Beautiful River Spot April 29, 2009

The “Secret” Cross River Lookout

Last weekend my husband and I drove to the Cross River in Schroeder.  The river is running so fast right now from all the spring run off.  I have always admired the river from either the site of the Father Baragas Cross by Lake Superior or just glanced at if while driving by on Highway 61.  We parked at the rest area along Highway 61 and walked over to the river.  It was loudly rushing by.  I decided to walk across Highway 61 and look at the river from the lake side of the highway.   I looked down over the bridge and noticed there was a small lookout area.  I had no idea it was ever there.  It is a nice place to really get a look at the river and the falls that run underneath the bridge.  It is always fun to find new places and share them with others so they can see the beauties of the North Shore.-Kris

Quiet time on the North Shore? Maybe Not! April 24, 2009

April is often referred to as the quiet time on the North Shore.  There aren’t many visitors, some of the stores and restaurants are closed, you can drive around and not be behind a trailer of snowmobiles or an RV.  But if you take a listen outside, maybe it isn’t quiet.  This will be the 4th spring in our house in Lutsen.  As the weather warms up some of our friends return to our yard.  The loudest one is the grouse who starts drumming around 6 :30 a.m.  For those of you who have never heard a grouse – here is a funny story. 
I am originally from Maple Grove – not a lot of grouse hanging around our suburban neighborhood!  When I moved away to college I was in the meca of wildlife – Bemidji.  I remember being outside at my now husband’s college home.  It was the early spring time and he lived in the country on a lake.  All of the sudden I heard what sounded like a lawn mower starting up.  I asked him who the heck was mowing their lawn when the snow just melted a few weeks ago, also bear in mind there were no neighbors within sight!  He laughed and told me it was a grouse drumming.  It makes me laugh to this day that I had no idea what that sound was.   The next time you are up here and think someone is starting their lawn mower – you may be in the presence of a grouse!
In the spring we also hear the ducks who stop at our small pond behind our house to take a break.  Some stay for a few hours and some only stay minutes if Kendall our dog is outside.  We have had about 5 that I have seen. 
Then comes the grunts of the deer that also travel through our yard.  They are making their way up from the big lake to where ever they live in the summer.  Although the are pretty cool to see – I am not a fan of them eating my flowers and our pine trees!  They are pretty brave and will get right next to our house. 
So, as I said before, although it is quiet time on the North Shore, next time you are in the area take a listen for some of my furry friends!-Kris

Our Friend the Eagle April 15, 2009

Debby’s eagle eye caught a glimpse of something moving in the woods across from our office yesterday.  She got as close as she could to take this shot.  It stayed in the area for about 3 hours.  It made our day a little more exciting! 

Our friend Mr. Eagle

Yeah for Spring! April 15, 2009

The North Shore is finally experiencing spring. Nice sunny days, trees blooming, and it is finally ok for my daffodils and tulips to blossom. They made it through an ice storm and a blizzard already! The snow has really melted in the last week. I am attentively watching the Gitchi Gami bike trail and it is almost snow free too. It is one of my favorite places to walk in the summer. They have started cutting down trees in preparation for the extension of the trail from mid-Tofte to Lutsen and Highway 61 repairs. Thank you spring for finally making it to the North Shore!!-Kris

What’s Going on This Weekend? April 2, 2009

Here’s the schedule of events for the North Shore this weekend (April 3-5):
Friday April 3rd:
The Bitter Spills – Rock and Roll Band
3:30 at Papa Charlies

Saturday April 4th:
Charlie Parr – Folk and Blues
3:30 Papa Charlies

Bump Blomberg-Rock, Folk and Bluegrass
7:00-9:00pm at Papa Charlies

Sunday April 5th:
The Uncommon Trio-Bass, Violin, Flute
7:00pm at Bluefin Bay

April plays a snowy joke on us! April 1, 2009

North Shore Snow Storm

Wow! Who would have thought we would have gotten so much snow yesterday. Debby, Steve and I all came into work not knowing how bad it would be. Debby and I left around 10 and barely made it to Clearview General Store because the roads were not plowed and the wind was blowing so hard. We told Steve to leave right away before he was stuck at the office. We woke up this morning to huge drifts in our yard and driveway. The one on my back deck is about up to my waist. I took a picture of the snow piled up next to my front walk way. It is about 5 feet fall. Will spring ever get here?-Kris