Quiet Opener

Plenty of sunshine in these parts today.  The wind came up out of the west, so there is a bit of chop on the lake.  We have some fishermen and women out on the waters, but are waiting to hear reports on how it might be.  The lake seems to be on the quiet side this year, so that means there isn’t much competition for the good spots. 

 

The guys are out and about working on a project.  I think it involves the skidsteer and lumber.  That seems to be their modus operandi for many spring projects.  Both of the docks have new ramps leading to them.  Fresh lumber lines them, and they are much easier to install when rolling the docks into the water.  New boards are in place on the steps of the sauna and one of the cabins.  The Menard’s truck pulled in yesterday with more wood, this batch destined for the dock at Tamarack.  It’s a good time in the season to get these jobs done.  Soon the neighborhood will be much busier, with demand for use of the docks higher. 

Instead of fishing, I spent the morning working on a new program for children who visit us this summer.  With the very limited staff on hand, we don’t have a naturalist.  It’s one of my secret hopes that someday I can fill that role!  Might not happen until we have children and grandchildren around the place, but in the meantime, we are happy to share our knowledge of the woods and the lake.  We often bill ourselves as a do-it-yourself type of experience here at Heston’s, so my plan includes knapsacks of resources and information to explore, learn and discover many things about our area.  When the “nuts and bolts” are in place, I will be posting a page devoted to it on our website.  Stay tuned to learn more.

 

The leaves are in the early stages of green-up.  I love that chartreuse shade of green that stands out so vividly right now.  Each day, I can see a bit more popping through.  The two birch trees in front of the lodge bud out a few days apart, and that is a good measuring stick to watch.  The west tree has little leaves, and the east tree still has buds and catkins.  I’ve found that they lose their leaves in the fall on a staggered schedule, too. So interesting to follow these little oddities in my own front yard.

Ready?

What's not to love about a day like today?

Docks are in, on a very calm lake. 

Water level is up. 

The loons are out, busy fishing.  Thanks to the calm lake, I could even see their black and white bodies skimming along just below the surface of the water.  Awesome!

Season-opening preparations continue.  Sunshine and rain have encouraged the leaves to start budding, and the grass is growing fast enough that it is time to pull out the weed whacker and lawn mower.  I was afraid that spring wouldn't wait for me while I was gone to Alaska.  I'm happy to report that I didn't miss it.  It's all starting to happen, right before my eyes.  I love this time of the year.

Hiking to the Ocean

April 15, 2012

For the second time in two years, I boarded a plane and headed west.  It’s  been a long time since I’ve done so much air travel, preferring instead to go by car or bus.  But sometimes, one just needs to fly, be it that the destination requires it, or as a way to maximize vacation time.  In this case, we proceeded to Alaska, to visit Robert and Amanda.  For me, this was the first time to head there, my opportunity to check off the final state on my personal list, west of the Mississippi. 

It never ceases to amaze me that I can leave behind a rainy late afternoon, and within moments, be above the clouds and see sunshine.  Having the opportunity to see land below would be even better, but that wasn’t the case at the moment.  Instead, I watched as the plane chased the sun, keeping ahead of the hour that it would finally set. 

Eventually, we could see sharp, snow-covered mountain peaks, punching their way through the fluffy blanket.  I was a little envious, seeing all that snow, and wishing that we still had some back home.  Ours disappeared much too quickly this year.  It’s my secret hope that we really get socked in next year, to make up for the deficit. Time will tell.

Soon, land was evermore visible, and then sea.  The plane began its descent, and we could see that Anchorage, too, was still deep in snow banks.  It was eight p.m. Alaska time, and the sun was still going strong.  Back home on the Gunflint, the sun has been going down before eight.  Though its not the season for all-sun, all-the-time yet, I was getting a taste of what that might be like.

It’s funny, I hadn’t really thought it through to realize that I would be seeing so many mountains around here.  In my mind, I would just think tundra.  It’s such a treat to be able to be surrounded like this.  We did some walking around downtown yesterday, and at one vantage point, I was able to see the peak of Denali in the far off distance.  Greg told me to look closely, since so often it is hidden by clouds.  The sign said that it was 131 miles away.  Hard to look closely from that distance.

We visited a city park, and found a way to head towards the ocean.  I say a true Minnesotan always does her best to get to the body of water as soon as possible in a new place.  We crossed trails with a woman who was on her skis, and wanted to head in the same direction, to enjoy the spring skiing that the flat terrain below the packed trail could provide.  She followed us down a steep trail, carrying her skis along.  We chatted, and she inquired where we were from.  When we said northern Minnesota, she said that she has a good friend in there.  We hadn’t even named our specific area before she mentioned her friend’s name, and all I could reply was, “You’re kidding!”  She is a Gunflint Trail neighbor, and once again I was reminded of how small the world is.  It was truly a delight to meet Marilyn, and to converse on a level as though we had known each other for much longer than five minutes.  Through the wonders of today’s technology, she snapped a photo of us with her iPhone, and was going to send it off to Grand Marais for Jan, saying simply, “Meet my new friends!”  I love how small and friendly our world really is.

As we continue our Alaska adventures, I will attempt to post about it here, every now and again.  We left the resort in the capable hands of Sharlene, Jim, and Paul.  If you need to reach us during this time, you  may need to leave a message, but one of us will get back to you as quickly as possible.  Who knows? It may even be me, and I’ll be able to give you a first hand account of how things are in Alaska.

The Importance of Water

Here at Heston's Lodge, we are blessed with excellent water.  We have three wells that are tested annually.  Of the three, we like the one at the lodge the best.  I remember when I was growing up, my dad worked for the municipal water and gas department.  He would always say, "Lake Superior water!  We have the best water in the world!"  It was more than just the company line.  It was true--we loved our water and its fresh, clean taste.

When I met Greg and began to visit the lodge, one of the early things he told me was that Heston's had the best water in the world.  How could that be?  I already knew where the best was.  But when I tasted it, I had to admit that it truly was very good.  Over the years, as the water back home had to be chlorinated, I had noticed the taste creeping in.  Here, right from the well, the water is its pure, sweet self.

Whenever we travel, we like to bring our own water along, if at all possible.  The car, our schoolbus, whatever, we try to save space for some jugs of our own resource.  It's what we are used to.  While camping, the jugs would inevitably get emptied, and we would refill them at the campground spigot.  Those refilled jugs would get a special mark on them, and we would begin to hoard whatever Gunflint water was left.  Sometimes, we were lucky to have at least a little when we were heading back to home, and the source.  Sure, we could grow accustomed to all the other water, but it just wasn't the same.  Even bottled water from the store is different, almost flavorless.

Here is a video that illustrates how much our water means to us.  Enjoy--and next time you are here, we'll be happy to serve you a big glassful!