Nothing Fishy Goin' On Around Here

That title translates to "Yes, we still have ice." Each morning I wake up and hope that I will see open water out there. Before I actually get up to look, I listen (the window is open a crack), and really, I have my answer by the silence that greets my ears. But one of these days, it's bound to change. I remember one year when we returned from a road trip in late April. The ice was black that day, but it still looked solid--like it wasn't moving anywhere. Lo and behold, though, the next morning it was completely gone. It was the oddest ice-out I have ever seen, or in this case, slept through. Most years, we get to see the ice actively working, as it moves against the shore and breaks into large chunks. We've already seen a bit of that. Today the wind is blowing, so maybe it will start to push up on a shore somewhere...Truth be told, though, we did have snow showers this morning. It ain't warming up any too soon.

Because the ice didn't go out yesterday, we weren't putting our docks into the water. And also because the ice hasn't gone out, our fishing friends are waiting to come up. With no fishing activity, we decided to grab a rare opportunity. The Grand Marais Jazz Festival was happening in the county this weekend, and we realized that we were free to go to one of the concerts. We hopped into the car, and headed to town to hear the Erin Bode Group at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. What an excellent concert! We have heard these very talented musicians before in Grand Marais, but not on the stage of the ACA. The venue was great for their music--vocals, stand-up bass, keyboard, guitar, and drums. Much of what they performed was original compositions. One song, in particular, hit close to home. I don't know the title for sure, but Erin sang the line, "I've seen a thousand mice," about the first home she and her husband shared. I really enjoy it when artists let the audience in on their steps through the creative process, which she shared on this, and some of the other songs. Afterward, we had a nice chance to visit with the band, and some members of Erin's family, who are longtime friends of the Heston clan. We appreciated the opportunity to get caught up on all of the happenings.

One of the best things about yesterday was the chance to make new memories on May 10th, for it was that day last year that we witnessed the Ham Lake Fire on the Canadian shores of Gunflint Lake. That scene will be forever etched into our memory bank, like a video waiting to replay. It is nice to have a good memory in the bank, waiting in line for its chance to hit the play button. After the concert, we went out to dinner at the Angry Trout, for a taste of the fish and chips we so enjoy. We had done that last year, too, when we first reached town after evacuating. Our friends John, Liz, and Lily were there for dinner, too, and we recalled that they also had been at the Trout that same smoky evening the year before. So a circle has been completed....one year since the fire, a wonderful concert and a relaxing time at the Angry Trout. Life is good.

And to all the moms who read my blog, I hope that you have a very Happy Mother's Day!