High DoubtAn occasional update about life in the woods... August 2021 - August 2022
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... September 5, 2021 A Week on the Road
This week started in Iowa with a great afternoon on the farm visiting with everyone. John and I got there around 2:00 spent the day on the farm laughing and talking about the huge amounts of rain and stormy weather they have been having and the northern Minnesota fires and drought. A tornado touched down a few miles south of the farm this past week, and the rivers were over flood stage. For dinner, we needed to go to the pond and get beverages, so Dyan, Sara, Beth, and I all got into Grandpa’s gator and drove down to the pond. It was an adventure and a bit tight!! Monday morning after a quick visit to the farm to say goodbye, we headed to Countryside, Illinois for a Nelson family gathering. It was great to see David and Margaret, and many of John’s cousins he has not seen in years. A lot of time was spent looking at old photos and talking about genealogy. Sue has spent a lot of time researching and sorting photographs. We left on Thursday morning and drove all the way back to High Doubt. The quiet of the north woods never felt so good after the traffic and noise of the city. I am definitely a country girl! It was a long drive, but the pull to just getting home was pretty strong, so we skipped Apple Valley on the way back.
A Walk in a Suburb Wood
David and Margaret are hikers and lovers of nature. Being in the city is tough for them, too. We spent one morning in nearby Arie Crown Forest. There was a small lake, trails, and not many people. I was determined to find a bird or two. David spent a lot of the time identifying different plants near the small lake. I grabbed my binoculars and camera and set off into the woods. Even though we were quite a distance from a road, there was a quiet hum of the city that prevented my Merlin app from identifying the few birds I did hear. I walked along one pathway for 15 minutes or so before giving up and headed back to the meadow. Margaret and I met up, and we did see a hawk and also a Wood Thrush. It was a break from looking at photographs and sitting around a hotel room!
Garden Time and Projects
John finished washing the house this week. The only wall left is the north wall, and he will do this section next summer. He still needs to oil this final seciton , but then the scaffolding can all come down. This week he plans to finish bringing in wood for the winter and other outdoor projects to get ready for the winter. I have split quite a bit of kindling already and will keep at it in the coming months.
The garden kind of went crazy while we were gone, and the cucumbers are very large. I have been researching what to do with ‘large’ cucumbers, and I think I can still make some pickles and chop up the cucumbers for relish and salads. John has made a beef stew today using our green beans, potatoes, and carrots from the garden in addition to things from the store. Our sweet corn is also ready, and for dinner every night we pick a few ears to eat. We only dug up one potato plant for the potatoes to use today, we have many, many more, and I think we overdid planting the potatoes! It is a learning process, and each year we get a bit better at gauging what we will use and what we need.
During a visit with the Ahrendt family I offered Shelby (also a vegetarian) some of our extra items. There was one caveat - I wanted a review on the fake corn dogs. Here is Shelby’s report! This is a report detailing the cooking and consumption of vegetarian corn dogs by Morning Star Farms. It includes the thoughts of Shelby Ahrendt and verbal assessments of Daniel Ahrendt & Garret Fox. The content reflects the authors’ opinions only, with no affiliation with Morning Star Farms whatsoever. Future sponsorship proposals, however, would be welcomed.
Cooking the corn dogs is as easy as opening the oven door and stuffing them in. Assessing when they are done, however, is somewhat trickier. Since the corn dogs show absolutely no surface color change between their frozen and done states, it is very difficult to visually assess when they are cooked—I highly recommend following the box directions to a T rather than eyeballing when the corn dogs appear to be“toasted”. Unfortunately, I had tossed the corn dog box into the trash before reading the baking time. Since the box was sitting in a pile of molded pasta sauce, removal was not an option. This was not a problem—I had full confidence in my eyeballing capabilities. I subsequently proceeded to overcook the corn dogs by roughly 10 minutes, which only became visible when we flipped the dogs over. We were undeterred! Slathered in ketchup or simply chomped naked, the corn dogs were spectacularly delicious. The enthusiasm for the decadent flavor is mirrored in the expressions of Garret and Dan. In perfect Minnesota fashion, the fourth corndog was left unclaimed until the end of dinner when the polite exchanges of “do you want to eat this?” “No, you go ahead.” “Are you sure? I know you liked it” “no, seriously, you have it” ensued. Dan finally consumed the last dog as Garret and I nibbled off the last bits of cornbread crusted to the stick.
Final Note: Absolutely no observable difference between this Morning Star version and what I recall a regular corn dog tastes like.
Overall rating and Thoughts 10/10 stars for flavor 7/10 stars for compatibility with ‘visual’, direction-hating bakers
Upon opening the package, the frozen corn dogs appear remarkably similar to their meaty counterparts. If you presented me with a “real” and a “fake” corn dog, I would not be able to tell you which was which. (Although, it may spur a healthy discussion as to what it means to be a “real” corndog vs a “fake” one…) I’m also struck by the realization that the concept of “vegetarian corn dogs” should be leveraged as an asset in the fake-meat world rather than peddled as a novelty — it seems much easier to dupe fake-meat scorners by obscuring the imitation hotdog center with a corny wrap.
When we found out Johannes and Beanee were both vegetarians, we picked up quite a few different types of fake meat to test and have on hand. After they left we did end up with quite a few bags of untested meat products including Morning Star’s Vegetarian Corn Dogs!
Remember the Vegetarian Corn Dogs?
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
When I sat down to review the week and the photographs I collected this week it became apparent that our week is developing a very predictable routine. John gets up to run, I get up to drink coffee, we check out the news/emails, John works on the house, and I try to find something useful to do!! The colors continue to change, and on my daily driveway walk, I was surprised at the vibrancy of a few trees. They predict the colors will not be as vibrant as last year because of the drought. It remains to be seen since the colors are just starting, and most of the forest remains quite green. It is a bit strange with some trees in full red and others not changed at all. check the status of fall color anywhere in Minnesota, there is a fall color hotline! Here are the links for those of you curious about Minnesota color
To
fall_colors/index.htmlhttps://www.dnr.state.mn.us/change: High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... September 12, 2021 The Quiet Life of Retirement
The treadmill gets used almost every day by John. He is disciplined and runs five days a week and also has a weight workout. I don’t and should! We have added regular pickleball to our week! Around 4:00 most days we head down to the tennis courts and play for an hour or so. We are improving, but it is often frustrating. John’s strategy is to return the ball safely and let me make mistakes. I try to charge the net and place kill shots, but I am not successful with this strategy. This week I will change tactics. I am still working to win a single game! We will be ready for all of you when you return next summer!!
v
Getting Active
We also headed out to golf this week but went to the Gunflint Hills course instead of Superior National. Something happened during this week’s round that has never happened before. Each of us started with a Calloway golf ball, and at the end of the round, we still were playing with that ball. Usually, this course eats golf balls, and it becomes an Easter egg hunt in the woods! On the final hole, John pulled out a two-stroke victory - again I was a loser! Each week we try to incorporate the garden into our meals if we can. Most nights this week we ate fresh sweet corn no matter what the meal happened to be! I think we had sweet corn with our egg frittatas, eggplant parmesan, and the leftover beef stew from last week. John likes to call some of my meals ‘adventure’ meals, and I am trying to expand my cooking skill. The eggplant parmesan was a new meal for us, and it was great. Add another recipe for the vegetarian menu! As I said last week, we have lots of cucumbers. I made a few more jars of refrigerator pickles and most likely will give them away. Adventure Cooking Get ready for more photos from your pasts! Time to start up the scanner. Time to Start Scanning Again!
The House is Clean
For John this week was all about finishing the work to clean the siding on the west and north side of the house, oiling the cedar siding, and also installing the remaining rain gutters on the second level. Now with the rain gutters, the black discoloration caused by rain and dirt should be prevented. Next summer we will tackle the cedar posts on the deck, and we may try to clean the deck with different products. Last winter he cut down a number of birch trees down the drive and beyond the septic mound. This week he took his chain saw and bucked up these trees, and then used the tractor to haul the logs to the wood shed for spliting. These were BIG birch trees, and John thinks we will have over eight cords of wood collected when all is said and done. Again, we split with the log splitter, and it was the best purchase of the year!
Other work included the deconstruction of the small wood shed in front of the house. We decided it intruded too much in our view and seemed out of place. A Todaywoodpilesmallerwillbeheretemporarily.JohnwillheadtoMinneapolis for a lumber run to pick up supplies to build a shed out near the garden to store tools, extra lumber/plywood, the snowblower, etc. to allow more space in the garage for things like cars!
Photographs from the week - Looking for life and experiments with movement!
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... September 19, 2021 Daily Changes
Every single day changes are both seen and felt as colors shift and the temperature cools. I would like to push pause and slow down changing colors. Right now the red and orange of the maples trees have taken center stage, but soon to follow with the birch trees adding yellow to the mix. (The DNR has the area at 50% on the Fall Color Hotline.) The nightly temperatures have definitely with daily temps in the 60s and nights dipping into the lower 50s. We also got over an inch of rain this week, and the fire danger has decreased. The BWCA is now open again, and campfires are allowed in fire grates.
One big change for me this week was the return of “the bear”. I think it might be Jerome. He sat in the very same spot as Jerome did last year, settling down between the two solar arrays. Like last year’s bear, he spent time digging around in one specific spot. Although John was gone when he appeared, I was brave and determined to get a photo. With a long lens in hand, I got off a few frames before I scared him off. Needless to say, I have not been hiking in the woods alone this week!
Special Visitors Ryan, Kira, and the girls were on the Gunflint Trail this week and they came to Grand Marais for a town day on Tuesday. McKinley turned three on Monday, so we had a birthday gift for her to open. In keeping with our family’s newfound love of birds, we gave her a Minnesota birding guide, but I also made her a “McKinley” bird book based on color with only a few birds included. We also gave her a butterfly net along with some collecting tools. Johannes and Christopher should recognize their Duplo and the small table we had for them in Germany and Faribault. These tables are over 25 years old!! In my excitement to have little people at High Doubt, I did not take any photos. Kira sent me these!! Here are a few pages of the bird book I made McKinley. I know she is a bit young for the information, but these cards are organized by color. I laminated the cards and made them large. The bird photos are mainly Johannes’s (thank you, Johannes) and a few of mine! I learned quite a lot while making this little book from the “Kids Guide to Minnesota Birds”. This book is more my speed for identifying birds!!
The birds are actively migrating through the area, and we are trying to figure out how to make our place safer for them. Now we have fluttering flagging ribbons on most windows. This week a few Golden Crowned Kinglets and this Northern Parula died. We are trying...
We continued to eat sweet corn almost daily. And, John made remarkably good apple crisp from apples from our tree. Most of the apples he froze, but these final few made for a nice crisp. Of course, he used our maple sugar, too. The garden is almost done now except for sweet corn and squash. We managed to get out and play a round of golf again on Thursday. No one else really on the course, great temp, and beautiful colors. I did lose a couple of golf balls but found three! And, we played pickleball at least three times. John beats me almost every game, but finally, I pulled out a game during our last time out! I remain hopeful, and I have watched pickleball instructional videos! I also played with Joni on Wednesday, and I believe she is hooked and will be purchasing paddles this week!
Bird Migration
John finished splitting the birch he had collected, and almost all the wood for the upcoming winter is set. Then he started to work on the garden shed that will be 16 x 10 feet and just south of the garden. It will be a place for all the scaffolding, garden tiller, snow blower, extra lumber, and many tools used throughout the year. This will allow him to unclutter the garage and the house of tools. (yea).
What Happened This Week...
Sunset - September 12, 2021
Driveway Moments...
Our weeks are becoming more and more routine as we settle into life here at High Doubt. Last year we were always thinking about Switzerland; when to fly over again, when and how to sell the apartment, and also navigating Covid restrictions. Those concerns are not part of our thinking anymore, and it feels good to know this is home. It is a subtle shift, but our life in Switzerland is now in the past, and it feels right. As you can imagine, the colors continue to change. The brilliant reds of the maples are giving way to the golds and yellows of the birch. We have had more rain this week with over an inch falling. John and I watched the newly installed gutters do their job! It now feels like fall, and we have turned on the heat and had a fire on the stove.
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... September 26, 2021 Another Quiet Week
Too Many Spuds!
John was able to pull out a final large birch tree from the woods that he took down to buck up this week. He uses the tractor with a chain to pull the tree out.
Work has also started on the entry room to add outlets and sheetrock. Mud room next!!
Work Continues
We finally dug up our potatoes, and we had a feeling that we probably had more than we could probably use. By the time we had dug up the final potato, we had three 5-gallon buckets full of the Russets and Golden Chip. John estimates 30 lbs of the Golden Chip and 40 lbs. of the Russets. With the dirt cleaned off, the potatoes are in boxes in a dark cool corner of the basement. Needless to say, I am looking for lots of potato recipes to try in the coming weeks and months! Next year we will not plant quite so many. The garden is a learning experience!
When the weather cooperated, John was busy getting the walls up for the new garden shed. He has done as much as he can with the lumber we have on hand. Today (Sunday) John will head to Apple Valley for a night to pick up more lumber and take a load of trash/ garbage for Monday morning pickup in Apple Valley.
Bits and Pieces from the Week
“The collaboration with Pokémon and Oreos started earlier in September, where 16 different types of limited Pokémon Oreos were sold. Some of the Pokémon on these Oreos include classics like Pikachu and Squirtle, as well as starters from other generations such as Piplup and Grookey. But others like Sableye, Lapras, and the mythical Pokémon Mew are also included, with Mew being one of the most valuable of these Oreo cookies.” Another family photo found - taken at Dennis and Pam’s home. I purchased a new pickleball racquet, but we have not been able to get out and play this week. I finally beat John in a game the last time out, and now gave a new racquet just waiting to continue my streak. The weather is changing quickly, and so a goal this week is to test this baby out!!
We continued our golfing Thursdays, and this week on the second hole these three birds joined us! John’s ball was near them, so they did not stick around too long. Again, it was a beautiful afternoon with few people on the course, and so it was relaxing. We both are getting a bit better, but we realized that our golf clubs were purchased in the early ‘90s when we were at Shattuck. If we continue to play weekly, we may well consider buying some new clubs!
Yes, Christopher your dreams have come true! Oreos are now made with Pokémon graphics. Maybe we should sell the Machamp card while the iron is hot!!
—
“In order to see birds, it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” Robert Lynd
High DoubtAn occasional update about life in the woods... October 3, 2021 A Trip on the Harbor
On Sunday, I got a call from Karin Anderson and was invited to join her and Tony for a boat ride in the harbor. It is hard to believe, but this was the first time I have ever been in the Grand Marais harbor in any watercraft. It was fairly warm, but overcast creating beautiful blue tones in both the sky and water. Tony took us slowly around the harbor, and it was so interesting to see our little town from a new perspective. There are regulations about leaving the harbor in a small craft, and I can see why. At the harbor opening, the swells that looked like nothing from a distance definitely rocked the boat! We also explored the new boat launch on the western side of the harbor, and it is significant. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife, but there were quite a few ducks, geese, and of course, seagulls.
Great Visits, a Trip up the Trail, and Thursday Golf
Garden Shed Almost Done
John calls this his playhouse, but it actually will help declutter and organize the garage, woodshed, and the assortment of tools stored in the house. It is quite amazing how he is able to simply build a little house all by himself! I did help hold the first truss in place until it was secure, but that is the extent of my help on this project! It should be completed this week if the weather holds out.
This week had a bit of everything. Kathleen came over on Monday morning with biscotti in hand, and we enjoyed a twohour visit on our deck. It was very warm, and the colors were poppin’! Then on Tuesday, Karin and I walked the new bike trail for 45 minutes, starting from Cutface. I saw birds, but I could not tell you what any of them were - sorry, Johannes. We then drove up to Lutsen to check out the colors, and it was beautiful. It was surprising how many people were there. Parking lots were full. We also had dinner up the trail with Sue and Andy this week. They are here to pull in the dock, clear away a lot of the brush and trees which are too close to buildings. The fire danger is down for now, but they will continue to clear brush and fuel near any structure. We did golf again this week, but we are not going to talk about how many balls John lost during the round.
And, Just Some Random Stuff
I come across a lot of photos as I sort boxes. This one struck both John and me as a strange photo. We cannot figure out what Johannes is thinking, and it appears that Chris cannot either. Once I get my computer fixed, I will begin to scan and edit more gems.
Strange Photo Alert
Defeat and Humilialtion...
Bird Collisions Continue Screen Down!
Another reason to lose weight...as I got up off my chair on Sunday night, my hip knocked my new computer to the floor and broke the screen. We have an appointment at the Genius Bar, but it was a disappointing moment, to say the least. I am using an old MacBook Pro that can hardly run Photoshop and InDesign. I know - “first world problem”.
We continue to have occasional bird strikes on the windows, and so we are determined to look into different solutions. With all the windows we have, we are not surprised that the birds become confused. It is never the deck glass, but mainly the windows on the south side of the house. We only had one death this week - a little chickadee. This White-crowned Sparrow and the Golden-crowned Kinglet were simply stunned and appeared to fly away after a few minutes.
Check out this link to an article on NPR about bird collisions in New York City: https://www.npr.org/2021/09/16/1038097872/new-york-dead-birds
Remember I bought this new racquet, and finally, we hit the pickleball court, and I was ready. Well...I got beat handily four straight games. I am determined to figure out this racquet, but it certainly felt different than our cheaper ones. Yes, I was disappointed, but I will try again.
White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Kinglet
This week I intentionally went out and tried to shoot more photographs. It was a colorful week for me starting with the blues of Lake Superior, and then John and I ate Subway sandwiches watching the sunset. We also took a drive on local roads to take in the yellows of the birch. See all the photos from September in Fall 2021 Gallery
“Grand Marais is a great place to relax and skip stones, enjoy a cool breeze off the lake, read a book, or just be.” —Anna Callaghan
It Started with A Ruffed Grouse
An occasional update about life in the woods...
During the weekends, I enjoy watching a bit of football, and during the Vikings game this past Sunday, I happened to look down the driveway and saw a Ruffed Grouse just standing there. You can get quite close to these birds, so I grabbed my camera and took quite a few photos. It flew up into a tree and just sat there. I decided that this week (no matter what) I would shoot more photos of anything alive and breathing. So included in this week’s newsletter will be photos of the birds and animals I saw this week. The list includes deer (saw them daily), rabbit, Ruffed Grouse, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Pine Grosbeak, Yellow Warbler, Dark-eyed Juncos, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Sparrows (dead and alive), Canadian Geese and John.
High Doubt
October 10, 2021
Now, the Garden Shed is Really Almost Done
John does not call this his playhouse. He wants me to reference it correctly in this issue. It is his ‘fort’! Rain this week prevented him from working a couple of days, but the roof is almost complete, and the walls are up. I will treat the plywood this week, but he plans on moving things into the structure this week. I have included a couple of angles of the building to give you an idea of how it looks in our back 40.
Finishing Work in the Garden
As John and I continue to play Little House on the Prairie, it was time to bring in the squash and freeze them for the winter. It was pretty easy, and the recipes also encouraged roasting the acorn squash seeds. So I did! They were great, but John did not try even one seed. What a chicken! I only did four squash during my first attempt, but it went well. I will finish with the other squash this week. We also put a dent in our 80 lbs. of potatoes by making potato soup and some excellent fries in the air fryer! This week we will pick and dry the corn to feed the squirrels this winter, cut up and pull the corn stalks, and pull up as many weeds as we can to get ready to till the ground, add more mulch, and get it set for the winter.
This Week’s Wildlife...
....and more!
“How beautiful the leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.” — John Burroughs
An occasional update about life in the woods... Trip to Iowa
This week I drove to Iowa to visit family and take part in the Fluhrer Family Fall Fun Festival. Grandpa also had a doctor’s appointment in Des Moines for his hearing aid and Rochester for a check-up. It was nice to be able to ride along and help if needed. A highlight of the trip to Des Moines was a stop at the Jester Park where dad’s buffalo now call home. We were given a VIP ride right into the buffalo area with the man who takes care of the herd. It was wonderful for dad to see all his buffalo again. It was obvious he misses having them on the farm, but they just got to be too much for him to take care of. When David, the herdsman, talked to Dad about his buffalo it was obvious this man, loved them, too. The park is beautiful, and David said over 1,000,000 people saw the herd last year.
October 10, 2021 A
High Doubt
Mulch Time /mʌl(t) / “material (such as decaying leaves, bark, or compost) spread around or over a plant to enrich or insulate the soil.” John loves to get fresh mulch on the garden in the fall, and this year was no exception. He has 13-14 pails he fills at the compost pile in town, and then brings the mulch home to spread around the apple and cedar trees and also the gar den. He made six trips in total which is over 100 pails of mulch. He also added mulch (leaves and grass) to our compost bin which is filled with mainly food matter. I think I am supposed to try and stir this mixture when I get back. Hmmmm...
Getting Ready for Winter
The final squash, carrots and strawberries were gathered from the garden this week. I was able to cook and freeze more squash, and decided to also roast the seeds. John finally took one tiny seed and tried them. I like them! When John was tilling the ground he came in and said we had missed another 10 pounds of potatoes, but we left them out there. The 80 pounds we have are enough! We did have potato soup and lots of home fries this week. The air fryer comes in handy!
My creative juices have been going lately and I have been wanting to try some alterneative photographic methods. Last fall I played around with cyanotypes, but I read about eco printing on paper. It didn’t look too difficult, and I only needed a couple items to try my first batch. Eco printing is “a form of natural dyeing created by Artist and Author India Flint where the natural dye colors from leaves, flowers and other plant material are transferred to paper or fabric via steaming or boiling. The procedure in a nutshell is to collect leaves and plant material. Treat watercolor paper with a water/alum mixture, and then when the paper is still wet place the leaves/ferns/flowers on the treated paper and then tack with another paper and place more plant matter. You can stack as many as you want. (I think I did six pieces). You then place these papers on top of some wire critter cloth in a large roasting pan. Place a board on top of your papers with a pot of water to hold them down, pour the rest of the alum/water mixture in the roasting pan covering the water, add rusty wires and nails, bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Once done pour in a half cup of white vinegar and let the paper sit for 24 hours. Then wash off the plants and see what you have created.
This is the roasting pan with the paper sitting under the board and pot of water. You can see the rusty nail sitting in the left side of the pan. The fern is sitting on a treated piece of paper before boiling, and the next photo shows one composition just being taken out of the water.
Eco-printing on Paper
Photos from the Week
A few photos from the trip down to Iowa - next week I will have photos from the Fluhrer Family Fun Fall Festival
Return to High Doubt Christopher Turns 30 It doesn’t seem possible that 30 years ago John and I drove in the early evening of October 21 to the Berlin clinic where Christopher was born. Happy Birthday, Christopher - wish we could celebrate in person.
An occasional update about life in the woods...
High Doubt
This week started in Iowa with last Sunday’s Fall Fluhrer Fun Family Festival, a trip to Rochester to help with Grandpa’s check-ups at the Mayo Clinic, taking Ryan and Kira’s family photos, and then meeting John in Apple Valley. We drove back up on Tuesday. It felt good to get back to Grand Marais, but the colors at High Doubt are almost gone. The birch are holding onto their leaves, but we finally did have a freeze this week. The temps are now feeling more like fall, and snowflakes did fall up the trail on Friday night. Most of this week I was not too productive except for finishing a good mystery and trying to get out for a daily walk. This coming week we hope to flag another trail on the east side of the driveway, and I will work on clearing it before snow falls.
October 24, 2021
Still Playing Lumberjack
Before the snow falls, John had a few more birch trees off in the woods that needed to come down. He fells the trees and then uses the tractor to drag the tree to the woodshed where he bucks them up. Finally, he splits the wood with the wood splitter and loads them back onto the front end loader and moves to the woodpile in front of the house. This wood will eventually be used in the downstairs wood stove. He hopes to install the stove once outside work becomes more difficult.
The ‘fort/playhouse/clubhouse’ now has steps and scaffolding, tools, the deck chairs, etc. are already stored inside. John also finished the steps up to the deck. This week a door will be placed on the building. The garage is now much more open and both cars will easily fit inside if we want. We have a lot of stuff to get rid of still, but slowly things are becoming more and more organized!
FFFFF
Fluhrer Link on SmugMug:
Fall Family Fun Festival (FFFFF) -
There is always a contest or activity during the FFFFF. This year it was a treasure hunt. Three teams were given clues which eventually led them to a shovel, a probing tool, and longitude/latitude coordinates. This took them to a rock where they received their final instructions. Each team was to find their buried treasure. (money!)
Add sugar, salt, oleo to lukewarm milk stir until oleo melts. Put 2 pkg. yeast in warm water, stir and then add to milk mixture. Slightly beat eggs and add. Add flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough and let rise until double.
McKinley got a Stomp Rocket as a surprise, and everyone had fun especially Jess who had to get the rocket off the garage roof.
Icky Sticky Rolls!
Punch down and let rise again. Roll dough to 9 x18 - spread with butter adn sprinkle with a mixture of 1/2 c brown sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Roll up and seal well. Cut in slices and put in a 9 x 13 pan that has - oleo, brown sugar and syrup melted in it - (pecans if desired) Let rise until double and bake.
Food is always an important part of any Fluhrer gathering! For lunch, soup and grilled cheese sandwiches were on the menu. Later in the afternoon Grandma served her famous “Icky Sticky” rolls and apple cider. Here is the recipe!
A quick photo after church of four generations!
More weekend shots from Iowa
Sunday was a busy day! Everyone went to church, followed by lunch at the farm, then the big game, and finally everyone chose a prize from Beth’s Boundless swag!
11/2 c. lukewarm milk 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. salt 1/2 c. Oleo 2 eggs 2 pkg. yeast - 1/2 c. warm water 7-71/2 c. sifted flour
“Sometimes I think that the point of birdwatching is not the actual seeing of the birds, but the cultivation of patience.
— Lynn Thomson
Of course, each time we set out, there’s a certain amount of expectation we’ll see something, maybe even a species we’ve never seen before, and that it will fill us with light. But even if we don’t see anything remarkable - and sometimes that happens - we come home filled with light anyway.”
“Sometimes I need only to whereverstandIamtobeblessed.” ― Mary Oliver
Everyone knows winter will arrive sooner rather or later. This week’s fairly mild temps allowed John to work outdoors comfortably and for me to take quite a few walks. Early in the week I took my camera and a couple of books and hiked down to the Little Devils Track River accessing the river using the path below the Pincushion Yurt. I should have brought my sticks along to help out with the steps, but I went slowly and spent time at the river shooting photos. Once I climbed up the trail, I did take a break at the bench! I did not hear a single bird, but as sat on the bench I remembered the three or four different warblers Johannes and I identified there in June. After the snow falls, these trails are off limits to walking since they are all groomed for cross country skiing.
During the early part of the week I spent way too much time trying to figure out my new iPhone. After eight years of using a Samsung, I have to admit I struggled. With Christopher’s help, a few calls to Karin, and downloading an 800+ page iPhone manual I think I starting to see the light. I am excited to learn the ins and outs of the camera, but I will still lug my DSLR out to shoot a majority of my photos. Week of
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... October 31, 2021 Another
Nice Weather
With the good weather John ticked a few additional things off his outdoor to-do list. He finished putting the door on the garden shad (AKA ‘fort’) and treated the exterior with preservative. He also continued to work on the stairway that will be on the north end of the deck. This allows another exit off the deck and is needed for safety. The steps will start right outside our bedroom door. John also built a Pileated Woodpecker house, and it is tucked on the south edge of the clearing. The inside of the box is scored so baby woodpeckers can grab and practice climbing. This area is where I have watched and seen many Pileated Woodpeckers.
On October 10th I was watching YouTube TV while I was preparing dinner. We get Duluth stations and across the bottom of the screen came a tornado warning for Cook County. I have never heard of a tornado in Cook County, but the radar showed to the west and north a very strong storm cell. To make a long story short this is what the National Weather service released just this week. “A tornado with wind speeds between 111-135 mph swept through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on October 10, knocking down trees and making a popular hiking trail impassable in sections. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Duluth confirmed that a tornado did roll through the BWCA near Clearwater Lake on Oct. 10. The tornado reached an EF2 rating on its intensity scale, meaning its wind speeds could have reached 135 mph. The tornado was estimated to be on the ground from 6:10 to 6:20 p.m., according to the NWS.”
More building this week...
Tornado in Cook County
FYI - Clearwater Lake is the lake where we took a day trip with David and Margaret/Max and Chris/ Joh and Beanee a few years ago.
Fingers crossed!
A Last Hurrah
Friday’s weather was predicted to be sunny and warm, so friends organized a picnic lunch and hike at Two Island Lake. Everyone brought their own lunch, drinks, and chair! It was a beautiful afternoon and after a hike around the campground, we played an exciting game of Kuub. And, the guys won again! We spent the rest of the afternoon around the fire enjoying conversation and late October afternoon.
Happy Halloween
High Doubt An occasional update
November
On Sunday afternoon I was sitting in the room off the kitchen reading, and suddenly I saw snowflakes falling. Initially, there were only a few, but the light was very odd. I went outside and looked out towards Lake Superior, and you could see more snow coming across the valley. Enough snow did fall so that it covered the deck, and in the morning it was still there. Usually by this time the temperatures have been much lower and snow would be starting to fall each week. Lutsen is scheduled to open for skiing on weekends on November 20. They make a lot of snow, Overall,too.it was a quiet week with only a few hard scheduled things for either of us. I got my haircut on Monday afternoon and took my new iPhone along to shoot photographs of Lake Superior. John returned on Monday night from a Twin Cities run with a van full of lumber for the new stairway off the north end of the deck. On Saturday we cleaned and packed for our trip down to Apple Valley for a few days before we head east to visit Johannes and Beanee. about life in the woods... 7, 2021 Cue the Snow and November Skies
On Thursday, I was able to schedule my Moderna booster, and although I heard the morning was quite busy at the vaccination event, I was feeling a bit lonely during my appointment! Luckily I only suffered with a slightly sore arm for a couple of days.
Wearing Orange Moderna Booster
Deer hunting season opened on Saturday, and on Friday I did see our family of deer on the driveway. I tried to warn them about what was about to happen, but they were on their way to our little pond and didn’t really want to talk. The doe and her two young deer are in the clearing by the pond almost every single day. I was told to wear orange in the woods in November (even here on the Pincushion Trails), so I now have an orange vest and stocking cap.
A New Set of Stairs
It is quite amazing to me how John knows how to do the things he does. By the end of the week we had a new stairway right outside our bedroom door off the deck. This will give us another exit off of our deck in case of a fire. A railing will be added once we return.
Always thinking of you...
Moose,spent some plant dollars, and learned how to take care of each plant was so fun. And, surprise they are all still alive. I really thought they would die. We head off for a week now, but I will water and feed them right before we leave! They should be okay.
Everyone knows that whenever I see birds now I think of Johannes, but I often have my morning coffee from his “Fowl” cup. We will bring it with us to Philadelphia. I will miss the cup, but the chickadees will remain outside the window reminding me to get out my binoculars and take a walk! Thank you for the new hobby!
Take a look at just a few things that remind me of you all.
The bouquet from the wedding has been drying on top of the hutch, It is crispy, but still holds together. Whenever I see it I remember Max holding it on the deck and that wonderful week. I have always been a Project Runway fan, but now when I watch the new season I imagineworkingMaxawayinherstudioandatschool.
As I ramble around the house every week there are moments I think of each of you!
I gave Chris a video walking tour this week of our plants during one of our video calls. But, every time I look at these plants I think of you. The day we went to the Blue
Ryan found two Power Ranger pillow cases at the farm, and he insisted that Johannes and Chris each get one. Grandma always bought special sheets for the grandkids bedrooms. They make me smile!
These coffee cups made the trip up from the basement and sit right on top of the microwave - ready for Beanee to have her coffee in the morning. I have also started to use Stevia as a sweetner on my occasional Cream of Wheat and an occasional cup of tea.
– George Morrison
“I seek the power of the rock, the magic of the wa ter, the religion of the tree, the color of the wind, and the enigma of the horizon.”
Ojibwe artist from Grand Marais
High Doubt
Next week I will include a few other bird photos from the trip.
woods... November 14, 2021 A Week
An occasional update about life in the Away
John and I left High Doubt on Sunday afternoon for Apple Valley for our trip to see Johannes and Beanee. Our flight was not until Thursday morning, but we scheduled an eye exam and spent time in the Cities completing errands and looking at new cars. Thursday morning we were off to Philadelphia!Weleavehere tomorrow afternoon, so I hope to get a few more photographs of Yasmine and Johannes before we leave. This issue is quite heavy on our weekend here. It has been great to see their apartment, neighborhood, and Philadelphia. We have tried to be low impact visitors since grad school is all-consuming and papers/presentations/work are important.
Meeting Kylo
Johannes and Beanee live in Society Hill which is a neighborhood fairly close to the downtown with lots of small cafes and restaurants all over the place. On our second night we went to a game cafe where you pay a per person charge, pick out a game and can sit for hours playing board games. We chose to sit outside and only played one round of a game called AZUL. We would have played longer, but it was getting chilly. It was a vegan cafe, so I had my first non-meat burger (pretty good - couldn’t tell it wasn’t beef) and Johannes had his first seitan chicken sandwich. He also said it was very good. Beanee’s kale salad came without its dressing which made for a less than perfect dinner! All over Philadelphia are plaques and descriptions about the history of buildings or locations. For example, the game cafe is near the Headhouse Market which has a history dating to 1745, it is one of the oldest surviving market buildings of its type in the nation
One of the first things we did once we got to Johannes’s apartment was meet Kylo. He is a great cat. Kylo was able to have some screen time when we visited, too!
Dinner and Conversation (or a Game!)
Photo by Beanee
On Saturday, Johannes drove all of us to Cape May, New Jersey. It is located at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. This area is considered North America’s greatest bird watching locations. More than 400 different species have been seen on the peninsula during the fall migration and the area is known for spectacular flights of peregrines, merlins, ospreys and sharpshinned hawks. In a typical year, they’ll count between 30,000 and 55,000 hawks, 750,000 to 1 million water birds, and 80,000 to 90,000 songbirds. We took a couple mile hike and saw quite a few different birds, but strong winds were blowing keeping smaller birds hidden and out of sight. After we left the park we stopped at the Plum Beach Farm for a great lunch and then walked along the beach and seafront on Cape May.
Saturday Trip to Cape May
Life in Philadelphia Here are moroe photos from our visit with Joh and Beanee! Walking in Society Hill Kylo being consoled. He is afraid of the new plants. IKEAmadedecisionswithmatchingCrocs! Apartmentcourtyardentrance Beanee at work
Grand Marais Storm
And, in other news....
We were able to talk with Chris this weekend, too. This is a kind of goofy screen capture, but both boys are together! Next week Chris will interview for the assistant principal position at his school. Ah..he is just like his dad! We were all very jealous of him since he was having parent/teacher conferences, and only had about seven left! Those were the days, and I don’t think any of us miss parent/teacher conferences. Hope they went well, Chris. Just before we left on our trip, our deer family stopped by and again I encouraged them to stay on our property and now venture out into the woods.
The weather reports for the North Shore for the time we were to be gone were exciting to say the least. Gale warnings, possible heavy rain, and snow were predicted. And, it all came true. I screen captured some images from social media to give you an idea of the storm that hit on Thursday. We are not certain if we got snow or rain, but it appears that our place probably got between four and five inches of rain, and possibly some snow. Up the Gunflint Trail, snow did fall. Flooding in front of the Food Coop Waves crashing off of East Bay Up the Gunflint
John and I fly back to Apple Valley on Monday, and after a few errands got on the road back up to High Doubt. It was great to visit Philadelphia, but it was also nice to be home again. Everything was fine with only a trace of snow on the driveway. Our time home was short-lived, however, as we had dental appointments in Duluth on Thursday. No big news at the dentist except our teeth are also wearing out as we age. The next visit might require a couple of crowns for both of us. The rest of the week was quiet with John working outside cleaning up the site, cutting brush, and putting a temporary railing on the new stairway from the deck. I purchased a new big hard drive to serve as my go-to drive for all my photographs and files. For days I sat in my office with my four little drives trying to delete and sort files. It will take weeks, but I am determined to set up an organized catalogue with Lightroom! For screen breaks, I grabbed my camera and took walks looking for compositions in this photographically challenging time between seasons.
An occasional update about life in the woods... Home
December 5, 2020 Back
High Doubt
Chopsticks...No Problem!
Covid Alive and Well here in Minnesota In the News!
The moral of this story is to get your boosters when you qualify, wear a mask, and still be careful. I have had my booster, but John does not quite qualify yet - soon he will!
Cook County has done a very good job with its vaccination clinics and trying to control the spread of Covid. Nineteen new cases were reported this week bringing the total case count for Cook County to 314 since the beginning of the pandemic. This is an uptick of 64 cases since October 19. Minnesota health officials say the state is currently in the middle of a coronavirus “blizzard” with its rate of new infections the worst in the nation over the past seven days.
Just this afternoon, Johannes sent a couple of photos from the boys’ trip to Sax Zim Bog this summer. Chris and Max have been busy birding in Japan. We are one happy birding family, I think!
One of the first things we do when we get home is going through the mail. We often have lots of mail from Switzerland that always seems to be the Swiss government asking for more documents. Nothing too important came in the mail this week, but the Sax Zim Bog annual report arrived. And, to my surprise, Johannes and Christopher made the annual report! I will have to thank Sparky for the photo!
Final meal with Johannes and Beanee at a Japanese restaurant in Philadelphia in the Gayborhood neighborhood. I was teased a bit for not being a very adventurous eater, but I used chopsticks just like a big girl! We were the only people in the restaurant, and it was nice we had Christopher and Max with us in spirit!
“It was deep afternoon when shadows begin to grow, light becomes gold, and you realize that this particular day has reached its destiny. Like old age, it’s not yet over, but there’s no denying the time of day.”
― Vicki Covington
“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.” – Diane Arbus Pennypack Park, Philadelphia Lugano,CharlesSwitzerlandCity,Iowa
John and I spent most of Friday afternoon and Saturday test driving and deciding on a new car to buy. We think we have chosen the BMW X3! More on that next week!
For much of this week, John and I were in Charles City for Thanksgiving. We drove down to Iowa on Wednesday and then headed back to Apple Valley on Friday. We had a delicious dinner complete with turkey and all the fixings (and Grandma rolls)! Ryan brought two amazing pumpkin pies with crusts to die for (He has some serious baking skills!), and it was fun to see how Emory and McKinley are growing and changing. It was a relaxed day, and by about 4:00 pm the Stewart clan headed over to Dean’s family, Beth/Mike drove up to the Cities for their Friday flight to Florida, and Dy/Paul/Sydney left to have dinner with Sam and Lucy. John and I stayed for supper and spent the night working on the puzzle. We also watched old films taken by my Grandpa Marsh shot in the 1950s of Grandma and Grandpa’s wedding in 1956 and my mom in the North Iowa Band Festival as the Marble Rock queen entry!!
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... November 28, 2021 Thanksgiving Week Photo by Dyan Childress
More Thanksgiving Shots!
A Beach Proposal! For the past few months, many of us have been hoping that CJ was going to pop the question. The suspense is now over. On the Blumberg family trip to Florida, he pretended that he wanted to have a photo taken with Jess in front of him with his hand on her shoulder - then he asked her to turn! He was on his knee, and the rest is history! Beth and Mike knew and kept the secret for almost a month!
A Morning Trip to the Pond
Thanksgiving morning was windy and cold! Grandpa asked me if I would like to ride with him in the Gator down to the pond and see the ice formations on the willow tree. I jumped at the chance to capture a photo or two. It was so windy that the wil low branches were whipping back and forth, but small pieces of ice had formed from the constant dipping into the pond. Then we drove by the silo, and I realized that I had never been in the elevator. It was finished during the past year when we were staying away due to Covid. It is a pretty impressive eleva tor, and we went to the second-floor bedroom and then up to the observatory. I guess no one has slept in the silo yet! It was great to see the finished project!
On a more serious birding note, Johannes did add 55 birds this week in one birding session in Mexico! See Joh’s bird photos at @the.birds.made.me.do.it
Birding Notes Adam sent me a video of a man who made a chickadee feeding hat! It ap pears to be a plastic face mask with a paper plate attached filled with seed. Then he just waited for the Chicka dees to land! Will I try to make one? Yea...I think it will be a nice project this week! Stay tuned!
Friends and a Hike!
On Tuesday, friends called us for an afternoon walk on trails near the campground and Lake Superior. We hope to make this a weekly event and explore other short hikes in the area. We walked out onto the new jetty built this summer. You can walk out to the end and see the lighthouse from the east end of the harbor. There is one little problem, however! See all the seagulls on the rock in the photo below. They also like to sit and poop on the new jetty! It is quite a mess.
Beth sent a note from Florida and said, “I named each of these gulls and added 56 to my life list!”
A Grand Marais Sunset Tuesday, November 23
For the first time in over 20 years, John and I hope to experience a real-live blizzard this weekend. Snow was forecasted to start around 5:00 am and continue throughout Sunday and into Monday. As of 9:00 am I think I have seen two snowflakes. Period! Radar indicates we should be getting snow, but so far it is very disappointing! We decided that it would be good to get our Christmas tree cut down and decorated before deep snow made it more difficult. It feels so nice to have the tree up again, but I remember last year being so excited to have Beanee and Johannes here for the holidays. This year we hope to entertain a few friends, but we are still being very careful with Covid still popping up in Cook County. Snow update - (9:15 am) Minneapolis Public Radio just said again that the North Shore should get 12-20 inches of snow today. (10:00 am) Snow is starting to fall. (11:30 am) Snow seems to be increasing in intensity! Who knows how much we will get! (12:51) Still falling...
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... December 5, 2021 Getting Ready for the Blizzard
Surprising News..... I was pouring over the newspaper’s real estate section as I like to do, and I saw that Sven and Ole’s is up for sale. After talking with friends, I guess no one is surprised. Sven and Ole’s only had four workers this summer, had a limited menu, and were only open on week ends for take-out. Grand Marais desperately needs a restaurant like Sven and Ole’s to open. Tourists must be surprised to arrive and have so few options now!
Tough News.....
New Wheels!
Picking out a new car was quite an adventure. We were at five different dealerships, and a few of them multiple times. I had a bit of a problem since I liked every car we looked at, and once we left the dealership, I wanted ‘that’ car. The BMW X3 ended up being the winner for a variety of reasons. The BMW dealership had a car we liked in stock, and we were able to test drive the exact car we wanted to purchase. It was a surprise how every dealership was very interested in our used car and willing to give us a good tradein. I still cannot believe we pulled the pin, but we now own a black BMW X3. Since we last purchased a car, there are so many new features, and to be honest, it is confusing. However, I have taken it out for solo drives, and both driver and care survived.
Cook County has weathered the pandemic well and until this week was the only county in Minnesota without a Covid death. It was reported that someone in the county aged 75-79 did pass away this week. Numbers are still climbing with 341 cases reported since Covid started. John and a few of our other friends will be getting their booster shot this coming Thursday.
Finding Things in the Woods
When Highway 61 was being resurfaced or built (?), the construction crews left equipment in the woods. I believe these big containers were for tar, but I am not certain. I was too interested in shooting a few photos of these surprising structures in the middle of the woods, and I don’t think I was listening too carefully to their history! It is interesting to whosewonderwoodsobjects/structuresdiscoverintheandtrytofigureoutthestory.WehavethehuntingshackrightoffthedrivewaythatIoccasionallyexploreandwhenitwasbuiltandcabinitwas.
Joni and Nathan have a ton of hiking trails directly behind their home. (They live near the Devils Track River on Highway 61.) From their home, it is possible to hike to Pincushion Mountain. It would be quite a few miles but might be a fun spring/fall day hike.
Years ago, we kept discovering golf balls in the woods near the house and cabin. We knew we were way too far from the golf course for an errant drive, but we kept finding golf balls. One evening, John and I walked up the Gunflint exploring the edge of our property, and on the other side of the Gunflint were two guys launching golf balls into our woods from their front yard. You can imagine the scene. Lawn chairs, a cooler of beer, and lots of laughing! John politely did explain that they were hitting balls that occasionally hit our cabin. They had no idea anything was back there, and they apologized.
We went on another hike with our friends this week before the snow was predicted. Hiking without snowshoes will probably not happen anymore unless we are on Grand Marais streets or our driveway.
Usually, when wandering around the woods with my camera, I look for the natural details while enjoying a quiet walk. I do try to find birds, and I am at peace that I am a Chickadee/Nuthatch photographer.
– Tom Baker
“Some Christmas decorations do a lot more than glitter and glow, they represent a gift of love given a long time ago.”
Snow was the big news of the week. Last Sunday, snow fell all day and into Monday’s early morning hours. It is difficult to say how much fell here at High Doubt since the wind was blowing quite hard and scoured the deck and the ground. We think we could safely say we had 14 inches or more. Our driveway was cleared early Monday morning, and then John cleaned up the job with the snowblower and tractor. I shoveled out a walkway to our front door and in front of the car. It felt good to move some snow again! On Thursday, another seven inches fell, and so the driveway needed clearing again! It did not take long to get the driveway back in shape, but John said we are at late January snow levels, and it will become more and more difficult to push the piles back! However, temps are warming up with rain predicted for Wednesday. Rain in the forecast does not make me happy. It will become a mess.
High
Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... December 12, 2021 Snowy Week
Playing/Working in the snow
Although the snow made for a lot of outside work this week, it also made driveway walks and snowshoeing around the area so beautiful. John burned a brush pile just south of the garage on Saturday morning. With deep snow and winds from the north, conditions were perfect for burning. There are two or three more brush piles to take care of in the coming week. I strapped on a set of snowshoes and took off down the driveway before the plow came through. Once I got to a place where I could easily access the little trail I cut last year, I took off into the woods. I was hiking after the second snowfall, so it was deep and a good workout. Last year I took my DSLR with a telephoto lens on my snowshoe hikes. This was NOT a good idea! On one hike, I tripped, fell on my back to protect the camera, and then had a tough time getting up and keeping my camera from getting wet! My iPhone is my new winter activity camera, and it worked just fine! The Pincushion Mountain ski trails are looking great for the time being. We shall see how they weather the rain on Wednesday!
Fresh Shots of My Birds at the Feeder!
Friends came over on Wednesday morning and introduced John and me to making lefse. Joni, Nathan, and Karin came with lefse prepared to roll, lefse griddles, and all the tools needed to make lefse. It is odd for someone who lives on the North Shore (aka the Norwegian Riviera) to have never made or eaten lefse. It was a fun morning with Christmas carols playing, coffee, snacks, and of course, lefse! Everyone stayed for lunch, and hopefully, this will be a new Nelson Christma tradition!
After seeing Johannes’ colorful bird photographs from his recent trip to Mexico, I was determined to renew my efforts to shoot my common Chickadees and Nuthatches in new ways. I want to use motion and light for better compositions. I caught the little guy to the right just as his tongue (?) grabbed a seed from the feeder. Today as I was finishing this week’s newsletter, I IttohyperventilatedalmostseeaREDbirdrightoutsidethekitchenwindow.wasaPinegrosbeak,notanuncommonbird,butIhaveonlyseenChickadeesforsolong.Iwas a bit excited.
A Norwegian Experience
One of the striking aspects of the lines is the way they make us see a tree, with its pattern of twigs, leaves and branches, as a visual image of the invisible roots of language.
— Terry Eagleton
After last week’s 20+ inches of snow, the forecast this week was downright crazy. Temps climbed to almost 40 F., and we had close to an inch of rain. Along with the rain, there was thunder and lightning. After our spring-like day, the temps plummeted to 10 F., and the warnings were for a ‘flash freeze’. This freezing created icy roads, often with sections of black ice and very dense fog.
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... December 19, 2021 A Week of Contrasts
John worked hard this week on the front and back door entrances. Both needed sheetrocking, but this is only half the battle. After John got the sheetrock up, the mudding and taping were the next steps, followed by texturizing the ceiling. He finished up priming the walls on Saturday. The Floor tile and doors still need to be installed, and finally, we will decide what color to paint the entrance walls.
More Brush Piles Burnt
John torched another brush pile that was in front of the cabin. He has been clearing some of the thick balsam trees in the area. There was a lot of fuel in the area, and he was trying to clear the area carefully to protect the cabin and the north side of the house from any potential forest fire.
Projects seem to be neverending. The next room John will turn his attention to is the mudroom. It will be great to have a new washer/dryer in that space! The dryer we are currently using is over 30 years old!
Sheetrocking the Entrances
Tornadoes in Iowa
Other news for the week
During our thunderstorms last week, southern Minnesota and northern Iowa also had storms and tornadoes. West St. Charles sustained damage and lost several big trees, a storage shed blew away, and the farm across the road lost several buildings. Luckily, no one was hurt. Grandma and Grandpa had no damage. The church is about three or four miles from the farm. Even a few of the tombstones were blown over in the church’s cemetery.
I read a great book this week that inspired me to get out and walk every day no matter what the weather. So, I walked through fog, rain, icy patches, snow flurries, and sunshine. Whenever I take my driveway walks, I usually bring my camera along. Before I start a walk, I choose a lens and then work to find compositions that might work with that one lens. Of course, I look for birds or evidence of anything living to shoot. One highlight this week included watching two Pileated woodpeckers for close to a half-hour, and I did try to get a decent photograph. The woodpeckers stayed too far in the woods for me to get a decent photo. Downy woodpeckers were also around a lot this week. I may not be Mary Poppins, but I am trying to get up close and personal and Feed the Birds. The prototype Chickadee feeding mask did not work quite as well as I hoped. It needs 10IIfine-tuning,somebutamconfidentIwillbefeedingthebirdssoonwiththisset-up!stoodforaboutminuteswiththiscontraptiononmyheadnearourChickadeefeeder.BoththeNuthatchesandChickadeescametowithinafootof
my feeding mask. The dish needs trimming, and I have to shorten the shield. Friends are coming over, and we are having a feeding mask party Wednesday afternoon, and we hope to make a bunch of these to give away. Feed the Birds
Ice covered the plants near the harbor in Grand Marais this week making for magical images.
Played with different camera settings this week trying to capture the feeling of the forest
High DoubtAn occasional update about
We left for Iowa on Thursday morning to celebrate the holidays with the Fluhrer family in Charles City. It takes about eight hours to get there, but this trip was different since we had the new BMW to try and figure out! It was a packed house on Christmas day, but we felt the absence of Joh/Beanee, Chris/Max, and Shay had to work. Lots of good food, laughter, and yes...the gift game was a hit again! John and I decided to head back to Grand Marais today (Dec. 26) since a blizzard warning is now in effect for Grand Marais and the North Shore. We beat the storm.
It was a busy week that began with John’s quick trip to the Cities on Sunday to take care of things at our townhouse, get new tires on the Toyota, and pick up supplies. He returned on Monday night. On Tuesday, we had a beautiful 8-inch snowfall! Big flakes came down all morning, and it was gorgeous. It helped replenish the snow that melted after last week’s rain!
December 26, 2021 Christmas week!
On Wednesday, John took advantage of the local county downhill ski rates at Lutsen and went downhill skiing for the first time in years! It was below zero and windy, but he had fun getting back on the slopes. It is such a different experience skiing here rather than in Switzerland. In Europe, you are often skiing above the tree line. The runs are marked with poles on each side, designating the groomed track/run. Not all of the runs at Lutsen were open, but with all the snow we are getting, more of the resort should open soon! John hopes to go again, and you never know I may strap on some boards again, too! life in the woods...
Turns 88
Do They Work?
Hats
Chickadee are Really In Style...but
24,
On December Grandpa celebrated his 88th birthday with a special of Grandma and Grandpa have finished since Covid has started!
79 puzzles
We did it! After seeing the Chickadee hat on TikTok, I purchased some clear visors and the lefse crew had an arts and crafts hour on Wednesday. We made ten different masks, and now we just have to get some action shots! I took one of the masks as a white elephant gift to Iowa, but no one was quite as excited as I was about attracting Chickadess! I ended up leaving the mask with my nephew and his family. McKinley, his three-year-old, will give it a try I hope.
Grandpa
course, presents! Puzzles continue!
lunch of pancakes (his favorite), birthday cake and
Photographs from Christmas 2021 in Iowa
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” — John Steinbeck
Last Sunday, John and I drove back to High Doubt to beat the forecasted blizzard, and that turned out to be a wise decision. It is tough to tell how much snow we received since strong winds accompanied the storm. Best guess is that the Monday storm dumped a foot of snow, followed by another eight inches Tuesday evening, and finally a couple of inches on Thursday. John spent a lot of time moving snow this week! We hire the same person who plows Pincushion Mountain Haus to plow our driveway, and once he has finished plowing, John still has to spend a lot of time on the tractor pushing the snow piles back and making room for the next snow! I help as much as I can by shoveling the edges, the deck, and in front of the woodshed. Before we cleared a path, John had to carry the wood by hand and not in our wood cart! The sun came out after the snow, and it is beautiful. According to the local radio station, December had 50 inches of snow/precipitation. We lost quite a bit of snow depth when it rained an inch after our first blizzard. From the basement windows, we cannot see the garage at all!
High DoubtAn occasional update about life in the woods... January 2, 2022 Word of the Week: Snow!
Other Projects
We have many photo ornaments, but these are my favorites! We enjoy our Philippine decorations from Max and Chris.
John and I enjoyed our Christmas tree this year, but it was time to take it down. When we took the tree down and put it outside, very few needles fell off the tree. There is something to say about putting up a very fresh tree! We have many ornaments that remind us of our family and have included two below. When we lived in Switzerland, we did not put up a tree since we left for the holidays for the US every year. From 2003 until 2019, we did not have our own Christmas tree. Now John is cultivating trees around the property for future years. John found a few gems as he cleaned in the garage, including a 1963 1st edition of Sigurd Olson’s Runes of the North, the little star-gazing guide we bought for you boys when you were little, and Big Boggle! John also unearthed two large serving platters from Grandma Nelson that we will use when we entertain. It is like Christmas since boxes and belongings have remained unopened since we moved to Switzerland in 2003. Needless to say, our Goodwill pile is growing. (We are not hoarders, Johannes...promise!)
No More Christmas Tree
John was able to install the cement board (exciting photo, I know!) in the front and back entrance this week, and once the temperature warms up he will get the tile installed. It is the same tile as the rest of the kitchen. He also spent quite a bit of time sorting boxes in the garage. Once the two entrances are completed, he will begin to sheetrock the mudroom and prepare the room for a washer/dryer, sink, and freezer. It becomes more and more important to get the garage workshop organized, then John can move his tools out of the house into the shop.
House
Happy New Year: Books and Resolutions
I asked John what was his favorite book that he read this year and he responded The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power By Shoshana Zubof. John purchased this book for me for my birthday last year, and I have to say I have not yet read it. It is a short 704-page book! One resolution this year is to try and tackle this book. Here is a short description, “The challenges to humanity posed by the digital future, the first detailed examination of the unprecedented form of power called “surveillance capitalism,” and the quest by powerful corporations to predict and control our behavior.”
With Christmas money I have purchased a few books that I am excited to dig into including Empire of Pain (a story of the Sackler family whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was destroyed by OxyContin, 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir by Ai Weiwei, and finally Walking Your Way to Weight Loss: A Simple Two-Part Approach to Becoming Fitter, Healthier, and Happier in 49 Days.
Yes, my New Year’s Resolutions also include the usual plan to lose weight and get back in shape. In 49 days it sounds like my resolution will become a reality. One can hope, right! John and I have talked about plans/hopes for the coming year. We hope to continue to work on the house, figure out once and for all how our bread machine works, and if Covid starts to improve take a trip somewhere warm! Here is a new project for Grandpa this coming year. Chris sent me this a few weeks ago to share with Grandpa, and I forgot. Looks like fun!
The New Year is always a time for reflection and looking ahead. Yes, and many of us make resolutions. Every year my resolutions are often the same as previous years, but I am always hopeful that ‘this will be the year’ I follow through a bit better. One of my 2021 resolutions was to read at least one book per week, and this one I did meet finishing up with 60 books read this past year. Retirement has been great for my love of reading. My goal for next year is more than 60.
We look with uncertainty beyond the old choices for clear-cut answers to a softer, more permeable aliveness which is every moment at the brink of death; for something new is being born in us if we but let it. We stand at a new doorway, awaiting that which comes daring to be human creatures, vulnerable to the beauty of existence. Learning to love. — Anne Hillman We look with uncertainty...
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... January 9, 2022 Quiet Week
This week was much like last week - cold temps, occasional snow, and quiet day-to-day activities. Below zero wind chills and strong winds were the norm this week, and this prevented another winter storm. On Friday night, 4-5 inches fell, but it was enough that John spent most of Saturday morning moving snow again. He commented that we are running out of space, and more snow will make it challenging. Because of the cold, I did not get out for long walks but continued a few short driveway walks. With gale-force winds and heavy waves all week I decided to head to town and shoot the harbor a couple of times. The streets are quiet, but the people I did see were always watching waves and marveling at Lake Superior’s strength. I also tried shooting snowflakes for the first time. The wind kept blowing the snowflakes around too often to capture the sharp photographs I had hoped for, but I included the best of the day.
Other Work/Notes
John finished the tiling and grouting in both the front and back entrances. This week he will make a trip to the Cities for supplies to begin to close in the mudroom. I cannot wait until the washer/dryer is in the house and not the garage! He also made a large batch of stew. I was the sous chef and cut up the veggies. We both end up reading quite a bit each day. John is reading the book Jess gave him for Christmas, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. I am working through the story of Oxycontin with the Empire of Pain.
New Project Sara and Kira expressed interest in a basic photography course, and so I spent much of this week hammering out a self-guided photography course. It has been fun to dig into teaching photography again, and I should finish this week. (If any other folks out there are interested in receiving the finished product, let me know!) Lessons include the exposure triangle, depth of field, composition, abstract, intentional camera movement, and portraits. A couple of sample pages...
Lake Superior Winter Waves
“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.” — John Boswell
The winter blues I am referring to are more the color tones in the woods and sky and not emotions. With no leaves on the trees, the only colors seen on daily walks and from our windows are different shades of gray and blue - in the sky, the snow, and the trunks/branches of the trees. On Tuesday, the temperature was a bit warmer, so I headed to town to see what colors were happening down in the harbor, and I was not disappointed. The lighting was dramatic with clouds in the east and the sun low on the western horizon. The photo below is similar to last week’s ice shot, but the colors were much richer. John headed to the Twin Cities for a supply run on Monday and Tuesday. He picked up supplies needed to finish putting in the stove in the basement, pick up groceries, and take care of other errands. Blues
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... January 16, 2022 Winter
Photography Course PDF
Photography Course I spent a lot of time this week hammering out the photography lesson book for Sara and Kira. If anyone else is interested in the course, just let me know. A link to the finished class is below. Please let me know if you want to take a crack at learning with Kim online! The course will include a few zoom meetings to discuss the lessons and share images. Most afternoons, I worked at my desk listening to WTIP. I have an external monitor that makes working on photos and projects much easier.
Basement Stove
After purchasing a few hundred dollars worth of pipes and such, John was able to finish installing the basement stove. Earlier in the week, he finished grouting one corner, and then he was ready to lift the stove into place. To lift the stove (hundreds of pounds), he had to set up scaffolding and then use a winch to lift the stove into place. The scaffolding is stored in John’s clubhouse (fort), and the snow is deep near the building. He had to shovel a path to the building. To install the stove pipe, he had to drill/cut a hole in the cement block and also the flue liner for the stove pipe to fit into. I am not certain how he does it, but he figures out what needs to happen and gets the job done Once the refractory cement dries inside the chimney we will make our first fire in the stove.
• Heartland (Netflix show that is about a family who lives on a horse ranch. I don’t even like horses.) I have to blame Sue Ahrendt and Beth for introducing this show to me. Don’t judge me.
Guilty Pleasures
John
“...something, such a s a mo vie, television pro gram, or piece of music, that one enjo ys de spite feeling that it i s not generally held in high regard.”
hours are limited! Today we had nine hours between sunrise and sunset. This is the first time since Thanksgiving we have had nine hours of daylight. The tunnel is slowly opening up, and before we know it, it will be summer! The array went up in mid-May 2018, and you can see the electricity produced in the chart below.
• Friday night sauna at the Cook County YMCA - Fridays are free admission for Cook County Residents
Kim
• Cooking competition shows - (Newest obsession - Next Level Chef with Gordon Ramsey)
• Law and Order (He is using my old G4 Mac PowerBook with a slot to watch his 12+ seasons on DVD.
Trenery Cinnamon Toast (low cal treat - I am addicted.)
• Peanut M&Ms
• Sitting in complete darkness watching TV (He likes to save electricity.)
•
• A daily spoonful of peanut butter
Solar Array
• Buying books or wanting to buy books
• MVIS Reddit (I continue to have hope.)
We might not have sidewalks to shovel, but we do have to clean snow off of our driveway, and most mornings John heads out to clean off the solar arrays! He made a tool to help him carefully clear the snow, but it is important to get the snow off in the morning to take advantage of the sunlight we might get that day. Winter sunlight
• Staying up late - (I like night - what can I say?)
The amount of MWh produced each year has increased, and John attributes the increase to a couple of things. First of all, he took down a few trees that shaded the array in the afternoon. The second reason is that we live here year-round, and John cleans the snow off the arrays in the morning.
— Andrew Wyeth
“I prefer Winter and Fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape-the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show. “
John just shrugs, puts on his overalls and heads out to clear the snow. Today on WTIP, they stated that temps would probably be below the January average for the month with snowfall above average. What is surprising is that precipitation is actually below average. The snow that did fall was dry without much water content. Whatever the case, we have a lot, but the forecast looks dry for the next week! We decided to clear the deck of snow on Friday, so John headed out with the snowblower, and I used a shovel to help clean up the edges. And, of course, twothree more inches fell on Friday night, so John cleaned the deck again! As you can see from the photographs, our driveway and yard have piles of snow ringing the edges. It is beautiful, and it is hard to remember colors. I did not venture out too often to shoot photographs since my fingers did not fare well without gloves on, so I shot quite a few photos from inside the house. Yes, I cheated. 23, 2022 Cold and Snow Removal
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... January
This week had one warm day, but most days were close to or below zero with strong winds creating bone-chilling wind chills. To make matters more difficult, we did receive more snow!
We had our first fire in the basement, and the stove seems to work well. John set a fire for a few of the colder nights to see how it helps heat the rest of the house.
Now we need to clean up the basement! Since we don’t have a kitchen down there anymore, for me it is out of sight out of mind. It needs attention.
John also started to get the wiring, venting, and plumbing set in the mudroom, so he can close in the room with sheetrock. We have chosen a freezer to buy, a washer and dryer, and cabinets. Looks like more money to spend, but it will be so nice to have our laundry in the house and not in the garage. An interesting note about the dryer...we purchased the dryer used from friends at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in 1992 when we moved to Faribault. It is 30+ years old and still works! We will leave the washer/dryer in the garage as a backup. We did have a bit of a scare on Friday when we noticed drops coming from the ceiling. After a bit of panic about a frozen or broken pipe, it ended up being an outside vent that had snow fall into it, melt, and then a temporary plug of fiberglass insulation had become saturated. Mystery solved. Baby Steps... Yes, those are skis. And yes, they are on my feet. I went out to see how the knees might handle cross country skiing, and I think I will do fine. However, there was so much old wax build-up on my skis that they hardly moved in the snow. I decided to drop them off at our neighbor’s ski shop and had them cleaned and waxed for the season. I wanted to give John’s waxless skis a try instead, but my boots did not fit into the bindings. Tony Anderson quickly was able to tell me I needed NNN BC boots for those bindings. I had no idea that there were different bindings. I decided to go shopping for a cheap pair of boots for those skis. Hmmm...not cheap, so I dipped into the bidding wars of eBay. After battling a person for a used pair of NNN BC boots in my size, I ended up getting a used pair of boots that should arrive early this week. Waxless skis tend to be slower, and I think that slower skis will be perfect for me.
Projects This Week
Almost all the photos I shot this week were taken from inside the house or car. (I did step outside the car quickly to shoot the Lake Superior shots, but Hungry Hippie Tacos was taken while we were pumping gas at Holiday!)
Lugano, Switzerland More indoor and window photography!
As a gift for Aunt Marlene, I made a 2022 desk calendar. I have the templates from the many desk calendars I made for Shattuck-St. Mary’s and TASIS over the years, and I used one of the older templates to build this year’s calendar.
2022 Desk Calendar
The calendar is a modified CD case, and you change each month.
An occasional update about life in the woods...
High Doubt
January 30, 2022 A Very Quiet Week in the Woods
It seemed that this week had a bit of everything. We had lovely days full of sunshine, a couple of days of light snow, and some howling winds earlier in the week. The snow we received did mean John had to head out and clear the driveway and yard. We didn’t have lots of snow, but lots of wind causing quite a bit of drifting. John made a quick trip to the Twin Cities to pick up cupboards, sink, and the plumbing fixtures to get the mudroom to the next step. He also picks up food and other supplies on these trips south. I spent a lot of time indoors this week with an occasional walk and a ski down the driveway. With the wind and lower temperatures, it was a great time to read and work on my computer organizing the thousands of files I have accumulated over the years.
MountainPincushiontrailshappentorequirethepass.IaskedJohnifhewantedtogoout,butheisnottoointerested.Ah,well..
John said this week that three of the best purchases made in the last few years were the tractor, the log splitter, and the sheetrock lift. And, it was time for the sheetrock lift to make its appearance again. He has almost finished sheetrocking the mudroom’s ceiling, most of the plumbing is close to being done, and cupboards are in the garage waiting to be sanded/varnished. We have not ordered or picked out the washer/dryer/freezer for the room but will be doing that soon. Two internal doors also need to be installed, but we have them on hand. Every day things change, and we are a step closer! If the snow holds off and John doesn’t have to spend time outside moving snow, things will progress even more quickly.
Cross Country Skiing update
After Saturday’s two-three inches of snow, I noticed that skiing down our driveway and then the road to Pincushion Mountain Haus might be possible. I had not tried out John’s waxless skis with the new boots I picked up on eBay. So, I gave it a go, and it was great! I skied to the edge of our property where the Pincushion Ski trails intersect the driveway, and then tried out the groomed trails for a short distance. I didn’t want to do an entire loop since I had not purchased a ski pass yet. The waxless skis are a bit slower, perfect for me!! Needless to say, as temps warm up I think I will start to ski the trails on Pincushion. It is quite convenient! After convincing the state of Minnesota that I am a resident, I was able to buy a Great Minnesota Ski Pass and
February 2 will be the 25th anniversary of Minnesota’s coldest temperature -60º F. in Tower, MN. As for mammal activityblack bear cubs are being born right now but remain close to their mothers for a few more months. It is breeding season for coyotes, so tracks are all over the place.
On Saturday morning, a naturalist gave an update about January 2022. It has been the coldest January since 2014 with 20 of 31 days with some temperatures below zero. Only one day (January 18) was above freezing. The area has had about 17” of snow but only one-half-inch of precipitation.
(Chris - we are still waiting!) WTIP is our local community radio station - you can listen online if you miss Grand Marais! I used to listen while at my desk in Switzerland!
Most mornings, I listen to WTIP radio as I drink a cup of coffee, catch up with e-mail, and check MVIS stock prices.
Projects This Week
January Weather Data
Lots of Journals
January 10, 2012 - Cry d’Er - ski week. “No hockey game. Christopher was really bummed. The week has gone well. No big traumas or dramas - injuries low. Johannes seemed jazzed by his classes and did a good job with them yesterday.” (He was in Venezuela.)
Christopher the Artist Solar Update
It is only January 30th, and we have broken our January highest amount already with 676 kWh. And, we have one more day left in the month. John is happy! I do hear him sigh in the morning when he sees that dusting of snow on the arrays. The trail out to the arrays keeps filling up with the blowing snow, and it is not easy to get out there to clean them. I found this piece of artwork (?) in the garage. I think Chris nailed his name out on this board. Do you want us to save this Chris? We also see his carving every time we are in the carport....love seeing reminders of you boys here! I keep a diary for many reasons, but the main one is: It helps me pay attention to my life. By sitting down and writing about my life, I pay attention to it, I honor it, and when I’ve written about it long enough, I have a record of my days, and I can then go back and pay attention to what I pay attention to, discover my own patterns, and know myself better. It helps me fall in love w ith my life.
“
I began to wonder if I could find my journals from 10/20/30+ years ago and decided to check to see where my head was at so many years ago. This might be boring or interesting, but I would encourage everyone to journal!
January 30, 1992 - “I’m sitting here husbandless. John is off to the ECIS conference. Mixed feelings - I know that help with the boys isn’t here, so I’m more creative - or at least I’m writing. It could be that Winnie the Pooh is on, and I am letting Johnnes watch 2 hours of videotapes! Bad mother syndrome. Chris is in my arms. He ‘volcano butted” today. Whew...What a lot comes out of this little body!”
I have written and kept journals since I was in elementary school. Some years I write more, and other years I skip months before getting something down on paper. This quote by Austin Kleon caught my eye this week.
January 13, 2002 - “Darkness fell and I ate cookies. It is interesting to note that I already think in terms of leaving SSM. What clothes would the boys wear in their new school, what things I’d take that would allow me to have the home feeling? Will it be Frankfurt? I think Zurich is out? ...what will happen - my head hurts.”
February 1, 1982 - “My one-year anniversary. I have held a job for an entire year. Wow...not really. I wasn’t too proud of myself today. Miss negative pout face.... I know that settling down, getting married, and raising kids is what I want. I’m ready.”
Scanning film now. I will start to put together new galleries on SmugMug for next week!
— Michael Kenna
“I prefer to think of photography as a never ending journey with infinite possibilities. I love to return to places to re photograph. Nothing is ever the same. The options are endless.”
High Doubt
February 6, 2022 Guess What? More Snow!
February started out with slightly warmer temperatures allowing for outdoor adventures. More snow came just in time for the weekend, and snow fell steadily all day on Saturday. We must have another 7+ inches of new fluffy white snow on the ground. John is excited! He can’t wait to try and make higher snow piles in the yard! I decided to venture outdoors on the warmer days this week to try snowshoeing and cross country skiing. The snowshoeing was a bust. As I stepped off the driveway into the woods, I sunk in over my knees and this was with snowshoes on. The poles I brought along did no good and simply went straight down into the powder. I managed to stay out for about 40 minutes, but the loop I did was very short. Needless to say the next day I decided to ski (more on that later).
An occasional update about life in the woods...
Finding gems - Beanee was practicing her wood burning skills last Christmas on this board, and I saw that John was using this piece of wood as a straight edge. I took it!
Only one wall remains open in the mudroom, but the plumbing is in place now for the washer/sink. We were able to find a 120 ventless dryer in stock in St. Paul.
John has to go to the Twin Cities again this week to be in Apple Valley to have our furnace serviced and checked. He will pick up the dryer and anything else that will fit in the van. He also has sanded and varnished the cupboards that should go into place once the appliances are here. The doors for the mudroom and basement are already here, and these need to be hung. We talked about the next project once John finishes the mudroom. He plans to work on the upstairs hallway bathroom and get the room more comfortable for guests. There are also finishing touches to the Jack and Jill bathroom to complete.
John realized that most ventless dryers were 240v, and this would have worked, but he would have had to rewire for a 240v appliance. We were lucky to find the dryer since the supply chain is still crazy. Finding a washer and a freezer has been much easier.
Mudroom has walls....
It is beautiful. People do not choose to live in northern Minnesota if they don’t like snow, but we have had quite a bit, and more will likely fall! Our driveway is getting more narrow, and John is having trouble finding places to pile the snow from our turnaround and yard area. Our picnic table is almost totally covered.
Keeping Busy Here are a few other ways we spend our time: Saturday morning photography class with Kira and Sara. I arranged a zoom meeting for our first session. There was a bit of a hiccup...in retirement, days run into one another, and I forgot it was Saturday. Sara messaged me, and we did have a good 90 minute class.
Where to put the snow?
Playing Wordle. It isn’t very hard, but once a day I give it a go. John continues to do crossword puzzles every day. Yes, we are boring.
Lightroom chaos - I have been trying to get my head around a new workflow, and it is driving me crazy.
The Ski Boot Saga
Well, I loved my new/used eBay boots, and the conditions were beautiful on Friday for another test run. I decided that it might be fun to start to ski to get the mail from now on, so I strapped on the skis and headed out. I decided to ski towards the Pincushion trails first to see if the trails had been groomed. When I got to the edge of our property, where the B&B loop is, I met up with three teachers from Minneapolis who had the day off and were skiing the trails. Then I headed back up the drive and got the mail. It was such a nice day to ski that I called Karin and invited her to come out and ski a short loop. She arrived, and off we went. We stopped to take a selfie to prove we had been out skiing. About thirty seconds later, my right ski came off! Cross country skis do not just come off, and when I looked down at my ski, it took me a second to realize the sole of my shoe (my new/used eBay shoe) was still attached. Yup, my boot had come apart, and we were about 3/4 mile from the house. I balanced the top of the boot on its sole (still attached to the ski), and then I scooted the rest of the trail to the road. We walked the driveway home. I decided to contact the seller on eBay and sent a couple of photos. She immediately refunded my money, and then we started a friendly conversation. Somewhere in Vermont is my new best friend! She had purchased the boots and loved them, too until she realized they would not work with her ski bindings. She had purchased them on eBay, and now she is trying to get a refund for her initial purchase!
As I came out of the woods I was in front of the house, and the trail cam is set up there. In this photo, I did not go so deep, but you can see how far my pole goes into the snow.
John’s path to the solar arrays was almost gone again after our latest snow. This is how he plays outside.
Playing Outdoors
On Saturday, I wore John’s size ten boots to get the mail with three pairs of socks - worked out okay. This is my snowshoe trail after a few inches covered my tracks. It doesn’t really show how deep it was!
Lots of fairly old photos. I have added captions since you boys may not know who these folks are! Dinner at Aunt Pearl’s home. We are on her back porch. Yes, that is your mom in blue! Grandma and Grandpa! The Fluhrer family about 1963? Beth, Sara, Kim, Mark, and Dyan (1972?) Kim and Mark
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
The weeks have started to run together! It seems that the weather dictates our days. I don’t even remember when it snowed this week, but I looked back on our snowblowing photographs to piece the week together! Six to eight inches fell during a Sunday storm, and then another four inches with strong winds took place on Friday. Monday was a beautiful day, and I was able to get out and ski on the Pincushion Trails. Temps plummeted as the week went on, and we had our coldest temps of the year here on Friday night with a -19 F. with the wind chill dipping to -30 F. (It was colder here than Antarctica!) On Friday, 64 mph wind gusts were recorded in the Grand Marais Harbor, along with the lowest temperature in Minnesota at Seagull Lake where the temp hit -43 F. the woods...
February 13, 2022 Always About the Weather
High Doubt An occasional update about life in
Lots accomplished this week.
New Appliances and a Hobbit Table!
A new washer and dryer sit right in the middle of the kitchen! It will be much easier to have our laundry in the house and not the garage. I don’t love having two big boxes in the kitchen, but I am willing to work around them since they represent a huge step for the house! For quite a few months, I have been hunting for a small side table to place between our two blue chairs. Finally, I purchased one this past week. It is a wee little thing, and I affectionately call it the hobbit table! I have taken the table for a test drive, and my coffee cup and book fit perfectly. Purchasing furniture online is scary, but Covid has limited our trips to furniture stores.
Before the final piece of sheetrock was put in place, John had to get the water hooked up for the mudroom’s washer and the sink. He had to cut into the main water line, which made him nervous, but he had everything under control! Once John tested the system, he closed up the wall and started to mud and tape the sheetrock joints. The sheetrock is quite old and has some staining on it, but he plans to texturize the ceiling, and we purchased a textured wall covering that we will eventually paint. Next week he will pick up a standing freezer that will also go in this room.
Olympic Notes
The Olympics are fun to watch, and most folks from Minnesota know an athlete who is involved with the Olympics. I don’t remember if it was the Winter Olympics in 1998 (Nagano) or 2002 (Salt Lake City). I was watching the Ice Dancing competition, and there representing Canada was Victor Kraatz. Victor was one of my Middle School yearbook photographers at TASIS in 1987. I couldn’t believe it, but after a bit of internet research, it was indeed little Victor Kraatz all grown up. Of course, Shattuck-St. Mary’s (SSM) has had both men and women on the Canadian and US Olympic teams, hockey teams. In the 2010 Men’s Olympic hockey tournament, SSM’s Zach Parise scored a goal to force overtime in the gold-medal game against Canada. Then SSM’s Sydney Crosby knocked in the winning goal in overtime. In 2006, the Winter Olympics were in Torino. Friends and I bought tickets to watch a Canadian men’s hockey game and also the women’s hockey gold medal game. The women’s gold medal game was predicted to be a Canada/US battle, but the US lost in the semi-finals to Sweden. I was disappointed not to see the Americans play for gold, but we watched them play for bronze.
It was a lot of fun to be at the Olympics, but it was tough to watch Canada win the Olympic Gold!
John brought the boys up in 1998 to ski and burn brush piles. In 2005, we all came up to stay over New Years’s. Chris went skiing!
In 2017, Joh and Beanee came up and gave skiing a try! It was cold!!
Cross Country Skiing Over the Years!
A Morning Challenge
Once I made it back to the house, I was cold, covered in snow, and my jeans were soaked through. Luckily, I am better at keeping a fire going than working out in the snow. I stood in front of the fire, warmed up, and decided that cleaning the solar arrays is not something I will try again any time soon. After the snow on Friday, there is no path at all and just deep snow! This might be a bit boring, but it is what life is like up here!
Warning:
John does this almost every day since the days are short, and every single second of sunlight makes a bit of power. When I got up on Wednesday morning, I looked out, and sure enough, the solar arrays had an inch or so of snow covering them. I pulled on my Sorels and headed out. Initially, I was optimistic, and I also brought my phone to document my adventure. John has walked out almost daily to the solar arrays, so he has packed a trail in the deep snow. I knew that if I stayed in his tracks, I would not need snowshoes. After only five or six steps, I missed his footprint, and my left leg went straight down. The snow came up over mid-thigh, and I was stuck. I could not pull my leg out since it was so deep, and I couldn’t push my hand down to get any purchase since my arms sunk, too. I plopped down and sat in the snow. After about five minutes, I wiggled my leg free and finally got back on top of the path. Carefully, I retraced my steps and got my ski poles to help me navigate the pathway. I carefully made it out to the solar array and then used John’s tool to clean the snow off the array’s surface. I was surprised by how unwieldy and heavy the tool was. The snow had also iced up and was stuck on the surface of the array. Needless to say, I did not finish the job!
When John was gone to the Twin Cities, I decided that if we had any snow on the solar arrays to get out early and clean them off.
the woods... February 20, 2022
Weather always seems to be what I write about each week, but it dictates a lot of our weekly activities. Can we get up and down the driveway? Are the temps dangerously low or safe for a walk or ski? How much wood do we need to bring in? Much of this week was sunny, but 4-6 inches of snow fell Friday. John drove down to the Cities again in order to meet our furnace inspector on Friday. He returned Friday night to inches of fresh and unplowed snow on the driveway. The snowblower was not working well, so he hopped on his tractor to clear enough so the van could make it up the drive. I felt bad that he was out in the dark plowing, but he was excited to use the lights and the tractor at night!!
An life in
Everyone is talking about the snow we have had here in Cook County. The reported amounts vary because of the lake effect snow that falls on the ridge (where we live). On Facebook, the question was posed to Cook County residents about how much snow in different parts of the county.
Guess What? More Snow!
Reports in our area estimated 100-113 inches, and this was before Friday’s five inches. We also had a full moon this week, and the clouds stayed away for us to enjoy the moonrise from our home.
occasional update about
High Doubt
We have a white mudroom! John texturized the ceiling, and the next step will be to get it painted. The walls will have a textured wallpaper (paintable) that we will get that paper up early in the week. John is hopeful that he will have the washer/dryer installed by the end of the week. The freezer has been ordered, and we will pick it up in Duluth in the coming weeks.
Cook County Trivia
The Cook County News-Herald had a front page story entitled “Grand Portage sets record destination distance from McDonald’s”. I thought it would be fun to share a few paragraphs!
“We know we are remote in Cook County. The school bus route is either the first or second-longest in the contiguous United States. The nearest movie theater is in Thunder Bay, and it is 85 miles away from Grand Marais, but who can cross the border to see a movie? And if you are having a baby -plan, plan, plan because Duluth is 110 heart-pounding quickly expanding uterus miles from here, and that’s the closest place to give birth in a medical facility. But the furthest inhabited area from an American McDonalds in the lower 48 is, wait for it...Grand Portage, Minnesota, which is 88.7 miles away from the McDonald’s in Two Harbors. That’s a long drive to pick up a Big Mac, but I have known people who have made the trip for just that!”
With John’s two-day trip to the Twin Cities and the time he spent moving snow around, he did not have tons of time to work on anything except the walls and ceiling of the mudroom.
John headed to the slopes on Wednesday to downhill ski for the day. The temperature was above zero, but there was quite a bit of wind, especially on the unprotected chair lifts. Luckily, his wife gave him a heavy-duty balaclava for Valentine’s Day, and he stayed warm! Certain days are have county rates, and you need to reserve your ticket 72 hours in advance. At $65 for lift and rentals, it is a great deal. I may join him once I know it is warmer!
A Day at Lutsen
A Room Emerges...
In August 2020, I started this weekly newsletter primarily for the boys. I wanted them to see how their parents were staying active during retirement. They knew John would be busy building and working on the house, but I think they wondered ‘what will mom do all the time?” Friends in Switzerland were surprised when I retired, and I remember many people asked me ‘how will you adjust to not working?” Well, retirement has been wonderful, and I often feel guilty that I am not working. I did find I needed a bit of structure, however, and this newsletter has provided just that. I am always thinking about what the boys might be interested in, and knowing I need new photos each week keeps me shooting. Each Sunday, I send out the weekly High Doubt news and include a short email greeting to those who receive the newsletter. More often than not, I get a response from family and friends about their weeks or comments about John’s love of snow removal. I am keeping in touch with so many friends and family each week, and I love it! I think everyone should have a family newsletters
t Newsletter #80
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This Week’s Wildlife...
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“Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.” — David Alan Harvey
Landscapes from the Week
With warmer temps, getting outside to walk/ski will be easier in the coming weeks, but it will be nice to watch for the subtle signs of spring.
The week started with 3-4 inches of snow, but strong winds accompanied the snow and whipped the snow into large drifts. The temperatures remained below zero until Thursday. The drifting did give John another chance to pull out the snowblower and clear the deck and edges of the drive. He loves snow removal so much!
This past week there seemed to be a gentle shift in attitude about snow/winter. People who live here love the snow, but there is a point when a warm day gives us a hint of what is to come.
The sun came out mid-week, and for the first time in months, we had a high above 32ºF. on Saturday! If the daily temps remain above freezing, it may well be maple sugar time soon. I spent an afternoon taking photographs of down at the shore and did not need a hat or gloves!
High DoubtAn occasional update about life in the woods... February 27, 2022 Almost March
Amazing Transformation Before the transformation Painting and then the final product! The opposite wall will have a stand-up freezer and a bench. And, why not a few final (?) snow moving photos. Will this be the last time this year?
Sunday Afternoon in the Woods Cross Country Skiing Take Two
Itwaswasbasementeachprojectsweek.Thekitchenthecenterofactivitybeforeournewkitchencompleted.neededsometenderlovingattention,soIspentamorningcleaningandgettingthespaceorganized.
t t Other Weekly Highlights
Clean-up in the Basement
Although John is the one who works every day on the house, I try to knock off a few
John was able to fix my broken cross country ski boot with heavy-duty glue. We noticed the other boot’s heel was coming loose, so he injected glue into the heel of the other boot. I decided to head out for a quick ski on Friday afternoon. Gorgeous day - sunny and warm. The driveway has less snow on it now, but skiing was no problem. When I got to the hill at the end of our drive, I pushed my left foot out to slow my progress, and suddenly I was on the ground. Yup, the other boot’s sole at the toe had come loose. More glue is needed! I called John for a ride! Before the Monday storm hit, we joined friends for a Sunday snowshoe hike east of Grand Marais. Joni and Nathan have beautiful trails behind their home. The trails were already broken, so everyone was able to stay out of the deeper snow. Many of us brought poles along, but they did not help since the snow was so deep right off the packed trail! There were seven of us on the 90-minute hike, and a plan for another adventure up the Devils Track Canyon is in the works for early March.
“...the moment we walked out of the courthouse towards the cars, a couple of people from inside the courthouse shouted out towards Max and Chris to congratulate them. Such a special moment to witness!”
What a surprise this week to receive photographs from Margarida of Chris and Max’s wedding this summer. She had forgotten to develop a few rolls of film (yea for analog!). Here is how she described her favorite photo.
Remembering the Wedding
Scanning Continues
Beautiful Blue Skies
March is here, and it is still hard to believe that winter might be on its way out. There is still tons of snow on the ground, but the frigid temperatures seem to be in the rearview mirror. This week was busy for both John and me. John drove to the Cities mid-week to pick up our freezer and get scheduled car maintenance completed, and then on Friday, he drove down to the Cities again to meet Johannes’ plane. It will be great to have Johannes here this coming week, and I hope he will help me find and shoot photos of birds that are not Chickadees or Nuthatches! I worry that the snow in the woods and on many back roads will make it difficult to get to certain spots, but I am game. Johannes has not cross country skied very often, but this week I will have him strap on some skis and give it a go!
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... March 6, 2022 Changes in the Air
New Appliances and Cleaning
We finally completed the installation of our washer and dryer. Before we used the appliances, we needed to read the lengthy instructions and then cross our fingers that we did everything correctly. The cycles we used were quite long, so it will take time to figure out the best settings. Both machines can be controlled by phone app, and we can start/ stop remotely. I am not certain we will ever use this feature! Our freezer is now in place, and this means we can freeze more produce from our garden this coming summer/fall.
This week I helped out a friend who needed daycare coverage, and I decided to channel Mary Poppins. I took a black bag and filled it with books, crafts projects, and five Hot Wheel cars /tracks. It was a hit, and we played with the cars for hours! When I got home, I got curious about my boys’ cars and pulled them all out - all 55! I sent Christopher a photograph, and he decided to see ‘what they are worth’. I doubt if they are worth much; they are pretty beat up. Johannes and Christopher would take them outside and play on the sidewalk and driveway! I also noticed that Chris asked the Reddit Hot Wheels trading forum for advice. about selling the cars!
John also worked on coat hooks for our entryway and mudroom. The garage is becoming more of a workroom for him as we continue to sort and throw/give away unneeded stuff.
I hear rumors that John’s next project will be installing window trim. I am happy...
Remembering the Good Old Days
I spent an afternoon sorting boxes from the garage including a box full of my journals dating back to fifth grade and more photos (of course)!
In the boxes from the garage I found many clippings. This was a fun article to read about Grandpa’s early wind generator days! This photo was taken by Bob Nandell and was included in a different article about Grandpa’s project. (The one I included was the most complete.)
Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I realize how easy it is to hop on the Pincushion Mountain Trail system. We are so lucky. After John fixed my cross country ski boot, I decided I needed to give the boot another chance to prove itself. On Monday, a couple of inches of fresh snow fell and with warm temperatures, I ventured out. It was quiet, white, and peaceful. My confidence in skiing is increasing, and I explored a few new trails instead of my usual loop! The boot performed well! On Wednesday, the sun was out, and I went skiing again, but with a different set of skis and boots. These skis I need to wax and tend to be faster. Everything was going fine until I planted my pole off the groomed trail. Immediately the pole sunk to the handle, and I fell off the trail into deep snow. Of course, someone saw me fall, but I managed to get back upright and finished my ski with only my pride hurt!
Ski Report
Daily I grab my camera and head out to look for those details that catch my eye. It is getting more and more difficult to find those engaging moments. This week I played with multiple exposures, intentional camera movement, and sought dramatic skies.
“I like photographs that leave something to the imagination.” – Fay Goodwin
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... March
The only problem on the horizon is the snow is still very deep, so getting to the maple trees will be an adventure! And, of course, I woke up this morning to fresh snow and it is still falling! 13, Week
John picked up Johannes in Minneapolis Sunday afternoon, and the left the airport for the drive up north. A few inches of snow had fallen before they arrived, but the van made it up the driveway with no problem. The snow did give John one last chance (?) to get out the snowblower on Monday! The week flew by, and it was wonderful to have Johannes here. It was cold for most of the week, but this didn’t stop Johannes from getting out and looking for birds. Right away on Monday morning he strapped on the snowshoes and headed out to explore. The forecast for the coming week is for temperatures to be above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. This is the type of temperature swing that is needed for the sap to start to move!
2022 Wonderful
This week
There was no one here, and my screams went unheard! The Hawkeyes play Purdue today in the Big Ten final, and also the NCAA tournament field is finalized. Love March Madness. (And, baseball settled their disputes, so baseball is back on!)
More Skiing Adventures
Here are just bits of news about life this past week: Love having a washer and dryer in a laundry room! In Switzerland, our washer and dryer were in the building’s basement requiring us to go outside to do laundry. Our High Doubt washer/dryer has been in the unattached garage for the past 20 years. Now laundry does not involve an outdoor hike!
March Madness and More!
John the Carpenter
I was able to get out a couple of times to ski this week. On Monday, I took off for a three-mile loop. There were quite a few skiers on the trails, and I had another great conversation with a woman who recently moved to GM. Love these trails and also the Mountain’sPincushionouthousefortheiryurtguests!
We saw a pine marten underneath our bird feeder on Saturday. I didn’t get a photo, but our trail cam caught the little guy as he ran in front of the house.
I love Iowa Hawkeye basketball, and on Saturday, they won the Big Ten semifinal game in a last-second LONG three-pointer!
Bringing in wood continues to be a weekly job. The basement stove uses birch logs that are piled in front of the house. We needed to bring in more wood for the basement this week, but first, John had to dig a tunnel to even get to the wood. Johannes helped us, and we hope we won’t need to bring in more this season. John continues to bring in wood from the woodshed using the cart to move the wood from the shed to the house.
John finished a coat hook prototype, and it looks great. He will make at least one more for this front entrance. When we built the house, we forgot to plan for a few rooms, and one such thing is a coat closet! We do have lots of storage space in the basement for out-of-season coats. These new coat hooks should help!
Another big step this week was John finished the trim for one window. We have at least 30 more windows of various sizes to trim. I will be able to pitch in more on this project with sanding/ varnishing the trim pieces. The window looks great. There is hope!
Johannes had to finish a mid-term final and also continue to hold classes for Lily, the socialstudentsecond-gradeheteachesstudiestwice a week. It was nice for him to use my office and external monitor for the week.
Spark Birds (the bird that helped spark your interest in birding) I pulled out Aunt Pearl’s bird lists to share with him, and in the first paragraph of her booklet she described her spark bird. “In May 1929, I sent my mother a copy of Chester A Reed’s Pocket Bird Guide to Land Birds East of the Rockies as a Mother’s Day gift. Then it was on a Sunday afternoon in May of 1933 that my brother, Clair, came into the house to see if I could tell him what that bird was in the ground out in the plum thicket in the orchard. With the help of that little book, we identified it as a Towhee, and I was hooked on bird identification.” In the coming weeks I plan to scan and transcribe Aunt Pearl’s booklet for Johannes. Johannes hopes to be a technician on an Eastern Towhee project in the next few months as part o a research project. It was so interesting to see that Aunt Peal’s spark bird was a Towhee, and now Johannes will be working on a research project with Eastern Towhees! If you are curious about Johannes’ spark bird it was a Resplendent Quetzal. He was on a hike in Panama with Beanee and her family. Another group and guide walked past them and whispered “There is a bird around the bend in the path that will change your life.” Little did that guide know that once Johannes saw that bird he was hooked on birding. (photo: Wikipedia)
More from the week... Every day Johannes went out looking for birds. He saw ChickadeewoodpeckersNuthatches,Chickadees,andeveryday,butreallywantedtofindaCrossbill.HedidseeaBorealandfinally,aflockofCommonRedpollsvisitedourfeeders.
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” Charles
—
Dickens
Photographs taken today March 13, 2022 “O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” — Percy Bysshe Shelley
March 20 2022
John returned from dropping Johannes off and he was able to get the snowblower out one more time! We had about five surprise inches on Sunday before he drove back up north.
High Doubt
An occasional update about life in the woods...
Is This a Joke? I checked the weather this morning for the week. 8-12 inches of snow on Tuesday? What? Stay tuned. John may well get to use the snowblower again!
Then John tapped about 20 trees in preparation for sap to start running! On Thursday, we headed to Duluth for a night for my adventure and I had a laparoscopic gall bladder removal. Everything went fine, and we were home mid-afternoon on Friday. Then we realized we had no water, and it turns out our well pump went bad! So, we have called the well drillers, but who knows when they will get back to us! Again, we are fine with plenty of water for cooking, drinking, and flushing. Luckily, John’s sister’s house is not being used, so we will shower there. I was so excited last week to have laundry in the house and not in the garage. Now we have to drive to do laundry. In the scheme of things, this is a hiccup, but it is frustrating. And, I am not able to help much since I cannot lift things and have to be careful for a week or so.
A Busy Week
A real sense of warmer temperatures this week. We had a morning of rain, a lot of fog, and the snowpack is trying to deacrease. This morning I saw the forecast for the week!
John was able to trim the door between the kitchen and the main entry door with some temporary wood. Once we put the door in, this trim will come down. He is also preparing more window trim for both windows in this entryway and should finish by next week. Today (Saturday) John spent a lot of time trying to solve our water problems and clearing the snow from the wellhead itself. Tapping the Trees
It was a beautiful afternoon when John tapped most of the chosen maple trees. He still had to wear snowshoes and dig at least three feet near each tree to place our plastic bottles. He doesn’t remember the snow being this deep before when he was tapping trees. We did a few more trees this year. I think we have either 20-21 trees, and we may add a few more if we find some easy access to a few more trees. As of today, John has started to collect the sap, but we hope next week things heat up! (upper left) You can tell how deep the snow is by looking at these photos. John is digging down to place the bottle closer to the ground. (upper right) This tree we call the ‘lactating maple’ since it produces a lot of sap every day. Its crown is quite large, and it has full sunshine that helps get the sap moving. You can see how deep our piled snow is in this photo. We had to dig through feet of snow to even get to the tree. (left) And, more evidence of snow depth. The cart sits on the driveway. My job was to toss the bottles as close to John as possible since he would have to snowshoe down to grab them if hadn’t been there.
More Door/Window Trim and Maple Syrup 2022
I did take a couple of photos during my gall bladder adventure. John and I even went to a restaurant! We have not been in one since Philadelphia with Joh and Beanee! I decided that a club sandwich would be safe to eat, and so I had half a club sandwich at Applebee’s. I have to be careful for a few more weeks, and then I just need to eat as healthy as I can. I had my first gall bladder attack Thursday night of the Max/ Chris wedding week! I didn’t know what it was at the time, but I was quietly in pain throughout the night while lots of people slept in our house. After a couple more episodes I decided I needed to have it checked. An ultrasound found gallstones, so out it had to come! All better now, I hope. Good friends dropped off vegetable soup and homemade bread as a surprise upon our return from Duluth. So good! I know this is not that interesting, but it is what happened this week!
Favorite Meme of the WeekBad Choices!
I was so looking forward to March Madness and the Iowa Hawk eyes marching to the Final Four. I took a flyer on Kentucky for the championship game, too. Well, it did not take long for my brackets to be busted, but I still enjoy watching the games. It is a total toss-up at this point. Last year’s champions just lost to North Carolina. I hope Iowa State continues to win. And, all the Big Ten teams!
A Night in Duluth!
Photographs from Monday’s walk....
The squirrels were pretty active this week, and I am tired of Chickadee photos!
Johannes and Beanee are in the Dominican Republic this weekend for a friend’s wedding, and they are nailing down for a venue for their upcoming wedding. Christopher and Max are in London this week for Max’s sister’s wedding. Weddings in the air! 27, 2022 What a Week!
High DoubtAn occasional update about life in the woods... March
Our week started with the unknown question of water and how long it would take to fix our well pump. The threat of a 15-inch snowstorm was hanging over our heads. Everything worked out well. The well pump was operating, but a piece of our compressor needed to be replaced. The storm did arrive, but we only got about seven inches! And, it was a beautiful snow with trees and branches holding onto the snow after the storm. Because of last week’s surgery, I took it easy for much of the week. It was hard for me to sit still and not venture out daily to shoot what may well be the last snow photos of 2022 with a real camera! I did use my iPhone. Towards the end of the week, I took a few non-Chickadee photos (!) off the deck of Downy Woodpeckers and Snow Buntings. I had to send a photo to Johannes to identify since I had never seen a Snow Bunting before.
Will This Be the Last Snow of the Year?
The good part of this week’s snowfall was that it was full of moisture. The local meteorologists indicated that the water content should help alleviate the moisture levels in the Tuesdaysoil. and Wednesday were quite snowy, but at least here at our place, we did not receive the predicted 15 inches. Thursday was a beautiful day with temps in the 40s and full sunshine. Then came Friday - ahem! By lunch, snow was again falling, but it was not heavy. What did develop were gale force winds, dark skies, and power outages throughout the night for the area. We have a backup generator (thank you, John) that goes on within 20 seconds of a power outage. The chart below indicates that in Grand Marais peak winds reached 66 mph. It was howling!!
More Trim and Finishing work John has been working on making more coat hooks for our front entrance and also worked on more door and window trim. His test windows/doors are not in the main areas, so we can figure out what we like and what will look best. Now that the house does not have unfinished rooms to set up his tools, most of the day he spends in the garage. This coming week he will continue to work on the frame/ trim for an upstairs closet door, and we will see how it looks.
The sap started to run this week, and so far John has collected about 15 gallons. The collection bottles were all buried in this week’s snow, but he was able to snowshoe out to all our tapped trees and uncover them. We may well have our trees tapped for a few more weeks until we get a rhythm of daytime temps above freezing and even below freezing. Saturday night’s low was below zero!
John dug up an old Lumix digital camera that used to be Johannes’ the other day, and I slipped the SD card into my computer. It was amazing to see these photographs of the solar array going up. From the metadata, I figured out they started the project on May 8, 2018, and finished on May 17, 2018, with solar production beginning on May 24. (Total production since May 2018 = 64.5 MWh)
An Old Camera and Unseen Photos
Grandpa organized a party for the spring equinox to be held in the middle of Highway 14 at sunset! The sun rises and falls directly on the middle of the highway on this date every year. He wanted to set up a table in the middle of the highway, but everyone agreed that might not be the safest idea! Beth and I zoomed in from Arizona/northern Min nesota. Sara and Dyan took photographs, and Dean’s job was to yell car very loudly when he saw one approaching. I affectionately called the event “Cheating Death on the Highway Party”.
An Interesting Party in Iowa!
Last Photos of Winter? (Probably not, 4-6 inches forecasted for this coming week!)
Here...Isn’t It?
An occasional about life April is
update
High Doubt
We are patiently (?) waiting for spring to arrive, but the snow keeps falling! We did not have as much snow as other weeks, but 3-4 inches did fall on Tuesday, and we had flurries off and on during the week. The snow we did have was beautiful with big fluffy flakes and no wind. The snow was heavy with the warmer temperatures, but I checked the ski trails, and they still looked in pretty good condition. John drove to Minneapolis again to pick up more wood (Menard’s still had a good sale!) and groceries. We were to have gone to Duluth for my post-op appointment, but I arranged a phone call appointment instead. I feel just fine, and the PA gave me a clean bill of health. I am glad that the whole surgery is in my rearview mirror. Now I am looking ahead to the spring migration and some warbler action. Johannes has his entire family carrying binoculars and watching the trees for birds
in the woods... April 2, 2022
Trim Work Continues.
When the temps remain below zero at night and during the day, the sap slows down and does not move. Many of our tubes had frozen sap inside them, and John had to wait for the sun to melt the sap for it to move. We have collected about 22+ gallons. We are hopeful that this week the temps cooperate, so the sap starts to flow more quickly. The plan is to start boiling on Thursday.
To figure out exactly what we want for the door and window trim, John has used an upstairs bedroom to test a few different looks. He has finished the interior trim on the two doors and window in the northwest bedroom. We have become used to the unfinished look, but installing all the trim work will give the house a more complete look.
Colder Temps Slow Down the Sap Collection
Afternoon in the Sun
On Friday, I went over to Russ and Kathy’s for coffee and a biscotti. Their deck is protected from the wind, and it was warm! And, their bird feeder was very active with the usual suspects - Chickadees, Nuthatches, and a Redd poll or two.
Chris and Max with her sister Nicole/Antoine, and her mother and father. It was her other sister Noelle and Tristan’s wedding.
Johannes and Beanee had a great time in the DR at a friend’s wedding.
Chris and Max with IncaMax’s sister’s Wirehaired Vizla.
Odds ‘n Ends!
Chris/Max and Joh/Beanee were at weddings in other countries in the past week. Max’s sister got married, and her family had not been together since before Covid. Covid did make an appearance, however! Max tested positive as she was preparing to leave England. She is waiting for a negative PCR test, so she can return to Japan. Beanee also tested positive this week. I think everyone is feeling okay, but the Covid situation is tiring! Chris is also waiting for PCR test results since he was a close contact. I have read a lot this year, especially since my surgery. So far this year, I have read 28 books. I love having access to a public library again. I received a gift certificate from my family before my surgery, and one book I purchased is More Than a RockEssays on Art, Creativity, Photography, Nature, and Life by Guy Tal.
I went to Grand Marais one afternoon to check out what the ice on Lake Superior was doing. Believe it or not, someone was SUP (stand-up paddling) out in the harbor. It felt way too dangerous to be doing this, so I watched for at least 30 minutes. When the person left the harbor and went out beyond the breakwater, I just shrugged my shoulders and said a little prayer. I never heard sirens, so I assume he/she got off the lake okay. It was a beautiful afternoon with brilliant blues and still lots of ice and signs of winter!
Grand Marais Harbor
Think creatively, whether or not you intend to make a photograph. Remind yourself at random times throughout the day to think about interesting visual elements in your surroundings, challenge yourself to compose them in the most favorable ways, seek ways in which visual elements may serve as metaphors for concepts, ideas, and emotions, regardless of whether they make “good” images, or whether you’ll ever actually point a camera at them. —Guy Tal
”
High DoubtAn occasional update about life in the woods... April
JohnSnow-coveredbranchesturnedourdrivewayintoawhitetunnel.didtakethetractoroutandtriedtoplow,butthesoftgroundwiththisheavysnowmadea mess. Sun and warmer temps followed the storm, melting most of the snow/ice on the drive. Now it is mud, but we will take that! For about 12 hours, it was a winter wonderland and just beautiful. And, yes, another storm is forecasted for this coming, but whether it is rain or snow will depend on the temperature and the elevation gain! (Robins have been seen in the county this week, too!) 10, 2022 then
What a week! We started with sunshine, then came clouds and fog, a spring snowstorm, and the springlike weather. Total snow amounts in the county varied depending on one’s elevation. Grand Marais had very little snowfall during the storm, and it almost looks like spring in town. We had about 7-8 inches, and up the trail, some resorts reported 18 inches. The challenging part of this storm was that it was heavy wet snow. Trees bent, power poles snapped, and power outages happened all across the county. Luckily, we have a backup generator, and the outage report we received indicated we were off the grid for over 30 hours. Thank goodness John is a planner!
Came Back!
Spring Came, Then Left, and
Photos taken on March 37, 2022 (aka April 6)
On Monday, we spent the morning with friends who were busy making maple syrup. I am not certain if this was their first or second boil, but it was interesting to see their setup. They use a wood fire and special barrel furnaces for their boil. It takes constant stoking of the fire to keep the sap boiling.
Our set-up is quite a bit smaller, and we only have 25% of the trees tapped than our friends. On Thursday, John started to boil our syrup on our gas grill. He has figured out his system, and it seems to work. We have collected close to 50 gallons of sap so far this year. With the sun and warmer temperatures this weekend, the sap is running! We will start our first boil on Monday.
Maple Syrup Time!
One Bedroom Window Trimmed! John was able to finish the first (of many) window trims in the northwest bedroom. This room is where we test different trim styles to decide what to use for the rest of the house. It takes time and patience, but John seems to be up for the challenge. He also wired another outlet in the downstairs hallway, and once that was completed, he was able to get the final pieces of drywall in place. Taping, mudding, and painting will follow.
Signs of Spring
Moments from the Week
Russ and Kathy dropped by Sunday morning to sing a song and drop off a pie for John’s birthday. As we waited to enter the car wash in town, this bird was just hanging out! April means The Master’s Golf Tournament and also opening day of the baseball season. Yes, I watched them at the same time! Don’t think less of me!
Signs of spring are definitely in the air. The driveway is now rutted and muddy. Ice forms in the morning and then changes to puddles by noon. The snowpack is shrinking, and we think the picnic table will appear soon.
t
“Music comes from an icicle as it melts, to live again as spring water.” — Henry Williamson
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... February 20, 2022 Rain, Snow, and Kites
It was a wild week of weather! We had over an inch of rain, wind gusts of 40 mph, and then another 5-6 inches of snow. Spring has to be around the corner! All one can do is smile and cross your fingers that it was the LAST measurable snow for the year. We had a busy week. John headed to the cities again to pick up more lumber and take care of our garbage. While he was gone, I kept the sap boiling until I finally ran out of propane. On Friday, we drove to Iowa for Easter weekend. It is a long drive, but it was fun to see the shift towards spring the further south we went. After the rain and wind storm, the sun did come out for a few hours, and we noticed lots of bird activity. Juncos were below our feeder sharing the dropped seeds with Redpolls and Red-winged Blackbirds. I also saw my first Yellow-rumped Warbler of the season. We had one collision with our windows, so we pulled out the yellow caution tape. Because of the bird flu situation in Minnesota, the DNR did recommend pulling in the bird feeders for a few weeks.
Bird Collisions
We did spend time trying to protect the birds from possible collisions with our deck glass and windows. Yellow caution tape seemed to do the trick, but we have mylar tape on order and will cut it in strips to hand on our windows and the glass around the deck.
John drove to the cities again this week, so not much was accomplished on the house. We finished the first boil. We ended up with one gallon and four ounces of syrup after boiling about 29 gallons of sap. We have 41 gallons left (chilling under a snowbank right now) to boil once we get back to GM.
Our first batch of syrup turned out quite dark, and we are guessing the rest will be dark, too. We plan to make more syrup and then maple sugar with our final boil. John pulled all the taps this week. We figure the 20 trees this year produced over 70 gallons of sap. Stuck in the Snow Again After the wind storm, I noticed our shed door was open and swinging freely. John was still in the cities, so I thought that I would be helpful and get the building secured. It is a short distance from our woodshed and the drive. No big deal! Well, I decided not to put snowshoes on, and would you know it - two steps into the job, I post holed to the top of my leg. I could not move my foot at all. I pulled and pulled, but it was not moving. So I had to dig my leg out with my hands - it was about 3 feet deep and took about 10 minutes to free myself. I decided to let John take care of it!!
Maple Syrup
t A Day at the Pond
The afternoon was the Fluhrer Family Flying Festival. Everyone got a kite, put it together in the cabin then headed outside. The winds were still strong, but we went to the south side of the grove where we were more protected from the wind. For a good hour, we had a great time flying kites. Jess and CJ got their kite up first and won $20!
John and I drove down to Iowa for the Easter weekend, and the plan was to pick up sticks, rake, and clean the woods around the cabin and pond. Well... strong winds and temps in the 30s were too cold for a big workday. So we sat in the cabin, and just visited!
More photos from Easter Weekend Picking up sticks at the cabin - alternate activiting chatting Lizzy and Dizzy angry at me for trying to get a photograph of their egg. Sliver extraction Eating Mega stufed Oreo CJ and Jess hanging out. Nick and Sara helping at church.
These photos were taken at the Fluhrer family’s original 160-acre farm. My great grandfather grew up here, but the original house has lost fallen. Arthur Fluhrer (a great uncle) built this house around the turn of the century. His son, Walter Fluhrer, lived there for his entire life. It has been empty for years, but this is the farm where my father took the silo down and moved it to its current location at the pond.
woods... April 23 2022 Patience is Key in the Northland!
Everyone is tired of the snow, but it appears that the last of the snow might have fallen. Two storms early in the week brought more snow, but by Friday, we had thunderstorms. It is not a beautiful time of year right now. Our drive back to High Doubt from the Twin Cities was uneventful with light flurries for most of the way. Our driveway had a fresh 4-5 inches, but we navigated it with no trouble. A Wednesday storm blew through with another four inches, and John was able to get the snowblower out for one last time (we hope)! This morning (Sunday) the deck is finally clear of snow, and I saw a tiny portion of the picnic table poking through the snow — a sure sign of spring. about life in the
High Doubt An occasional update
We started to boil outside on the grill once we returned from Iowa. For the final 48 hours, we had two roasters filled with sap going on the stove with the overhead fan running. It seemed much more efficient than using the gas grill. It gave the house a sweet smell, but we did not notice any increased humidity or problems. The gas for the stove is also cheaper than the bottled propane.
Final Stages of Maple Syrup 2022
By late Friday afternoon, we had boiled down our remaining 35 gallons of sap.We then filled ten twelve-ounce bottles and also three larger containers. Last week’s boil resulted in ten of these smaller bottles, too.
Our final total numbers for 2022 were 70 gallons of sap collected, resulting in 2.5 gallons of syrup Maple Sugar or Maple Toffee We used a few bottles of last year’s syrup to try and make maple sugar, but things did not quite turn out. After boiling the sap to 260 degrees F. we then started to stir the syrup. What is supposed to happen is after about 10 minutes of stirring the syrup it crystallizes, and you have sugar. After 20 minutes, the syrup was thicker but seemed to turn into caramel. I made some maple candy balls, and John spread the maple toffee (?) on some parchment paper. It is very chewy, and there was A LOT, so we cooked it again to try to make sugar. We ended up with a lighter-colored caramel. I have no idea what we will do with these maple sugar caramel bombs!
Lonely Nick...
Bird Report
arriving.Theonly
Because of the avian bird flu, the DNR has recommended that all bird feeders be taken in until mid to late May. I never thought I would say I miss seeing my little Chickadees, but I miss them. I saw a few of them sitting on the wire where we hang our tube feeders, and they seemed sad! There are still a few Juncos and Redpolls digging around in the snow under the feeders nibbling at what they can find. We bought sheets of Mylar,and John is experimenting with how to attach strips to our windows to prevent bird collisions. The rain, sleet, and wind are keeping the birds away, but we are ready! Once the sun starts shining, everyone says the warblers and other birds will be
To Boost or Not to Boost Cook County opened up another vaccine clinic this past week for those of us over 60 and others with autoimmune diseases. I decided to go and get another shot. Who knows when these boosters will end. John was in Duluth for a dental appointment and missed this vaccine clinic. On another medical note, I have successfully signed up for Medicare and Social Security benefits beginning May 1. I am officially old now!
grandchild who was at the farm on Easter was Nick. We did let him sit at the adult table. Keeping to traditions, we did shoot the traditional cousin photo in Grandma and Grandpa’s bedroom.
So how do you spend your time each day? As John and I ramble around in the house every day, we do continue to finetune our routines. It is so very predictable. Lately, I have joined the Wordle bandwagon and I try to complete the word puzzle every morning. I also do Worldle which is a geography-based quiz daily. My sister Beth just introduced me to Quordle, and it is tough. I completed my first Quordle this past week. We are so boring...
Wordle, Quordle, and Worldle, etc.
I subscribe to a great magazine called the Adventure Journal.
In the last issue, they talked about “Ferret-Legging.” It is the most bizarre and stupidest competition I have ever heard of.
Male contestants (only) take live ferrets and shove them down their pants. The winner is whoever can stand the ferrets’ teeth and claws the longest. There are, of course, a few additional rules to make the contest fair. The pants must be tied at the ankle so the ferret cannot escape, and the pants must be roomy enough for the ferret to move from ankle to ankle freely. The ferret must have all 34 teeth and all their claws. Once the ferret is inside and the pants belted tight, the game begins. The current record for ferret-legging, or “put ’em down” as the pros call it, stands at about 5 hours and 30 minutes. Read more here: The Bizarre Sport of Ferret-legging.
When we explored Walter’s house, we found this tintype which was a bit creepy. You can see a person hidden by a blanket holding the baby. It did not take long to discover more about this style of photographs. Read about “Hidden Mothers” in this Aperture Magazine article. Tintypes are an old style of photograph that creates a photographic image on a thin sheet of metal or iron that has been coated with a dark lacquer or enamel.
Tintype Explanation Ferret-legging
Wednesday Afternoon Saturday Afternoon Friday Afternoon Weather Changes...
It is hard to believe that on May 1, we still see close to two feet of snow in the woods. Signs of spring appear almost daily, and I think changes will be happening quickly in the coming weeks.
On Monday, we had Hitchcock’s movie The Birds playing out in our heads. We had hundreds of Dark-eyes Juncos on both the drive and in the snow below where we had our winter bird feeders. At one point, over 40 Red-winged Blackbirds were sitting in the trees next to the house. For about two minutes, eight Evening Grosbeaks also stopped by. It was evident that migration was on! More on birds later! In other news, I qualify for Medicare on May 1. We had a cat show up on our animal cam for the first time. I hadn’t checked this camera for a few weeks, and also showing up was a fox, rabbit, raccoon, and squirrels. We have not seen a single deer for months, and there has been no signs of Jerome (our bear) yet. Nearby friends had a wolf and a fisher visit their yards this week, and bears are out and about in the county, too. life the May 1, 2022 May, Migration, and Medicare!
High Doubt An occasional update about
woods...
in
I did step off the trail accidentally, and immediately, my left leg went down a good two feet! Luckily I had a little backpack on with a chair and extra gloves. (I might want to rest.) I was able to put my camera down on something dry and dig myself out. To show the hole depth, I stuck the stool down where my leg ended up. Guess I should have worn snowshoes!
Most days I take a walk on our driveway, and I have been waiting for the snow to compress enough to hold my weight. Then you can walk off into the woods on top of the snow, see animal tracks, and not be bothered by a single black fly or mosquito! With the snow still so deep, I hesitated to head directly into the woods, so I stayed on the ski trails. No one is skiing anymore, so I carefully walked the edge where the groomers had packed the snow all winter.
Outside Work on Hold
Snowshoes or Not?
toin.3+in23 snowtheoftopthe
Bird Collision Control
John busied himself with the somewhat tedious job of finishing the drywall in the main hallway. It is a thankless job and requires many stages of mudding and sanding. When we moved the desk out of the hallway, we were reminded of how spacious this space is. The hope is to install track lighting and have gallery space for photographs and artwork. When the bird apocalypse was upon us early in the week, the number of birds around the house created a perfect storm for window collisions. We had about six juncos hit the windows, but only three died. The others sat and recovered, eventually flying away. John taped mylar strips across the deck panes and also made a couple of moveable frames to place where needed. It seemed to work, but we will continue to watch and be ready to do more as migration continues.
There is an active debate on when the ice will go out on the inland lakes. The ice is starting to soften, but on many lakes, it is still 24-30 inches thick. Rain, warmer temperatures, and wind are forecasted, and this can cause the ice to quickly disappear. Most folks are predicting mid-May. At Tuscarora Lodge and Sawbill Outfitters, they posted this note about ice-out dates.
202230,April202214,April20224,March202218,February20223,January The Picnic Table Appears!
John has a May 15 entry point for Seagull Lake, and the Stewarts will start their canoe trip on Brule Lake on May 22. John is a bit pessimistic that the ice will be out by the 15th, but the weather in the next few weeks looks more springlike. Fingers crossed! able
(April 28) Anecdotally, Round Lake usually goes out the first few days of May and is one of the first lakes to open up because it is small and relatively shallow.
When Will the Ice Go Out? Soon we will be
If I had to make a wild guess for the average date that all Gunflint Trail lakes are open I’d say May 6 to 8. Ice Update from Sawbill Lake (April 28) 36” from bottom of ice to top of snow. Probably about 17 of those inches are solid clear ice, and the rest is compacted slush and snow.
“
to hikingenjoyon PincushionMountainagain... April 30, 2022
The theme for my week was to figure out what new birds were stopping by or arriving for the season. I think I asked Johannes questions every day about this sparrow or that, why so many Juncos, what is this bird, etc. He patiently answers my questions, but I think the different songs, flight patterns, and distinguishing bird details are starting to make sense. Here are a few of my bird portraits from the week.
Bird Stuff Great Bird Migration Links to Explore! Bird Migration by county Live Migration maps Warbler Identification Help Dark-eyed Junco Hermit Thrush Purple Finch Evening Groesbeck Pileated Woodpecker
“The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.”
– Henry Van Dyke
woods... May 7, 2022 Spring Has Sprung (almost) The Garden - May 7, 2022
Finally, warmer temperatures helped the snowpack recede up here on the hill. We still have snow in the woods, but bare patches of earth are now showing. It will take time for all the snow to disappear, but by midweek the sun appeared, and it felt great! Our garden is still completely covered with over a foot of snow, so we will not be able to work the ground or plant anything for a couple of weeks.
The big question is when will the ice go out? John has an entry permit for Seagull Lake on May 14, but it doesn’t look promising. The good news is that rain and warm temperatures are forecasted for this week. Sawbill Lake reported 27” of ice with the top 17” degraded/watery ice-slush, and the bottom 10” solid ice. Fishing opener is May 14, and Seagull Creek Fishing Camp reported the ice on Seagull Lake will “more than likely be around”, so fishing will be difficult. John might need to put blades on the bottom of our canoe and glide across the lake! the
High Doubt An occasional update about life in
I keep a diary for many reasons, but the main one is: It helps me pay attention to my life. By sitting down and writing about my life, I pay attention to it, and when I’ve written about it long enough, I have a record of my days and I can then go back and pay attention to what I pay attention to, discover my own patterns, and know myself better. It helps me...”
I decided on Monday to head out and try to carefully walk on the ski trails and not breakthrough this week. Since I like to write every day in my journal, I took along a camp stool and hoped that I could find a sheltered spot to sit and listen, watch, and write. I was able to find a spot to sit, but the view (below) was still quite wintery. My writing break did not last long since it was windy and not very warm, but I look forward to the Pincushion Hiking trails becoming easier to walk on!
John also covered outlets and capped the sprinkler system devices with these white caps.
— Austin Kleon
Hallway Work John spent most of the week finishing the taping, mudding, sanding, priming and painting the hallway. Yes, it was a lot of work! It looks great. Now we are figuring out what type of lighting and gallery hanging system to install. It will be nice to hang up a few of the many photographs I have taken, some of the boys’ photographs, and artwork collected over the years in this hallway. I think we will choose a system that will easily allow me to change the images/ artwork. Now I have to figure out what to enlarge and print. My guess is there will be a few bird photos. (Boys, send me your favorites.)
A Morning in the Woods
Trying Something New You might think that life in the woods is boring, but I don’t think John and I are ever bored. We do have our routines, and so I try to set a few goals each week to try to change up the routine. This week when John went to the Cities, I decided to try to bake my first loaf of bread. I can hear Christopher laughing now! He is the bread maker in the family. Well, I made a loaf of bread, it is edible, and so I consider my first attempt a success. It was not the most beautiful loaf of bread I have ever seen, but I will keep trying! It was a Honey Milk Wheat Bread, and I made a small loaf. The photo is of the bottom of the loaf since it looked much better than the top. My little loaf is almost gone and no one has gotten sick. Success.
Off the Beaten Path Deck Chairs are out! One of the best things about our house is the deck. When weather and insects allow us to be outside on the deck, it is the place to be. I was able to sit out there three mornings this week and have my coffee. It was beautiful. Today, John pulled out the chairs we use on the deck. And, as ugly and as old-fashioned as our green bouncy chairs are, they are so comfortable! I plan on repainting the frames, and we are still trying to source news seats for a couple of them. The hunt for the right patio furniture is still on. We found a set we do like, but for the second year in a row, it is out-of-stock.
Every day I walk to get the mail, I usually turn towards the B & B first to check out what is happening in the woods. Last week you could walk on top of the snow and go almost anywhere if you were careful. This week there is standing water and patches of deep snow, so leaving the road to explore is tough. I did venture off in search of a woodpecker I heard hammering away. One sign of bird activity is to look at the base of a tree for evidence of activity. Today I saw a pile of wood chips that rivaled John’s woodshop! Looking up the tree, I saw a freshlypecked hole. Then right as I stopped to take a photo of the tree, a Ruffed Grouse started drumming very close to me. I love the opportunities to explore right now. No bugs yet! John saw a wolf cross in front of the house on Friday, and he also saw a fox loping down the driveway.
Pits
Looking for Thompsonite nuggets at Cut Face is a Nelson fam ily tradition. I don’t know how many hours we spent looking for Thompsonite. Joni had never dug around for little pieces of Thompsonite, so after the hike, we spent 20 minutes on the beach and found a beautiful dark green piece!
Mysterious
Looking for Thompsonite
It was a fun afternoon, and Jim promises more Cook County adventures in the coming months.
On Thursday afternoon, Joni/Nathan, John, and I joined Jim Wiinanen on the first of what we hope is a series of Cook County adventures. We parked at Cut Face Creek and headed across the highway and up (very up) to see if we could find any or all of the Cutface Pukaskawa Pits on the bluff above Lake Superior. Earlier in the week, Jim sent us two documents about these pits. The documents gave us a variety of opinions as to the use of the pits. In 1960, one archeologist suggested the pits were used for a spiritual purpose (vision quests), but no one is sure. Other researchers have interpreted the pits as having elements that might have been used for temporary camps (lodges, hearths, and/or cache pits). I believe the Cut Face location had 18 pits, and our group ended up finding 15 or 16 of the Wikipediapits.(yes..I
looked on Wikipedia) gave the following description, “Pukaskwa Pits are rock-lined depressions near Lake Superior dug by early inhabitants, ancestors of the Ojibwa, named after the Pukaskwa River. Estimates of their age range from as recent as 1100-1600 CE, to as ancient as 3,000-8,000 BCE.”
My one pit photograph is not very good, but you can see that it is a pit. (Most of the time I was simply trying to navigate the fallen trees and not fall! )
“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”
— Aaron Siskind
Melting Snow + Rain = Flood Waters!
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... May
Changes happened quickly this week. On Monday and Tuesday, we had over two inches of rain. The temperatures also were on the rise, and this created the perfect storm. Up here on the hill and further up the trail the snow rapidly began to melt filling the streams and rivers. The heavy rain created a mess. Roads throughout the county became flooded, especially the mils of forest service and gravel roads, Washouts, unsafe bridges, and blocked culverts created difficult and unsafe driving in much of the county. Bridges over the Poplar River at Lutsen Resort and the Ski Hill have washed away along with bridges over the Superior Hiking Trail at Tettegouche. John and I drove to the Cascade River pounding down the canyon and out into Lake Superior. The ice should soon be out on most of the lakes in the area. John had an entry permit for Seagull for Saturday, but the outfitters could not promise that the ice was out on all the interior lakes or even the west end of Seagull. He will try for the end of the month. This last week there were still folks skiing on Bearskin and Clearwater Lakes. 15, 2022
Outside Work John picked up the rest of the plants for the garden on his trip to the Cities along with two new apple trees. Next week will be garden time, and we hope to get the ground prepared and things planted this coming week. The garlic is up and looking good! I have spent a bit of time trying to control and cut down the dogwood that spreads everywhere.
On Monday morning John’s phone stopped working. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but in today’s world banking/ordering/communication is all done with your phone.
Railing for the Outside Stairway
John started a stairway off the north end of the deck to provide an additional way off the deck. These stairs are right outside our bedroom, so we have a quick escape out of the house in the event of a fire. Better safe than sorry, right? He had finished the stairway in October, but this week he worked on getting the railings in place. They should be done in the next week.
After spending an hour with an Apple tech in India he decided to head to an Apple Genius bar in Mpls. He would also pick up additional supplies from his favorite storeMenard’s! Long story short, the phone was toast, and so now he has a new iPhone SE. It is a very basic iPhone but serves its purposes well.
Once the snow melted John went out to inspect the garden, apple trees, and all around the property. Well, our little rabbits managed to chew off much of the bark on many of our apple trees. We will have to see if they survive. A bear has already been digging at our compost bin, and so John piled rocks to try and prevent further damage. He said he would be putting up a solar electric fence around the apple trees and part of the garden. And, before the bugs return we will need to fix the damage to the screens on our porch downstairs that a friendly bear did last fall. Almost every day I walk the driveway and head towards the bed and breakfast, and since I don’t walk quickly I am fairly aware of the changes in this little corner of the world. The biggest change this week was how quickly the snow left, but today I walked towards the Little Devil’s Track canyon, and there was enough snow on the path down to the canyon I did not go down. The sound of the river seems to indicate it is running high, and I would love to safely get down there! Walking the paths was a challenge with frost heaves and very wet sections. Every so often I would take a step and hear the ground shifting under my weight, and I quickly moved forward. A few times I did not react quickly enough, and my foot sunk into the ground a good three or four inches. Yea...first it is stepping into deep snow, and now holes with mud and water!!
Flexible Schedule
Last fall
Animal Signs
Walking the Pincushion Trails
Fluhrer - June 16, 1956
Ruffed Grouse Encounter
“My ideal reader is someone who reads with a dictionary and a pencil.” (Nabokov) Marginalia is a way of carrying on a larger, broader conversation. It’s a physical record of our encounter with a text, scrawled or jotted in margins. The pencil acts as a kind of seismograph to register the mental tremors we’re feeling as we read” (Collins)
The Ruffed grouse are drumming (another sign of spring). One late afternoon I headed out for another walk., and I saw something up very high on the top of a tree that looked oddly birdlike. I was surprised to see that it was a Ruffed grouse. Usually, they are close to the ground and hiding in the bushes. The grouse was eating buds from the branches, but the bird’s weight was too heavy for where it was trying to eat. Once he got to the very end of the branch the grouse realized it had to move on. At least I saw a bird!
For the past few weeks, our public library has been closed, and it put a big dent in my daily reading. At some point almost every day I love to sit and read with a cup of coffee in hand. I usually have a couple of books going at any time - one fiction and one nonfiction. The nonfiction books I have been working through are usually about photography, and I read/think with a pencil in hand. I like making small marks when I read nonfiction books, and occasionally jot notes in the margins. I realize there are strong feelings about making marks in books and don’t worry I don’t make marks in library books! This week I did check outBraidingSweetgrasson Johannes and others’ recommendations. It was killing me to not have a pencil in my hand, so guess what, I ordered the book from Amazon and returned the library book.
Currently reading (fiction) Violetta by Isabel Allenda (nonfiction) Another Day Not Wasted by Guy Tal
Just married! Grandma and Grandpa
All About Books
Still finding gems.....
I spend time organizging boxes and trying to cull and throw away some of the stuff we have all over the place. Every so oftn you come across a gem. I have no idea what office Christopher was running for, but he madea button!
At the start of the week, we were still in ‘stick season’ with bare twigs and the forest floor matted down from being pressed by a deep blanket of snow.Very few trees had any sort of buds on them, but rain and warmer temps came and the changes happened quickly On Saturday as I looked down the drive, the scene was softer with tree buds starting to pop. An Instagram post today by a Cook County resident hit the nail on the head with this comment “...Ah, finally that short but sweet time of the year when I can drink my coffee in the warm sun laying in my hammock and the only insect that lands on me is a butterfly."
Signs of Spring
“Yesterday the twig was brown and bare...”
Almost. Johannes often says I am not patient enough, so I went on walks often and even carried a small camp stool. With binoculars in hand, I walked and walked searching for just a glimpse of one of the birds the app identified. I am fairly certain I saw a Black and White warbler for a fleeting instant, but that was my only new bird this week. Instead of birds, I turned my attention to the forest floor and the almost bayou-like conditions. Water has collected in almost every low spot, but the forest is very easy to navigate right now. There are no black flies or mosquitoes, and if you avoid the spots where water has collected, walking is quite easy. Nothing has leafed out, so I would just head off the driveway and start exploring.
Oh, I tried hard to find the small warblers that I started to hear in the woods. My Merlin app recorded songs and identified an array of warblers and other newcomers to the woods. Did I see any of them?
Yesterday the twig was brown and bare; To-day the glint of green is there To-morrow will be leaflets spare; I know no thing so wondrous fair No miracle so strangely rare. I wonder what will next be —L.there!H. Bailey
An occasional update about life in the woods...May 22, 2022 Time with Friends, a Fen, and Family
High
Doubt
This week began with a Sunday hike with Jim Wiinanen and Joni/Nathan and ended with a visit from the Stewart boys before they headed out on their spring fishing trip. John and I love living our quiet life here, but it is nice to spend time with friends and have family visit. We had cooler evening temperatures and frost warnings this week, so our winter jackets are still within reach! The good news with the colder temps is that we have not had any bugs descend upon us. Once they come, working and playing outside becomes a challenge. Every day we see more signs of spring, especially on the forest floor. Wildflowers and plants are pushing up everywhere. Now, if I only knew what they were! We also had a lunar eclipse this week, but I did not even try to photograph the event.
At first, I was not certain about the need to have this additional stairway off the deck, but looks great! John has done a great job with the design and build. We can now access the forest to the north side of the clearing. We hope to develop pathways along the ridge and down to the river from this access point. Will the Brule be Cruel?
This coming week we will get the corn, squash, and cucumbers in the ground, and if it is warm enough tomato, pepper, and strawberry plants. Two new apple trees will get planted. These trees will replace the trees the rabbits chewed up, but we have some hope they survived. They have blossoms already.
Garden Prep and Planting/Stairway Work
By the end of the week, we had planted much of the garden. We held off on tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries until upcoming frost warnings are over. On Tuesday morning, I cleaned out the raised beds of weeds, sticks, and pine cones. John gets buckets of compost from the recycling center, it often is full of raked items from lawns in town. Three raised beds are now planted with green beans, carrots, lettuce, spinach, and arugula. John tilled the upper garden and then finished putting in the potatoes.
Ryan and crew arrived late Saturday afternoon to spend a night with us before heading out on Brule Lake Sunday morning. We enjoyed our first Sven and Ole pizza in two years - didn’t even know the place was still open for carry-out! They will be out fishing for three nights and then return to clean up and drop off our canoe before heading back to work and the real world. John and I drove along with them to the entry point this morning. It was a bit chilly, but not much wind! Stay calm, Brule!!
“...a low land that is covered wholly or partly with water unless artificially drained and that usually has peaty alkaline soil and characteristic flora (as of sedges and reeds)
Luckily, without leaves on the alders and undergrowth just starting to grow, we were able to squeeze our way through the forest. We did get turned around a couple of times but finally found the fen. Once we got to the fen it was impassable as expected and full of water. Jim suggested we come back in the fall after a hard frost, approach from the other side, and see if we can find the cranberry bog.
On Sunday afternoon, John and I drove to the end of Old Ski Hill road to meet Jim, Joni, and Nathan for an adventure! Jim used to live on this road and helped develop two hiking trails. He showed us the start of the Old Boots and Blazes trail that is marked appropriately enough with old hanging boots and occasional blaze marks on the trees. We plan to hike this trail next week. However, the plan for this hike was to follow an established trail and then bushwack off to find a nearby fen.
Looking for a Fen
If you look carefully you can see John and also the water that formed the edge of the fen. The established trail comes out on the Sawtooth Bluff at one point providing an amazing view of Grand Marais and Lake Superior.
Spring Stories...
Robin Nest Take Two
Right outside the kitchen window, I happened to see a brilliant small red bird. I was positive that it was a Tanager of some sort. I grabbed my camera and got off a quick shot as it flew away. Then...I accidentally deleted the photo. I was determined to find the bird, but it was long gone. As I was searching, I did come across these beautiful Northern Parulas. Last year our robins lost their newly hatched babies to a hawk. This year a new location, and lucky for us the nest is in a small balsam we can watch from our deck. Let’s hope they have better luck this year.
Finding Warblers
“Woods were ringed with a colour so soft, so subtle that it could scarcely be said to be a colour at all. It was more the idea of a colour - as if the trees were dreaming green dreams or thinking green thoughts. “
—Susanna Clarke
An occasional update about life in the woods...
Green is now the predominant color, and it is hard to remember the crazy amount of snow we had in the yard and on the ground. Since temps have been cooler this week, the black flies and mosquitoes have not appeared yet. We now enjoy sitting on the deck and working outside without bug nets. As much as I try to include new and different photographs each week, there is a sameness to these newsletters, but I enjoy the challenge of shooting every day. We have two robins nesting near the house. The robin in the photo to the left has decided the solar array will provide overhead protection from hawks. And, nestled deep within a balsam in front of the house, another robin has a nest. The forest has come alive with the sounds of newly arrived warblers and, of course, Chickadees. The sounds in Grand Marais are people, lots of people. The campground is full this weekend, and I cannot imagine how crowded the few restaurants will be. Tourist season has arrived! Java Moose has opened up their second location this weekend, too. More coffee options!
High Doubt
May 29, 2022 Quiet Week
From WTIP - While the wet conditions this spring may have initially delayed deer tick populations, the same cannot be said for mosquitoes. Unfortunately, mosquitoes thrive in wet conditions. Jon Oliver, assistant professor with the University of Minnesota School of Public Health said, “The number of ticks has really increased. Additionally, we’ve seen increases over time in the proportion of ticks that are infected with Lyme disease.” Oliver explains that northern Minnesotans might be in for a grueling summer season. “It looks like it’s shaping up to be that kind of summer, you know, especially if we maintain high levels of precipitation.”
A Twin Cities Trip, a Finished Stairway, and a Planted Garden
Brule Lake Adventurers Returned Where are the bugs?
The Stewarts returned safely from Brule Lake and were all smiles. They caught a few fish, found an open campsite, and enjoyed spending time together. They got an early start breaking camp and were at our place by about 9:30. After cleaning up, John grilled cheeseburgers (Adam’s favorite), and they had a quick lunch before heading home.
John’s work and schedule have been on repeat these last few weeks. On Monday we finished getting the beans, corn, squash, cucumbers, tomato, pepper, and strawberry plants planted. I continued to pick up rocks and pine cones that seemed to turn up whenever we till the ground. John headed to the Twin Cities again for lumber to make apple tree fences, and he also picked up a few more strawberry plants. Even though we just got the garden planted, radishes and various types of lettuce are already pushing up through the ground. He also has the stairway 95% done and is only waiting for special attachments to secure the steps.
Justin Long encouraged us to read the book and gave us some braided sweetgrass (pictured here). Johannes and Beanee are also reading or have read the book. One reviewer said, “...Robin Wall Kimmerer writes about the natural world from a place of such abundant passion that one can never quite see the world the same way after having seen it through her eyes.”
Johannes doesn’t know what he has created (or rekindled) with his interest in birds. I do remember trying to be a ‘birder’ at various times in my life since Aunt Pearl was such an avid birder, but I didn’t keep with it. Now it seems that birds have snuck into all of the Nelson family’s life to varying degrees. Last week I came home, and John said he had grabbed my camera and taken a photo of a Rose-breasted Groesbeck for me. John is hopping on the birding bandwagon, too. Now to get him to grab his binoculars and take a walk with me.
A Book Recommendation
Merlin App Merlin Bird ID helps you identify birds you see and hear. Merlin is unlike any other bird app — it is powered by eBird, the world’s largest database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos. Merlin offers four ways to identify birds. You answer a few simple questions, upload a photo, record a singing bird, or explore birds in a region. It works so well! I will hear a bird singing, guess what bird it is, and then check with Merlin. At first, I was always wrong! Now my ability to identify bird songs has improved. It is a free app and https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
Both John and I continue to read every day. This retirement gig is tough! I mentioned a few weeks ago that I checked out Braiding Sweetgrass from the local library, but I couldn’t read it without making a few marks in the margin. So I purchased the book, and my copy arrived this week. I have been taking the book out to the cabin to read. It is a quiet book, and I cannot recommend it enough.
Last summer
Yea...Johannes Started Something
Each week I try to shoot photographs that capture the season and what is happening here at High Doubt. As I said earlier, I realize my images have a sameness, but I walk the same walk, see the same wildlife, the sun shines, it rains, and so on.
For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity. – Henri Cartier-Bresson”
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... June 5, 2022 Everything is Green...Finally!
It is crazy to think that in late April the woods were covered with up to a foot of snow. The trees have now leafed out, and the marsh marigolds and other wildflowers are blooming everywhere. The black flies and mosquitoes have arrived, but we were lucky to have had a cool spring causing their delayed appearance. From BWCA reports, a rainy May and the resulting high water levels have created swarms of black flies on portages and some BWCA campsites. Water levels remain high throughout northern MN, but conditions are improving in our area. John switched his BWCA trip again to try and avoid both the high water and the black flies. Now he has a July 5th entry point on Saganaga. We also reserved a July 29th Sag entry permit for Chris, Max, and whoever else in our family can come. Yes, Kim may go camping again.
Outside Work Ramping Up!
No trips to the Twin Cities this week, so John got a good start on a few new projects. He has started to build a smaller wood shed below the deck to hold wood for the downstairs stove. Last year John built a much larger structure, but we decided it was too big and was distracting. (Well, I decided it was too big. Sorry, John).
John has continued to extend the ssnowshoe trail that I cleared in the fall of 2020. He decided to push the trail towards the big spruce and the old hunter’s cabin on the west side of the driveway and then come back, crossing the driveway and continuing to the Pinsucshion Ski Trail.
I also cleaned our cabin this week getting it set for anyone who might want to stay there. When we have guests, it is often a place where people go to read or take a nap. It is hard to believe that was once our only structure on the property. I also took the two green chairs from the porch to clean up. The chair’s plastic has broken down and transfers to your clothing when you sit in them!Walking in after clearing the trail.
Our first cord of wood was delivered today, and we spent a few hours splitting and stacking the wood. Hard to believe we are already preparing for next winter! John pulled the log splitter out of the garage, and then I ran the splitter, and he stacked the wood. The bugs were driving me crazy, so next time I will wear a bug net.
The garden took up a few hours this week, too. I tried to get out every day and weed the raised beds as best I could. I continued to clean the center section where the corn is planted. Lots of rocks and pine cones litter that area. Lettuce, arugula, carrots, radishes, and asparagus are all coming up. We hope to see evidence of corn and beans this coming week
Kathy and I hit the pickleball court one afternoon, and we plan to make it a weekly event. We hope to pull in Russ and John to play soon.
On Saturday, I got a Facebook message from a college friend, Tom Dyrdahl. He said that he and three more of my friends from Luther were in the area for a few days. They were golfing just up the Gunflint at Gunflint Hills! I told them to stop by on their way back to Grand Marais. I have not seen these guys in 43 years! What a great visit. Lots of laughs and memories. After they left, I kept shaking my head - 43 years is a long time!
Pollen yes; COVID no!
Pickleball Time The Promise of a Good Score
John hit the links this week with an early season round at Superior National. His tee time was at 6:30 am, and he had the course to himself. Go figure. I chose to wait until we have an afternoon tee time! I almost grabbed a Covid test to take this week. My nose was running, my eyes hurt, and I had a headache. Then, when the outside light was right, I saw that the air was full of floating pollen. It actually was beautiful, but tough to capture in a photo!
It is great to have friends stop by. Sue Ahrendt dropped by on Tuesday to pick up one of our many bunkbeds! We have so many extra beds. She introduced us to her new puppy Charlie. Our neighbors from Pincushion Mountain Haus came by this week, too. Jess and Paul Anderson walked down for chocolate chip cookies along with their two kids, Eva and Axel! We had not had a chance to talk, so it was great to connect with them. Jess and the kids walked down again the following morning on a morning hike.
Kathy and I hit the pickleball court one afternoon, and we plan to make it a weekly event. Lots of Visitors
Changing Days
My intention this week was to try and capture the photographs showing the weather. I thought it might force me to look more at the sky and watch the changing light. We had a rainy start to the week, and I happened to catch this little bedraggled Chickadee right after a steady downpour! During the spring and summer, John and I often comment on the the deep blue skies and clouds with the phrase “What a perfect Boundary Water day!” Once I started to shoot the clouds, I couldn’t stop. These small photos don’t quite do the sky justice.
I enjoy shooting in the evening capturing different light coming through the trees creating bokeh circles. Taken from a Japanese word for “blur,” bokeh has become a photography jargon used to describe how a lens renders a background that’s out of focus. Bokeh circles are actually formed from sparkling points of light (point light sources). When you use a shallow depth-of-field to create bokeh from these points of light, they become circles.
June 12, 2022 Lots of
An occasional update about life in the woods... Outdoors Work
Why Geese Are Flying North Now?
High Doubt
Usually, I see geese flying north in April or May, which is a sign that spring is on its way. This week I kept seeing geese flying north, so I googled it. In late spring/ early summer, geese may also head north. The geese were on a mini-migration called the molt migration. Feathers on all birds eventually wear out and need replacing. Replacing feathers requires a lot of energy, so geese travel hundreds of miles north to wetlands in Canada’s boreal and Arctic regions. Once there, they find safety, security, and the nutrients needed regrow their flight feathers. Once the feathers regrow, the birds will make the journey south to rejoin their flocks or to their wintering grounds. Now I know...
As weeks go, this one passed by quickly with lots of small events and projects. The weather was sunny and beautiful for the most part, and only the black flies making being outside a chore! Anytime John or I were outside this week, we had our head nets on or in our pocket. I did get him an early Father’s Day present of a new head net, bug jacket, and pants. On Sunday evening Sue and Phil came to dinner. They are here for a few weeks while their house is repainted. I found out they have a rhubarb patch in their backyard and do not like rhubarb! I hope to stop by soon and cut some to freeze since I love rhubarb! Our garden has been coming along, but we could use a nice soaking rain.
John finished the new woodshed in front of the house on Saturday afternoon. We split and stacked the first cord of wood. The photo to the left is our second load of maple for the year. A third delivery will come next week! We should be able to finish this second cord early this week if it doesn’t rain. Crazy how you prepare for winter in June!
For the past couple of years, John and I have looked and looked for an outdoor dining set for our deck. We felt a lot of them were too fancy for the North Woods! We wanted something simple, not overly expensive, and easy to store. IKEA had a table we decided to purchase, but in 2021 there were simply none available. This year we tried to get the table in April, but it was again out of stock. They said to keep checking. On Monday, IKEA’s website showed they had the set in stock. John called, purchased it, and decided to make another trip to Mpls. to pick up the furniture and other supplies. It had been a few years since John had put together IKEA furniture, but in a couple of hours, he had six chairs and a table assembled. It is not fancy, but the chairs stack; it is aluminum; will not deteriorate, and is unobtrusive.
Finally, Outdoor Dining!
Class Five Gravel
More Wood Delivered
Checking Off the To-Do LIst for ordering gravel is limited and so more expensive. The good news is they delivered early in the week and promised another load next week. John is also creating another road using gravel that will run behind the garage and towards the garden providing more of a fire break. Again, our little Kubota tractor came in handy to move and spread the gravel. A few of the purchases we have made over the years have been invaluable, and this tractor is one of them.
The winter did a number on our driveway with frost heaves forming, potholes appearing, and quite a bit of gravel being pushed off the road by the snow plow. John headed to town to order the gravel only to find out that our regular contractor is closing up shop. Now options
Just before the driveway, you pass directly behind the old hunter’s shack, and I would love to know more about that structure’s history. I plan to check out the inside more carefully and see clues the structure gives up. There might even be a limited lake view when the leaves are down. Once you cross the driveway, you skirt the ash grove and walk past some of the large cedar trees seen throughout the property. One spot we found seemed very open - almost like it had been cleared for some reason. John also found a metal fence post in the ground somewhat close to the edge of our property. We have no idea why it is there, and it did not seem official. He checked at the courthouse, and only one corner of our property has a survey marker. The trail bends back towards the house along the canyon edge, and in a couple of spots, there will be a nice view of the other side of the canyon. The trail ends at the beginning of the clearing below the house. Doorbell!
John bought a set of sensors for our driveway to alert us when something comes up the drive. I asked if this meant hikers, cars, trucks, deer, bear or wolves. He said he hoped so! Hmmm...I can see it now. I am here alone, sleeping, and the alarm goes off. Is it a deer, an intruder? Luckily, for my birthday, John got me night vision goggles, so I will be able to see the intruder or animal! We have tested the device, and it works. Three different sounds alert us that someone/thing is coming.
Before John headed in for dinner this week, he spent time clearing and laying out the extended snowshoe/hiking loop. The trail is about 75% completed with only the final stretch along the ridge line left. I started at the house on Friday and walked the entire trail recording the distance with my Fitbit. It is roughly a 3/4 mile trail from start to finish if you start at the house and head up past the pond. John has marked a few trees on the trail with red paint since the forest is dense in spots, the path narrow, and is difficult to follow. Once we have it more established, it will become much easier to navigate.
New Trail Takes Shape Driveway
“In order to see birds, it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” — Robert Lynd
2022 Bug Nets and Bikes
Nathan and Joni invited me over for a Saturday afternoon ride, and we rode 12 miles - it was easier than I thought, and it felt good to be on a bike again. 19,
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... June
Well, in addition to the black flies, the mosquitoes decided to come out in force. I have usually been able to handle walking to get the mail without donning a head net, but not this year. My Java Moose baseball cap with a head net is part of my everyday wear. For Father’s Day, I decided to get John a new baseball cap head net combo, a jacket, and also bug pants. I gave the gifts to him early, and he has been using them all week. I ordered two additional bug jackets for guests who visit, and I am guessing Beanee and Johannes may well use them when they are here this coming week! My big news for the week is I finally pulled the pin and bought an e-bike. After literally hours of research, looking at online e-bike forums, and debating what to purchase I bought a Serfas eDash from the Galleria in Duluth. It is a bit funny that until Friday morning I had never even heard of the bike, but I got a call from Nathan and Joni Friday morning and they said ‘We found a bike for you!” We talked, and I ended up calling the store and asking questions (fairly intelligent ones since I have been researching so much). It had all the components I wanted, so I asked John if we should go to Duluth and buy one. To make a long story short, we went, we saw, and we bought! Now I just have to practice lifting the 55 lb. bike into the back of the van to transport it if I want to ride with friends. I will ride up and down the Gunflint Trail at some point, but I need to practice.
Woodshed
New Completed and Another Load of Wood!
John installed three driveway alarms (Our version of a doorbell.) this week, and they work very well. Maybe too well! When someone drives up the driveway or walks (as in deer/bear/person), we have three sensors that alert us to their approach. The three alerts are different, and we have
THEWewaslearnedquicklywhichwhich!thinkthefirstsensorhasabalsambranchthatactivatesthealertALLTIME.Yes,wehavesometrimmingtodo!Weignorethisfirstalert
90% of the time, but once the second and third alert sound, we know that a delivery, guest, or Jerome are coming up the drive. The alerts play on devices in our laundry room, garage, and our bedroom. We also have three cameras we can access on our phones that look down the drive, at the house, or out at the view. Pretty connected!
John finished the lower woodshed, and has filled it with the second cord of wood we had delivered. So, then you know what he did? He ordered a third cord of wood, and it is now ready to split and stack! Plans are for one more delivery....phew.
Screened-in Porch Ready to Enjoy Smart House (or Annoying?)
Before Chris and Max’s wedding celebration last summer, we finished this porch for the group to use in the evenings. For most of the winter, John stored scaffolding and lumber here for building the new outdoor stairway. Since the bugs are so present these days, it is nice to have this outdoor space and be safe from 95% of the insects. There are still a few small holes from Jerome (our friendly bear) who tried to pull the screen off last fall for some reason! I doubt if too many bugs will find their way in through these holes, and it is a great story to tell guests as they are enjoying the porch!
John continued to clear the hiking/ snowshoe path this week, and I found time to walk it, too. At one point, the pathway goes right by the old hunting cabin near the driveway, and I decided to explore it this week to see if I could find any clues about its origin. I thought there might be some writing on the wall, old newspapers, cans, or anything that would hint at the cabin’s age. I did not find much. There are old beer cans under the cabin, an old crushed can of coffee, and tattered curtains. Inside is an L-shaped bench for two people to sleep on, and shelves, and evidence of a stove.
The Old Hunting Cabin
Happy Father’s Day, John!
Not too many bird photos this week. I heard lots of birds, but try as I might, I did not catch many glimpses of them. The bug nets make it tough to see any movement in the trees and then shoot photos, so I spent my bird time with the Merlin app listening and learning to recognize the different songs. Warblers are singing all the time, and I hope Johannes can help me find them next week when he and Beanee are here. At times, I can be slow on the uptake (John can attest to this!). This week I did not make the connection that the new CNN special four-part series on Watergate and Hulu’s new show Gaslit (also about Watergate) were released because it is the 50th anniversary of Watergate. I remember when I was in 9th or 10th grade being upset that these boring hearings were on television all the time back in 1972, but I did not pay much attention. Later I read All the President’s Men, saw the movie, and then also read the biography about Catherine Graham, editor of the Washington Post at the time. This week I watched all four episodes on CNN. (Gaslit can be streamed on Amazon Prime/Hulu.)
What? No Bird Photos?
We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. — Native American proverb
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... June 26, 2022 A Great Visit
Johannes and Beanee went hiking on the Superior Hiking Trail a couple of times. I dropped them off at the parking lot on County Road 58 and they walked home on Wednesday, and then on Friday, they explored the northern end of the fen at the end of Old Ski Hill Road by walking the SHT from County Rd. 6. It was a bit too buggy to enjoy that hike! John and I joined them one afternoon on the pickleball courts. We played four closely contested games and ended up splitting! Pretty good for old folks! Luckily we have close friends here in town, and I was able to borrow two bikes for the kids to ride. On Friday, John dropped us off at Cutface Creek, and we road to Grand Marais for lunch. Johannes even added a new bird to his Cook County list (Claycolored Sparrow) while biking. Again, I love my new e-bike!
Johannes and Beanee came to visit this week! Their flight got into MSP at about 8:30 pm and headed straight to Grand Marais. They arrived about 1:30 am, tired, but excited to be at High Doubt. The weather this week was what we have come to expect. The week started out with the summer’s first heat wave here on the hill, but in town you needed a jacket. Then on Friday night, John started a fire since the temps were down to the lower 60s! It is always an adventure here!
out and play!
Quite a few areas around the yard need to be weed whipped every so often, and John spent quite a bit of time cutting pathways and clearing areas around the house. As time allows and to take a break from outdoor work, John continues to work on finishing the trim in the upstairs bedrooms. also has the snowshoe/hiking trail finished. Now I need to get out there and keep walking it to make the path more apparent. I continueto treat our cedar siding with the wood treatment solution. Lots to (including me) talks about black all the It was a warm day, but felt good to get Hanging out in the evening....we played a lot of Banana Grams, Code Name and Azul. During our bike ride, we stopped to enjoy the bridge over Fall River.
He
More Wood, Really?
The final cord of wood was delivered to be split. John finished stacking the first three cords this week. The bugs were as ferocious as ever this week as John finished splitting cord #3! Both John and I spent time in the garden weeding, and we could not have worked outside without head nets.
flies, mosquitoes, ticks, and
the bugs this season including
additional kinds of flies we have up here. Here is a chart that will give you an idea of what we deal with! Lovin’ pickleball!
do... More Photos from Joh/Beanee’s Visit Our Bugs! Everyone
Best Bird Encounter - Two Black-backed Woodpeckers
A Lima Grade Birding Trip
Last summer, Johannes and I happened to find two locations with Black-backed Woodpeckers. They are not rare but often difficult to find. They live in black spruce bogs. We had stopped by a small pond to check out any ducks that might be on the pond when we saw a blackbird fly by with definite white feathers on its back. Johannes had heard some pipping, and soon we saw a male and female Black-backed woodpecker. They were pecking on nearby spruce, and then they began to poke their head into a recently cut hole. We realized they were feeding their babies. At this point, we slowly walked away not wanting to make them too nervous. Both of us shot quite a few photographs. What a great encounter!!
Canada Warbler Cedar WaxwingsChestnut-sided Warbler
On Thursday morning, Johannes and I went birding on the Lima Grade. Birds often return to the same area to breed, so Johannes was able to find the Blackburnian warbler and others he had located last summer in the very same spot. During the morning drive/walk, Johannes identified 30 species, including 11 different warblers.
If you look into the woodpecker’s beak you will see several grubs that we watched him dig out of the tree.
Java
SuperiornearsmallMoose’sshopLakewillcloseafterthisseason!They will only operate out of their primary location. They have a portable coffee wagon that they will occasionally set up in their parking lot to offset the long lines. Johannes and I stopped at the new coffee shop on the Gunflint Trail after our birding adventure and tried one of their specialties - Cardamon Rolls. The rolls were quite large, but we both scarfed them down!
German Engineering?
On Monday afternoon, I needed to head to town and get groceries. For some reason, my key fob didn’t start the car. I tried John’s - nothing. I called John and he said to call BMW Bloomgtion Service. I was not happy. To make a long story short, the BMW needed help, it would not start at all. A towing service drove up from Mpls., took the car back to the dealership in Bloomington, was service, and brought back on Friday. It seems to work now, but my trust in the car has been shaken! Our friends, Karin and Tony, were gone this week, and so they dropped off their truck, so I had a way to get around in case of an emergency. It is wonderful to have such supportive friends!
Loving the Screened-in Porch!
There are new businesses that have opened up in Grand Marais, and a few more that are being planned. In a small town like Grand Marais, anything new is pretty big news!
If the Twins are playing baseball, I usually listen and/or watch the game. This week I took my computer to the porch and enjoyed watching the game outdoors without bugs biting! The Twins are frustrating, but I still believe! Notice the binoculars - yup, birding and baseball.
Designs, a a new women’s clothing store. I have not gone into the store yet, but I hope to explore it this week. North Shore Knives is a small shop that makes individually crafted knives from a diverse assortment of materials. And finally, Crosby Bakery plans to move to a new building in the vacant lot next Sivertson’sto Art Gallery!
Coffee news
This year two businesses opened their doors in early June. First of all, Superior Creamery makes handcrafted ice cream and a small menu of sandwiches. Flavors change weekly, but here are a few Lemon Sorbet (Dairy-Free, Vegan), Salted Honey
Grand
Marais News
RightSylvie’sSnickerdoodle,Bee,andMapleWalnuttonameafew!acrossthestreet from the creamery is Sweetwater
Lupine Eco-print
Eco-printing is the process of transferring the color of leaves, flowers and rusty elements onto a piece paper.
We know lupines are an invasive species, but they are also beautiful! Johannes pointed out how they push out all other plants in a specific area. So, we have compromised. John sprayed a few random smaller lupine patches, but we are leaving the lupines near the driveway alone. Gravel surrounds three sides of this patch and should contain them!
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... July 3, 2022 Busy Days of Summer z
Lupines - Love ’em or leave ’em?
Activity always ramps up here in the summer. Grand Marais is full of people with the campgrounds at capacity, long lines at Sven and Ole’s Pizza, and hiking/biking trails busy. In contrast, the start of our week was quiet. John took Johannes and Beanee to the Cities to catch a Sunday flight and returned on Monday night. I kept busy with my e-bike and books! On Sunday, I joined Russ and Kathy for a 16-mile ride. It felt good to go for a longer ride, and it was wonderful except for the headwind and occasional rain! With an e-bike, you just power through! My aging knees have kept me from strenuous hiking and running, and I am so happy that I am able to enjoy riding a bike again. The hills and gravel would have been a struggle for me on a normal bike. Kathy and I also road to and from Cutface Creek on Wednesday Onmorning.Friday, we drove to the Cities to pick up Johannes from his Puerto Rican bird convention. He had a flight delay that caused him to miss his NY to Mpls. connection, and so we did not get back up to Grand Marais until late Saturday night. Today he headed to Wolf Ridge Environmental Center for an Advanced Bird banding class.
What a special visit I had on Saturday! My very dear friend Kristen Gilbertson Olesen was in the Twin Cities for a week, and we arranged to meet. We had not seen each other since the summer of 1987! After college and during my years as the director of Wilderness, Kristen and I had many adventures including a five-week trip in Homecoming (her truck) out to the East Coast. She and her family live in the Northwest Territory on Great Slave Lake. If you are a fan of the History channel’s show “Alone,” two seasons were recently filmed only 50 miles from their homestead. Kristen and her husband run a bush flying service, run sled dog trips, and she is a photographer. Check out this article about their life!
Surprise! No photographs of a pile of wood this week! That is because John (and a bit of help from me) finished splitting and stacking the fourth and final cord this week. John spent time clearing thistles, working in the garden, and finishing the snowshoe trail. Every afternoon he also chips away at finishing the window trim. The upstairs bedrooms are close to being completed, and he will start with the first-floor windows. On July 5, John will head out on a 3-5 day solo canoe trip. He spent time this week pouring over maps figuring out his route and campsites.
Misc. Projects
We decided to go to the Galleria’s Good Earth restaurant to sit and visit. We quickly realized that we had an entire lifetime to catch up on! John left us alone for about four hours and then joined us for dinner (still at the Good Earth). After three more hours of conversation over dinner we reluctantly decided the evening had to come to an end.
Reconnecting...
On Thursday afternoon, I went to the library, and it was one of those beautiful Lake Superior days with blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Before heading home, I drove to check the harbor for a possible photograph. As I looked out over the East Bay, I saw the Hjørdis under full sail beyond the protection of Artist Point. It was so windy that I was nervous for them! The boat made its way into the shelter of East Bay, took down their sails, and used the motor to take them home!
Windy Day for the Hjørdis
Not too many photographs this week, but I did take some time to shoot our Lupine patch and this morning a young buck walked up the driveway!
July 10, 2022
An occasional update about life in the woods... Bird Banding, a Birthday, and a Boreal chickadee
On Sunday, John and I dropped Johannes off at Wolf Ridge Environmental Center for an Advanced Bird Banding course. It was odd to ‘take your son to camp’ when he is a 33-yearold man, but we were his ride! He was there until Thursday learning how to age, sex, and band the birds they caught. The days were busy and began at 4:30 with getting the birds out of the nets, then processing them, banding, and letting them go. During the afternoon, they spent time with class work and lectures. He hopes to head down again this week to help with a high school program for a morning. I picked Johannes and a fellow bird bander Aaron on Thursday to head back to Grand Marais. Thursday happened to be Johannes’ 33rd birthday, so after he and Aaron spent the afternoon searching for a Black-backed woodpecker we went to town for dinner. They did not find the woodpecker but saw a Boreal chickadee, one of Johannes’ favorite birds.
Photo by Johannes
High Doubt
5.
4. N. Fraser to E. Ogish 11.7 miles, 347 rods E. Ogish to WCB - 9.2 miles, 202 rods
1. WCB to S. Gabimichigami -13.3 miles, 442 rods
2. S. Gabimichigami to K. River 11.8 miles, 484 rods
On Monday, Meredith Ibey Milliron and her family visited us for the afternoon. Meredith is an alumna from Shattuck -St. Mary’s and lived in my dorm. John was also her German teacher. She and her family live in Madison and are taking a family trip up the north shore and then onto Winnipeg for the Winnipeg Folk Festival. It was great to meet her two boys, Northern and Iden, and her husband, Jason. We talked for a few hours on Monday, and then I met the family at Cutface to look for Thompsonite on Tuesday. Everyone found some Thompsonite nuggets to take home.
Four Night, Five Day Solo
John headed out on a solo trip with a Seagull entry on Tuesday. He came out on Saturday after putting in quite a few miles (against the wind!). John figured that he paddled 59 miles with 1,826 rods of portaging. He came home in one piece — weary but very tan!
3. Kawishishi River to N. Fraser 13 miles, 351 rods
More Reconnecting!
Wet Cyanotypes and more Eco-printing
36 years...and Counting!
High Doubt - What Does it Mean?
The lupines are starting to fade, so I wanted to try to use them to make another eco-print this week. The results were so-so and not as good as my first attempt. Everything I read indicates that it is an unpredictable process, and I would have to agree. What was much more successful, and I can already tell will be an addicting new technique, is making wet cyanotypes. I purchased a contact printing frame that allows the treated paper to be in close contact with either a digital negative or flat objects. This week I experimented with plant material. After coating the paper, with the needed chemicals, I spritzed the paper with a vinegar/ water solution, placed objects on the paper, and then scattered salt and turmeric randomly on the page. The paper is wrapped in plastic wrap and then into the contact frame. I placed the frame in full sunshine for 2-3 hours. Then thoroughly wash the print, dip it into a weak hydrogen peroxide solution to deepen the blue, and then you are done! I have treated four-five additional papers and will try more prints in the coming days.
On July 2, we celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary picking up Johannes in Mpls and heading home to Grand Marais. The Subway stop in Forest Lake does not count as our special night out on the town! We eventuallywillget out and have dinner together, but now we are in the month of family and guests. John gave me a beautiful new set of chairs for the back deck for my anniversary gift. Quite often, it is simply too warm to sit on the main deck in the morning, and then in the afternoon, the light is lovely from the back deck.
Right after we were married, we put a lowball offer to a GM realtor for these 40 acres on Pincushion Mountain. They accepted, and the rest is history. I remember feeling sick to my stomach after purchasing the land and thinking, “what have we done?” We did not have a lot of money, and it seemed like we might have burdened ourselves with this land. There was a lot of ‘doubt.’ John came up with High (Hide-out)Doubtasanicknameforournewpurchase,anditstuck!
Objects on paper and covered with plastic wrap Print in contact frame cooking in the sun First wash of print #1 High Doubt 1987
“Look deep into nature, and then you will everythingunderstandbetter.—AlbertEinstein Sunday, July3, 2022
Wet Cyanotype #2
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... July 17, 2022 The Boys are Back in Town
It was great to have both boys together for a few days at High Doubt. They went birding every day, both adding birds to their life list. We all headed to town one night when someone mentioned a Harlequin duck in the harbor. It was a beautiful night. The boys also play games online with each other when time allows, but this week they were able to carve out some gaming time together in the same room!
On Friday, I drove Johannes to Mpls. to catch his Saturday flight to Philadelphia. While he was here in Minnesota, Beanee orchestrated moving their belongings to their new apartment, so Johannes returned to a brand new home!
The big news this week is just that Chris arrived! His route to MN was Tokyo > Atlanta > Minneapolis. It was a long trip, and then in Atlanta, his luggage was so delayed getting to the baggage carousel that he had to rebook for a later flight. He finally did get to Mpls., but he and John spent the evening at our home in Apple Valley.
Relaxing and Studying Insect Report
This week was chopped up into many pieces for both John and me. John took off on Monday to pick up Christopher and returned on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, John and I had appointments at the local clinic to continue our wellness checks (annual exams). We both checked out fine!
These moths have appeared in the last week, and I believe they are spruce budworm moths, but I could be wrong. This photo is the underside of a moth. I used my macro lens and shot the moth as it rested on one of our Mosquitoeswindows. and black flies are around but seem to come and go depending on the time of day and where you are. They are getting better, and we sit on our deck for longer than five minutes! Johannes and I did run into a mosquito-rich spot near Junco Lake as we were birding on Monday.
Christopher is taking advantage of his time studying for his GMAT test coming up this fall.
The coffee pot was busy this week with both boys home and only John not drinking coffee in the morning!
Trips to Mpls. and Dr. Apppointments
I left for Minneapolis Friday to get Johannes to his flight, and we also fit in shopping time. Johannes picked up a few essentials before he left. My sister Sara met me for a shopping afternoon at the Mall of America. I need clothing for the February wedding in the DR, and if I wait to shop later this fall, I would have only found long sleeves and stocking caps! I did not find the right outfit for the wedding, but I have a better idea of what is available. I hate shopping, so having Sara along was amazing. She kept me going!
Johannes and I took off on a couple of morning birding trips before Chris arrived. One morning checked out the Dept. of Transportation spot off of Highway 61 and drove up to Bally Creek Road. This road is high on the ridge, and Johannes knew he would find a Blue-throated Vireo to show me. He was right, the tiny navy blue bird was there! Another trip up to the Lima Mountain road did not result in the Blackbacked Woodpecker, but we saw and heard 20+ different birds. Johannes makes a list on eBird for each of his trips and posts on eBird. His Cook County list is now at 107 species. Currently, we have listed 23 species in our High Doubt yard list. After the boys’ visits, I am inspired to become a better birder! Downey Woodpecker
This Week in Birds Solitary Black-throatedSandpiperBlue Warbler Ruffed Grouse American Goldfinch
Early Evening at the Harbor...
The week was so busy that my cyanotype experiments were limited to one afternoon. I added dry mustard and paprika to try to add additional colors, but it seems that the turmeric works the best. This week the goal is to shift some of the blue tones to brown using tea/coffee.
Cyanotype #3
2022 Another
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... July
Sorry that I did not get a newsletter out on Sunday! We had a family wedding Saturday night in Iowa, and I delayed this week’s newsletter until Monday! It was a beautiful wedding, and our niece Jessica and CJ tied the knot. For the first time in many years, all the grandchildren and their partners were present! John and I drove to Iowa on Friday morning to help set up the venue. Max arrived late Friday afternoon from Tokyo, and then Joh/Beanee flew in from Philadelphia Friday night. They all came down to Iowa Saturday morning to the farm to visit with their grandparents before the wedding festivities started. The start of the week was quiet. Christopher studied for his grad school tests, went golfing with John, and relaxed. Max will be at High Doubt this week, and next weekend we plan to take a short canoe trip to the BWCA. It has been many years since I have gone camping (!), and for Max, it will be her first canoe trip! Exciting days ahead. 25, Iowa Wedding!
Initially, we were not certain how we liked the driveway warning system since strong winds would activate a couple of the sensors. John trimmed away branches and ferns that were causing the alerts to sound. I used to look up the driveway all the time to see if guests were arriving, but now I rely on the alerts.
Johannes enjoyed going back and forth in front of the senors as a joke, but this morning the first alert went off at least 15 times in about a minute. (Johannes is in Philadelphia.)
Driveway Doorbells Together for a Day or Two Facetime and WhatsApp make it easier to be in touch with one another, but there is nothing like being together! Chris and Max will be up at High Doubt this week, and Joh and Beanee were up in June. Their visits did not line up this summer, but we are all thankful that schedules allowed all of us to be together for Jess and CJ’s wedding.
We Have Doors! You wouldn’t think two doors would change a room, but John (with Chris’ help) hung both doors to the laundry room this week. They look great and give the kitchen more definition as a room. Hanging the basement door is the next internal door to be hung, and this will most likely change the looks of our first floor even more.
I thought it might be our deer hanging out at the end of the driveway, but usually, they activate it once or twice and then the alerts stop. John and I walked down the driveway to investigate, and sure enough, we saw one of our deer herd hanging near our sensors.
Here is a link to the photographs I took at this weekend’s wedding. For family that get this newsletter, it might be fun to see these photographs. For other friends who get my weekly notes, take a look if you want! Jess and CJ’s Wedding Wedding Photos
Time with Christopher Happy One-year Anniversary!! From golfing with John at Superior National to relaxing on the deck talking to Max, we enjoyed having Chris home! And, then I felt it important to share a bed head photo he sent me! It doesn’t seem pos sible that it was a year ago we hosted and HighChriscelebratedandMax’sweddinghereatDoubt.Linktotheircelebration:MaxandChris.
Chris and Max got up to High Doubt on Monday afternoon, and it was a relaxing week of conversation, games, and a short canoe trip! In the evening, we played cribbage, Monopoly Deal, and Azul. We created a family games tally board to keep track of who wins each night. Yes, we are a bit competitive!
and Max!
Rain showers and clouds were predominant mid-week, but the weather report for the weekend seemed to be fairly dry, but windy. Thursday was a day of canoe prep, and then on Friday morning, we loaded the van and headed up the trail. As it turned out, we spent two full days and only one night out, but weather reports for Sunday were for rain and wind. We decided to break camp and head back before Sag became too windy! More on the canoe trip later! Chris
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... July 31, 2022 A Wonderful Week with
Chris wanted to try to make Smash Burgers, and I have to tell you that the burgers he and Max made for us this week were delicious. The technique involves smashing the burgers flat on a hot frying pancausing crunchy edges. Two smashed burgers are placed on a bun with cheese in the middle. Then we added Trader Joe’s Magnifisauce on the burger. Best burgers of the summer!
John also continued to trim and shape the balsam trees we have chosen for eventual Christmas trees. We have a little mini Christmas tree farm in front of the house! We have chosen trees already for the years to come.
Working on Our Trees With guests and rain this week, John completed a few more doors/window trim, but also put up temporary protection around our apple trees. We have four varieties of apple trees, and even after the rabbits did damage to our newer trees, they are bearing fruit. “Bearing” is a good word to describe the trees since we expect Jerome (our bear) to visit at some point this summer. John plans to fence the trees, but for now, he has an unusual collar system around the trees. He hopes this slows any deer or bear from enjoying our apples!
New Recipies
Chris also made Mexican street corn for lunch one day, and again it was another successful treat!
Chris and Max in France at Max’s sisters’s wedding.
Visitors This Week Sue called on Monday and asked if Charlie could stop by for a run on their way up the trail! She was returning from Minneapolis (weddings), and Charlie (her dog) needed a break! We chatted and caught up for 30 minutes and still hope to carve out a visit to Gunflint Lake before she heads back to Denver.
We had some beautiful clouds this week, and I went out onto the deck one afternoon to capture some thunderheads. I happened to see the silhouette of a robin with something in its mouth. It was sitting quietly in a tree near the house, and I could see it was holding a large insect. We had two robin’s nests that were vacated early in June, but I knew in the garden shed, another robin’s nest was in the eaves. I watched the mother drop the insect in the nest to a nestful of open-mouthed baby robins!
Weekly Nature Notes
Louise Feske and her friend Beverly made their way to GM for their yearly visit and dropped in on Tuesday morning. We visited for an hour or so. We had hoped to connect again, but our week got away from us with canoe trip preparations. We enjoyed Louise’s gift of corn and chocolates! Soon we will eat the beets!
Summer Weddings...
CJ and Jess - such a great weekend!
I am certain money exchanged hands betting that I would not join the BWCA trip, but everyone lost money because I did go along. It had been close to 20 years since I had last spent a night camping in the BWCA, and it was Max’s first trip. Everything went perfectly, and we had a great time. The first day was grey, windy, and chilly. Once we set up camp, we explored our campsite and read books for a few hours. The site had both eastern and western exposure, so we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Saturday started with a few clouds, but blue skies prevailed for the rest of the day. We took one canoe and lunch to explore the northern islands on the US side of Saganaga. After only about twenty minutes into our day trip, we ticked the Bald Eagle box and got quite close to the eagle. John wanted Max and Chris to get a feel for how big Sag Lake is, and so we scuttled from island to island out of the wind to make our way safely to see more of the lake. After the morning paddle, we decided to take advantage of the sun and manageable wind to head home. Sunday’s forecast was for rain and more wind, so we changed plans and headed home before weather moved in. Gallery of BWCA with Max and Chris
Boundary Waters Adventure
— Sigurd F. Olson
“The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten.”
An occasional update about life in the woods... Already? After the Sag Lake trip, we spent a few more nights in competitive games of Monopoly Deal (my favorite), Rummikub, and Big Boggle with Chris and Max. Rummikub, and Big Boggle with Chris and Max.
August 7, 2022 August
It seems like it was just a week ago I sat down with my summer calendar to jot down the comings and goings of guests and summer commitments. Now, we only have John’s brother and family arriving on Tuesday for 6-7 days. Chris and Max left on Tuesday for New York City to visit friends and start to plan their Summer 2023 move to NYC. Chris returns on Tuesday to spend a few final days here at High Doubt. Max and Chris have an August 15 flight from Mpls. to Tokyo.
Doubt
It is Fisherman’s Picnic this weekend, and it used to be a favorite time for the boys when they were younger. Now we tend to avoid going to town and the crowds. The Friends of the Library used book sale was back on this year, but they held it in a crowded small store without ventilation. The minute I walked in I could feel Covid spreading! I stayed for about three minutes but managed to score a 1932 classic, The Birds of Minnesota.
High
I tried a new recipe called Cheeseburger Cups. They looked like they would be a winner, but I am not certain I will make them again. John was polite and did eat three of them, but I am not in love with this recipe!
Finishing the Fence
We have a great group of friends here in Grand Marais and try to get together every so often. Many of us met while working at Wilderness Canoe Base. Our deck is usually perfect for a morning of coffee and conversation, but on Thursday the sun/heat moved us into the shade of our carport. Below is an oldie but goodie of John, Jim W., and Gary Brekke at WCB.
We have been waiting for Jerome to appear this summer, and we will not have to wait any longer! Chris and Max saw some bear scat on the driveway last week, and John saw a young bear by the garage on Thursday morning. He doesn’t think it was Jerome, this bear was too small. It has become even more important to complete our bear apple fencing, so John spent a few days working on the structure. We have apples (for now), and we hope a bear does not eat them before we can protect them. I spent time this week preservativesreapplyingon the cedar siding and cleaning the grill and jobs.carport...small Adventure
Chris and Max made sinigang for us on one of their final nights. It was a sour soup made with tamarind and pork. It was delicious. Max had brought ingredients from Japan for them to treat us with the dish. We found the ingredient packets on Amazon, so I may well make it myself in the coming months.
Cooking Coffee Time
Exploring on Two Wheels
Russ and Kathy invited me on another bike ride this week. I think we biked around 14 miles by heading out on County Rd. 60 and then taking County Rd. 58 down to Lake Superior. It was a 2. 6 miles downhill ride on 58! It is a gravel road, so we took it slowly, but what a fun ride down to Lake Superior! Once we got to the lake, we stopped and enjoyed a break. One of the tall ships tucked into the harbor to weather out a storm before heading to the Tall Ships Festival in Two Harbors. There were tons of folks admiring the Spanish pirate ship! The exciting news of the trip was we biked up the Gunflint Trail back to our place. It is about 3.2 miles from town, and I was apprehensive before we tried it. We stayed on the Gunflint’s gravel shoulder, and it was easy - thank you e-bike!
The Driveway is Still Beautiful... I used to walk to get the mail with a camera in hand, but now it is so much fun to ride my new bike that I have not spent much time shooting photos and noticing the details of summer. I started to walk down the new trail John cut but came across fresh bear scat right at the start. I chose to walk on the driveway instead!!
“Keep close to Nature’s heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” — John Muir
High Doubt An occasional update about life in the woods... August 14, 2022 Family Time!
This week was filled with reconnecting with John’s brother’s family. David, Margaret, and Tyler made the trek to Minnesota from the West Coast. David and Margaret had a tough time getting to Minnesota on Amtrak with cancellations and delays right from the start. They were to arrive on Sunday but didn’t make it to High Doubt until Wednesday afternoon. Tyler flew into MSP on Tuesday from Seattle, and Chris returned from New York. They both caught a shuttle to Duluth, where John picked them up. There were lots of plans for the week, but the storyline changed on Thursday morning with Tyler’s positive athome Covid test. More on that later!
Tyler was so disappointed to come down with what appears to be Covid. He started feeling under the weather on Wednesday but still managed to hike Kadunce and swim in Lake Superior!
Kim and Chris Go to the Cities!
With Chris and Max needing negative PCR tests to travel, we thought it best to get Chris out of the house. We left quickly on Thursday once Tyler did have a suspected positive test result. We wanted to protect Chris from exposure and also get Chris to the airport for testing late Thursday afternoon within his 72 required window. The trip down to Mpls. had its challenges with the interstate closed north of the cities for five hours due to a fatal car accident. We avoided the most of the backup and still made it to his appointment. (And, he tested negative!) On Friday, I dropped Chris off at a Starbucks for a few hours to study, and I completed some errands. Highlights of our Twin Cities adventure included eating at Crisp and Green (Jonathan’s company!), watching the Twins game at Applebee’s, and having the car washed. Yes, it was very exciting...
John and I agree that the internal doors now installed for the basement and laundry room have defined and changed the look/feel of the house. The next projects will be outside work bringing in garden items to freeze, splitting wood for kindling, and continuing to get the preservative on the cedar siding.
How Chris Won a Set of Air Tags
Only One Door Installed
With pickups and visitors, John’s projects were limited to another round of golf on Monday, a trip to Duluth on Tuesday, and then installing the basement door on Wednesday! On the trip to Duluth, John picked up another load of lumber and fencing to finish the ‘Bear-a-cade.” So far, the apples have remained on the tree and no further sitings of Jerome and his cousins.
I pride myself on being organized and a seasoned traveler. My documents always go into the same spot in my purse/wallet. When traveling, it becomes routine to always have things readily available and safe. When Chris and I were ready to head out for dinner after arriving at our townhouse, I could not find my wallet. ANYWHERE. I had it at the Subway in Hinckley, and I remembered trying to fit it in the console. It didn’t fit, so I stuck it in the car door compartment, but it was not in the car or house. All I could think of was that it fell out at the airport. I was about to call the airport lost and found department when Chris moved my carry-on suitcase that had tipped over, and there was my walleat beneath the case. The panic I felt when I thoughtmy credit cards, vaccination record, Swiss and American driver’s license, passport, AND my lucky rock were gone made me sick. Needless to say, I hugged Chris and said he had just won himself a set of Apple Air Tags.
Chris and I only had a couple of nights and one day with David and Margaret, but we managed to fit in a lot of conversation, games, and a day trip to Kadunce. On Wednesday night, we had a group of nine for dinner including John’s sister and husband who were in town for the week. After steaks and lots of great food indoors, we moved to the deck for a fire (smoke) and s’mores.
On Thursday, we packed sandwiches and chips and headed out for Kadunce River. This is a beautiful hike that goes up one of the rivers from lake Superior and turns into a North Woods slot canyon. Dave and Margaret hiked up the river to the second falls and then took the path up to meet John and the boys at the top. Chris took photos on the hike since I stayed back at the mouth of the river and read a book!
Conversation and Hiking!
Lake Superior ...beautiful, but oh so cold! “Lake Superior’s average temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Although that 40 degrees is usually found at lower depths, the surface level temperatures of the Big Lake constantly change with wind and weather.”
After a busy summer of guests and visitors, our upcoming schedule is empty. Early in the summer, I remember sitting with a calendar and penciling in when everyone was coming, who needed to be picked up/dropped off at the airport or at bird banding camp, and a late July family wedding. Chris has already attended faculty orientation, Johannes has had his first week of online teaching, Beanee is almost done with her summer sessions, and Max is preparing to start her final semester at Bunka. And...John and I do not have to go back to work, which is still feels unnatural! Fall always meant school starting, but now I look foward to enjoying another fall in the woods. Next week will start the third year of this newsletter project. I asked the boys if they wanted me to continue, and they both said, ‘Yes, it is nice to get. We can see that you guys are keeping busy, and it is nice to see the changes at High Doubt.”
High Doubt
An occasional update about life in the woods... 21, 2022 Everyone is Home Again...
August
Beanee and OtherwasgaveJohannesusagreatsetfromSenegal,andIaccidentallyknockedthisoneoffthetable,anditshattered.Itmyfavorite.coastersinourcollectionincludewoodenonesfromCransMontana
(ski week) and from the Philippines (Chris), boiled-wool coaster set purchased from a local GM artist, a wedding gift of cork coasters in a case with a duck on top, and finally, a soapstone set we bought after winning a Fisherman Picnic gift certificate at the Lake Superior trading post.
Corn and Weeds Our garden is a wild place of weeds. I failed to spend enough time out there, and it is a jungle. We have picked garlic, beans, lettuce, and carrots, and it appears that we might have tomatoes soon. The corn is almost ready, and again we will have many potatoes!
Bear-a-Cade Completed!
No bear will dare try to get our apple trees! The fencing is now completed, and the only thing John might add is an electric fence. The four apple trees in this area are all producing apples. A second area closer to the house has two trees protected by fencing for a total of six apple trees. An Odd Collection
We cannot remember how our ‘coaster’ collection started, but at last count, we have at least eight sets of coasters collected from all over the world.
Kids....
Jess and Paul (Pincushion Mountain Haus owners) are here for a few days, and we were able to connect with them for a visit. They are busy building a geodesic dome just beyond their yurt. Looking forward to more conversations and coffee in the years to come!
Missing the
Other news...
Chris and Max enjoying New York City. Johannes and Beanee kayaking last Saturday.
Still Lovin’ the Bike
Neighbors!
On Monday, I dropped Max and Chris off at the airport around 5:00 am and then headed back to Apple Valley. I decided to spend a couple of extra days in the cities to clean the townhouse, take some time to shop, and enjoy a Barnes and Noble coffee and scone! I also took time cleaning our townhome, sorting boxes of clothes/books the boys had stored there, and preparing them for Goodwill. I also was able to spend time with my cousin Angela who is battling breast and bone cancer. She only lives five minutes from us, so we met for a long walk in Lebanon Hills and then went out to dinner. We had a wonderful evening, but it is hard to listen to the challenges she has ahead. I came home on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning, John headed back to Mpls. to drop nephew Tyler off at the airport for his flight back to Seattle. We know 35W very well!
Now that we are not entertaining guests, I can return to riding my bike a bit more. Lately, I have been just sticking to a short five-mile route on a nearby gravel road. Next week I hope to load the bike up in the van, take it to town, and ride along the lake. I am still apprehensive about riding up and down the Gunflint Trail - too much traffic.
The Birds are Back!
It could be that with guests, trips to Minneapolis, and a busy schedule, I just did not take time to look for birds. They are certainly not singing as much, but bird activity seems to be ramping up. Fall migration is just around the corner. I even had a bird at our feeder! All the photographs below I took on Saturday morning. I saw at least four other birds, but they were too far away to get a decent shot.
