Animal Sightings

This coming weekend looks to be very busy for us so I thought I best write the blog early. Holiday weekends are always extra busy but this time we have a wedding for 125 people to keeps us going.

Jean Johnson from Carlton, Minnesota, sent me the above photo of a lynx. Jean and her family were visiting us during July. This is really an exceptional picture taken at the Narrows between Gunflint and Magnetic. You can see the international boundary marker on top of the large rock at the right. In all the years I have lived here, I have never seen a lynx. We hear more and more stories of people sighting them but this is far and away the best picture I have seen. It looks like a magnificent animal.

Bruce and I were driving to the lodge one night last week. Right by cabin #27 a wolf walked across the road in front of us. The animal was very tall and thin. His fur was short. We could not decide if he was shedding in preparation for a winter coat or not. There was not an ounce of fat on the animal. Naturally, I did not have a camera with me.

As fall approaches, we are starting to get the garden ready for its winter rest. Tomatoes are ripening and going down to the lodge. I also plan on just dicing and freezing some for winter use. Carrots are big enough to be used and are sweet and tasty. Parsley will soon be picked and dried for winter. Basil is not as pretty now so I will start to use it up too. There might be enough broccoli for one more meal but don’t hold your breath.

There will be plenty of room in the freezer since I am finally getting all the frozen raspberries out to be made into jam. Also 10 cups of blueberries are going into pies for the Chik-Wauk Museum’s Taste of the Gunflint Trail this Sunday. Don’t worry; we still have plenty of berries for winter pancakes, etc. I always have enough blueberries for the winter.

As of this weekend, our guest mix changes. Gone are all the children with school starting. We have lots of adults between honeymooners and senior citizens. The next two months are extremely full with reservations. In fact don’t plan on a weekend trip until well into November. Everyone seems to be coming up here which is great for us.

We are doing a little outside work on our house. On the lake side we are putting in a grassy, open area with a fire ring. I think that this will primarily be used for s’mores when grandkids are here. Somehow I can’t see either of us sun bathing in the afternoon.

Have a great holiday weekend.