was to put an emergency radio in our vehicle.  It comes in quite handy when you're driving to an incident.  Yesterday it alerted us to the fact there was a two car accident on Highway 61 just south of Cascade State Park.  We were heading straight for the scene of the accident and realized we would probably be one of the first responders on the scene.

     We pulled right up to one of the vehicles where a Deputy was the only person on the scene.  He pointed to the car with the passengers in most need of attention.  There we were for the next hour as Fire Department members cut away doors of the vehicle and we did our jobs as First Responders.  We arrived at the arena just as the game started and Josh was in the game before more than 4 minutes had passed. 

      It's always a good idea to leave plenty of time to get somewhere when you're traveling in the winter.  It's also smart to have a pair of good boots, hat, mittens and a warm jacket in case you find yourself outside in the elements.  Keep your gas tank filled so you can keep the vehicle warm in case you're kids are ever stuck in the car at the scene of an accident for an hour.  A small shovel, an ice scraper, some kitty litter and some food can also be put to good use during winter travel. 

     Travel safely this Thanksgiving week and all winter long.   

     The good news is there are people who read my blog.  Thanks for all of the comments after yesterday's blog.  I really wasn't expecting that but it was nice to see.

     The wind is howling outside of the window on this white and snowy morning.  Ten mile per hour steady winds with up to 21 mile per hour gusts makes it sound like it would be freezing cold outside but it's 27 degrees outside already.  Freezing drizzle and 3-5 inches of snow later this afternoon are in the Winter Weather Advisory for today. Yes, winter is here to stay.

     With things slowing down a bit I finally had a chance to watch a video a guest of ours put together after his numerous trips into the Quetico Park.  I must agree his music is so much nicer to listen to than the clips I find on YouTube to accompany my videos.  If you have a little extra time then sit back and take a journey through the Quetico Park with Jack.

     I know there are people out there who read my blog.  I just checked my statistics this morning to be sure.  Sometimes I think I'm being really funny, rude or engaging but hardly ever does anyone comment on any of my blog posts.  Have you ever tried?  I wonder if it is a difficult process or if I'm really not that funny, rude or engaging?

     I know my sister reads my blog.  I have a very loyal reader in her but the only time she comments is when I have a typo or I misspell something.  It's ok that people don't comment.  Really, it is. It's just I don't want to be writing something every day if no one enjoys reading it.

     I have had people tell me they enjoy reading my blog so I do know there are people out there and that makes me happy.  I just wanted to add something today about yesterday's blog that I thought would be funny but I wasn't sure if it mattered.

     It matters to me and I guess that is what is important right? So, when Abby finally got onto the bus yesterday the bus driver told her, "Gee, I waited an extra two minutes for ya."

     TWO MINUTES!  Too funny.  At least I think so anyway.  Maybe it's just me in my own little world and if that's the case, then that's ok too.

     A winter weather advisory went out around 10:00am this morning.  It warned of freezing rain, slippery roads, glare ice and to drive with caution.  That information would have been helpful before I took Abby out to the bus stop this morning.

     It was a typical morning in our household except for the fact Abby was in the shower too long.  Rush her as I may it still wasn't fast enough to make it to the bus stop before the bus had departed. 

     Both Abby and I were astonished to see the empty spot where the bus normally parks. The driver had asked us if we would be riding in the morning to which we replied, "Yes."  That should go without saying when you get dropped off at the bus stop at 4:45pm you most likely will still be at the end of the Trail 13 hours later. 

      We were at most 4 minutes late getting out there but the fresh tracks in the snow confirmed he had already been there and gone.  It should have dawned on me the roads were slippery when I didn't come to a stop at the stop sign before turning out onto the Gunflint Trail.  But Abby interrupted my thinking when she said, "That shower just felt too good to get out this morning."  What can you say to that? "Well, that's good, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

     The Gunflint Trail was covered in fresh snow and we could hear a strange noise as we drove.  "Is that rain I can hear on the roof?" "I don't know, it kinda sounds like it."  Abby replied.  With wipers on and spits of sleet hitting my windshield it should have been a tell-tale clue the roads would be slippery, but it still didn't enter my mind.

     Finally we could see the lights of the school bus in the distance.  Obviously the bus could see our headlights in the rear view mirror but he needed to be at the next stop on time so he continued on his way.  Eight miles from our stop is the next stop and even though no one got on at the stop he was kind enough to wait the minute for us to get there.  

     I put on the brakes about an 1/8 of a mile from the back of the bus, well maybe 1/16 but it should have been plenty of time to come to a stop.  Obviously I hadn't realized just how slippery it was and with anti-lock brakes engaging we slid, slid and continued to slide until I had to pull into the other lane and come to a stop right next to the bus in the lane designated for oncoming traffic.  It was a good thing traffic was light on the Gunflint this morning or it could have been bad.

     With Abby safely on the bus and me on my way back up the Trail I tested the road conditions a couple of times.  Yep, it was slippery all over, you just don't realize it until you have to come to a stop. Or until you see an advisory posted four hours later.

     The DNR is asking for input on the management of lakes and streams in our area.  Do you have any ideas for them?

DNR seeks comments on Grand Marais area lake and stream management plans

(Released November 15, 2010)

Citizens interested in learning about or commenting on Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) strategies for managing Grand Marais area lakes and streams have until Dec. 31, to ask questions or submit comments.

“Management plans describe the past, present and desired future conditions of the waters,” said Steve Persons, Grand Marais Area Fisheries supervisor. “The plans identify specific management activities planned for that lake or stream in the next five to 20 years.”

Every year DNR fisheries staff prepares or revises individual lake and stream management plans for several waters in each management area. In the Grand Marais area, plans for the following lakes and streams will reviewed.

Lakes

• Bench - managed for brook trout, considering possible reductions in stocking numbers or frequency.
• Leo - managed for rainbow trout, considering changes in the size or number stocked, or the frequency of stocking.
• Little Mayhew - considering ways to limit the newly-established northern pike population, to reduce effects of those fish on trout populations in Mayhew Lake.
• McFarland - managed for walleye, reviewing status of population and whether stocking or regulations might be needed.
• Moss - managed for lake trout, considering possible reduction or elimination of stocking due to good natural reproduction.
• Pierz - managed for splake, considering possible elimination of stocking due to large numbers of smallmouth bass.
• Poplar - managed for walleye, considering an increase in stocking and possible special regulations on the walleye fishery.
• Ram - managed for lake trout and rainbow trout, considering elimination of lake trout stocking due to possible natural reproduction.
• Tait - managed for walleye, revising plan to include sampling required for a new statewide long term monitoring program.

In addition to the lakes listed above, there are several lakes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for which plans are being revised solely to update survey and assessment scheduling. Those lakes include Crooked, Davis, Gillis, Hub, Morris, Paulson, North Temperance, and South Temperance lakes.

Streams

• Elbow Creek - managed for brook trout, plan will focus on habitat protection and monitoring.
• Fiddle Creek - managed for brook trout, plan will focus on habitat protection, restoration, and monitoring.
• Flute Reed River - managed for steelhead, plan will focus on acquisition, habitat protection and restoration, and monitoring.
• Irish Creek - managed for brook trout, plan will focus on road crossing improvements, habitat protection and restoration, and monitoring.
• Nestor Creek - managed for brook trout, plan will focus on riparian management.
• Onion River - managed for brook trout and steelhead, plan will emphasize habitat protection and monitoring.
• Stump River - managed for brook trout, but plan will consider dropping the stream as a designated trout stream.
• Swamp River - managed for brook trout, but plan will consider dropping the stream as a designated trout stream, or starting an intensive restoration effort.
• Woods Creek - managed for brook trout, plan will focus on habitat restoration in the headwaters reach.

People can review current plans for lakes and streams in the area as well as recent fish population assessment information at the DNR’s Grand Marais area fisheries office, 1356 E. Highway 61 in Grand Marais. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Individuals also may call (218-387-3056) or e-mail Persons at steve.persons@state.mn.us.

Comments and suggestions on other streams and lakes in the area are welcomed at any time, and will be considered when those plans are due for review.

    "Seriously Abby, An aluminum can in the garbage?  Do you know how long it takes for that to break down?"  And my sweetheart of a daughter with a twinge of her mother’s sarcasm in her voice sweetly replies, "No, do you?"

     "4362 days,"  I replied quickly but then added, "No not really, but there’s this cool graphy thingy I found online and it says how long it takes for all of these different materials to breakdown…. 

     But before I could finish she was off to bigger and better things as I fished the aluminum can out of the garbage can that was sitting so close to the recycling bin it was practically touching it.

     So, here’s that cool graphic thingy I thought my daughter would find interesting but obviously as a mom of a now 11 year old I have no clue about anything whatsoever.  

     Maybe you'll enjoy it and maybe you won't.  I'm off to bigger and better things myself. 

Courtesy of MindBodyGreen

     I wish I could say losing weight since Elsa hasn't been baking home made bread for us every day, but that isn't the case.  We sure do miss the smell of bread baking in the oven and her smiling face in the kitchen.  She was like a bread machine and we rarely bought hot dog buns, hamburger buns, dinner rolls or a regular loaf of bread all summer long for the crew.  Now my mouth is starting to water just thinking about it.

     Losing light is the topic of the day.  Even though it was just Daylight Saving Time it is once again quite dark when I'm dropping the kids off at the bus stop in the morning and almost dark when I'm picking them up at the end of the day.  We're losing over 2 minutes of daylight each day and the loss will slow but continue for another month until the Winter Solstice.  Those days around the 21st of December are quite short with just over 8 hours of daylight for us to savor.  Bring on the Vitamin D or head south because even if the sun is shining it isn't doing it's job in December on the Gunflint Trail. 

     Thanks to the recent snowfall and the light of the moon reflecting off of the ground the nights are a little brighter but by daytime we'll be losing light a little longer. 

     It's a wet sticky snow on the ground and on the trees. Snow was falling again this morning when I took the kids out to the bus stop.  It's overcast and there is more snow in the forecast.  It's looking like we'll have a white Thanksgiving on the Gunflint Trail.

     The winter storm brought plenty of snow to the Gunflint Trail.  Everything is coated in a thick blanket of white snow.  It's an especially beautiful time of the year when the lakes are still liquid and snow covers the ground and trees. 

     Different areas of the Trail received different amounts of snow but there isn't a bare spot left on the ground.  Three inches of snow in some places, nine inches in others and every amount in between.  According to the forecast temperatures aren't predicted to get too warm so this snow might just stick around for awhile. 

     You never know what it will look like from one day to the next as one day can make a huge difference on the appearance of the Gunflint Trail.

     It's snowing and blowing on the Gunflint Trail already.  We shall see what the weekend brings.

Winter Storm Warning - Northern Cook, Northern Lake (Minnesota)

ISABELLA...HIBBING...TWO HARBORS...
GRAND MARAIS
423 AM CST SAT NOV 13 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING
TO 4 PM CST SUNDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING
TO 4 PM CST SUNDAY FOR THE IRON RANGE AND ARROWHEAD OF MINNESOTA.

* TIMING AND LOCATION: SNOW WILL LIFT NORTH INTO THE MINNESOTA
ARROWHEAD AND IRON RANGE BY LATE THIS MORNING OR EARLY
AFTERNOON...RAPIDLY ACCUMULATING OVER INLAND LOCATIONS THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 6 TO 10
INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG AND EAST OF US HIGHWAY 53...
INLAND FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES ALONG
THE GUNFLINT TRAIL...ELY...FINLAND...VIRGINA...COTTON...AND
FLOODWOOD.

LOCATIONS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR CAN EXPECT
MAINLY RAIN TODAY WITH LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION. SNOW WILL
INCREASE ALONG LAKE SUPERIOR LATER TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY AS WINDS
SWITCH OUT OF THE NORTH.

* MAIN IMPACT: TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT DUE TO SNOW COVERED
ROADS AND PERIODS OF WHITE OUT CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION...THE
WEIGHT OF THE SNOW...COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS MAY BRING DOWN
TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS WINTER STORM WARNING IS FOR HEAVY WET SNOW THAT WILL MAKE
TRAVEL DIFFICULT. KEEP A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE...
INCLUDING A FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER.

 

     A little known fact about me is that I love to party.  And what I love even more than partying is planning a party.  It's a satisfying feeling to see people smiling and having a good time and knowing you were a part of bringing that smile to their face.

     Hopefully I will see some smiling faces this weekend as I've been preparing for parties.  These parties are on the small side; one for Abby & her friend Claire's birthday and the other for a friend's baby shower.  I've baked three times this week which is more than I usually do in a month or three.  First it was cupcakes for Abby's classroom, then it was an Angel Food Cake for the night of her real birthday and today it was Reeses Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheese Cakes, one for each birthday girl.  

     I can't take all of the credit for these parties as they both are a cooperative effort.  Claire's mom and I are taking 6 girls down to Duluth to stay overnight on Saturday night at the Edge.  It's a hotel with some waterslides where we'll enjoy hanging out for the day.  On Sunday afternoon the baby shower will begin.  It's a little bit different than most baby showers as it's a fiesta complete with a pinata and margaritas.

     The preparations are almost done and all that remains is to let the fun begin.  Have a great weekend everyone, I know I will!

     If you ask Mike what annoys him the most about me then high on his list of things would be my struggle to be a good green girl.  I have a habit of saving things in piles so they can be distributed to their proper place.  These piles sometimes sit for weeks in front of the door, months on a shelf or years tucked in a back corner because I don't know where or how to get rid of them in an environmentally sound way.

     I can get rid of many items I no longer need in Grand Marais, MN.  It's an hour away but at least there is a recycling center for plastic, tin, aluminum, cardboard, phone books, paper and glass.  There are also two budget shops in town that will accept a number of items including dishes, knick knacks, children's toys and even clothing.  Where I get stuck with the clothing is I don't want someone to have to pay for my children's clothes if I could get it to them for free.  Hence the pile of boxes in front of the door.

     Shoes are an item I cannot get rid of in Grand Marais.  This is a problem because my kids grow out of them quickly and our lost and found box contains a number of good shoes.  I have boxes of shoes that I can't seem to remember to put into the car to bring them to a bigger city when I go. 

     We also have a difficult time getting rid of old computers, monitors, printers, etc. because there are only a couple of days out of the year the service is provided in Grand Marais.  It usually is on a Saturday and we can never figure out how to get to town to dispose of them.

     Then I have the other smaller piles of items I just don't know where to go with.  Bags full of dead batteries and old clothes that could be turned into rags or made into something else but aren't quite good enough for the recycling center.  DVD's, old cases of CD's and a number of other items wait for me to decide their final destination.  During this waiting time they bug both Mike and me.  Ugghhh. 

     If you have a solution to any of my problems then please let me know.  Or if you want to pretend you're a genie for a day then come on over and pick up a box or two and get them out of my sight.  Not only will you make me happy but also Mike. 

7 Ways to Precycle, Upcycle, and DIY Your Way to (Almost) Never Recycling Again

Cut your carbon footprint with these simple steps -- and say goodbye to your recycling bin. By Blythe Copeland

Conventional green wisdom used to be that recycling was one of the best things you could do for the planet -- you'd be keeping trash out of landfills, using items made from old materials, and trimming your waste all at once. But these days we know that recycling has its own footprint: It requires energy to breakdown and repurpose the original material, and the resulting product is often a blend of post-consumer and brand-new substances.

     61 degrees above zero at the end of the Gunflint Trail on November 10th.  It's hard to imagine 35 years ago today a storm so terrible it sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald.  It's also difficult to comprehend it's been 11 years since I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl.  That and this weather is absolutely unbelievable. 

     With weather like this I really wish I were camping in the Boundary Waters right now. It does look like the weather is going to change sooner rather than later and by the weekend the forecast is predicting daytime temperatures in the high 30's only.  A big change from the balmy weather we're experiencing today.

     I'll enjoy some time outside today savoring the warmth of the sun as long as it lasts.

     The snow buntings arrived what feels like forever ago and they are still here.  Normally they arrive and are here for a week or two and then they head farther south.  It finally hit me why they are still here after arriving over a month ago.  The snow buntings stay in our area until there is too much snow cover on the ground and we don't have any snow yet.  "A-ha!"  Or should I say, "Duh...."

     It's funny how things that should be obvious sometimes elude a person.  A person can't not notice the snow buntings since they hang out on the road and right alongside in the ditches.  They linger on the road up until the last possible second and even sometimes after the last possible second.  It's difficult not to hit one each migration season and if I had to guess most people probably eliminate a half of a dozen.  I tend to honk the horn, slow down and sometimes even swerve to avoid them.  I know I am not suppose to swerve but the traffic on the Gunflint Trail this time of the year is so minimal and when there's no traffic and no ice I figure I'm pretty safe to swerve.  

     Rugby has noticed the snow buntings more than ever this year.  They tend to annoy him with their "I'm not going to fly until you almost eat me" attitude.  He pursues them like he does grouse but the snow buntings are much easier for him to see since they aren't as well camouflaged as a grouse. 

     I imagine the days of the snow bunting sightings on the Gunflint Trail this fall are nearing to an end.  I'm not sure if anyone keeps track of when they arrive and when they leave each year, but I would venture to guess this is the longest they have taken up residence here in a long time.  Just one of those things you wish you would have been paying more attention to along life's journey.  Take time to enjoy all of life's "A-ha" moments.

     If I hadn't just done a blog yesterday about the special days in November then I might have believed it really wasn't November.  I looked at the forecast and couldn't believe it.  Too bad I can't clear my schedule and go out canoeing for a few days.  It doesn't look like there's much chance of the bays freezing over during the night and if they did they would certainly thaw during the day.

Today...Mostly sunny. Highs 53 to 58. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight...Mostly clear. Lows 30 to 35. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

Tuesday...Mostly sunny. Highs 48 to 53. East winds 10 to 20 mph.

Tuesday Night...Increasing clouds. Lows 37 to 42. Southeast winds 10 to 20 mph.

Wednesday...Partly sunny in the morning...then mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of light rain in the afternoon. Highs 50 to 55. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

 

     Most of us are aware it is Sunday, November 7th and hopefully everyone is feeling good from their extra hour of sleep last night.  Almost every day of the year has been designated as something special and today is no exception as it is National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day.

     This week contains more special days of interest.  The most known and celebrated is Veteran's Day on the 11th and another important one in our household is Abby's birthday on the 10th.  Other birthdays abound including relatives Sheri Prom and Aunt Terry and locals on Gunflint Lake Sheryl Hindermann and Bob Sr.  I'm sure there are more birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate this week but did you know what other important days this week has to offer?

•      November 8th- "Cook Something Bold Day" and "Dunce Day"
•      November 9th- "Chaos Never Dies Day" and "Young Reader's Day"
•      November 10th- "Forget me not Day" and "USMC Day"
•      November 11th- "Veteran's Day"
•      November 12th- "Chicken Soup for the Soul Day"
•      November 13th- "National Indian Pudding Day", "Sadie Hawkins", and "World Kindness Day"
•      November 14th- "Operating Room Nurse Day"

     There are some special days to celebrate this week but the one I'm looking most forward to is November 15th,  "Clean your Refrigerator Day".  I sure hope people don't wait all year for this day before they clean their refrigerator.  Just as I hope they don't only recognize "America Recycles Day" and "National Philanthropy Day" on the 15th.

     Whatever the day, enjoy it to the max, you never know when it will be your last.

     If you're looking for something to do tonight then take a drive up the Gunflint Trail to attend a free presentation.  You can learn everything you wanted to know and more about the Centennial Hiking Trail and the Kekekabic Hiking Trail.  

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2010

     The sun is out again today and the voices in my head are singing a song.  Enjoy it!

Virginia "Dinna" Marilyn Madsen passed away at 6:50 pm CDT, Wednesday October 27, 2010 at her island home on Saganaga Lake, Ontario, Canada at 88 years old.  Although Dinna had been in good health and spirits, she had been bedridden the past 11 months due to a continuing frail state. Her Manzo family was with her at the last, and she passed peacefully away in the arms of her daughter, Helen Sue. 

Dinna was born February 17, 1922 in Duluth, Minnesota where she was also raised. She worked at Arrowhead Creamery in Duluth where she set a precedent by becoming their first female driver. She met Justine Kerfoot May 4, 1940, and was persuaded the same day to travel up the north shore and Gunflint Trail to begin working for Justine at Gunflint Lodge. As a result, she and Justine became close, life-long friends. 

In January 22, 1945, Dinna moved to Seattle, Washington to contribute in the war effort at Boeing as a riveters' assistant on B-17's and B-29's. At the end of WWII war she returned to Gunflint Lodge. 

Dinna's curiosity was piqued as Justine would tell her often of a Canadian Quetico Park Ranger, Art Madsen, along with comments that she wanted Dinna to meet this eligible, stalwart woodsman, officer of the law and resort owner-operator-the first to settle on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake in 1931. November 2, 1946 Art Madsen and Dinna married. Together they completed building their wilderness island resort -felling trees for log cabins and, also, turning logs into lumber. Their Native American neighbors taught Dinna how to build "tikinagan" (baby carriers), made with a back of cedar and a bow (which served as a roll bar) of ash, in which all their children were carried. 

Dinna is most remembered for her epic winter journey in 1956 from Saganaga Lake to the nearest hospital to deliver her second daughter, Helen Sue. In some of the heaviest snows recorded, Dinna travelled across the lake by snowshoe, dog team, and propeller-driven snowboat. Dinna made her way through Grand Marais, and eventually to Duluth. Art and Dinna made international news, and Dinna was dubbed the "Mushing Mother of the North." Their new daughter was nicknamed the "Snowshoe Baby." 

See the following related stories at www.sagonto.com/dinna

Heroes Among Us: Uncommon Minnesotans by Jim Klobuchar, copyright 1996 Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers. (Excerpt on Dinna reproduced with permission from the author.) 

Boundary Waters Journal Winter 2005 article "Art Madsen's Snowshoe Baby" by Helen Sue Manzo and Alesha Leanne Manzo. 

Boundary Waters Journal Winter 2007 article "Winter Hardships On Ottertrack Lake 1946: 6-year-old Bonnie Ambrose & Dinna Clayton wintering at the Benny Ambrose homestead" by Helen Sue Manzo and Marco John Manzo III. 

Dinna is survived by her son Peter Clayton, granddaughters Erin, Emily and Ella Clayton; daughter Sandra "Sandy" (Leonard) Holladay of Anchorage, Alaska; grandsons Nolan (Nerida) Holladay of Robina, Queensland, Australia; Monty (Angie) Holladay of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; two great-grandsons Landon and Caeden; daughter Helen Sue "Susie" (Marco) Manzo; grandson Marco John Manzo III; granddaughter Alesha Leanne Manzo; granddaughter Ginni (Michael) Davies [daughter of the late David Bruce Madsen]; daughter Judy (Christian Letourneau) of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada; grandsons Justin and Matthew Bouchard and step-granddaughter Jasmine Letourneau; One sister Betty (Bruno) Michelizzi; two brothers Claude Clayton and Terrence Clayton. Dinna was predeceased by her husband Rudolph "Art" Arthur Madsen; three sons Charles Peter Madsen, Chris Arthur Madsen and David Bruce Madsen; two brothers Richard Clayton and Robert "Bob" Clayton. 

All are welcome to attend the following services to remember Dinna:
1) A graveside service will be held at 1:00 pm EDT on Friday, November 5th, 2010 at Riverside Cemetery in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. 

2) A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm CST Monday, November 8th, 2010 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Grand Marais, Minnesota. If you are able to attend, please leave a voice mail or email with the number of persons attending at: 218-370-1074 or marco@sagonto.com. Following the memorial service, all are encouraged and welcome to stay and visit. Refreshments will be provided afterwards.

     I'm sure you have all seen those bumper stickers that say, "I'd rather be (fill in the blank)."  I've seen a number of them and would have no problem filling in the blank today.  For some reason I do not feel like sitting at a desk today.

     I'd rather be outside cleaning up brush than inside at my desk.  A tree fell last week during the windstorm and even though John cut it up it still needs to be cut up some more and moved before the snow flies.  There are still a couple of brush piles that didn't get moved this summer that should be taken care of too.  And now with the leaves off of the trees I see more chainsaw work that I would love to get done before the snow makes it impossible. 

     I'd rather be putting away clean laundry than sitting at my desk.  Laundry is a never-ending job you can never finish and it is really a distraction when it sits in the basket begging to be put where it belongs. 

     I'd rather be sorting paperwork than sitting at my desk working.  It's all in a huge jumbled pile that has accumulated over summer.  Luckily most of the information is no longer needed but I would like to recycle it and get it out of my house.

     I'd rather be cleaning my bathrooms.  They are in desperate need of a serious cleaning but I don't have time to go find the toilet brush.

     Of course I'd rather be hiking, paddling, camping, swimming, log rolling or pretty much doing any thing else right now instead of sitting here inside looking at my inbox of emails that gets filled faster than I can empty it.

     What would you rather be doing?  If you comment on my blog then I'll have something to read and I won't have to work on my email.

     Mike thinks I should write horror novels or movies because of the dreams that I sometimes have.  I remember most of them in vivid detail and there does seem to be alot of scenes that could become part of a horror flick. 

      Last night's dream wasn't over the top but there was one part I remember when a woman was about to peel a layer of skin off of her nose.  The man in the dream was the one who was suppose to peel it off of his face but since he couldn't get his off easily she volunteered to do her own nose after clipping earrings and earlobes from her head.

     When you wake up with that kind of visual in your mind you can't help but wonder what it means.  So onto the internet I go to search for meaning of what my mind came up with during the night.

No Skin off my nose instantly popped into my head and from a translation dictionary it means... No matter of interest, concern or trouble to one; of totally no concern to smb. whatsoever; it doesn't matter to smb. one way or the other.
Examples:
1) He doesn't care if I make the football team or not. It's no skin off his nose.
2) It is no skin off my nose whether or not she comes to the party.
3) Go to Jake's party if you wish. It's no skin off my nose.
4) Grace didn't pay any attention to our argument. It wasn't any skin off her nose.
5) You could at least say hello to our visitor. - It's no skin off your nose.
History:
This American idiom dates to the 1920s. Originally, the expression was "no skin off my back". "Nose" is more suitable because if you stick your nose into somebody's business, you can get it hurt.

If I look up body parts, specifically the nose in a dream dictionary it says,

To see your own nose in your dream, signifies a conscious effort to achieve whatever endeavor you chose to undertake. The nose represents energy, intuition, and wisdom. The dream may suggest your need to learn more about a situation at hand. Alternatively, the nose symbolizes curiosity, as in being nosy. Perhaps you are interfering into situations and things that are none of your business. If you dream that your nose is growing, then it suggests that you or someone is lying and being dishonest. 

And another one says, "Instinctive knowledge. It reflects great powers of imagination and creativity, but also difficult relations with a partner."

     I'm not sure what I think it means and I really don't have too much time to analyze it either.  How about you? Any thoughts on what this dream could mean?  Possibly it has to do with today's election and how it may or may not affect me.  Give me your best shot or not, it's no skin off your nose either way! 

     Despite the snow in the ditches it still looks like fall at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters.  The river is liquid, the sky is blue and the pine trees are green.  If it weren't for the lack of guests, bugs and loons a person could think it was still summer by looking outside one of our windows. 

     Andrew, Voyageur Crew extraordinaire, went out for a Boundary Waters trip this past weekend.  He didn't see another soul, caught some fish and woke up to a blanket of snow on the ground Saturday morning.  Unfortunately he forgot his camera at home so I don't have any great snow pictures to show.

     I do have a photo to share from my eleven mile paddle on the Coldwater Creek last week.  It's a gorgeous creek whose path is always changing due to the shifting sand along the river's bottom and banks.  Sand bars, beaches and stumps are abundant as are the pine trees and cedar trees that line the banks.

     Paddling this time of the year is still possible as long as you're careful or find some place where the water doesn't freeze.