Spring Ducks and Frogs April 21, 2010

We had the first ducks of the season in our pond.  We usually get mallards in pairs- male and female.  It is fun to see them swim around and explore.  They don’t stay for very long, some only 15 minutes and some for a couple hours.  Below is a picture of the first pair. 
The frogs have also started to pipe up.  It isn’t as loud as last year, but we can still hear them inside with the television on and the doors and windows closed.  I have found a large amount of frog eggs which I am keeping my eyes on.  If that many eggs hatch we are going to have a frog infestation!! – Kris

Taking advantage of the warm weather April 16, 2010

 

Celebrating summer…in April?

April does not have a sunny reputation in Northern Minnesota.  So, when some of our marketing consultants arranged for a video shoot last weekend I was skeptical.  How were we going to shoot “summer rentals” if it was cloudy and grey?  Well, I should not have worried, because it turned into an absolutely gorgeous day!  The models (i.e. our kids, friends and dog) were able to wander right down to the water in short sleeves – sometimes it’s too cold to do that in August! 

 

Amazingly, the sunny, unseasonably warm weather has continued into this week.  April is usually a pretty quiet time here on the shore, but we’ve enjoyed a surge of April bookings.  Maybe everyone is heading up here to work on their tans…?

-Kate

A Northwoods Easter April 7, 2010

 

  

When I grew up in Chicago, Easter meant putting on your fanciest clothes for the celebration of spring. Fancy clothes aren’t required too often up north, especially this past Easter. After our morning Easter activities were complete, the whole family trooped outside to work on spring chores.

 Right now, this includes taking care of the baby chicks and fixing up the old chicken coop for them to move into. Will helped muck out the old litter, Steve drove it off with the tractor while Tristan drove behind on his tiny tractor. Lexi, who refused to take off her pretty Easter dress, put on her rubber boots and helped care for the babies. They all did a lot of work for their small sizes – fueled as they were by plenty of candy! It might not be as fancy as the Easter gathering of my youth, but it’s definitely a celebration of spring. – Kate

“Other Duties As Assigned” April 1, 2010

You know that line at the bottom of your job description, “other duties as assigned?”  Well, today the “other duties as assigned” was an exciting part of my day! Steve and Kate are going to raise chickens again and they arrived in the mail today. I picked them up from the post office and they were transported to our office in Tofte. We can now hear the cheap cheap cheaping of 21 little baby chickens. It is so amazing they can be transported across the county and arrive through the mail and just in time for Easter weekend. 
Any time “other duties as assigned” is taking care of baby chickens, I am there. – Kris

Maple Syrup Time! March 24, 2010

Late winter and early spring is the prime time for maple sap collection.  The maple trees produce sap when the temperatures rise and fall above and below freezing.  Our friends bought land in an area rich with maple trees and for the last few years have made a hobby out of collecting the sap and then boiling it down to syrup.  It takes many gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.  It’s fun to drive through the woods this time of year and see how many people are doing the same.  Daily our friends venture to their land to collect the sap from the trees and then boil the sap down to syrup a couple times after that.  The boiling process for them often can take a full day and a late night.  We are lucky to have friends that can provide a great treat for our pancakes, oatmeal, chai drinks and baked beans! 

They are a small production compared to 2 of the major North Shore syrup producers in Lutsen - Caribou Cream located off the Caribou Trail and Wild Country which is further up the Caribou Trail to the Honeymoon Trail.  If you ever have the chance to check out their facilities it is worth it.  They both have sugar shacks that sell their products any time of the day or any time of the year.  You won’t be buying Mrs. Butterworths after one taste of their syrup!  One other thing that is guaranteed is they both will have the most beautiful trees to see in the fall. - Kris

Collecting Sap to Make Maple Syrup

Sawtooth Sunset March 16, 2010

The sunset last night was pretty great.  I was driving into Grand Marais and took this picture from the shore of the camp ground.  I love how it shows the outline of the Sawtooths! – Kris

Winter or Spring? March 15, 2010

Sunday was probably the warmest it has been up on the North Shore for 2010.  I can’t remember a mid-March day when I was not wearing a jacket and my husband was in short sleeves!  We went out for a walk to enjoy the nice winter/spring treat we were having and I was so surprised to see the pussy willows blooming, but then in the distance we could see people skiing at Lutsen Mountains.  It was just not a normality in March.  I keep telling myself it is spring, but remember having snowfalls in April here on the North Shore in past years.  We’ll see if 2010 can pull through as one of the earliest springs…I would definitely like that! – Kris

Up Close – Pussy Willows, in the distance, snow at Lutsen Mountains

Fascinating Wildlife Experiences March 10, 2010

The past two weeks have brought some fascinating wildlife experiences.  While riding to a friend’s house in Lutsen, we saw what you always think you are going to see, but never do – a VERY large wolf chasing a deer.  They both ran in front of our car.  We stopped and watched the wolf slow down through the woods and go out of sight.  It is amazing how many wolves I have seen this year – way more than I have in past years.  This wolf was by far the healthiest and largest.   

On our way home from Duluth on Sunday we started to count the deer.  We got to around 50 when we lost count because of some pretty close encounters with the deer and our car.  Just after Schroeder we spotted 2 wolves walking in the grass along Highway 61.  We turned our car around and watched as they proceeded to lay down in the grass about 20 feet away from each other.  They laid there for about 5 minutes, and then started walking along the bike trail towards Tofte.  I normally see a lot of deer in that area after I pick my son up from daycare.  Not on that day!  And just when you think we can’t possibly see any more north woods animals, we see a bright orange fox cross the road.  Little things like that really make my day. -Kris

Deer Crossing Guard! March 3, 2010

Animals are smarter than we know!

On the way to work I was following a car traveling on Highway 61 and had passed the Cascade State Park. Two deer slowly walked into the road. One of the deer stood on the yellow center line. This caused both of us to come to a complete stop. I was wondering how long he would stand there and why had he not bolted into the woods.  He looked into the woods and just then not one, not two but six deer ran across the road one by one. He then looked both ways and slowly crossed over the side of the highway. I was wondering where his crossing guard vest and sign were. As I drove on I kept wondering “did that really just happen?” – Tala

Daytime Moon March 2, 2010

I just wanted to share this photo I took of the moon this weekend.  The days have been so clear here on the North Shore, it has made for great daytime moon sightings.  -Kris