It's May -- Almost

This past weekend was Work Weekend. I think it was the best one we ever had. Naturalist John took a group to put out the furniture around the grounds and on the patio. They finished by weeding gardens everywhere. Ronnie Smith is going to be thrilled with the job they did on the gardens. Below is their picture. Katie from the front desk took two couples to clean the new canoer cabins in preparation for painting. Getting all the bits of garbage and sawdust out is a huge job. At the end you feel like have the sawdust settled in your hair. They never stopped even for a picture. Next weekend these units will all get a paint job inside and outside. The large group as shown in picture number two worked cleaning the grounds around the new cabins. They built rock walls and gardens. They hauled rocks into piles and filled bags with those little pieces of paper that accumulate around building sites. The one ton truck was totally filled with branches and roots. Finally they celebrated with the first fire in the pit.

Reservations are still coming in. We have some openings May 6-11 that needed to be filled. Bruce has a special up for them. If you can get away, it is a really good price to visit us before the summer rush. This afternoon, Don, Marilyn, Bruce and I are off to Duluth. It is the annual Upper Lakes food show. We will be viewing all the new food items to possibly put on the menu. Last year this was where we bought the cone-shaped dishes for ice cream. Tomorrow morning there will be no breakfast for any of us. There are enough samples of food to keep us well filled. Next weekend is Green Up. Once again people will spread out to plant trees in places burned by the Ham Lake Fire. There will also be a big effort up at the Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center. The historical society is working to re-establish the trail to Gneiss Lake. This year they are working on the section to Blueberry Hill. I must admit that I am not to sure exactly where that is. Next week I will be able to give you more information. On the May 13th work starts on the canopy/zip line project. We are all excited. Yesterday I got a driving lesson on one of the new Polaris 6-passenger ATV’s that will be used to take people up to the start of the canopy tour. I will most definitely NOT be one of the guides on the tour. I think I will be a much better chauffeur. Of course, I will still have to take one run down the line. Looking over my shoulder from above will be Bruce’s mother, Justine. The horses arrive tomorrow. Mandy and Betsy, her new wrangler, have been busy working at the stable to get everything ready. Jason Merrill hooked up the water line. I also use that line to water my garden. It seems like everything is beginning to pick up and get busier. Even with all the snow gone early, April is not a month that has a lot of guests. As a result, it is most cleanup and preparation. It will be good to be filled with guests.

April Showers

Another sign of spring has appeared. Yesterday there was a loon swimming just off our dock. I haven’t heard any calling but this one was sure big and beautiful. It is warm enough to have our bedroom windows open so we will start to hear the loons calling soon.

With the ice off the lake, the deer have disappeared into the woods until next November. Bruce and I filled our bird feeders since there are no deer to empty them overnight. Right away yesterday we had purple finches, chickadees, and pine siskins all over. These little birds can empty the feeders almost as fast as the deer. Now I am looking to see if any of the American goldfinches are starting to turn into their summer yellow feathers.

I talk about April being slow but we have actually been very busy for April. This is not a lot but each year we seem to get a few more people who come up to just relax and hike before the summer crowds hit us. This weekend we have a bunch of dog lovers staying with us. The dogs enjoy walking in the woods without leases. Actually they run and smell all over.

We spent Saturday night in Duluth with Lee, Eva, Grant and Mae. The event was going to the water park at the Edgewater. It was a big success. For a 2-year old and a 4-year old, this water park was overwhelming. It took four adults to be with them all the time. By the time we left after pizza, all six of us were tired out.

Next we went to the park at the end of Park Point. The day was so beautiful that no one wanted to go in. So we spent the rest of the afternoon walking along the shore by our hotel. Grant climbed all the big rocks. Mae picked up the pebbles and threw them two feet. Tucker strained at his lease to keep us moving along. You could tell it was a wonderful Saturday afternoon. There were people wandering all over the lake front.

Sunday morning the weather had done a 180. It was overcast, misty and cold. We still went for a little walk. Just as we started a big ore ship was coming out onto Lake Superior. You should have seen Grant run to see the ship. What fun he had!

Bruce and I drove home and managed to get here before the rain and snow of the evening. On Monday morning we had 4” of snow with ice beneath it. It is slowly going away and may be gone today. We are set for more rain/snow. My garden is calling me but there is no sense in being out in this mess. The good news is that we need all the moisture we can get.

There is no picture today. Gray and rain does not leave much exciting for a picture. For that we need sunshine. Maybe it will happen next week.

Lisbon

After our time in Morocco, we flew to Lisbon for a week. There were six of us on this portion of the trip. Bruce leased two 2-bedroom apartment right in the center of town. It felt really good to be staying in modern apartments. He found them on VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner). We spent the next few days leisurely visiting Lisbon.

There were three main areas we all enjoyed. By train we visited Belem just on the outskirts of Lisbon. It is a large area with museums, monasteries and located where many of the voyages to the world by Vasco De Gama, Magellan and others started from. We spent quite a bit of time wandering around the area.

One day we took a tour to Sintra. Located just outside Lisbon, this is a small town with two castles, both of which we toured. The town itself is filled with winding streets and small shops. Naturally, we found a few things we could not do without. Our guide that day was just excellent and knew the histories well. Since he had lived in the States for several years, he also spoke English very well.

The most unexpected place we visited with the Oceanario in Lisbon. It is the second largest aquarium in the world and has live exhibits of all the various ocean areas. We spent probably three hours exploring it. The sea life they showed was amazing.

Of course, our favorite activity was just exploring and walking the streets of Lisbon. There are many outdoor cafes where we had tea and pasties and watched the traffic flow by. Just around the corner from our apartment was a wonderful ice cream shop. We visited it several times.

As you might expect, finding good restaurants was high on our list. One night we ate in a restaurant that specialized in presently traditional Fado music. Another night we ate in a monastery that was now a restaurant. There was also a good restaurant just around the corner. Another night we ate in an Italian restaurant. We even had take-out pizza for dinner.

What kind of food did we like best? It started with breakfast in our apartment with fresh pastries from a nearby shop and strawberries from a street vendor. Lunches were just pickups depending on where we were except for the day we were in Belim. Here there is a restaurant that has been making custard tarts forever. We all over ate there along with the lines of people who buy tarts and sit outside eating them.

My favorite dinner entrée is actually an appetizer. I just love baby clams steamed in wine with cilantro. I ate it three times for dinner. Of course, what makes it the best is how fresh the clams are. Salmon was another great favorite in our group. Lamb was always available. As you might guess, we ate too much but the choice was wonderful. Sometimes we were able to get a table that overlooked the dining room. Bruce and I love to watch the operation of a dining room. I am sure that comes as a great surprise to all of you.

Now that we are home, it is good to look back on this wonderful trip and to start planning our next trip.

Morocco

Bruce and I just returned from a trip to Morocco and Portugal with 9 friends. I forgot to let you know we were going in the rush to get everything finished up. I’ll tell you a little about Morocco today and then Lisbon next time.

After 24 hours in transit we arrive at our riad (b and b) in Marrakech about midnight. From the airport it was a 20 minutes drive through narrower and narrower streets and then a ten minute walk through the really narrow streets.

The next morning we woke early to the sounds of Muslims being called to prayer (5:00 a.m.). Breakfast was on the porch. Our day was a guided tour through parts of the old city. Just walking around was an adventure as we competed for space on the streets with other walkers, bikes, motorcycles, cars and donkey drawn carts. It is all fascinating and so unlike what we have at home. The souk is like a rabbit warren of streets and alleys.

Our guide showed us a tannery, rug stores, metal shops, etc. But the best part came in the evening at the main square. There each day a small city of about 125 temporary restaurants is set up. Locals and tourists combine to frequent the restaurants which accommodate about 25-50 people each. The food is all made on site quickly. Bruce ordered a bunch for us and we ate until we were stuffed. Then it was time to wander the square with its venders and entertainers. I tried to avoid the snake charmers.

After another day in town, we headed for the country. The first day was fine. After that our three 4x4’s and head guide were into country they had never been before. That second day we tried to cross a pass that was clogged by snow for 100 feet and no way around. It was back down a one-way, rocky road and then the long way to our hotel. We got there about midnight. The next two nights we spent at a tent camp on the edge of the desert but the guide and drivers didn’t know how to get there so it was another late arrival.

Our day in the tent camp revolved around a camel ride. Again directions seemed to be a problem but at least it was daylight and not over a mountain pass. We only had to go back a short distance to meet up with the camels. Here I am on my trusty camel. Our final day in the Sahara was another day of getting lost. We drove about 30 miles past our camp and then had trouble finding it on the way back. That night we stayed in huts built of one foot thick mud. They had beds, one electric light bulb and a door held on with wire hinges.

The food was surprisingly good but very repetitive. For one or two meals each day we ate their national food – tangine. Cooked in a clay pot with a cone shaped top, this is basically a pot roast with meat (beef, chicken or lamb), vegetables, potatoes, olives, prunes, and nuts mounded inside and cooked until very tender. The most outstanding food was the fresh oranges which were in season. They were served peeled and sliced with cinnamon. Tree ripened fruit is much better than what we get.

Our homecoming surprise was open water and no snow. Bruce does not ever remember ice out this early. Jason brought the dock over yesterday on March 31st. It is good to be home.

The Poles Arrive

Over the weekend we had the closest to a blizzard that there was all winter. We got close to 8-10 inches of snow. Yesterday I sat in my office and listened to the wind howl. The falling snow was blown into the windows. It was a good day to be inside looking out.

First thing this morning Bruce was out grooming trails. He had guests right behind him waiting to ski. The A loop is finished. Tonight Bob will do the B loop. Then on Wednesday it is predicted that there is a 70% chance of more snow. Right now we have clear skies and gleaming white snow. It is just glorious out. In the sun, the temperature is up to 25 degrees. It is a little cooler in the shade.

Lee and Eva brought Grant and Mae up for the weekend. They managed to fill their time with dog sled rides, snowmobile rides, ice fishing and sledding. In the afternoon when Grandma and Grandpa were worn out, it was time to hit the Legos in our house. Also Grant got instructions from Grandpa on how to build a wood fire in the fireplace. All in all, we had a wonderful weekend. I wasn’t very sociable with the guests but grandchildren come first.

Today was a big day for the zip line construction. The poles that will be used to build two platforms arrived. The picture above shows part of the unloading process. The poles range in length from 35 to 50 to 60 feet long. They are made of Alabama yellow pine and cost around $2000 each. When erected, 10% of the pole is buried in the ground. Luckily for us, we only need three platforms. The rest of our stops will be attached to 200-300 year old white pines. A professional arborist will inspect these trees to make sure that everything is sound and we will not be killing the tree.

The driver must have had a great time coming up the Gunflint Trail. I would not have enjoyed being in the opposite lane and meeting him on a curve. He is from Alabama. And don’t complain about filling up your car with gas. When his truck is filled, it takes $800 of fuel. It was fun to see some forward progress on the zip line.

The question comes up about why we got the poles this early. Construction doesn’t start until May 1st. As part of the spring thaw, a road ban is put on the Gunflint Trail. To protect the road, the county limits the weight of loads during the road ban. Believe me when I say that this load would have exceed the weight limit. Once the ban is on it is in operation for at least six weeks. That would have pushed back when we could start this project. So, now that little sticking point is not a problem.

If you think you can get away, plan to come up the Gunflint Trail. We are in a winter wonderland. Everything is covered with snow. The ski trails are perfect.

Animals All Over

With the holiday weekend over, things have slowed down a bit here. The dining rooms were particularly busy every day of the weekend. We all get geared up when there are lots of people to serve. Also Bruce and I enjoy talking with everyone. Like any job, it is much more fun when you are busy. Everyone has a different story to tell you and they are all excited about their day. Then you get to tell them another neat place to be tomorrow.

While we were gone, Bonnie had her trail camera out again. This time it was behind the volunteer fire department garage. The picture above is what she caught on camera. It is a lynx walking away from the camera. You just never know what is wandering round the woods during the night. Last summer and fall we had a lot of rabbits around our house. I can’t remember when I last saw one. This picture tells us what happened to all of them.

We are still having an amazing number of wolves showing up at all times during the day. Before the weekend, there was one on the ice in front of the lodge about noon. We all got a great look at it. In addition to her lynx picture, Bonnie got two more wolf pictures that week. Jennie Hughes, who does our massages, saw a pack of eight on Loon Lake.

Today was the best wolf sighting that we have ever had. Even Bruce had never seen this before. As you know, the managers eat lunch at the big table in the bistro every day about 11:30. I always like to sit so that I can look out the window. So after lunch we are all getting up to clear our plates to the kitchen. I looked out the window. There was a deer running from east to west about 100 feet out on the ice. Right behind it was a wolf that was obviously looking for dinner. Both animals were quickly out of sight.

With all these encounters, the question remains: did the deer get away or did the wolf get it? I drove down to the public landing. There were no fresh tracks. I walked out on the ice until I could see all the way into the summer home bay – nothing. I walked around the trees below Cabin #11 – nothing. We will never really know what happened.

And then there is the question of my always absent camera. Maybe I should hang from a string around my neck. It is never where I need it. Even if it was there, I would forget to use it. It is really easy to get caught up in the moment when something like this happens.

Just to put an exclamation mark on the noon hour, a second wolf appeared just after the chasing one disappeared. Don walked down to the shore to look for the end of the chase. Suddenly there were four deer behind him. He looked and there was a wolf in front of him. He was the protector for the four deer!

A Quick Trip

We arrived home after a trip that covered lots of miles in a short time. Basically we visited friends in Rochester, went to a grandson’s birthday in Missouri, went to some classes for outfitters in northern Florida, spent a couple night in Cedar Key north of Tampa, went back to Missouri and then up to Minneapolis (grandkids) before driving home. On the way we picked up a truck load of hickory for smoking, a bunch of small lockers for the zip line administration building and 250 smoked pork chops for the dining room. We were so loaded that people were pointing at us.

We took some classes on social media during the trip. Needless to say, Bruce and I have a lot of catching up to do. As soon as we think we got it down, something new comes up. We also learned a lot just talking to the other outfitters who were there. We are all different and yet all the same. Being a small business person is about learning forever.

In Florida Bruce and I took our first zip line tour. That’s me in the picture. The only reason it’s not Bruce is because he got the camera first. I made it just fine but that first zip was breathtaking and I had to think a bit before stepping off. Bruce, of course, just takes off. I was glad that my first zip was not in front of my staff.

Another highlight of our trip was a visit to the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge near Cedar Key. We took a couple of hikes and saw different trees that we have. For me the most interesting was a visit to a mound of oyster shells. Scientists saw that native peoples have been shelling oysters there for 6500 years. I could believe it looking at the mound. It is covered with vegetation but immediately below the surface are oyster shells. We also managed to find some good seafood. In fact speaking of oysters, Bruce downed a dozen fresh oysters as an appetizer one night. It is not for me.

Sheryl has a friend stopping off to see her. John McCarthy is from St. Paul. He just finished spending three nights and four days cross country skiing from Snowbank Lake (Ely) to Round Lake. Except for a few tracks at the beginning, he saw no people and no ski tracks during the trip. I didn’t ask how long the trip was but it must have been about 40 miles. That is a long ski trip to take alone with no roads or help nearby. Congratulations, John!

There was another deer kill on the lake this morning. All our wolves must be eating well. By noon almost every scrap of food and bone is gone. Even the birds are having a hard time finding something to eat. I don’t feel like any one animal has priority over another and this is just part of life in the woods.

Early February

I have four more pictures to frame for the cabins. Problem is that I can’t decide which pictures to use. Bonnie has already hung up five pictures from the thirties and forties at the outfitters. Then we have a set of pictures of Bruce harvesting birch bark, Justine growing up in Barrington, Illinois, and old pictures of winter at the lodge in the 1930’s. These last three sets will be in cabins so look for them when you visit us again.

While looking through the old pictures, I discovered a “Diary for Gunflint.” From the text and handwriting, I believe that Grandma Spunner (Justine’s mother) wrote it. There is also a small section written by Grandpa Spunner when Grandma was out of town. He is the only one I know who would complain about rheumatism and know how to spell it correctly. The problem with transcribing or even reading is that Grandma Spunner’s handwriting is very bold and difficult to read. Also she is writing with a fountain pen and the ink sometimes goes onto another page. The diary covers 1931 Nov. to June, 1932 Nov. to June and 1933 Nov. to Dec. Once I get it finished, I will put some in here.

All winter we are having lots of guests driving up and seeing moose on the way. In fact there are a lot more moose seen than in the past two years. Especially at night, it can be difficult to see the moose. Their eyes are not caught be the headlights like a deer’s. The best thing is to watch for tracks on the road. Then you will sometimes see a big black hunk in front of you. It is quite a sight and you don’t want to get to close.

The ice on the lake has been heaving. Generally the pressure from heaving causes to ice to come up and create a pressure ridge which can be as high as five feet. If you are snowmobiling around, it is hard to see because of the shadows and you can be thrown. Even more dangerous is when the ice heaves down. Then you have open water or thin ice for a period of time. This happened on Gunflint last week and the snowmobile and rider went into the water. Luckily the rider got himself out and his partner quickly came back for him. The next day the snowmobile was chopped out of the ice and towed in to thaw out. You must remember that ice on a lake is always changing so be alert.

Bruce and I are off again on Thursday. It is time to go to Missouri for Zach’s birthday. We are taking the large truck to bring home more hickory for smoking in the summer. On the 5th we will fly to Panama City for some outfitting meetings. We are also going to check out another canopy tour. This one is in operation so I will be going for a ride. Wish me luck. When we get back to the Twin Cities, we will get to visit Lee, Eva and the kids for a bit. Then it is home on the 12th.

White Flakes Coming Down

A couple weeks ago, Bonnie set up a camera on one of the trails behind our maintenance garage. She has had great luck with it. The first night she got three great wolf pictures. On the 19th she started with a deer picture and then got two wolves before 11:00 p.m. These pictures above are two of those. It is interesting to wonder if the wolves and deer ever meet since they use the same trail.

On Friday Don, Jason and Lance walked out to test the ice again. I followed along for pictures. The picture above shows the three of them. Don is out quite a bit further on the ice. You can see the rope leading from Jason and going out to Don. The holes revealed a constant depth of 10-12 inches. Also our friend, Bob Baker, reports that he has found the same depth all over the lake as he has been fishing.

Bob’s fishing is a source of great joy to us. Last week he brought us two fresh trout. They were of the size that it was more than we needed for one meal but not quite enough for two. What to do? You guessed it! We ate them both for one meal and they were wonderful. Thanks, Bob

After about an inch of snow over the weekend, we are getting more snow now. It is not a huge amount but just enough to freshen up the trails. After lunch Bruce will be out grooming. When it stops, Jason will be out plowing. Others will be out shoveling the snow off the steps. It is quite a bit of work to clean up from even a light snowfall.

So last week I drove to town with a list of errands. It was warm and the road was slippery. After the straight stretch south of the north Brule, I saw a big beautiful moose on a curve. With the slippery roads, I didn’t want to jam on my breaks. The moose also slipped on the road and went to his front knees. Luckily he quickly got up and off the road. Naturally, I didn’t have my camera with me. It would not have made a difference as I was concentrating on avoiding the moose, not taking his picture.

Later in the Day: I started this blog in the mid-morning. It is now 3:00 p.m. and the snow is still coming down. Jason has the plow truck taking off the snow accumulation in our driveway even though it is still snowing. When this is finished, I will go out and shovel. Don tells me it is to continue all night. I still can’t see across the lake so life is good.

Ever since Bruce and I figured out how to make money from snow, I love every flake that comes down. All of you in the Twin Cities must know we are getting new snow because the phones are ringing off the hook.

Winter Projects

Life is very quiet around Gunflint right now. In fact things are so slow that Bruce and I will probably not go down to the lodge after dinner. At the lodge we have two guests for dinner in Justine’s and only three cabins full. The staff can probably handle it without us.

So what projects do I have when it is slow? My big one is pictures. I got a number of handmade wooden pictures frames this fall. There are lots of old picture of the lodge and outfitters. The idea is to take some of those pictures and enlarge them and arrange them into groups of three or four to tell a story for one of the cabins. So there may be a group of pictures showing the original lodge as it was expanded. Or maybe there will be a group of pictures showing some of the old entrance signs for the lodge. I also have a group of pictures showing Justine as she was growing up or Bruce as he was growing up.

One group that I just gave to Bonnie shows Bruce gathering birch bark like the Native Americans did for birch bark canoes. The pictures tell the story but I have to say that watching him do it was more fun. You can only do if for a couple weeks in June. Then you have to know exactly how deeply to cut the bark so that the tree is not killed. When done properly, the tree will scar but will continue to grow. Above is a picture of Bruce popping off one of his pieces of birch bark.

As of this week we are also finalizing our plans for a new activity at the lodge. Since last summer Bruce has been investigating canopy/zip line tours. He has explored the internet, talked with friends across the country, visited sites, and two companies visited to give us a proposal. The long and short of it seems to be that this is an environmentally friendly activity to add. It uses no motors and makes no sound. We have a spot in the back basin to put it and you don’t have to clear a lot of land and trees.

But even more intriguing is that it seems really FUN. Bruce and I are going down to Florida to visit with a friend who has a canopy tour. We already saw one in Arkansas but didn’t get to ride it was as they were closed. This time I will be riding. Stay tuned for my report on this. If I can do it at my advanced age, anyone can do it. In fact I think I see Bruce’s mother, Justine, and she is the first one in line.

Our plans are to start construction in May and be open the beginning of July. Along with the actual construction there will be an intensive training program for those who will be operating the tour. There is a national organization who certifies the construction and operation of these tours. Naturally, the organization’s name has total slipped out of my mind but I know that they will be looking us over.

Hopefully this will all be running when you visit us this summer.

A Warm Winter So Far

Above is a picture of our front desk staff. Sometimes it is nice of have a mental picture of the person you are talking to. From left to right you have Katie, Kaci, Marilyn, and Dave. They are the four who answer the phone the most. Of course, Sheryl, Bonnie, Bruce and I also answer the phone from time to time. Marilyn tells me, that the front desk is the glue holding the rest of us together. So you best nice to them or who knows where they might stick you.

Wolves are still all over the place. At breakfast the other day, everyone in the dining room got a see a wolf hanging out by the large point to the left (west) of the lodge. Last Sunday my big brown wolf calmly walked right in front of the lodge in the middle of the afternoon. He was about 20 feet out on the ice and totally unconcerned about any activity from us.

Adam had the most interesting sign of wolves. In the back basin Bruce has marked some large pines with red tape. From the tracks, the wolf walked up to one of the trees and pulled the red tape off. We don’t know if he thought it was food or if the tape was blowing in the wind and irritating him.

This past week we have gotten several inches of new snow. Although it has been warm up here for January, we have been able to maintain our ski trails. Dave Tuttle was out yesterday and groomed everything. Guests tell me that it is really great to get out.

The new snow also has everyone looking again for wolf tracks. At this point we are all looking for more signs of wolves. Luckily we have not yet seen any of the more unpleasant signs of wolves – dead deer. That sign will come too.

The ice on Gunflint Lake still does not give us a lot of confidence. After this next weekend, we will probably go out and test it. I am sure that many think we are being overly cautious. They are correct but this is most definitely a better safe than sorry situation.

Like most of you, we are having a very warm winter. Usually the temperatures hit 40 below this first week of the New Year. During the day they warm up to 30 below. This year nights are in the high 20’s. During the day we have temperatures that hover a couple of degrees above freezing. We all feel that true winter will come soon and will last way into April. Like everything about the weather, there is nothing we can do. That is what makes it so frustrating – no control. So hang in there, winter will eventually come to Minnesota.

Happy New Year!

Above is a picture of Bryan Ziegler and Sara Daggett. They are guests at the lodge over the New Year’s holiday period. They also got engaged on the 31st. At dinner I was able to admire Sara’s ring. We wish them the very best in their new lives. Their engagement was the perfect event to end one year and start another.

Gunflint Lake froze on the 28th – finally. The entire lake went in one night. Then the next day we got 4 to 8 inches of snow depending on where you measured. Bruce and Bob Baker were quickly out grooming the ski trails. It was a perfect amount of snow to start laying tracks. All the guests have been out and about enjoying the trails. For many it was a great improvement over their lack of snow at home.

Yesterday and today we are getting more snow. Right now the wind has come up and the lake is filled with blowing snow. It is just what we wanted. This will blow the snow off the new ice. Then tonight and tomorrow night the temperatures are due to get below zero. With little snow on it, the ice will start to increase in size and strength.

Meanwhile we continue to tell everyone to stay off the ice. It is so hard when the lake looks perfectly safe. The miserable wind is helping keep people off the ice. As I sit here at my computer, I can hear it howling outside. It will be a good night for a fire in the fireplace.

Many of you have read my stories about other people seeing animals in the woods. Today I have my own story to tell.

The other morning I was sitting the kitchen talking to Grandson Tanner. Suddenly a deer came flying past my garage door and up the driveway. Right behind it was a huge brown wolf. The wolf was just loping along. Wolves cannot outrun a deer but they can keep running forever. They will literally run a deer to the ground.

I did not see the outcome of this chase but the wolf was a magnificent animal. Every attribute that the description “alpha male” brings to mind was present in this animal. In just a minute he was gone but I have a picture in my mind of him that will never go away.

Unfortunately, there is a little more to my story. On top of the stove sat my camera. It remained right there during the entire encounter. My friend, Melissa, would be very disappointed in me. Honestly, it was too exciting to even think about the camera. I need more planning before I can get that perfect wolf picture.

Bruce and I had a quiet New Year’s Eve. The dining rooms and bar were busy at the lodge but we don’t stay open any longer than normally. With neighbors and lodge guests, it was fun to share the good feelings of a new year. We also would like to extend those feelings to you and your families.

Resident Animals

It is the day after and life is somewhat back to normal. We had a very quiet Christmas. Neighbors came for dinner. It was relaxed and pleasant. However, we still ate too much. I could hardly face food this morning or at lunch. Luckily it is just soup for dinner. I didn’t do a turkey so we do not have lots of leftovers. We didn’t miss the turkey since there were lobsters for dinner.

Christmas Eve we went to town for church services and dinner with friends. On the way home I took a picture of a tree right near the Birch Lake Road. My camera is not really good at night so you will have to imagine it. This is a 25 foot spruce tree that is about ¼ mile from the nearest electricity. Daryl Popkes and Tom Leddy dreamed it up. They got a neighbor with a cherry-picker truck to help string the white lights Tom had purchased. Since they were LED lights, not a lot of power was required. Daryl figured out how they could use a timer and a car battery to do the job. It is really a striking addition to the Trail. Our thanks go out to Tom and Daryl.

Due to warm temperatures and wind, Gunflint Lake has virtually no ice. We had some but the wind has broken it up. A night that gets down to below zero would solve the problem immediately. Keep your fingers crossed.

Of course, we have had lots of the resident animals visiting over the holiday season. For several years we have had a doe with a hole in her left cheek. She is back again this year with two youngsters. None of us expected her to be around for these past few years.

Fred and Fran saw a beautiful wolf when they drove down to our house for Christmas dinner. They have been seeing wolves regularly. Also some of the staff who walk our trails have seen large prints that look like dogs but couldn’t be. I have my camera and hope to capture one of these with the camera. Hopefully I will have better luck than the moose.

With open water we have also seen otter at the dock. Today there were three of them playing around. Just in front of the dock house there is still a little bit of ice. One of the guests watched as an otter brought a fish up onto the ice. It quickly became breakfast for the otter. It is a real bonus for all of us to see these animals right in front of the lodge.

Not to be left out are all the deer that have appeared as if by magic. Bruce put some corn out at our house and 6 deer appeared immediately. Someone dropped corn right at the front door of the lodge. This morning there was a deer feasting on the corn. Pretty soon they will be eating out of our hands.

It is amazing how many animals we are seeing. I don’t remember this many (except the deer) in years past. What a blessing they are.

Christmas 2011

As Sheryl’s picture taken yesterday morning shows, we are still waiting for the lake to freeze over. It all comes down to clear skies, no wind, and low temperatures. Eventually we get it all together but patience seems to be the word this year.

The snow is doing a little better. We have about 5-7 inches depending on where you are on the trails. Adam has been able to do a few dog sled rides on one of his trails. Tomorrow we are due to get some snow. It is always hard to figure out exactly what that means but we will hope for lots of inches. All the ski trails have been rolled and are ready for a few inches on top to smooth them out a little more.

On Sunday we had two sets of guests check in after seeing moose on their drive up. One saw a huge bull moose somewhere near Loon Lake. The other couple saw a cow and a young bull somewhere down the Trail. So on Monday when I drove to town, my camera was right up there in front. I saw 5 birds. From way last year my goal has been to take a picture of a moose out the car window and send it to Grandson Grant. I have lots of moose pictures but this was going to be one I took myself from the car. The most common reason I don’t have the picture is because I forget the camera. When I finally get the picture, I will share it with you.

As the holidays approach, the pace is picking up at the lodge. Once again we have more guests coming in than in 2010. Also Don is making the bistro and Justine’s more popular for everyone. Some nights I wonder where all the people have come from.

All my Christmas cookies are gone. I made ten different kinds so each person on the staff could have a plate of cookies. Then the extras were sitting around our house. They all went down to the lodge and out for the guests. Bruce and I would have eaten every single one of them otherwise. My waistline breathed a sigh of relief when the last cookie was gone.

I think I am ready for Christmas. The food I am bringing for Christmas Eve dinner is ready. The menu is planned and purchased for Christmas Day. The guests are invited. The house is decorated. As usual there will be some last minute pickup and cleaning. It will be a very lazy day. Our main project will be to answer the phone and eat too much.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you.

Ice Skating

Bruce and I are home from the latest round of conferences and we are both very glad to be home. The best part of the latest trip was catching up with Brian’s family in Sacramento. Grandson Sam had his school’s Christmas concert the night we were there. He and another alto sax player had a duet of Frosty the Snowman. Naturally, it was perfect! Amy and Max are both growing like weeds.

The lodge and grounds are now decorated up for Christmas. Here is a picture of the dining room Christmas tree. The festive atmosphere made a great backdrop for our staff Christmas party last night. Only problem was that I ate too much. I think everyone else did too.

Over the weekend one of those rare events occurred that locals are thrilled with. I called my friend, Kathy, on Seagull Lake to confirm the event. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the ice on Seagull was perfect for skating among the islands. Kathy told me that she went out each day for several runs. No one up here can skate too long because we rarely do it. The ice was solid but you could see through it to the rocks on the bottom of the lake. Her husband, Mike, was busy looking at where water lines went in. Mike is a builder so it was fun for him to see the lines. They also saw anchors and lures on the bottom. Surprisingly, they did not see a single fish. Seagull is a great fishing lake so where did they all go?

Kathy also told me that they were able to do a little ice skating right after Thanksgiving. Not as big an area was frozen but it was perfectly safe. She said that you could skate on safe ice but see the waves breaking on some open water not that far away. It was a little weird to skate and see the waves at the same time.

I should add a disclaimer: Don't do this unless you have good advice from local people who know the ice conditions. It was be really treacherous.

On this Sunday Mike decided to fly over the area to see where the ice was or was not. The west ends of Seagull and Saganaga were still open. Those have the largest area of open water that is not broken up by islands. The east end of Clearwater was also open. Mountain, Arrow and Pine Lakes were also open as is Gunflint.

With snow yesterday and today, this fleeting opportunity for lake skating is over. If everything holds, there will be a chance to easily ski on the lake. If we get too much snow, it will push the ice down and slush will form. I am always fascinated by the effects of ice and snow on lakes.

Meanwhile we are anxiously waiting for Gunflint to freeze. As I type this, I can hear the wind blowing outside. We need some time with no wind. Kathy and I have both seen the ice just freeze a lake over once the wind dies down. Hopefully, that will happen soon on Gunflint.