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05/25/10
It's really not new news to us, but it's official Ely MN
is recognized as the Coolest Small Town in America! Get
the full details on the Northern
Lights Lodge Blog.
05/21/10
I realize that I have been a bit tardy with my Journal
entries this past month BUT it has been a very busy month.
With the weather as NICE as it is, you might think that we
are taking it easy and working on an early summer tan! Not
quite, aside from the normal routine of getting the 5 seasonal
cabins opened and ready for the summer season, spring cleaning
the other 7 cabins/suites, two septic systems were replaced/upgraded,
we're lining up my summer staffing, JR graduates at the end
of the month, we've gotten him enrolled in college for the
fall semester, Gary has had surgery and will be home recovering
another week or so (nothing serious) and we are getting JR
scheduled for surgery in early June (again, nothing serious).
Nothing like getting everything done at once.
On a
much more exciting note the moose have been very active with
3 recent sitings (more
details and pictures on my Blog), I've had a few wolf
encounters coming and going from Ely, the duck's eggs have
hatched (I've heard them, seen them yet) but Bonnie and Liz
told me yesterday that there are 7 ducklings, the loons are
nesting and the resident Blue Heron is back at the sand bar.
The Fishing
Opener has come and gone--as we enter our 11th summer this
was certainly the warmest one ever! The forecast has upper
80 degrees in it for next week. This weather has certainly
made for some unusual fishing this spring. However, our guests
appear to be up to the challenge as they catching bass, walleye,
northern and crappies.
JR was
actually in the water with the girls yesterday afternoon helping
me clean a fallen tree and there wasn't one complaint. This
keeps up, we'll be setting up the Bongo soon.
04/17/10
The past 48 hours we have been battered by very strong
winds but all is calm now. The near perfect silence of the
early morning hours brought the announcement of our resident
loons return home to the lake! I was thrilled to hear them
out on the water. For me, the first call of the loons marks
the official arrival of spring. Last season, Bear Island Lake
resident, G. Cooper, shared a snapshot of one our loons
nesting.
04/05/10
The last two mornings at 2am I was jolted awake by the
sound of an alarm, or at least I thought it was an alarm until
all remnants of sleep fell away. I couldn't identify the sound,
but quickly realized that it wasn't a mechanical noise, but
rather the vocals of our resident wildlife. I couldn't identify
the sound, so on Sunday I did a little research and learned
that this nocturnal visitors was a Northern Saw-whet Owl.
This owl may be small
in size, but its call is loud and strong sounding like a series
of whistled toots. The Northern Saw-whet Owl can be found
roosting during the winter in small, dense conifer trees.
Its defense upon discovery is to sit still and not fly, giving
the perception that they are "tame."
Around 9:30pm Sunday
tonight, I walked outside with Pepper and was delighted to
hear that the owl had returned! It didn't sound very far away
so I grabbed a flashlight and set out to see if I could find
our visitor--now that I knew what I was looking for! Owls
are fascinating creatures, partially because they are so elusive
and the fact that they are out at night gives them almost
a mythical quality. Well, it didn't take too long because
the Saw-whet sounded like it was just steps away from the
Lodge, near the playground. I knew I was on the right path
as the calling was just overhead so I on the light and as
I passed through the second pine tree, there it was, about
25' feet up the tree and literally no bigger than my hand.
I kept the direct light off of the owl, and it stayed perched
and and continued its calling. After observing the owl for
a little while longer, I turned off my light and headed back
to the Lodge. As I departed, so did the Saw-whet
as I could hear its wings just over head.
03/28/10
Early Ice Out Forecast for Bear Island Lake! Here on Bear
Island Lake our "typical" spring ice out occurs
around April 17th. If the current weather patterns hold and
we see a bit of wind and rain I would expect to see ice out
right around April 1st this year. Earlier today I was out
and about with Daisy and Pepper and the back bay is pretty
much open and Daisy made here way all the way around to the
sand bar at the beach. Looking out onto the rest of the lake
you can see that there are broken sheets of black ice floating.
The lack of snow this past winter is evident as you look along
the shoreline because the lake is currently at about mid-August
levels. Granted, there will still be some melting snow run
off, but a bit of rain once the frost is out of the ground
would be a good thing.
The back bay is filling with Mergansers and other fowl. Typically,
these arrive about two weeks in front of the Loons. Spring
is never officially here for me until I hear the Loons again.
I'm wondering if the water levels will have much of an impact
on the wood frogs in pond. There certainly isn't any water
to speak of there right now. Another sure sign of spring is
the burst of the Pussy
Willows and they seem to be every where this year.
03/12/10
Earlier this week I had a bit of "fun" with a couple
of Pileated Wood Peckers. Get
the story and see pictures on the Blog!
03/08/10
I know that March and April often bring us snow, but it
sure does feel like spring. The 10-day forecast seems to promise
more of these blue sky days and temps near/at 50 degrees.
Winter is officially over for me and I am into my spring mode.
Granted, we are pretty limited on what we can accomplish outside,
but the mind set has happened. It would be a bonus to actually
have a SPRING season this year since 2009 was definitely slow
to arrive. Each fall, as I am closing down the cabins I put
together a project list for each cabin--now those lists have
been pulled out and dusted off.
JR has
been accepted into an Engineering program here in Minnesota.
Graduation is just around the corner and he seems eager to
start the next phase of his life.
Guests
were recently treated to a moose siting right here at the
resort early one Sunday morning!
The Pileated
Woodpeckers and Gray Jays seem to be everywhere. The drumming
of the Pileated's is almost constant as they start to prepare
their nests.
02/24/10
This feels like it will be a very short winter. This winter
we have fallen drastically short of the area's average of
85" of snow with actual accumulation at less than 20".
None the less, we made the most of it and I never even had
a chance to break in that new snow shovel.
A personal
farewell: I recently lost my Grandfather. We were fortunate
to have been able to have him spend time with us here at the
resort. He loved the outdoors and loved fishing. It was Grandpa
who taught us all how to fish when we were kids. Every summer
they would take one of us "up north" fishing for
a week or two. Grandpa and Grandpa are the ones who first
showed me this beautiful part of the country way back when
I was a teen. Grandpa would often say "If God has put
me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things.
At this point, I'll never die." At 90, I hope that he
was able to accomplish everything.
There
has not been much wolf activity this winter, but last week
I noticed wolf tracks all around the truck and shop.
01/25/10
I've waited
all year for this! Here it is: SNOW worth mentioning has finally
arrived and continues to fall. It really does look like winter
now. It's hard to measure but there appears to be about 8+"
of fluffy wet beautiful snow and it's still coming down! Our
winter storm warning continues and that's just fine with me.
It's snowman snow for sure and before the sun comes out or
the wind picks up I need to pickup my camera. Lucky me, Ely
kids don't have school today so I have a strong helper to
shovel this wet snow!
The annual snowmobile
Fun Run takes
place this weekend. This event helps support the local snowmobile
trail system.
Here at the resort
our Ugly
Sweater promotion has been a success with nearly every
guest making donations for those less fortunate. Just a few
more days to go and there is still time to do something nice
for others and save on your winter visit to Ely.
It is believed that
Lily the bear has
delivered a cub. It may be a while before we are all able
to catch a glimpse of the new arrival.
Ely's annual Winter
Festival is just days away now. The resort is again hosting
the dog
sled ride event both Sunday's during the Festival. The
blocks of snow are being prepared now for the snow sculptures
in Whiteside Park and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's
snow masterpiece.
01/18/10
So you ask: What have I been doing lately? Well, I've broken
down and taken my Northwoods Journal to "blog
land". I'm still getting used to the process and
I find it hard to depart from my current Journal format so
I think that I will be doing both my Journal and the blog--at
least for a while. Perhaps, the best feature of the blog format
is the option and ease for you all to participate with your
own comments AND you can subscribe to an RSS feed to get the
updates delivered to you. I find myself reluctant to "prattle"
on when I'm blogging like I CLEARLY do here!
I've also put myself
to the task of designing websites for all of our .com sites
like: NorthernLightsLodge.us,
BearIslandResort.com,
ElyAdventures.com,
NorthernLightsTowing.com,
and of course designing the new Northern
Lights Lodge blog. Some of you have asked me to join the
social networking age with Facebook and Twitter BUT I'm just
not there yet.
I've decided that
since "we've been here" for 10 years now, it's time
to pay some attention to our "living quarters".
This was sort of a necessity since we installed all new OPENING
windows in this part of the Lodge building back in June. I
did all of the inside trim work at the time, but there was
some new sheetrock to take care of too. So, In December I
started by painting JR's room and then I tackled the spare
bedroom in the same way and updated the lighting--love the
changes! Next is tackling the hallway/stairway leading upstairs--painting
and a new light fixture here to. I'm guessing that February
won't allow me much project time so, come March I'll start
up again with the bathroom and kitchen.
In my "spare
time" I continue to read whenever I get the chance and/or
listen to books on tape. A few of the titles I've recently
finished are First Wives, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons,
the newest Tami Hoag book Deeper Than The Dead, the new Dean
Koontz book Breathless and State of Mind by John Katzenbach.
Right now I'm in the middle of reading the Devil's Punchbowl
and listening to The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold (this one
is a bit odd and I may have a tough time getting through it)
and Fannie Flagg Standing in the Rainbow while I clean my
cabins/suites. Always looking for someone new to read....any
suggestions?
01/08/10
The middle of January is nearly upon us, there's a bit of
snow on the ground and the daily temperatures won't let us
forget it's winter! So, what's new in Ely?
-
I was reading about the resident bears at the North
American Bear Center (Ted, Honey and Lucky) and they
are now hibernating and will stay in this state until mid-March
or early April. Ted and Lucky are snuggled together. Honey
is in a den with an opening against the viewing window where
visitors can watch her from 2-3 feet away.
-
A
wild 3-year bear may have her first set of cubs in January.
They are planning to have a web cam in her den. She is part
of the long-term study of black bear ecology and behavior
being conducted by the Wildlife Research Institute. This
can also be viewed through the Northern
American Bear Center site.
01/06/10
With the snow on the ground, you can't help but notice all the
wildlife activity out and about. It seems like there are tracks
every: snowshoe hares, lots and lots of deer, wolves and one
set of moose tracks near the middle of the driveway. The cold
temperatures seem to have the birds sleeping in, but every now
and then I spot a Grossbeak amongst the Chickadees and Nut Hatches.
01/05/10
Just a quick note today to my buddy Sam in Iowa letting you
know that Flat Stanley spent a week here with us and he had
a blast! He's on his way back to you now.
01/01/10
Happy New Year All! With
the advent of a New Year, our we wish for you is that as TIME
flies, you will soar:
May
you have the TIME to laugh.
May TIME always be on your side.
May you always enjoy the TIME of your life.
12/25/09
Merry Christmas everyone!
12/23/09
The ice seems to be pretty good this winter--nearly black and
overall measuring between 12-14" thick. We've had just
a few guests ice fishing and pulling in northerns and perch.
12/01/09
It's beginning to look a like Christmas, all through the resort.....the
lights are hung, the trees are decorated and there's fresh
snow on the ground and glistening in the trees. We're all
decked out for the holidays!
11/28/09
Winter is in the air again....Bear Island Lake is making ice.
The resort is beginning to look like Christmas.
11/26/09
Happy Thanksgiving all!
10/26/09
Just Announced! Could It Be? The Return of the Lights? BIG
SUNSPOT SITED--The sun is showing signs of life. Sunspot 1029
emerged over the weekend, and it is crackling with B- and
C-class solar flares. The active region's magnetic polarity
identifies it as a member of new Solar Cycle 24. If its growth
continues apace, sunspot 1029 could soon become the biggest
sunspot of 2009--the Auroa Borealis returns! This update
provided by spaceweather.com
10/20/09
Our big news of the day is the Weather Advisory for the Ely
area and I am like a kid in a candy store: Winter Weather
Advisory with 2"-5" of snow tomorrow. Its easy to
get excited at the beginning of my favorite season of the
year and while I may not be 100% ready for its arrival I love
to see the snow falling. Sunday's forecast is 44 and rain
so it won't stick around.
Traffic
News: Motorists on Highway 21 (about a mile on either side
of the resort) should slow down and try to catch a glimpse
of the HUGE bull moose that is out and about. I expect that
the moose will be more active now with the end of the moose
hunting season and the cooler wet weather.
There
continues to be quite a bit of wolf activity and they can
be heard howling in the distance most nights. I spotted a
pair of wolves again the edge of the lake in the channel just
last week. The deer have really dark coats and a local expert
tells me that this is a sign of deep snow winter. The guests
and I are having a blast with the return of the Gray Jays--like
the Chickadees they are practically eating out of our. Pepper,
however, is not too pleased with the squirrels that are hanging
around the feeders cleaning up the scraps!
Busy
beavers? Nope, there is a family of at least 5
muskrats that have moved in under the main dock at the
marina and they've even built one of Daisy's toys into their
loafing house.
10/18/09
Glorious fall day today--52 and sunny. The Tamaracks are golden
and the leaves are STILL changing and falling. The last boat
of the season was pulled and everything is put away. Bring
on winter!
10/15/09
For the past week or so I have been hearing quite of bit of
Loon activity and have been spotting them out and about near
the beach but now they seem to be gone. I haven't heard them
in a couple of days so perhaps they too have gone south.
09/30/09
The area received a hard frost last night. Today we stepped
up our schedule and closed the five seasonal cabins for the
winter. Feels good to get it out of the way and yet its a
bit sad to have already put another summer behind us. As I
finish MY winterizing tasks this is the time of the year that
I pull together a list of the things I would like to do in
each cabin for the new year. I always think that I should
"live" in each cabin for at least a day because
then I would know what's missing or needed--any suggestions?
If you have any ideas for your favorite cabin, just
drop me a note.
09/24/09
Way to go Mike with
a nice 37" Northern!
09/22/09
Way to go Fred with
a 30.5" Walleye! Amazing purple and orange sunsets
this last week with brilliant blue sky days. The lake is cooling
down a bit, but it still feels a bit like summer during the
middle of the day. Fall leaves are slowly coming along--flaming
reds dot the scene and I noticed a Tamarack starting to turn.
Saw two wolves on the highway on the way to Ely, still to
warm for the moose.
09/12/09
Another beautiful summer FALL day--the water is warmer right
now than it was in the middle of July. Fishing is good, even
when the biting is slow in weather like this--keeping it simple
seems to be the key (just jigging with a leech at about 20').
I'm starting to see a transition in the bird species as we
head into fall. The hummingbirds are gone, Juncos have arrived
along with lots of Blue Jays. The loons are most vocal into
the early evening and after sunset. The wolf pack(s) pups
have been vocal the last 3 nights but I expect that this activity
will slow down with the decreasing presence of the moon. I've
also noticed that the deer have already changed their coats
from the rusty red of summer to the brown of the fall/winter.
Too hot for any moose activity.
Congrats
to David and Lorie on Grandbaby Lauren and parents Ryan and
Kristy!
Thanks
to everyone that has been SPOILING me--what a treat with home
grown and home made jams, wines, honey, honeycomb, pickles,
salsa and amazing deserts (fantastic eats that are appearing
on my waistline again-2 steps forward, 1 step back!). Barb--I
love the bird house and have found the perfect spot to display
it. Guests who have seen it, suggest that you start selling
them!
08/27/09
Another beautiful blue sky morning--I love these temperatures
70 during the day and cooler at night....perfect sleeping
weather! Definitely a different "weather year" with
plenty of rain--just yesterday I noticed that "Thor's
Rock" has surfaced--something that usually happens weeks
ago in early August. Our overnight temps have made us bring
in the bongo earlier than ever--it's impossible to keep in
inflated properly.
No a
lot of wild life to report. Several guests have reported that
the chipmunks are very friendly and they have them eating
out of there hands--something I would not encourage. Although
last night something woke me up as I heard branches breaking
and rustling as it moved past my bedroom window. Last week
one of our guests spotted bear scat in the driveway (way to
go Catherine!). Bird watching has been AMAZING and alot of
us have had fun watching them enjoy the feeders and our late
berry season. Guests have also been enjoying the Chickadees--eating
out of their hands, something I would encourage.
I guess
I had a nature experience of a different kind yesterday: I
was winding up an extension cord at the outlet by the beach
(you know the one) and I got a jolt....and another jolt....and
another! My first thought was the cord must have a bad spot,
then I realized it was already unplugged. The "jolts"
continued rapdily---of course all of this is happening in
a matter of seconds. Then Goldie decided to check it all out
and "save me" and investigate. Turns out I "hit"
a paper wasp nest that was barely ankle high and the size
of two grapefruits. Then Goldie really made them mad because
she walked right over it. The two of us made quite a pair
hopping around and getting into the lake to cool off the sting
spots! Needless to say, they won't be bothering anyone else.
The fishing
has been steady for the northerns and bass--saw a few walleyes
come in recently. Roland reports that "the dock"
has the best fishing. Of course, I can't report the location
of "the dock" as it would be giving his fishing
secrets away!
08/17/09
Good morning all! Thanks for staying in touch with my Northwoods
Journal. Once again I am hearing from MANY of you that I haven't
"had much to say" this summer. Sorry, but it has
not been a typical summer here. Of course we are keeping "busy"
week to week with our guests but life outside of the resort
has had more than its share of challenges:(the loss of 2 family
member; my Grandpa has cancer and his health has forced him
off the farm; the BEST uncle in the world is in the hospital
after a dog vs. motor cycle accident with serious/major injuries;
a dear friend lost a baby; another lost their father and my
sad little list goes on. So it's been hard for me to stay
on top of everything.
The family
here is doing fine and as well as I can be expected. I'm very
fortunate that JR is such a good kid--this is going to be
a big year for the family as our baby finishes his last year
of high school. He doesn't know what he wants to do yet or
where he wants to go yet. Football season/practice starts
tonight.
I've
lost count of this summer's moose sightings, the wolves have
been very active with pups right here in the resort, plenty
of weather that has produced "interesting" displays;
the fishing has been on and off (compliments of the weather!);
last week we had our first real stretch of summer weather
with 80+ degrees and humid. Birding has been EXCEPTIONAL and
very therapeutic this year!
I watch
the weather and news from across the country/world and often
pause to hope that everyone is ok--like Dan K. in Twain, Ed
in Ohio, Fred in St. Louis, Bonnie and Liz and the guys in
Plymouth after the weekend's night time tornado; Ben and Kathy
in Florida, Mary in Alaska near the fires and all of the rest
of you--be safe, we're thinking of you.
As the
summer season starts winding down and old and new friends
have spent time with us once again, I feel very blessed to
have had so many wonderful guests--friends "come home
to Northern Lights". It really is just like seeing family
arrive for a visit. It's always about all I can do to contain
myself as the kids scramble out of the car tripping over themselves
to get to Daisy, Pepper and Goldie. In fact, last week I had
a young couple stop by on their way down to the North Shore
(they were on a day trip passing through Ely) and I quote
"we just wanted to see the dogs, home you don't mind."
Such is life!
07/22/09
Here it is a lovely calm and rainy Tuesday at the Lodge. I
have company today--Ellie and Sam are here with me in my office
to see how I make my web site. Ellie is 7 years old and Sam
is 8 years old. They were telling me how they read this page
all the time. So, we are learning how Marie writes in her
journal.
07/16/09
I'm asking myself "Where has the summer gone"? The
season is flying past and once again I am reminded that we
really do have the best guests in all of Ely. Thanks for taking
time off from your busy lives and spending it here with us!
It is always a treat being able to catch up and visit with
returning families and meeting new friends.
Congratulations
to Dave and Deanna on your engagement and a special welcome
baby Lucy who we just got to meet!
Fishing
has been "hit or miss" with weather and wind days
AND the biggest Mayfly hatch I have ever seen a few weeks
back. Then again, others have done VERY nicely! I have a pile
of photos to get posted to the gallery.
Defiantly
a cooler summer so far BUT the up side is that it has made
for very comfortable hiking. As always plucking away at resort
projects--like the updated game room. Now, we are trying to
paint the lodge and stain the sauna but the weather is not
cooperating.
One Tuesday
most of the resort was woke up around 5:15am when a wolf pup
"yipped" its way through the resort from one end
to the other. I managed to get a peak at it when it paused
near the flag pole. Guests this week also saw a moose walking
along the edge of lake before it went off into the woods.
On Sunday, someone passing by the resort saw a moose and stopped
in to let us know--thanks! Seems to be quite a few fawns running
around with the spots and there is definitely no shortage
of grouse right now. Still waiting for the first baby loon
sighting.
06/27/09
On nearly a weekly basis I am asked "can we really see
the northern lights" but it has been a little while since
the lights have appeared. So, where have the northern lights
gone? The lights have a solar 20 year solar cycle, and right
now we are in what is called a solar minimum--which means
few or no sightings. So what is causing this? THE MYSTERY
OF THE MISSING SUNSPOTS: The sun is in the pits of the deepest
solar minimum in nearly a century. Although the current solar
minimum represents a 50-year low in sunspot counts, there
is nothing wrong with the sun. Solar minima this deep and
long are common in the historical record and do not represent
a fundamental breakdown of the sun's 11-year activity cycle.
06/13/09
A bit of sad moose news: we learned last night that someone
struck a moose calf with a vehicle out here on the highway
and it had to be put down. I didn't have the heart to go and
see but JR heard the shots and a neighbor called with the
details. I hear the driver is ok, the vehicle is not. Reminder:
slow down and don't out drive your headlights at night!
06/12/09
Spring is here---sort of! The days have been mixed with brilliant
blue skies and sudden shower bursts producing stunning rainbows.
Wildlife sitings have been frequent with 2 different wolf
sitings along Highway 21. The birding is still good--I can't
keep the feeder full.. Last night guests were "treated"
to loud noises near cabin 12--everyone was surprised this
morning when moose tracks were discovered! The fishing and
the catching has been good too--walleyes seem a bit slow buy
everything else is producing nicely. Everyone is eating fresh
fish these days.
05/25/09
May is rapidly coming to a close and it has been a busy--the
usual resort projects but best of all the return of our warm
weather friends. It's been great catching up with the "regulars"
and getting to know new guests. A quick note to Gary S.: I
hope your trip to NLL was exacting what the doctor ordered--it
was easy to see how glad you were to be back up here.
The bird watching
bonanza continues. This weekend we were treated twice to a
visit from and entire flock of Trumpeter Swans. Friday they
were spotted flying over the resort and on Saturday quite
a few of the guests got to see and hear them as they took
off from the back bay below the lodge.
Moose Alert: On Saturday
afternoon (around 3:15) I had made a run to the hardware store
for Gary and on my way back to the resort I spotted TWO moose
calves between Escape Road and our driveway. I didn't see
the mother but it was a treat none the less. Visited with
our neighbors for a quick minute yesterday (Hi Jon and Mardi!)
some day soon I promise that you will see these guys.
This weekend Gary
turns the BIG 50 so I am racking my brain trying to come up
with something out of the ordinary. Any ideas?
05/20/09
What a week! Saturday's forecast read "Snow showers likely,
mainly before 10am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly
sunny, with a high near 40. Northwest wind around 20 mph,
with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible
and today the high was 91 degrees. Variety is the spice of
life!
Bird watching has
been EXCITING entertainment and the song birds are phenomenal.
The loons are nesting, the Canadian Geese nests have hatched
and the walleyes are starting to bite. Guests have seen northern
and crappie action too.
It's been a busy month
getting the resort ready, opening cabins, remodeling (bathroom
in cabin #2), new benches around the resort, painting, etc.
I've expanded the play areas with three new ring toss games,
3 new washer toss games, another volleyball net AND a chalkboard
activity table. I think that this year's scavenger will be
a blast for the kids AND wait until you find my Rubber Duckies
(sorry, you've got to be here to get this scoop!).
04/25/09
We
have ice out! Friday's rain and wind gave the lake the push
it needed and there is no ice that I can see.
04/22/09
All
in one day: the pond burst to life this afternoon--the frogs
are back AND I just heard and saw the loons back on the lake!
Finally, it seems like it has taken forever for them to return.
Then again, there is still ice on the entire lake--the area
in the back bay here below the lodge is nearly completely
open but there is still ice. For that matter, there are still
snow banks and there is still snow in the woods.
So, I do "busy"
work--decided to have a "spa day" for the Girls
this afternoon: Goldie, Daisy and Pepper each had a bath (outside
on the back patio), a triple combing, their toe nails trimmed
and I cleaned their teeth. I felt like I was working on an
assembly line. Spent the rest of the afternoon trying to tackle
those early spring projects but you can't rake the lawns when
there is still snow on it! Looks like it will be a painful
mad dash to the finish line getting everything ready for spring/opener
this year.
Gary and I took what
I think may well be our "first" vacation since JR
was born and we went down to Florida this month. JR held down
the fort and took care of the girls. The weather there is
probably making my wait for spring so much harder.
04/14/09
Midway
through April and we are waiting, waiting, waiting.....spring
seems to have stalled. It has been rather quiet as I wait
for it to be warm enough and dry enough to do much outside.
We STILL have quite a bit of snow on the ground and the lake
is days, not probably weeks from ice out. The bay at the end
of the peninsula has been open for weeks and it is host to
plenty of ducks and geese. Watched an Eagle eating a fish
out on the ice that it pulled out of the open water.
03/17/09
Ahhh...it
feels like spring with nearly a 90 degree temperature swing.
We've gone from -30 to almost 60 degrees in a matter of days.
There isn't a trace of last week's winter storm left. As much
as I love winter I confess it's one of the best things in
the world when the seasons start to shift--it's like a new
beginning. Last
week was trying with several power outages due to equipment
changes being made by the power company. Spent
much of yesterday outside with my girls, we picked up winter's
hidden gifts--the toboggans that Daisy scattered around the
resort have now appeared in the melting snow. The girls and
I went for a walk yesterday with no fear of slipping on ice,
what a treat. The lake "looks thawed" because the
surface of the ice is filled with melted snow. The birds are
already starting to return and they could be heard and seen
everywhere we went. Life is good.
03/10/09
Heard
the wolves howling on Thursday night and yesterday I noticed
several Pileated Woodpeckers hanging around. Guests skiing
reported wolf tracks along the ski trail. The weathermen are
saying that we are in for a major winter storm with up to
18" of snow (depends upon which guy you are listening
too!) that is supposed to arrive around Noon today--good thing
the shovels aren't put away yet. Gary is getting desperate
for a Florida break--perhaps we'll do our part to stimulate
the economy and take a vacation of our next month. JR's track
season started yesterday and he seems excited and ready to
get running.
03/02/09
It
was beautiful weekend--lots of sun and blue skies. There is
still plenty of winter ahead of us but a peson can't help
but get a sense that spring isn't too far away with the arrival
of March.
During the warm weather
seasons every now and again something odd will wash up on
the beach here at the resort, but this is a first: yesterday,
I discovered a Grand Am--yes, that's right a car "banked"
at the beach. Someone, clearly someone that is not too bright,
drove a car out on the lake and they made it as far as the
beach. Now, it's sitting out there stuck in the snow. This
could get interesting.
Thinking of Heidi
this morning--hope your surgery goes well and that your recovery
is swift. Heidi had an unfortunate snowmobile accidient about
a week ago and hit a rock off of the snowmobile trail.
02/16/09
It's
snowing this morning! I'm told by the ski and snowmobile trail
groomers that all of the winter trails are in good condition
again--even after the warm weather and rain. Greetings go
out to Bonnie! The weekend was busy but filled with "reunions"
of summer guests and those who, like me, love winter--and
since I know you are reading this an extra greeting goes out
to the Kvitruds and the Cartwrights and of course the "ladies
from the Twin Cities" plus I am extending a HUGE thank
you to Dustin--thanks for giving us a helping hand with the
Skid Steere (to my faithful readers: sorry, I won't be posting
the details of that "adventure" here).
I'm "hobbling"
again--I went down on the ice Friday afternoon twice (during
the skid steere adventure) and both times managed to land
right on my tailbone. Advil is my best friend right now.
Because You Asked:
JR is still in love and I am of course loving every moment
of it. I post this update #1 because you asked and #2 because
it will mortify him!! :-)
Also, because you've
asked--depsite the economy the resort seems to be busier than
ever. I feel blessed that you all think of us when you are
looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life
and I am thrilled that we are able to provide a place for
you to regroup.
Ely's annual Winter
Festival is behind us and by my estimate Bill Slaughter and
Northern Lights introduced approximately 150+ guests to dog
sledding. We met a lot of new people and it was wonderful
to see everyone's faces as they stopped by the lodge afterwards.
If any of you are reading this and have photos of your time
with us that you would like to share please send them my way!
02/07/09
Moose,
Moose and Moose--yes, that's 3 MOOSE were spotted on the end
of our driveway on Thursday evening! With the weather warm
up the wild ones are on the move again. On Tuesday morning,
I stopped for a wolf that was about the cross Highway 21--it
couldn't decide where to go, slipped on the ice twice and
then finally just stopped in front of me and got its bearings.
On Monday I spotted a large red fox walking along the trees.
The deer are moving around again and you will frequently spot
a herd of them along the shoreline.
Congrats to the Schauers
were here celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and Grandbaby
#2 is on the way!.
The past month has
been cold (there I said it!) and you would think that I have
been spending my time here at my desk BUT there's been no
time--hence I have neglected my Journal for the past month.
We have plenty of snow but new notable new accumulation in
nearly a month. It's warm again this morning 26 ABOVE with
a chance of snow later. The Winter Festival is in full swing--the
Lodge is hosting dog sled rides again with Bill Slaughter.
Daisy the Wonder Dog is living large and entertaining all
of the guests on the sledding hill.
01/15/09
I've
received several emails from you all saying that I must be
BUSY because it's been nearly two weeks since my last entry.
The pace has been steady--we have SNOW! The truth is, that
I think I am hibernating--just a little--enough with the arctic
cold already. Dealing with it is mostly just a state of mind
but when every time you turn on the radio or the TV absolutely
everyone is whining about the temperatures the message is
the same and you ALMOST start believing what you hear. Fact
of the matter is that you can't do anything about it so just
deal with it already. Of course, the alternative to talking
about the weather is probably Minnesota's never ending recount,
again deal with and get on with business.
Camp
Polar Bear starts tomorrow--very fitting name because it's
always a little arctic this weekend. A welcome invasion of
6th graders heat it up and every year the kids in this camp
show everyone that winter is no big deal. They dog sled, toboggan,
cook outside, sauna, snowshoe, toboggan some more and more--spending
every spare moment outside!
12/29/08
Hope
everyone enjoyed the holiday--it seemed like it took forever
to get here and now it's already over. I think that the Vogt
family enjoyed it. The resort can make it more than a little
challenging to keep our own family traditions BUT this year
everything was perfect.
Santa
even left a special gift for Kendall family--I think the kids
all had a great time. They told me that Santa rocks!
12/22/08
More
snow and a little blast of cold. We've been busy TRYING to
get the trails in shape but it has been a bit of a battle.
So many of the trails cross wet or low areas and even though
it has been cold (like the middle of January cold) the snow
is keeping everything from freezing solid. Yesterday, JR and
I were packing the snowmobile route across the lake and we
were knee deep in slush--a VERY freaky sensation and even
though my head knows that the ice is more than thick enough
below me my stomach isn't quite so sure! JR's sled actually
stalled out in the middle of the lake and during the two minutes
we were checking out his sled my sled track and skis froze
in the slush--about this time I am wondering WHY are we doing
this! All is well, we towed his sled off the lake and last
night our temps dropped to -21 and so that made all of our
hard work worth it because things froze up pretty well. Of
course, they are talking more snow tomorrow!
I've
been enjoying everyone's holiday letters and cards--an extra
hello to the Iowa FAB 5 and Jaeger and Kaeden too! What a
treat the family received from Selma and Warren--I've tucked
them under the tree for Christmas--thank you! A lifetime ago
I worked at TCF Bank and my boss and I have kept in touch
through the years. He is a wise and kind man who has now retired
to Florida. He shared this rather fitting message in his holiday
greeting:
Go
placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
His
holiday wish for all was that this 1927 poem titled Desiderata
(Latin for things desired) by Max Ehrmann might help each
of us see beyond the current turbulence, focus on better days
ahead and appreciate our blessings.
12/15/08
We've
got snow! This weekend's storm delivered between 11 and 14
inches and a bit of cold too. I think this is the most snow
that we have had on the ground this early in the season. We're
still shoveling out--the wind blew hard and packed the snow
in tight on every single walkway and step. It's a good thing
they closed school today so my helper was home for the day.
12/07/08
It's
the holiday season......Dashing through the snow.....Baby
it's cold outside......you know the songs! I've caught myself
humming (I don't sing as instructed by my 6th grade music
teacher) them all last
week as I was decking the halls and trimming the resort for
the holiday season. I get swept away (especially when there
is snow) but my work is done: 8 indoor trees, 3 outdoor trees,
the lights are hung, the fresh balsam is hung ALTHOUGH last
night I was comtemplating doing something extra at the suites.
The holiday baking is well underway, the Christmas cards are
finished, the Resort's annual newsletter is finished and best
of all my shopping is done--a major accomplishment because
I truly hate shopping.
It's
a CHILLY morning today -22 when I got up at 6am. I love the
crisp air. There is something so pure about winter: you can
hear every footstep outside and the birds twittering in the
tree tops, the lake popping and the echo it sends off and
you smell the occassional wisp of smoke from the fireplace.
Winter is best!
12/01/08
Thanksgiving
has come and gone--the turkey was great, the company was spectacular
and there was just a touch of snow. Here
at the resort we start the holiday season the day after Thanksgiving--that
means the holiday decorating can start. I enjoy the Christmas
holiday and all of its trimmings: the lights and the tree(s)
but especially the spirit of Christmas.
The Friday after Thanksgiving we traditionally put up our
tree but LATE Thursday night I just couldn't help myself.
Around 9pm the holiday spirit struck me and I gave in to the
impluse and decorated the lodge--JR and I always do the tree
together and we enjoy the company of The Oldies, The Great
Ones (It's a Wonderful Life followed by some classic Dean
Martin and a few others). By 3am I was finished. On Saturday
afternoon we were busy making holiday wreaths and swags--I
enjoyed it immensley! By the middle of the afternoon everyone
had completed their holiday trimmings--Ann your talents are
inspiring! I continued on with the project as I make all of
the swags/wreaths that decorate the resort myself--by the
time I finished there were 32 "traditional" balsam
swags, 4 large swags and serveral large wreaths. I think my
fingers will smell like fresh pine for a week.
11/24/08
The
wolves were howling last night--marking the end of the hunting
season I suppose. This morning it's 19 degrees out and the
lake is making lots of noise as it makes ice--it's eerie and
comforting at the same time to hear it echos as the ice shifts.
11/22/08
I
see that it's been a bit since my last entry--this is the
time when each year I give attention to things like the website--I
moved the site to a new hosting company and have been working
on adding features and changing pages. Everything around the
resort is ready for winter--we have ice on this end of the
lake. In my memory, this is only the second time that there
has been ice this early. My internal clock is off--feels like
Thanksgiving should have been this past week so I guess I've
gained a week. So, what to do with the extra time? This quiet
time of the year is always our time for the family to regroup--at
least a little. We actually take time for breakfast and we
sit down together at the kitchen table for dinner.
Gary
is "all caught up" with the snowmobile projects--waiting
for a little more cold weather and then they will begin packing
the swamps along the trailways. I have been doing the clubs
finances and "secretarial" tasks for the last three
years and I am thinking that it is time to let someone else
have the honor. I inspected the ski trail across the road
last week--there was a lot of water so I didn't make it all
the way to the end. JR is busy with school and his girlfriend,
Kasha--he has started running again so his knee(s) are all
better. It's good to see this cold weather BEFORE the snow
arrives because there is so much water from our fall rains--the
lake is definitely up again.
I see
by my last entry that I was in the middle of Harvesting
Hearts--well I just finished it yesterday so I guess I
haven't been getting in much reading time. It was ok--probably
not a favorite and the ending seemed to have been dropped.
With
all of the hunting seasons it has been ages since I have heard
a wolf howling--hardly even see a deer anymore. Last week
I swear a moose was crashing through the woods just across
the shoreline from the marina--nothing else could make that
much noise. Oh, there were three river otters swimming at
the main dock about a week ago--no pictures, they saw the
camera and fled.
10/27/08
We
received our first snow of the season last night! I feel like
a kid on Christmas morning today. It's been awhile since my
last entry--of course we've been busy here closing down the
seasonal cabins and doing all of those little jobs that need
to be done before the arrival of winter. For me, this is often
the time of year that I "physically crash" after
the busy summer season and this year has been no exception.
First, I threw out my back which after about two weeks has
returned to normal. Then, last Monday morning I went to the
dentist to repair what I thought was a cracked crown but instead
I was treated to my first root canal--much fun--and this morning,
I return to the dentist to finish the process. My boys are
doing well and the girls are doing a lot of sleeping--all
three of them are sleeping in front of the fire as I write
this. Ely's football season ended last week (a painful relief
after a difficult season!) and JR has finished the physical
theraphy on his knee.
Congratulations to
John and Ashlee who are here with us on their honeymoon. No
news in the way of wildlife or the northern lights--we've
been in a long stretch of rain and clouds. The wolves and
their pups continue to let us know that they are out there
with their evening howls. Guests attempted a little fishing
over the MEA weekend, but things were pretty quiet.
10/09/08
I
saw another MOOSE today--this morning on my way home from
Ely on Highway 21 a big beautiful cow was standing in the
ditch picture perfect against the golden colors of the birch
leaves. If only I had my camera along!
Our fall
colors have definitely peaked--the resort is full of red and
gold. Its very windy today and feels like rain. I have a lovely
fire burning here in the lodge and I've taken a little time
off to do some baking while I wait for this weekend's guests
to arrive.
A big
thanks to Selma for recommending The Art of Racing in the
Rain by Garth Stein--a great dog story--in fact, I think
that this one is a favorite! I also just finished Jodi Picoult's--Salem
Falls (I'm in the middle of her Harvesting Hearts)
and Lean Mean 13 by Janet Evanovich.
09/29/08
I
played hooky today and spent the day in Duluth--saw a big
beautiful moose standing along the edge of the ditch and the
Paleface River on Highway 53, saw a big flock of Blue Heron
Cranes flying overhead, a red fox in the driveway and when
I pulled back into the resort last night it was as if the
resort was surrounded by wolves--they were howling from all
directions and it felt like there were right next to us. The
howling continued through the night and they woke me up just
after midnight, around 1am and again around 2:30. The last
time was REALLY loud and even Goldie was pacing and growling.
It was a good day!
09/28/08
Busy,
busy! A little rain, heavy morning fogs, cooler temps and
fall colors--everyone is enjoying the fall season. On Friday
night around 1:30am I was woke up by howling wolf pups--Daisy
wasn't impressed and did a little growling of her own. Recently
finished Change of Heart (Picoult) it was a good read and
thanks Ann for the recommendation. JR's
most recent football injury (the other knee this time)
has finished his season for him. Fortunately, it's just a
bad sprain but I know he is disappointed.
09/24/08
Beautiful
day today after LOTS of rain overnight. Fall colors are nearing
peak. The adult loons left last week but I still saw one of
the young loons yesterday. Gary saw a moose on his way back
to Duluth on Sunday evening (he drove Hwy 1). I have been
receiving an unbelievable number of calls from folks looking
to visit ONLY if they can see the northern lights but like
so many things in life there are no guarantees. I have lots
of new photos to get onto the web site so thanks for all of
your submissions, I expect to work on that task the first
week of October as day to day resort tasks are taking up most
of my time these days.
09/16/08
A
perfect northwoods ending to a very long day: much of today
was spent doing what I call "major" fall cleaning
in the suites (floor to ceiling/wall to wall--dusting, scrubbing
and carpet cleaning--even moving those great big king size
beds) and then working on the grounds around the suites).
I called it a day/night around 9pm and took a moment up on
the deck to look at the stars and watch the boat lights of
a fisherman out in the bay--complete silence. Then as I was
trying to force by aching bones to get up out of a very comfortable
deck chair--my resident owl hooted and almost simultaneously
a couple of wolves howled to each other. When the silence
returned, it was time to go in.
Turns
out it was Lloyd out on the lake and I could tell by the commotion
of the fish house disposal that he had met with some success
out on the lake! Way to go Lloyd.
Beth,
Aaron and Andrea--can't forget Bean & Lola (the dogs)
recently returned home from their visit us and shared photos
of their vacation. Click
here to share their experience!
Blog
Idea Update: After much research, consideration and input
from my Journal readers I have decided NOT to go the bog route--while
the interactive feature would have been nice I think that
it would not have functioned as well/easily as this Journal
does. My writings would be by day/tropic and as you can see
by my entries, that would have been a challenge. So, instead
you will find a new email link at the top and bottom of this
page. Drop me an email, put JOURNAL in your subject line and
I will gladly post and share your comments here.
09/15/08
Farewell
to Jim and Linda--you became a fixture during the past month
and it was a pleasure having you here with us. When I retire,
I want to be just like you! The resort feels a bit empty without
you here.
It's
a chilly morning today 33 degrees when I woke up--full moon
and clear skies last night. The wildflowers I planted in early
June are blossoming now so there are flowers bursting with
bright colors to end the season near the lodge and creek.
We are starting to see our fall colors which will make Bonnie's
week with great new photo opportunities. Many of my guests
this summer purchased our photo cards which featured Bonnie's
creative talents--most of the photos where taken right here
at the resort!
Congrats
to Mike and Doug who purchased their own cabin at the lake
here in Ely. I happy for you but will miss your frequent stays
here at Northern Lights.
09/13/08
Starting
to see fall colors--cooler temps and a little rain. I noticed
that the deer have lost their golden tawny coats and turned
to winter brown. The loons are still here and we heard wolves
howling twice this past week. Fishing continues to be good
here on the lake as Fred can attest to with nice walleyes
(17-25") and amazing bass (17-20"). Daisy
and Pepper are seriously missing Fred, Warren and Selma--who
pampered the dogs (and us!). Thanks for all the treats and
goodies! Fred--it made me laugh to see the 3 dog treats lined
up and it was as if they knew because all three of my girls
were sitting on the deck waiting AND I laughed again when
I went to clean your fridge SO of course, I sat down with
my girls and had a small part of that great big treat too
Thank you to Vicky and Warren for the additions to our resort
library!
Things
are winding down and looking at the calendar we have three
more fall weekends and then we'll close the seasonal cabins--10/05
is the big day. Because so many people ask, winding down does
not equal slowing down--it's just a different kind of busy
as we prepare for winter--the list is LONG plus you try to
finish off the spring list that you couldn't get to!.
09/04/08
A
big THANKYOU goes out to Gary Cooper from Ohio and across
the lake (during the summer!) for the phone call last night
alerting me to the appearance of the Northern Lights! I think
it was a treat for all of the guests (as it was for me) to
see the lights last night. I would have missed them as I was
working away in the lodge.
09/02/08
Big
day today--school's back in session! JR
is off to begin his Junior year in Ely you can check out
Mom's 1st day of school photo--it's a tradition in the Vogt
house. JR has a home football game this afternoon (looks like
rain) that Pepper and I plan to attend. It has been VERY warm
and dry again this fall out but the forecast is for cooler
temps. I am hoping that we don't have a repeat of last fall's
rain/storms.
I saw a MOOSE
on Sunday night! Gary and I had to "rescue" to JR
who was visiting his girlfriend at their cabin down Highway
1--his car had a flat tire and he couldn't get the tire off.
On our way home there was a big and healthy moose standing
in the ditch just at the edge of Gary's headlights. The moose
was near the Ely Aiport on Hwy 1. Scott, a weekend guest had
a wolf run across the highway in front of him while he was
out for a early morning run--good luck in the Chicago Marathon.
Many of our guests
are aware of Gary's big project for the Babbitt ATV &
Snowmobile. He spent most of his weekends in July/August preparing
a 5 acre parcel that the club purchased in June for its new
home--putting in two driveway, clearing the building site
and prepping the site. Well, last week the actual building
construction started! Click
here to check it out.
Fishing News: The
walleyes are biting again! Congrats to Steve who caught a
big one--and put it back. The Murphy's landed a HUGE northern
their first night with us--fishing from the peninsula no less
because it was too windy to put the boat in the water. Plenty
of BIG bass action happening too.
08/25/08
Our
fall season has arrived and last week was busy with families
gathering for the week before the back to school madness--it
makes me a little sad to see the season end but then again
I am ready to appreciate the slower pace of life here. I also
have to comment on the arrows that our guests painted this
summer: AMAZING!
Daisy and Pepper's social life will slow down now that the
little ones are back in school--there
were a few days when the two of them just went upstairs and
slept because they were wore out. I must say that compared
to last summer, this was an "EASY" summer and our
guests were delightful--regulars always want to hear my "stories"
and there just weren't really any--we're always busy, but
this year we hosted a few extra resort activiites that made
it possible for me to spend more time outside with the guests.
Thanks for sharing your scrapbooks, albums and wedding pictures.
Saturday brought an
amazing shift it weather (just a little badly needed rain)
and the sunset, rainbow and cooler temps were amazing. Of
course, I am already thinking about our winter
season--take a moment and check it out!
To the Girls: hope
you enjoyed the sauna--I couldn't get him to stop by!
A big thank you (from
JR) to all of you who fed him all sorts of baked treats-he
loved the homemade cookies, cakes and banna breads (he pointed
out that I don't bake very often!)! I don't do too much baking
this time of year and with football practice twice a day he
is always starving!
Welcome baby
Lucy and congrations to David and Colleen!
Congrats to Mike and
Doug on your pending cabin purchase--sad to see you go as
you are practically family!
Thanks to Gary Cooper
(a Bear Island Lake resident) for adding us to your blog!
Bell--email me your
homemade guacamole recipe, it was fantastic!
Jim--shared a sample
of your wine with the ladies one rainy evening and it was
a hit!
Patrick--thanks for
the hilarious stories and photos as they always brighten my
day.
Wildlife: has been
abundant with lots of activity during the past two weeks--the
moon was full and it seems as though everyone had an opportunity
to hear the wolves howling. JR was at the boat house early
one morning last week and a small red fox was sitting on the
boat house steps (that explains that remains that we found
inside the boathouse throughout the summer). Bear droppings
aka blueberry pies were found in the driveway along with wolf
scat. We are still seeing wolves almost daily between the
resort and One Pine--the pups are so big already.
Fishing: has been
good--with northerns and bass a plenty the last few weeks:
HUGE northerns. Of course the walleye are sitting deep with
the heat but I expect to start seeing some action shortly.
This was without a doubt the best fishing season I have seen
in 8 summers--our fishing house grinder is the proof as we
had to have it sharpened early in the season.
A great BIG thank
you to everyone who tolerated my presence over the past month
while I SLOWLY and FINALLY finished staining the exterior
of the suites--I'm glad that job is done. Next job: the lodge
deck and sauna.
Web Site Notes: After
a bit of research I have opted to keep this format of my Journal
rather than begin a blog. I am also going to be moving my
site to a new hosting company here in the near future so you
may find the site down for short periods during this transition.
08/06/08
Well,
I guess it is the circle of life: unfortunately, the pheasant
(see note of 08/04) is no more. On a return trip to the resort
from Ely I discovered the pheasant on the highway--it was
hit by vehicle on the road. In the way of other news, a guest
reported seeing 5 wolf pups crossing the highway with an adult.
08/04/08
The Dog Days of Summer
are upon us--where has the summer gone? The June Berries are
ripe but we are still waiting for the Blueberries to turn.
There has been LOTS of activity and fun here at the resort--the
guests and young ones have kept me busy. While the Walleyes
may have slowed down, fishing for Northerns and Bass has still
been good. Those guests who have taken Bill's advice are even
finding a few Walleyes AND those who have tried a guided fishing
trip have all found success.
Busy, busy tubing--painting
and more with the kids. The arrow collection has GROWN and
I may have to start planting trees for future displays.
I think that I have
some of the kindest guest's possible--thanks for all of the
homemade goodies and homegrown veggies. What a feast: wine,
beans, salad greens, peas, honey and so much more. An extra
yummy thanks to Jim for the fresh Bear Island Lake fish--our
first taste of the season!
Thanks to everyone
who has been sending me pictures of their vacation time spent
here with us. I'll be posting them to the photo album ASAP.
JR and I took a little
time away from the resort last week and took his scuba gear
out in the lake--nice to have a little one on one time with
him!
This just in: Pheasant's
In Ely! My neighbor Jon sent me this picture this morning
of a pheasant along the road on Highway 21 this weekend. Click
here to see for yourself!
07/22/08
Sounds like there
may be a bear wandering the resort. Last week I thought I
heard one early in the morning along the beach bath last Friday
and this week guests in cabin #4 may have heard it too. On
Friday last week the Shauers reported that they were woke
up at 4:45am to a wolf howling outside their bedroom window
in cabin #12. I continue to see wolves near the driveway on
a regular basis as I make my trips to Ely with JR for football--those
trips will likely be fewer now that JR has his license (he
passed his driver's test yesterday).
Welcome Baby Ben!
It's his first visit to Northern Lights. Speaking of firsts,
I played my first game of ping pong--thanks Jack--I think
he won the match. The fish tank is now occupied thanks to
Abby! I think that Daisy will need a vacation by the end of
the week--Jack, Abby, Ellie and Sam are wearing her out each
day--Sunday night she "didn't come home" as she
was sleeping on the deck of Cabin #1. Daisy did not look very
pleased with me when I made her come back to the lodge.
Fishing has dropped
off a bit following the heat, storms and a late Mayfly hatch.
Guests are reporting a few Walleyes but that the Northerns
and Bass are large.
Checked on the progress
of the June and Blue berries today--both are just starting
to ripen. Picked a few blueberries--the plants look to be
having a normal season but there are not a lot June berries
and they are not very big this year.
07/10/08
Hot--Hot--Hot! That's
the only way to describe the fishing this week. The Baker
boys caught today's Walleye limit--sounds like another fish
fry!
A personal note
to Pat and Barb: the gang misses you this week. Thanks for
the update on Barb's procedure this morning. We've all been
thinking about you--it's not the same without you!
07/07/08
The
walleye action continues with the Bakers catching 7 this morning!
Chris and Mike and done VERY well with the BIG ONES caught
and released and plenty more for a fish fry!
Congrats to the Bakers
who are here this week celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary
with their family.
07/04/08
It's
been a bit since my last update--but its been a blast here
at the resort. The fishing has been exceptional--walleyes,
northerns and bass for all. We've been busy with our summer
guests fishing a bit with Ryan, trying to learn to finger
knit with Samantha (trying!) and checking out all of polliwogs
that the girls caught (Kara, Charolette and Samantha). The
good stuff of summer! The week will wrap up with the fireworks.
Still a fair amount of critter activity--the loons appear
to have lost one chick, the grouse at last count has 15 chicks
and they are huge already and guests have seen the spotted
fawns drinking at the pond. The bugs have really decreased
so that's a treat all by itself. Hope everyone has a great
4th!
06/17/08
Another
blue sky day--I love it! Mike and Doug commented about how
the loons woke them up at 3am and today I discovered that
they were announcing the arrival of not one but TWO loon chicks--I
first saw them early in the morning when I was cleaning the
fish house. Later, the parents hung around most of the afternoon
near the docks near where I was cleaning the pontoon boat.
Walleyes are biting
hard and guests are catching them BIG! The lake is still a
bit chilly but I think we are getting nearer to putting the
swim rafts in the water--several have called and asked if
it's in yet.
I am regularly suprised
by how many of you are reading and regularly checking my journal
updates--you even prompt me when I get "behind"
and I have to say thanks for the notes so many of you send
our way. It's funny, but when I make my entries I rarely "think
about my audience". So, all of your emails have gotten
me to thinking about stepping it up a notch with something
more interactive like a blog--any thoughts? Click
on this link and drop me a note and tell me what you think.
Take a moment out
of your day today to reflect upon life's blessings AND give
someone special a hug when they least expect it!
06/12/08
More
little ones--on the return trip from Ely (picking JR up from
Ely after running) we stopped in the driveway for a Grouse
and wouldn't you know it--I saw little ones at the edge of
the grass so we shut off the car and waited for ALL 17 of
them to safely cross the road. JR seems to think Mom is odd
since the process took about 5 minutes. The chicks were no
bigger than your thumb.
Returning to the resort
early this morning (JR met a friend in Ely to go running)
and I stopped on the highway for a Doe that appeared to be
ready to cross the road--cross she did and two beautiful fawns
trotted out of the tall grass behind her and all three paused
in the middle of my lane, looked my way, flicked their tails
a few times and continued casually on their way. One of life's
simple pleasures.
06/09/08
Another busy weekend.
Spent a part of Saturday cleaning up after the strong winds
that moved--trees down in the driveway and we lost my favorite
set of trees in front of the lodge as well as part of the
deck--good news is that the deck railing kept the trees from
dropping on the lodge roof. As they say, could have been worse!
Yeah--the suites landscaping repair has been completed and
the new top soil has been seeded. Glad to have that project
over. We also lost the pine tree outside my bedroom window--wonder
if my owl visitor will return.
06/05/08
The Walleyes are hungry and hitting hard! The fish house has
been getting a work. Seems to be plenty of Northerns and Bass
too.
06/01/08
Not sure how June snuck up on me but we've been busy working
on the cabins/grounds and just getting ready for summer. JR
has been busy with school and track--he competed in Sections
at Duluth last Friday and placed fifth. I've been busy painting
and staining--hoping to get to the suites this week but the
forecast is calling for rain so I may just stick to window/door
trim.. The lake is slowly dropping back to near normal lake
levels and I could actually see beach sand yesterday. Thanks
to Mike and Doug for the tree seedlings and thanks to Bonnie
for the beautiful cards (they have reminded me of my own creative
aspirations). I am still being serenaded by the owl several
times a week--it's perching in the pines behind the lodge.
Guests are slowly
starting to see some Walleye action but the Northerns and
Bass seem to be making up the difference. The wolf puppies
have arrived at the International Wolf Center.
The birch and maple
trees FINALLY have leaves and everything is a lush green.
I am hearing (and sometimes seeing) hummingbirds everywhere.
We've had a bit of rain in the evenings or short shower bursts
but there has been plenty of blues skies the past week. It
looks and feels like spring!
05/13/08
Way to go Will (and the rest of the school choir)--they sang
the National Anthem at tonight's Minnesota Twins' game.
05/10/08
Fishing Opener--a few snowflakes this morning around 7:30
and then it was mostly blue skys. Must admit, the Vogts did
not wet a line--yard work, etc. awaited. The fun and BIGT
news of the day: a MOOSE, a MOOSE--JR and Gary were on their
way in the driveway and there was a moose walking down the
center of the driveway! It was fun for them to see one this
time of the year AND right here at the resort.
05/07/08
Can't say for sure, but from here I see no ice! It rained
last night and the sun is shining today so if there is any
ice on the far end of the lake it won't last much longer.
It makes me chuckle
and perhaps puts in perspective just how high the water table
is right now. I've written about the return of the ducks to
the lake and how every now and then we have a pair of ducks
in the pond next to the driveway. Well, there is so much water
that the ducks are even "swimming" in the standing
water along the driveway in other areas AND twice this week
I have followed ducks out the driveway as they WALK down the
driveway--they don't even fly off or move to the shoulder!
This morning, I went down to Gary's shop to get a bit for
my drill and there were two ducks sunning in front of the
garage door.
The pond is full of
the sounds of the frogs and our resident owl was outside my
bedroom window two nights ago "Who, whoing" away.
04/30/08
Today is our "resort anniversary" and we purchased
Northern Lights Lodge 7 years ago. Summer #8, here we come!
The big Up North news is that we are still waiting
for ice out and based on the 10 day forecast I am predicting
ice out for next week. We were relieved that last weekend's
snowstorm missed us and we did not receive the 14" of
snow that they were talking about--only around 3".
Our thoughts and prayers
are with the Blomberg family this week--John and Carol were
on their way to Ely on Monday and they lost control of their
Jeep on Highway 21. John did not survive and Carol was transported
to Duluth. Many of you know and remember Zach--my second son--who
spent 4 summers working here and may have met Megan last summer.
John and Carol are their grandparents.
Looking for something
new to read--listening to books on tape right now as I paint,
clean, etc. Any author or title suggestions for me? Gary is
busy working in Duluth and JR is busy with school and track.
The girls and I are busy here! Graded the driveway yesterday
and did some yard work around the snowbanks. Deer, fox and
wolves are everywhere. No sign of bears yet.
04/25/08
This time of year I don't have too much time to read but if
you like Dean Koontz and love Goldens then I recommend The
Darkest Evening of the Year. The story line is typical Koontz
and it's a quick read.
More than one? I woke
this morning to what I thought at first was someone talking
in their sleep or one of the girls having a puppy dream but
as sleep left me I realized that it was an owl outside my
window--a 5am wake up call. At 6:30 when I left the girls
out I could still hearr it near cabin #12 and at 7:30 when
I was cleaning in cabin #3 it was over by cabin #1 chatting
away. Felt like I had a taskmaster on my heels--the things
you notice in the northwoods.
04/22/08
8:45am and I just heard a loon--they're back!
04/21/08
The pussy willows are out, temps are over 60 degrees, tax
season is over, the lake ice is getting darker, grouse are
drumming furiously, I hear birds everywhere, the channel is
wide open, full of ducks-Canadian geese-2 swans, the snow
was a good thing because now there is standing water in the
woods, the pond is full, the creek is rushing and last night
delivered a nice spring shower. Life is good!
Tough Mom Weekend--sniffle,
sniffle--my baby bought his first car--sniffle, sniffle!.
Granted, I have a little time to get used to the idea since
he won't have his license until the end of June. Then to make
the week even harder his class ring was just delivered. Oh
boy! Track season has started so he is busy running and training
again.
Busy weekend ahead
clearing the trees that snapped over the winter or that were
too stressed after last summer's dry spell. Last Saturday
afternoon I opened up the seasonal cabins and I felt like
a kid on Christmas Day as I went through each one--Gary says
he would remind me of joyful mood come August-September!
04/13/08
Whew! I'm glad that the last 7 days are behind us. Feels like
the last week was spent shoveling snow, plowing snow and raking
snow off of the cabin roofs! I keep hearing different snow
reports but it sounds like the past week's snow storms brought
us around 38-40" of snow. I'm loving today's blue skies
and this week's forecast of 50-60 degree temperatures. JR
was loving it with 2 snow days (unheard of up here!). The
channel is wide open today and there is plenty of squawking
and flapping in the open water--looks like ducks. The deer
clearly don't appreciate the new snow amounts as they prefer
to walk the driveway. Nearly every trip in or out of the resort
the last 3 days we've "followed" the deer herd down
the driveway. Around sunset last night I walked over to cabin
#3 and disturbed 3 deer sleeping under the deck, another first
for me.
04/06/08
From golf carts to snowplows this morning! The fresh accumulation
of snow is over the 12" mark. It's wet, heavy and still
coming down hard--I can't even see the lake. Apparently, Pepper
was not impressed--I went outside with the girls this morning
and she stepped out of the lodge onto the deck and looked
at me before turning around and going back into the lodge--she
went back to bed!
04/05/08
What a beautiful day! Hey to the neighbor down the road--nice
visiting with you this morning and I hope you enjoyed the
rest of your run! We took advantage of the conintued spring
weather and did clean up projects today. Still a little cool
and wet out there but the snow is melting fast. The channel
opened up yesteday and I could see birds enjoying the fresh
water. Guests spotted a HUGE black wolf on the lake this week
while out with their dog on walk--the wolf was drinking water
from an open area on the lake. Lots of fresh scat in the driveway
again yesterday.
04/03/08
It's good to be home and getting away for a little while has
given me a new burst of energy. I'm busy this week painting
cabin #12--all 3 bedrooms, both bathrooms, the hallway, stairs
and kitchen. I've refinished the bunkbeds and sanded/stained/sealed
all the windows. It's looking great--next step, clean the
carpet and do a little redecorating. Thought I heard a Robin
today but I couldn't see it in the pine tree.
03/31/08
The family returned yesterday from a FL vacation--our second
family vacation in 7 years and as you know Gary's ONLY vacation
destination--I can't get him back to the mountains or into
Alaska! Once the truck was unpacked (we drove--3,450 miles
round trip), the dogs were picked up from the kennel (and
bathed!) I took my evening walk through the resort and soaked
up the complete and utter silence of the lake--I MISSED IT--except
for Buddy across the lake who barked a couple of times as
if he knew we were home. Florida
was nice and I loved getting to the beach every morning before
sunrise.
This morning
as I took my morning walk with Daisy I couldn't help but chuckle
as I reflected upon the change of scenery. Instead of shorts
and a tank top I donned a turtleneck and a light pair of mittens!
While there were no pelicans flying overhead I was treated
to a pair of pileated woodpeckers, I came upon 5 huge white
tail deer in the driveway instead of crabs scurrying off back
to the ocean, I spotted wolf and moose scat instead of starfish
and AND I found the pin and washers that fell off of the snowplow
last January! I've returned to my desk with pink cheeks from
the cold and I wouldn't trade it for anything--it's good to
be home!
Congrats to
David and Colleen who are expecting their first!
03/11/08
Went for a walk with Daisy this morning at 5am--it's balmy
out, the stars were still out and saw a shooting star pass
under the Big Dipper. Beautiful morning!
03/08/08
Chipping away at my To Do List:
-
worked
on the web site (some new pictures and cabin pages)
-
on-line reservation are
back for the suites (sorry, we're still going to do the
cabins the old fashion way)
-
- Gary and I finished
a Federal grant application for the snowmobile trail system
-
all
my tax work pulled together and delivered to my favorite
accountant
-
fixed
my front desk system wireless system access--finally figured
it out!
02/25/08
An amazing weekend-clear blue skis and warm! Daisy is outside
right now with a VERY fun group from Rochester sledding--in
their t-shirts!
Late this afternoon
the family went out for a short snowmobile ride-it was great.
We stopped along the trail to stretch our legs and got to
listen to two owls hooting back and forth to each other and
saw a wolf crossing a frozen pond. After we returned to the
resort we jumped in the hot tub-the stars were amazing and
we even got to listen to the wolves howling!
Guests who were here
for a couple of days of snowmobiling saw a pack of wolves
out on Bear Island Lake just before Noon--pretty cool.
02/20/08
Okay, it's -20 this morning and I am beginning to day dream
about a warm, sandy beach and a coastal ocean breeze! You
all know that I love winter but even I am ready for something
warmer! Looking back at last few entries you are either getting
the message that it's been cold or I'm whining BUT this morning
the girls (Goldie, Daisy and Pepper) wouldn't even get up
to go outside with me at 5:30am! Well, the good news is that
the days are getting longer and we are seeing more of the
sun--you needed shades today!
02/15/08
Still no measurable NEW snow but what came down early in the
season is holding on pretty well because it's been COLD. Someone
told me last week that the temps are typical but it seems
like there have been a lot of NEGATIVE temperature readings
all winter long. Fortunately there have been no winter casualties
like frozen water lines and I hope it stays that way.
The annual winter
festival was fun and the resort hosted dog sled rides twice
during the two week festival--actually only once as the seconded
weekend was canceled due to the COLD and something like -50
windchill temperatures.
01/31/08
Moose! No shortage of moose
so far this winter--Gary was treated to a moose sighting while
grooming the Taconite Spur Trail when he came upon a large
bull moose standing in the middle of the trail-he said it
didn't want to move off the trail and just turned to watch
him. Resort guests riding snowmobiles also came upon a bull
moose that was crossing the trail near the resort and finally,
guests out dog sledding caught a glimpse of one as it dashed
off the trail and back into the woods.
January has
been busy AND cold! I'd love to see some more snow but it
really has snowed since the first week of January. JR has
taken on the job of grooming the cross country ski trails
around the resort--I'm glad he enjoys the job because I'm
certainly not very good at operating the controls!
Daisy the Wonder Dog
has been busy sledding with the guests--she's not shy about
asking anyone to play with her either and she'll select a
sled from our collection and take it to the top the hill.
If you've ever done the hill here, you know the walk back
up to the top is so much fun but when you are playing with
Daisy the job is just a little bit easier because she brings
the sled up for you.
01/01/08
- Happy New Year! A great
day to be outside! Had fun skiing with our guests.
12/25/07
- Merry Christmas One and
All! It has been a WONDERFUL
white Christmas here with our guests--thanks for making it
so memorable.
12/24/07
Late this afternoon I snuck
away from the resort and got to see what it was like to groom
a snowmobile trail--my first time out--here
we are going down the Stony Spur Trail--it was a great
day to be out and the trees along the trail were covered with
snow and the skies were blue!
12/22/07
All's quiet in the lodge,
the snow is falling (click
here for a view out my window!), our guests have arrived
for the holidays and Dean is singing "what do I care"
and it seems fitting. My boys are out grooming the Stony Spur
Snowmobile Trail, the girls are all out in the lodge sleeping
in front of the fire and I'm taking advantage of the calm.
I think Gary is wondering where the presents are...there are
a few under the tree but he has not yet found where I hid
them! We've had three days of warm and moist air-everything
has a magical quality covered by hoar frost.
12/19/07
Congratulations
to Kari and Pierre, who were here on their honeymoon after
being married on Saturday on the shore of Lake Superior in
the middle of a snow storm.
12/15/07
Waiting to see what this
winter will bring-we've had some early snow which is nice
to see but I'm a bit nervous because it came before we had
really good ice on the lake. Here at the lodge we are ready
for the holidays--many of you have asked what it's like here
in the winter and of course I've told you "winter is
best!" the trees are decorated (10 of them), the holiday
wreaths and swags are trimmed and hanging (22 of them-JR and
I make them), the lights are strung and the end of my shopping
list is in sight.
On the home front,
the boys are both doing well. Gary has to take it "cool"
but the main seems to be diminishing. He was told that he
could have surgery but the doctor wants him to wait two months
as it may get better-it seems like it was sound advice. JR
is "fine" but is a little worried that he may not
run track next year.
12/01/07
Oh baby! It's beautiful outside.
Cold temps since Thanksgiving have helped to start freezing
up the lake....need more but we are off to a nice start. It's
snowing again today and we may see close to 10". This
will be the 4th snowfall and I've officially broken in the
snow shovels this winter!
Here at the
resort, we're ready for the holidays....JR and I collected
boughs for our holiday wreaths and swags. All of the straw
is spread and everything is winterized. Thank you to everyone
who has dropped us a note during the last month--as I make
these entries, I tend to "forget" how many of you
read them!
They say things
come in 3s so we should be there for this series, but I think
if I were keeping score this would be #14....Gary hurt is
back just before Thanksgiving simply rinsing shampoo out while
in the shower. I'm ready to close out 2007 and am hoping that
2008 is eventless. My biggest accomplishment since my last
entry is that I have FINALLY unpacked the last box in Gary's
shop and he says it's just like Christmas having all of this
things unpacked. The resort is ready for winter--the snowshoes
and toboggans are out, all 30 bales of straw are spread so
the septic systems are insulated. The only project we did
not get finished is the new landscaping along the suites but
that will need to be a spring project now.
11/20/07
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
11/12/07
An unusual couple of weeks
have passed that I am glad to have behind me. Last Monday
brought us our first measurable snow of the season and unfortunately,
I forgot how to drive in the snow and had a not so minor accident
on my way to Ely. Glad to report that JR was not hurt and
I won't complain about my bumps and bruises. JR reported that
conditions were just as bad again on Saturday while he and
Gary were hauling sand and gravel--they called it quits when
a friend nearly collided with them about a mile from the resort.
The guys are working to fix the hill along the suites that
were damaged in September/October with the nearly 30"
of rain that we received. Last weekend Gary and I dug in drain
tile off of the rain gutters and now we are reinforcing the
hilly slopes with more fill.
A little bit of ice
is along the edge of the lake each morning, nothing permanent
yet. Saturday's snow was beautiful-big wet flakes blanketed
the trees and covered everything. Much of it appears to have
melted overnight.
Thursday, I
discovered a "break in" at cabin #6. While attempting
a temporary repair of the broken window, I discovered that
the culprit was still inside. Follow these links and you'll
see that my intruder was able to escape unharmed! Intruder
#1 Intruder #2
Very happy to report
that JR's football injury will NOT require surgery. He hurt
his knee when a bunch of the guys picked up a game after school.
The official report is that he sprained his ACL and probably
has a very small fracture. He's enjoyed having "time
off" from his usual chores around the resort.
Finished painting
the interior of cabin #11 last week--all 7 rooms/hallways
are finished! Now, I'm hoping to move into cabin #12 and finish
it before Thanksgiving arrives. The resort is nearly "ready
for winter". Our only remaining winter prep project is
to cover the septic systems with straw.
10/15/07
Another 3.75" of rain
last week. This morning after Gary left for work I heard a
couple of fox just across the channel. We've had a red fox
with white tipped tail visit us twice last week and I had
a pine marten on the back patio. There are a LOT of deer and
even more grouse-seems like you see at least 3 or 4 every
time you go out the driveway. On a return trip from Ely one
evening last week, I slowed down for what I thought was a
pair of deer coming up out of the ditch but quickly realized
it was two young timber wolves. They trotted down Highway
21 in front of us for about a quarter mile before they stopped,
turned around and watched us before deciding to get off of
the highway.
Still hear the loons occasionally. Quite a few ducks below
behind the channel.
Congrats to Kelly,
Mary Bess, Jan and Pat who just redeemed their free two night
stay!
Woke up early Saturday
morning, set out with a fresh cup of coffee (that's my occasional
escape) and went for a short drive and watched the sun break
through the fog. The tamaracks were golden and frosted-glorious!
Not a lot of leaves left on the trees-still a few yellow birches
painting the shoreline.
Book Review: Just
finished reading Greg Iles True Evil novel. Enjoyed the story
and the characters. Now, I've picked up a copy of Marker by
Robin Cook. Probably shouldn't have picked out something with
another clinical theme but the introduction sounded like another
fun read.
Dan and friends were
back this weekend for their fall camping break-to be that
young again...the frosty overnight temps did not get in their
way-they weren't even tempted by Gary's offer to "camp"
out in a cabin instead!
The lake is REALLY
up this fall. We had to move the firepit for the suites this
weekend because the original area is now under water. We'll
pull the docks in on Saturday.
Spent a good portion
of last week working away in cabin #11--painting the kitchen
and the downstairs bathroom. Next week I'll finish up with
the master bedroom, the upstairs hallway and bathroom. Then
on to cabin #12. Both cabins now have all new dishes and cookware.
10/08/07
I'm back....I hope....I'll
try! After hearing from yet another guest today that they
miss my updates to this journal. So, for all of you faithful
readers thanks for hanging in there and for being so patience.
Welcome to the family
Baby Joey!
I love a rainy day-especially
when I can be in the lodge and listening to the rain falling
on the steel roof BUT enough already. Since the first week
of September by my rain gauge we have had 24" of rain.
The lake is really high-in fact it is coming up and over the
peninsula. Our biggest rainfall was 11+ A HUGE thank you goes
out to Wayne, Barb, Selma and Warren for jumping in and helping
me take the Bongo out of the lake this year. I was geared
up to take on the task by myself and suddenly I had 4 wonderful
volunteers.
The 5 seasonal cabins
are closed for the season, the motors are winterized so we
are almost ready for winter. I'll have to wait until spring
to put the new carpet in cabin #5.
JR played football
again this year for Ely (JV and C squad). His season is almost
wrapped up. I managed to sneak away and get to almost all
of his-I don't know a lot about football but I sure have fun
watching....brought Pepper to a late afternoon home game.
She loves watching the ball but really wants to be on the
field playing with the kids.
So, why the long lasp?
Summer #7 proved to be "interesting" and for those
of you who were with us through these "interesting"
times right now, you can sit back and chuckle knowing that
you KNOW the rest of the story! Fortunately, I can now sit
back and chuckle....wish I could write a book! Staffing was
definitely a challenge this summer. JR worked "solo"
on the grounds this year and on Saturday's with
no outside help after about the third week of June. What a
great kid! I started out with 12 housekeepers but was down
to 5 by the middle of June....that's actually typical. A big
thank you to Wendy for helping me out through August. Bottom
line, just too busy and there were not enough hours in my
day.
08/14/07
Took in the annual Perseid meteor shower last night-there
was just a little bit of meteror viewing when I went out at
11:45. Congrats to Sherm and Vicky who recently redeemed their
free two night stay!
Welcome to the family
baby Mya! Congrats to Dawn and Rod who are expecting their
first child-Rod, I bet you can't wait to show this little
one how to bait a hook!
Congrants to Marc
and Heather--they are getting married! See you next July.
06/10/07
Busy, busy! It's been impossible to sit down at my desk (obviously
since my last entry was 04/25) but we have completed almost
all of our spring projects (some planned, others....a little
unexpected) here at the resort. We've done new carpet and
vinyl, new plumbing fixtures and replaced a couple of decks
too. The "to do list" is almost complete. The lake
is really up right now and the rain gauge said 6" last
week and it's a treat to have blue skies again today. Guests
have had a little fishing success in between our rain showers.
The walleyes are hitting a bit and the bass action has been
phenomenal. Spent last night on the dock with a Ryan and Isaac
(even JR joined in on the action) teaching them my fishing
secrets-they had fun and congrats to Ryan who can now bait
his own hook and release his own fish! I think that JR and
I will take the kayaks down the river today. Gary and JR have
been busy building their "dive boat" and JR and
I spent a little time out on the lake with his dive gear last
week. The water should be warm enough this week to get the
Bongo and swim rafts out on the water.
04/25/07
Looks like the ice
is out! I think the last "ice berg" just drifted
past! The lake looks like it has returned to normal levels-
it's right up to the edge of the docks. The creek is flowing
fast and sounds like a series of rapids as is flows past cabin
#1 and down into the lake. Spring is here!
04/21/07
The loons are home!
I heard them calling during the middle of the night last night
and this morning I went down to the lake and was greeted by
our resident pair of loons! Congrats to Mike and Doug who
have decided to set claim to their own piece of heaven up
on the Echo Trail.
04/19/07
On Monday morning
I saw a pair of robins that afternoon the channel opened up
enough to fill up with a variety of ducks. Tuesday morning
I noticed a pair of swans in the channel. Spring! Can't wait
to hear the loons again. It's that time of year when we try
to tackle all sorts or resort projects-remodeling projects
inside and out. Today's fun project is removing the old tile
and grout around the fireplace in cabin #11. As soon as the
temps are a little bit warmer I have a few outside painting
jobs to tackle before opener. JR and Gary have been busy cutting
a lot of firewood.
04/09/07
Where's spring? Another "winter" storm is in our
forecast! Gary and JR are clearly getting ready for open water-this
weekend they started working on their "dive boat"
(a large pontoon boat that they bought last fall) they've
completely taken it apart and are building a new deck and
steering console for it. I think I've been recruited to help
with the carpet installation and painting! I think that the
entire family is ready for open water-starting to wonder when
ice out will be this year.
03/28/07
Another moose on the loose! JR saw a moose this morning along
Highway 21 while riding the bus to school.
03/26/07
March has delivered the most snow we've seen all winter-too
little, too late. Of course, it hasn't stayed on the ground
very long with our warm weather. It's 70 degrees today and
it feels GREAT! The snow is nearly gone and I'm ready for
spring. It's been warm the last week so we've already dug
into a few spring clean up projects as we prepare for our
7th summer season here at the resort. Saw a moose again right
on Highway 21 this weekend! Looked like a calf or a very small
cow and it stayed right along the side of the road eating
for more than an hour. Most of our guests this weekend even
saw it. The track season is underway for JR so he's been busy
preparing for their first meet.
03/13/07
I think the season is about over for all of our winter activities
and even I'm ready for longer sunny days and warm temps. I've
sent Gary and JR to Florida for a week! A spontaneous decision
that wasn't too hard for me to make. Gary still wants to "retire"
some day in Florida (he's still trying to convince me-I don't
know if I could stand the heat!) and JR is showing a strong
interest in commercial diving so they are checking out a couple
of schools and of course the Florida real estate market mixed
with a little time on the beach. There just didn't seem to
be a good time to get away this year with the resort and the
weather. Plus, Daisy had a little accident on Sunday and have
to have stitches AGAIN so I'll be nursing a wounded dog. So,
the project list is long for this week (spring cleaning, painting
a couple of rooms in our living quarters, cleaning cabins/suites
(of course!), eliminating the mound of paperwork on my desk
and of course just enjoying a little quiet time at the resort).
If it doesn't snow during the next week, I should be able
to check off everything on my list.
02/28/07
Oops! Gary had a "little" accident with my truck
as we were going to a meeting tonight-hit the biggest deer
I have ever seen and made a mess of my truck just a couple
of miles from the resort. Another first.
02/23/07
It's finally snowing this week. I would normally say "too
little too late" but I think that we badly need the moisture
so let it snow! Even though we have finally snapped
out of this winter's cold spell everyone is still watching
their cabins and systems to try and prevent things from freezing
up. We have truly been fortunate this winter and have only
had a couple of close calls with the water lines leading into
the lodge.
Pepper Goes
Ice Fishing! Well, sort of. A couple of our guests decided
to try their luck ice fishing this past week in the channel
just below the lodge. Pepper tagged along and confused the
ice fishing rod for a stick....SORRY! Everyone swears they
had more fun playing tag with Pepper (trying to get the rod
back) than ice fishing-course they never did manage to drill
through the ice to try fishing.
02/16/07
Our cold weather continues, but I must have acclimated. This
morning I made my morning rounds to the cabins and suites
around 5am and thought that it felt pretty warm out but a
quick peak at the thermometer said it was -14. Certainly better
than -28! Near dawn, the dogs all perked up so I went to the
front door and found 7 deer at the deck looking back at me.
Even the animals are taking note of the warmer weather. Looking
back at my journal entry of exactly one month ago I see we
had -30 and I thought "finally" winter temps. Today,
I'm thinking enough already!
02/15/07
Where's the snow? Sounds like New York! Here in Ely we've
been robbed so far this winter with no measurable snow since
New Year's. I've given up on trying to groom and maintain
the Bear Island Ski trail as there is so little to work with
and the snow is so hard packed that it can't be tracked very
well. The cold has actually been an advantage for the snowmobile
trails as they are still in fair/good conditions.
02/12/07
Picture This: It's the middle
of what feels like a long cold winter (reality check, it has
been cold for a while now), I'm tucked away in my warm bed,
sleeping soundly and I find myself abruptly and completely
awake. I lay in bed with my eyes closed, listening. I don't
hear a sound but know that something woke me up. Suddenly,
I feel a warm breath directly over my face and a noise. I
still don't move but I open my eyes and peak at the clock
to find that it's 3:45am and when I look up I see this HUGE
shadow looming over my head. The average person might think
its an intruder, but in our house it's just Pepper standing
beside the bed letting you know that she desperately needs
to get outside for nature's call. Anyone who owns a Great
Dane (or any dog for that matter) knows that you are instantly
wide awake and running for the door! So, here it is 4am and
there's no way I can get back to sleep and such begins another
day.
02/04/07
Baby it's cold out there! For those of you have stayed with
us in the winter and participated in our lodge dogsled rides
with Bill Slaughter you might be able to appreciate the 24 hearty
folks who ventured out today with below zero temps and wind
chills in the mid -20s and took part in the sled rides during
the Winter Festival. I think even the dogs took notice today.
Thanks to the kids from the Ely Track Club who volunteered and
helped out today for this club fund raiser. Hopefully, it will
be a bit warmer next weekend when we do this again during the
second weekend of the festival.
Our
Congratulations go out to Aaron and Erin who got engaged during
their stay with us, Mickey & Michelle who just celebrated
their 5-year anniversary and to the Shauer's on the arrival
of their first grandchild! There have been so many four-legged
family additions that I can't even begin to list them all but
I do want to mention that it has been loads of fun looking at
everyone's photos and blogs that you have sent our way this
winter.
01/16/07
Well we finally have winter temps! I woke up during the night
to find temps at -30. I see there is snow in our forecast again,
I can only hope that the weather folks get it right this time.
Saw a fresh set of moose tracks in the driveway this morning.
01/15/07
Oh, poor Daisy is so very sad this afternoon. The 24 kids from
STWC (young and old-you know who you are!) left today and she
has discovered that she has no one to play with. I found here
sitting at the top of the sledding his late this afternoon with
a toboggan in her mouth just waiting for someone to slide with.
Of course, I felt sorry for her so I climbed on the sled with
her and we took a run down the hill-as much as she may have
appreciated the effort it was apparent that I am not as much
fun as company! As soon as the weather warms up JR and I will
transplant the memory tree.
01/02/07
What a snowstorm! Everything is beautiful after we received
nearly 8" of very wet and heavy snow. The trees are all
frosted and I need to get outside with a camera.
12/15/06
It must have worked...it's snowing again!
12/13/06
A change is coming our way! After a little negotiating, I have
convinced Old Man Winter to retire. He acknowledges that he
would be much happier in say Arizona or Nevada and that this
change would be for the best. I have interviewed several promising
candidates for the position and have recruited a Woman to do
the job. I am struggling with an appropriate job title as it
obviously not politically correct to say Young Woman Winter!
This candidates comes highly recommended by Mother Nature. Any
suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Have a COLD and SNOWY
Day!
12/04/06
Hard-core and foolish is the only way to describe the fellow
on the lake right now with his 4-wheeler! It's certainly been
cold but I prefer solid ground this early in the season even
though we have had great
temps the last week for making ice. The Ely area got another
dusting of snow overnight and there is another 1-3" inches
of snow in our forecast with continued cold temps.
It looks like Christmas at the resort-the trees are decorated
(9 of them this year) and the garland is up around the resort.
Gary is out on the snowmobile trail with the Babbitt guys and
they are out packing the swamps. I've been busy in the winter
cabins with the cold weather-painted the inside of cabin #3
and lemon-oiled ALL of the knotty pine in cabins #11 and #12.
12/02/06
It's snowing! Here at the resort we
have about 2" of fresh snow this morning! The last week
was cold so we are starting to see some nice hard water. Of
course it's still early so STAY OFF THE ICE. The 10-day forecast
is promising. It's beginning to look a lot like winter! The
Babbitt Snowmobile Club was working on a section of the trail
that crosses a pond/swamp area on Thursday and the pond had
5" of ice. It looks like Christmas at the resort-the trees
are decorated (9 of them this year) and the garland is up around
the resort.
11/27/06
Waiting, waiting....for winter! Thanksgiving
has come and gone. Guests over the weekend were treated to great
weather, the northern lights, starry nights and howling wolves.
Winter may have been dragging its heels but gave us extra time
to tackle some new winter projects. We were fortunate to make
arrangements with the forest service to expand the Bear Island
Ski Trail and the warm weather let us brush out the new trail
in comfort. We have a new trail drag for setting a track and
this year the trails will be groomed for classic and skate style
skiing. Gary has been working hard with the guys on the Babbitt
ATV & Snowmobile Club getting the snowmobile trails ready.
I think that the guys are ready to break in the new groomer!
There is ice on the lake and at night when the temps drop you
can hear the lake. Well here's hoping for cold weather followed
by plenty of snow!
10/15/06
Baby it's cold outside! Well not really, but it sure
does take a little bit of adjusting when the temperatures take
you from tank top to turtlenecks in one day. There was actually
a bit of ice around the edge of the channel and peninsula today.
Gary just announced that it's time to dig out the Carharts and
I won't disagree.
10/11/06
It's snowing in Ely and Northern Lights Lodge is ready for
winter. The seasonal cabins are closed and ready for winter,
the grass has been cut one last time, the docks are out of the
lake, the firewood is cut and stacked and the fish house has
been cleaned for the last time year. Bring on the cold weather
and then LOTS of snow. My next big project is getting all of
the photos from this season loaded into the photo album-many
of you have requested updated photos of the girls (Pepper and
Daisy) and I've got some good ones! The northern lights have
been active several nights this month and we've spotted quite
a few wolves. I haven't heard or seen a loon in a month now.
Life
is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.
10/06/06
We've been treated to an extra long fall color season this
year, but I that the wind and rain is going to take care of
bringing the last of the leaves to the ground. We've reached
the point where I can seek the lake from the lodge again. Looks
like there is about another inch in the rain gauge.
09/22/06
It's been raining the last few days (3.5" and rising)
so I've had some time to tackle that ever growing project pile!
This afternoon we had a break in the weather and blue skies.
Gary and I saw a wolf on our way into Ely today about a mile
from the resort. Tonight the Northern Lights were out for about
a half hour and I watched them while pumping the boats (yes,
it was a bit late to be tackling that project). JR had three
football games this week and I made it to two of them. The team's
1-3 so far but it sure is fun watching them play-I'm quickly
learning the basics about football. Took Pepper with me to Saturday's
game!
Our
guests this fall have spoiled me! Thanks to Sherm and Vicky
for the new books, Wayne and Barb for the homemade "jam"
(it was great on pretzels just like you said), Marty for the
handmade jewelry, Selma and Warren for the yummy chocolates!
09/12/06
Well, I almost know someone famous! Dad Wayne brought us
update on his son's actor career and BIG SUCCESS as the character
George
O'Malley on Grey's Anatomy. Cool! Thanks for the "jam"
we tried it with pretzels like you suggested and everyone loved
it! Sad to see you go (I bet the Chippie's will miss you too),
can't wait to meet Echo!
09/09/06
A frosty 26 degrees last night and another fog covered morning
on the lake. JR and I covered the garden last night and he even
lit a fire in the lodge last night-I don't recall ever having
an inside fire so early. The temperature today is going to make
it very comfortable working at the first Babbitt ATV and Snowmobile
Trail day! Could it be a sign of the winter to come? I've been
noticing how very hard the squirrels and chipmunks are working-like
I've never seen before-practically stripping the cones and branches
off at the same time. It seems like some of the loons have already
left the lake. The squirrels and mice have been trying to move
in to the boat house for the last two weeks so we have already
put away all of the extra life jackets. I'm starting to see
a bit more fall color and the maples are turning red. We took
the bongo out of the lake on Labor Day and our good buddy Steve
said the lake was 74 degrees but today when JR pulled the swim
raft out of the lake the water was a chilly 60 degrees.
09/03/06
This morning guests Emily and Skyler took an early morning
paddle on the lake just as the fog was starting to lift and
they were treated to sighting a pair of moose drinking at the
edge of the lake between cabin #12 and "Tar Paper Annie's".
Nice big Northerns being caught again this week with guests
reporting 28" to 35" catches. No one is complaining
about the Smallie action either! The walleye's one the other
hand are still appearing in the deep water and don't seem to
be too hungry.
08/22/06
The Northern Lights were out around 10pm on Sunday night
for about a half hour. The evenings are getting cooler and there
is just a bit of color starting to show. The garden is slowing
down already. Another summer has zipped right by-I could actually
handle another month of summer (yes me, the one who waits all
year for winter!). I've been noticing some new birds when I've
been weeding the garden, just another sign of the shifting seasons
(need to get my book out and figure out what they are). Somehow,
I need to set aside some time to stain the new lodge addition,
and paint the trim on the windows of cabins #11 and #12.....hmmmm.
JR has been busy with football practice and the first day of
school (9th grade) is just under two weeks away. Fishing (for
Bass and Walleye) continues to be good. Gary has been very busy
with the Babbitt ATV/Snowmobile Club and they are wrapping up
the fund raising for the new groomer (yeah!). Gary got out on
the trails for a little recreation on Sunday and did the ATV
Memorial Ride for Ryan Lossing-nice day for a ride with friends.
XC skiers are going to love the new drag that Gary built this
summer-now the trails will be packed and tracked for skate and
classic style.
Perhaps
the highlight of my summer was going up with Bud from Van Air
last week! I've always loved flying (some of you know that I
actually went to flight school shortly before we bought the
resort). I absolutely loved the flight and seeing the lake from
above. Special thanks to Claudia, Morgan and Eli for letting
me fly with them.
08/18/06
The BEST fish fry of the season award has got to go to Lois,
Nancy and Marilyn! The ladies and their husbands caught more
fish than they could eat (darn!) and shared their fish fry with
us-what a treat!
It's
been raining! We've had 4 measurable rainfalls during the last
two weeks and while the lake was not abnormally low, it did
come up a bit. Fishing continues to be good with guests catching
a few nice walleyes and alot of really nice Northerns and Largemouth
Bass. This week guests found tracks in the mud of a bear and
her cub after Sunday's rain. Today brings to an end our sixth
summer season-fall is here! Jim - we opened the honey on Sunday,
absolutely divine. Your bees have done good! Thanks for the
treat, we'll be enjoying it for weeks to come. Grouse, grouse
every where-I have seen them several times and guests report
counting 15-22 at a time as they walk the driveway and hiking
trails.
My
Aunt Dorothy, cousin Tammy, her husband Dave and their kids
visited us this week from Sleepy Eye. It was fun catching up
on things going on back home and seeing how the kids have all
grown. Tammy and I are two weeks apart in age and their son
Matt and JR are about two weeks apart in age too. The kids spent
every spare minute out on the lake fishing and they took in
all of our favorites here in Ely.
08/08/06
The weather is amazing with sun filled, blue sky days and
temperatures that make the beach the place to be during the
afternoon AND THE NIGHTS are cooling off just enough to tempt
you to pull out a sweatshirt. The loons seem to love it too
as I have been hearing them call late into the night. The fishing
has still been pretty good with guests getting a fair amount
of largemouth bass and northerns into the boat. I know that
we've been cleaning the fish house just about twice a day all
summer long.
My
hat goes off to our guests last week who managed to weather
two much needed days of rain, 12 hours without electricity from
the storms that brought the rain and about 4 hours without telephones.
Daisy
the Wonder Dog went tubing with us yesterday. She looked
like she was having a blast and even got back into the tube
after tipping out twice. Of course I got a couple of pictures
and will have to get them into the web site photo album. Daisy
has no fear, she rides the snowmobile with me during the winter
while I groom the xc ski trails. So long as she is outside she
is one very happy dog.
07/19/06
Glen and Erlene, this entry is for you! I hope that you
a safe journey as you complete your pursuit to visit all 50
states-only two to go!. Thank you for choosing Northern Lights
Lodge as your Minnesota destination. You have also earned the
distinction of being my first guest from Alabama.
A
big thank you to Bonnie K. Glenda M. and Dan D. for sending
me really great photos of your time here at the resort! I need
a rainy day to get these onto the web site!
Bear
Island Lake is hot! Fishing the past two weeks has been phenomenal
for many of our guests with plenty of bass and northern action
BUT the walleye's UNBELIEVABLE! The McDonalds have certainly
set the pace. Congrats to Robert R. who landed a 28" walleye
that he released back into the lake last week! We had an unexpected
visit from Jim K. yesterday who left Kabetogama early to spend
a day fishing here. Not only did we have the unexpected pleasure
of his company, but he brought along a sampling of his homemade
wine and syrup AND on top of that he left a couple of fresh
Bear Island Lake fish filets with us too-our first of the season!
Thanks Jim, we'll see you and the rest of the family on the
29th!
07/15/06
Found myself face to face with another black bear today. He
caught me by surprise right on the back patio at about 1am.
A little scary, but just a bit of a thrill too. The weather
has been very warm, but everyone is just spending extra time
in the water. Last week JR and Gary talked me into tubing for
the first time yes....now they want me to try wakeboarding.
The fishing has been pretty good again this week with a little
walleye action and plenty of bass and northern action. What
a treat! We received a special care package from Bev and Doug
C. yesterday that included another sample of their Blue Moon
homemade wine and a bottle of their favorite steak sauce. Steaks
on the grill next week! Thanks Bev and Doug. The garden is in
full bloom with blossoms on the peas, cucumbers, zucchini and
tomatoe plants.
07/07/06
A spectacular 4th spent in the company of good friends!
We all took in the annual Ely parade (even Pepper!) and this
evening we all watched the fireworks over the lake-nicely done
Russ and Bell! The twins Samantha and Charolette are with us
again this year-these 5 year old explorers have no fear and
each day they bring their treasures by the office to share with
with me: little perch, big toads and even bigger crayfish.
Perhaps,
entering our sixth season here on Bear Island Lake is a time
for reflection of the last five years (or maybe it's because
I'm another year older). When we bought this resort I never
anticipated the "second family" that so many of our
guests have become. I feel blessed to have met and shared our
home with so many people.
06/21/06
Its the first day of summer and my baby boy turns 14! Happy
Birthday JR!
06/18/06
Ely lost a local legend on Saturday with the passing of Bob
Cary who was known for his enthusiasm for Ely's great outdoor
wilderness as well as his published written work, Ely Echo columns,
his murals and paintings. Our thoughts and prayers are with
his family, friends and everyone whose life he touched. Noctem
quietam, et finem perfectum concedat nobis Dominus omnipotent
(May the Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect
end).
06/15/06
This weekend JR and I planted our first garden since moving
to Ely. It may not compare to the 3,000sq. ft. garden we had
in Osceola but we certainly had just as much fun designing it
and planting it. Blue skies again today with a comfortable breeze
coming across the lake. It looks like we might have another
bumper year for the June berries and they should be ripe within
another two weeks. The wild raspberries are done blossoming
and the berries are starting to form.
06/09/06
Perfect! There's no better way to describe the month. The weather
has been great-warm enough to be in the lake swimming since
Memorial Weekend. The fish are biting-guests have been enjoying
fresh fish dinners (mostly bass and Walleye) and several guests
have even reported taking home their Walleye limits. I even
managed to sneak away this afternoon and I spent a VERY comfortable
hour in the hammock with a good book and a fresh glass of lemonade.
Pepper had fun with Abby this past week (I think we all did)
with our guest's 9 week old Great Dane puppy.
05/30/06
The month of May has zipped by and here we are on the heels
of June. The only "bugs" I enjoy during the summer
are dragonflies and fireflies and tonight I noticed one lone
firefly when I stepped outside to peak at the night sky. Daisy
is completely in here element as our "resort" dog
and she is already going cabin to cabin each morning to say
hello. I know if I would let her, Pepper would be right behind
here. The lake seems to be warming up nicely and I think that
the guys are going to put the RAVE out on the lake this weekend.
05/16/06
Another fishing opener has come and gone. Although this one
was a bit wet, it was easily the warmest one we have seen during
the past five years. The lake is really up with all of the rain
that we have had this spring. Saw a few fish come in, but most
of our guests seemed to opt for the comfort of their cabin!
The past three nights we were visited by a rather large black
bear who was not the least bit shy as he walked around the lodge
deck and looked in several windows. I wouldn't be surprised
if it was the same one that last spring stole 9 new bird feeders
the same day that I hung them. The cabins are all ready! We
focused on cabins #1, #2, #4, #5 and #6 with new carpet, vinyl,
furniture and appliances plus I painted the interiors of cabins
#11 and #12 again.
04/30/06
Today marks our five year anniversary here at Northern Lights
Lodge and Resort. For Gary, JR and I it was certainly a day
of reflection. We even pulled out our "old photos"
of the resort that were taken during our first week here. I
think it was good for us to look back and see all of the changes
that we have made to the resort-we really think that it is a
reflection of us. Of course, there is much that we would still
like to do, but as my mother-in-law always said "Rome wasn't
built in a day". Our big fall/winter project was a new
addition to the lodge. Finally, some storage space! The exterior
finishing and landscaping still needs to be done....tomorrow.
04/22/06
This morning I woke to the call of the loons and
sure enough our resident pair of loons are back and settling
in near the bay below the marina. Last week's early ice out
was a treat and continued warm spring days and cool nights are
treat. Gary is busy in the cabins and working on two docks gearing
up for opening weekend.
04/13/06
We're about to take our first vacation since buying
the resort - off to sunny Florida and the Gulf of Mexico for
a week. I'm sure we'll miss ice out this year since the ice
is black and the back bay opened up over the weekend. The channel
is full of ducks. The bird feeders are full and have been bringing
in all of the spring birds. The pond is full of frogs that are
busy all night long.
03/20/06
Early this morning I heard a flock a geese fly over
- the first of the season. I can't wait until the channel opens
and the loons return. Bright sunny days and a little rain continue
to melt the snow! The northern lights appeared twice over the
weekend, the guests loved it, of course I was sleeping and missed
them.
03/13/06
A light dusting of show overnight made for an interesting
walk this morning with moose, wolf and rabbit tracks everywhere.
We also saw a fisher dash across the driveway in front of us.
Temps continue to be warmer, the snow is melting quickly and
I can see the channel is starting to have a few open pockets.
02/12/06
Another full weekend where everyone visiting the
resort was able to pursue their winter passion. We had folks
snowshoeing, xc skiing, dog sledding and snowmobiling. Guests
saw a large wolf this morning while out skiing on the lake
and Gary saw two moose just at the edge of the driveway. The
wolves were howling at dusk this evening and tonight JR and
I took advantage of the warmer temps and the full moon and
skied the lake loop at 8:30...very nice!
02/07/06
There were no northern lights out tonight but
there was an interesting halo around the moon caused by ice
crystals and cold temperatures. This year's Winter Festival
themed Snow and Ice Paradise was, I think, the best one yet.
The snow sculptures were GREAT and JR and I had a very hard
time trying to choose a favorite. We especially enjoyed Brrrrrrrribbit
(frogs and cat tails), The Heck with Hibernating (3 bears
enjoying a hot tub and beverages click here for Photo
I and again for Photo
II) and finally a sculpture with a dog theme and this
section shows Fido head first
in a log. I'm always in awe of the creative talents of
others. Everyone-professionals and ameteurs alike did an amazing
job this year.
01/23/06
It's snowing again today-enormous wet flakes!
Congratulations to Craig and Sandy who are here celebrating
their 25th wedding anniversary and Jeff and Brenda who are
celebrating their 3rd wedding anniversary (Jeff caught an
AMAZING 40" Northern Pike while ice fishing). The 5th
annual Northwoods Storytelling Retreat hosted by local author
and story teller Kevin
Strauss took place this weekend here at the resort with
a live concert last night at the International Wolf Center-several
of our guests were able to attend. I recommend his both his
CD recordings and books! Our guests this weekend spent time
outdoors snowmobiling, xc skiing or snowshoeing and shared
GREAT trail reports.
Check This
Out: Obsessive Compulsive
Fishing (O.C.F.) is a wide spread condition that many
are "afflicted with" but here in Ely we've decided
to recognize and accept this condition. So, if you enjoy the
lingering smell of fish of your finger tips, get "stuck"
out on the lake or own more fishing rods than shoes than a
spring fishing trip to Northern Lights Lodge should be part
of your "4-Step Plan" this spring. Give Marie a
call, check
out our O.C.F. page on our site or the link above to our
local chamber of commerce site and learn more about the celebrated
condition of Obsessive Compulsive Fishing (O.C.F.)!
01/17/06
During the past month, quite a few of you have
taken the time to inquire about "Mikey". For those
of you who have met/heard Mike you either loved his quirky
antics or you didn't. So, if you are in need of your "Mikey
Fix" you can find him back, live on the air, during his
new internet based radio broadcast at www.boundarywatersradio.com.
What a great
experience we shared this weekend when we hosted Polar Bear
Camp! We had an absolutely wonderful group of sixth graders
here for a enriching winter weekend full of dog sledding,
snowshoeing, outdoor cooking, sauna time, and plenty of sledding!
I think that everyone had a memorable experience that they
will cherish for a lifetime.
A recent
guest, Charles
Brittain Fleming, was kind enough to share is creative
works that include poetry, stories, a blog and favorites.
I had fun reviewing his site and the photos from his other
recent trips. I'm always in awe of the talents of others and
wish I were better at making time to pursue some of my own!
01/09/06
I've set out to make 2006 a year of firsts for
me and I think I'm off to a good start. It has taken me nearly
four years but tonight I saw my first moose...no wait...not
just one moose, I saw two! Coming home from town I found a
cow and her calf near the end of our driveway! Like a typical
visitor to our area, I sat there and watched the two of them
for about 10 minutes before the walked off into the woods.
On Sunday night I stepped into my first pair of cross country
skis and JR gave me my first lesson. He says I did well, I
"skied" the entire lake loop here at the resort
and managed to fall four times-but I got back up and kept
on going. We had a blast!
01/06/06
Winter fun...our guests this week were treated
to a moose sighting while skiing the Bear Island Lake ski
trail and we continue to hear the wolves howling at night
between 9 and 11pm. Our temps have dropped off again-what
a relief! Now if we could just get some more snow.
12/23/05
Restless in the Northwoods! I'm not sure how much
sleep anyone on this end of the lake got last night. The wolves
were in full chorus and they started howling at about 10:45pm
and they kept it up off and on all night. I don't think Daisy
slept a wink all night. Well, I think we are ready for Christmas
and winter: the lights are up, holiday treats have been made,
the resort and cabins are decorated for the holidays, the
lake is marked for the snowmobilers who are soon to arrive,
the cross country ski trails are groomed/packed....maybe it's
time for a nap in front of the fireplace!
12/19/05
Congratulations to Susan and Peter who are spending their
honeymoon at Northern Lights Lodge this week! Today JR and
I finished clearing the Bear Island Ski Trail all the way
back into Perch Lake. Yeah! Once we got there we also packed
a trail along the entire shoreline of the lake. What a pretty
lake-not a single house on the lake and amazing huge rocks
along the shore. We'll be packing both the Bear Island Trail
and Perch Trail throughout the week! Now, we just need a little
more snow to cover the last of the rocks that were still showing.
12/17/05
Today we tested the ice thickness and staked the snowmobile
trail across the lake. The ice was between 9" and 12"
thick at each of our test sites! Gary spent about 20 hours
grooming the snowmobiling trails near the resort this fall!
This afternoon JR and I packed a cross country ski trail along
the shore of the lake-this is gonna be fun!
11/14/05
There was ice on our end of the lake this morning! We
got another dusting of snow over the weekend much to the joy
of all of our weekend guests. With more snow in the forecast
it's beginning to look like we'll have a white Thanksgiving
this year. This is the year that I'm going to learn how to
cross country ski!
10/24/05
As Gary and I cleaned up the last of the leaves with the
leaf blowers today, I had to chuckle at just how much Daisy
must miss all of the activity of the summer/fall season. Daisy
was so desperate to play with a tennis ball that she kept
tossing the ball into the path of leaf blower because she
figured out that it would roll off and get covered in leaves-giving
her something to chase after and retrieve. Needless to say,
she kept up the pace for almost 2 hours.
10/13/05
The wolves have been very active this past week. We have
seen a pack along Highway 21 numerous times and even in the
driveway twice. They were howling "under the moon"
just the other night for nearly twenty minutes. Perhaps it
has something to do with the increased number of deer we have
been seeing in and near the resort. Gary and I have both been
catching glimpses of buck with an amazing rack in the driveway.
Our resident mule deer has been spotted repeatedly with both
of her fawns.
10/07/05
Winter is in the air, but there is still at least one
loon on the lake! The seasonal cabins have been closed for
the winter and the docks have been pulled in. All of the firewood
is cut and stacked, the leaves have dropped and we've already
raked up the leaves and pine needles. Bring on the snow! Plenty
of wolves howling the last two nights. Gary encountered a
pack of wolves in the middle of the driveway midmorning last
week. Our friendly SirSpeedy delivery guy stopped for a bull
moose just as he was approaching driveway....timing is everything.
Check
this Out: If you happen to be passing through Decorah
IA be sure to take a lunch or dinner break at the Dayton House
Cafe' located at 516 West Water Street-across the street from
the Museum.. Chef and owner Andrew Shawver stayed with us
this fall and treated us to several of his bread creations....FANTASTIC!
09/15/05
Well, I now have a full time partner in this resort business....Gary
has retired from his other full time job in Wisconsin and
is now here with me at the resort full time. Yeah! No more
plumbing repairs for me!! Our immediate plan is to finally
finish the inside of our shop (probably so Gary has a place
to hide out this winter!).
09/10/05
A special thank you to Barb and Wayne for the beautiful
Chickadee bird house they made! With what looks to be an extended
fall season, the birds will have plenty of time to move in
before the cold weather arrives.
08/05
Cabin 6 was treated to the grunting of a black bear just after
10pm. The bear must have been just passing through as it did
not disturb anyone (or anything) else that night.
07/10/05
A spectacular 4th! Looks like everyone had a fun celebrating
the 4th again this year and guests enjoyed the Ely parade,
Bear Island Lake Flotilla and of course the fireworks! Even
though we had a few quick and short sprinkles, it was a great
day to be outdoors. JR and I especially had fun at this week's
double feature movie night. It's been plenty warm this week
and everyone has spent extra time in the water. We've been
treated to several black bear sightings and wolf howling sessions.
Russ and Bell were out late enough last night (2am) to see
their first Northern Lights!
07/02/05
Reunited! Today I had the privilege of meeting Mike (a former
NLL employee) and Brenda (a past NLL guest). Mike and his
wife first met when his wife's family vacationed here at Northern
Lights Lodge. Over the years, they stayed in touch. Mike,
now 28, was home visiting Ely for his 10 year high school
reunion and worked here when he was 13 years old for the Rusk
family. Thank you for sharing your special story!
06/19/05
Congratulations to Will and Chris who got engaged during their
stay last week here at Northern Lights! We wish you all the
best!
06/17/05
The painted turtles have been busy during the past week digging
holes and laying eggs. So far JR and I have come upon 17 of
them and our guests and their children were able to observe
them. The past three nights there has been a chorus of loons
announcing the arrival of their babies. During the early hours
of the morning you can hear them calling to each from across
the lake. I'm excited because this is only the second year
that the pair that nests below the lodge has been seen with
its chick. Yesterday at about 4am there was a heavy fog drifting
over the water and the loon's calls were echoing from shore
to shore. Guests this week were treated to numerous sightings
of the adult loons carrying their young on their backs. The
Northern Flicker returned to its tree just off of Cabin #12's
deck and this week their eggs hatched. The lake is warming
up nicely and this week we were able to put the Bongo out
on the lake, even our guests from Texas ventured in the water
this week!
06/03/05
Our "family" has grown again and it really does
feel like there is a baby in the house. We now have a Great
Dane named Pepper. She's just 5 weeks old and is Merle colored.
Daisy seems content to have someone else to play with and
Goldie seems to roll her eyes as if to say "another one".
We'll post some photos soon.
05/27/05
A week of blue skies and warmer temperatures seemed to bring
all sorts of birds in great numbers to the feeders: Rose-breasted
and Evening Grossbeaks, Blue Jays, Purple Finches, Yellow
Goldfinches, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds,
Scarlet Tanagers, and of course plenty of Nuthatches and Chickadees.
We've even been able to spot Belted Kingfishers and we can
hear the Grouse drumming all through the woods. There seems
to be a large number of Pileated Woodpeckers this spring and
it has not been unusual to 2 or even 3 on one tree. There
have been plenty of Common Goldeneye, Mallards, and Mergansers.
We are also still seeing a few Gray Owls.
05/17/05
With another fishing opener behind us, mother nature delivered
a taste of all four season over the course of the weekend.
None the less, guests braved the elements and a few were rewarded
with bass and crappies, but the Walleyes seemed to be suspended
at about 28'. Had a second visit last night from a black bear,
she likes black sunflower seeds. Saw a wolf last week crossing
Highway 21.
04/18/05
Ice out happened over night or early in the morning on the
14th/15th. I think everyone was expecting a later ice out
with all of the snow we had this winter. Spring may have arrived
early this year, but today it feels like summer. It's 84 outside
and the skies are blue. The frogs are awake and busy in the
pond. It's count down to the Fishing Opener now.
04/14/05
Ice out can't be far away, today I heard the loons for the
first time! The channel has been open for almost a week. The
merganser have been in the channel since the water opened
up.
04/01/05
Spring is near. The temperatures are warming up and the snow
is melting. Awaiting ice out and all signs of spring.
02/10/05
This winter has been a BLAST! The snow has been consistent
and the conditions are prime for every activity. JR is taking
cross country ski lessons. The snowmobile trails have been
in good condition all winter. The Ely and Babbitt clubs are
doing a great job grooming. JR and I have been riding the
trails quite a bit this winter-he's the trail expert so I
let him navigate and I simply follow! We're staying busy with
dog sledding day trips and rides from the lodge. JR is now
mushing his own team (Daisy is jealous I'm sure).
01/17/05
Winter has settled in here in Ely and last weekend's guests
at Northern Lights Lodge proved that winter really is best
in the Northwoods! On Saturday everyone bundled up and enjoyed
snowshoeing, ice fishing and snowmobiling even though temperatures
stayed below zero. On Sunday afternoon, Bill Slaughter's Northwoods
Guide Service brought two teams of dogs to the resort and
everyone received an introduction to dog sledding with 20-30
minute rides around the islands of Bear Island Lake. Early
this morning, temperatures dropped even lower to -51 and those
of us who bravely stepped outdoors just before sunrise were
treated to a colorful display of our namesake, the Northern
Lights! Surely, this was the perfect ending to a long weekend
in the Northwoods.
12/26/04
JR and I decided to take a break this afternoon and decided
to go snowmobiling. It was a great first ride of the season
with fresh snow and sunny blue skies. On our way back down
to Bear Island Lake on the spur trail we spotted a doe and
two fawns nestled into the hillside. They didn't mind our
being there at all so we stopped and took a few pictures.
12/15/04
The moose herd is back! While walking with Daisy on the hiking
trail on Sunday JR spot a moose calf just up ahead on the
trail. Today, I was a little late getting out the driveway
to meet JR's school bus so he started to walk in and saw a
cow cross the driveway.
12/10/04
Last night we heard the wolves howling down somewhere near
the narrows just below the rapids on the Bear Island River.
This morning when we went out to wait for the school bus there
were fresh wolf tracks in the driveway.
10/03/04
Congratulations to Kendra and Scott who were married on Saturday.
The bride, groom and their families gathered here this weekend.
Well, right on cue there was snow in the air today! Every year
since buying the resort it has snowed on October 3rd. Gary taught
me how to "winterize" the resort today. Even though
I love all of the fall colors it's always a bit of a treat this
time of year when the leaves drop off of the trees because I
get to see the sunset on the lake each night right from the
lodge!
09/22/04
The fall colors are stunning once again and the maples are full
of color. The birch trees are just starting their display. The
driveway turns into a glowing tunnel this time of year. I think
that the colors will reach peak later this year than expected.
If the winds and rain hold off, there will be color for at least
another week and a half.
08/06/04
We've been seeing the northern lights on a regular basis for
the last 3 weeks. This past week the displays have been stunning
with the most spectacular displays of color we have ever seen.
Gary woke me up Saturday morning at 2am and we watched the lights
for more than an hour. This past week was intense as we wrapped
up construction on the new suites-they are amazing and I love
the way they turned out (now I need a vacation!). The weather
was great this past week-warm and sunny with just a few gentle
lake breezes. This sure made up for last week with strong winds
and showers on a the weather cleared up just in time for the
fireworks.
07/26/04
My new favorite children's book is Nightlight
by J. Anderson-N. Johnson-J.Dey. The charming book is a story
about two bears named Aurora Mae and Borealis Burl the story
is sweet and the illustrations are beautiful. Thank you to the
Zelenski's family for sharing this story!
07/02/04
This past week was intense as we wrapped up construction on
the new suites-they are amazing and I love the way they turned
out (now I need a vacation!). The weather was great this past
week-warm and sunny with just a few gentle lake breezes. This
sure made up for last week with strong winds and showers on
and off all week. My thanks to Nina for the lovely gift Nightlight
by Anderson, Johnson and Joy. What a sweet story-and it
means even more as it reminded her of their stay with us. The
Shares wrapped up their two week stay and even Lily was sad
to leave. The Thompson families were entertained by Daisy and
even included her in their family vacation photo. Congratulations
go out to Randy and Beverly who celebrated their 12th Anniversary
here and Lenny and Dawn who spent their honeymoon here this
week.
06/14/04
I've been watching and checking each morning to see if the loons
eggs have hatched but I am only seeing the adults. Some of the
geese and duck eggs have hatched and I've seen the little ones
in the water. Happy Birthday to Joey who just turned 11! The
fishing is really starting to take off now that the lake has
warmed up-good temps for fishing but not quite warm enough to
go swimming yet. Construction continues to stay on schedule
with the major parts of the construction behind us, landscaping
will be finished today, the interior is painted and we've got
just 3 weeks until the grand opening! Ryan from Hudson, Wisconsin
is here visiting us again-Ryan is sitting here with me now and
wants me to say that he loves cats. Ryan is 7 and just graduated
from first grade. Ryan is wondering if I have any chores to
do that he can help me with so I'm going to close today's journal
entry since I can't pass up an opportunity to put an extra pair
of hands to work!
05/31/04
We had a another fun week last week as "the girls"
returned (you know who you are!) in cabin 12 and 5 had yet another
memorable week-it takes a special talent and a good eye-to create
yard and garden art from junk yard treasures! I'm convinced
that Daisy is depressed and that she misses Gus and Sadie .
Can't wait 'til next year! Congratulations go out to Mike and
Ara (and Honey) who spent just got married and spent their honeymoon
here. We've had a stretch of rainy weather and cooler temps
but it's been well worth it. The end of the was warmer with
clear blue skies. The lake is the highest we've ever experienced
and you can paddle all the way into One Pine right now.
05/11/04
I've enjoyed seeing the birds and ducks
return-there seems to be an abundance this spring. I've spotted
yellow-bellied sapsuckers, belted kingfishers and buffleheads.
The loons seem to be everywhere. Congratulations to our guests
Mike and Susan who got engaged over the weekend! We finally
got some warm weather this past weekend and it feels great-this
weekend was wonderful.
05/08/04
We've been busy getting ready for opening weekend and doing
double duty in between with the construction of our new suites-there's
never a dull moment. Construction is on schedule with the most
major parts of the construction behind us-now we are working
on finishing the inside and landscaping. Ice out happened late
in the day on April 27th.
05/01/04
The Northeast Entrepreneur Fund featured
Northern Lights Lodge in its Spring 2004 issue of Entrepreneurial
Spirit. Click here to visit their site and read the
feature story www.entrepreneurfund.org.
04/18/04
Winter paid us a visit again over the
Easter weekend with snow flurries each day. Today the channel
was full of ducks enjoying the open water. Our temps reached
nearly 60 the last two days. I am starting to hear the birds
again and I noticed yesterday that a few of the trees are starting
to get their buds so warmer weather is near. The ground is warming
up because we can hear the frogs out near the pond but we are
still days away from ice out here on Bear Island Lake-the walleye
and bass should be feisty and opening fishing could be great!
03/25/04
What a change in the weather-it warmed
up to 51 degrees this morning by 9am and in just a few short
hours we found ourselves well rinsed by the first spring shower
of the season. I've always told our guests how much I love to
see winter arrive and yet each spring I am thrilled when the
warmer temperatures blow in and the rains come and I love the
sound of rain on the roof of the lodge. I wonder when the ice
will go this year?
03/20/04
It's the first day of spring today but
winter is fighting hard to hang on. The wind started howling
last night and it has continued through the day. The winds brought
along some fresh snow too. The moose have finally returned to
the area and during the past week we have spotted several sets
of fresh tracks in the driveway.
03/01/04
During my morning walk today I spotted
3 Pileated woodpeckers on a single birch tree. It sounded like
a group of woodland drummers! Of course, I did not have my camera
along to capture the sight.
02/29/04
Go figure our weather! It has been very warm the past week or
so and we actually had temps in the 40 degree range. Today,
it is raining. There is snow in the forecast for later this
week, let see what happens. I'm not quite ready for spring yet..
02/26/04
The moose are finally back. We saw little evidence of the moose
this past winter. Today JR found moose tracks crossing the driveway
and I found another pair of tracks in the creek.
02/05/04
The wolf pack was back again last night.
The driveway was full of tracks and they walked almost all the
way into the resort. It's hard to count the tracks but JR estimates
that there were 5 - 7 wolves in the pack.
01/21/04
What a winter! Since moving to Ely this is the most snow we
have received-and we love. Gary is starting to wonder where
he's going to pile up all of the snow. I have certainly shoveled
more snow this winter than in any winter in my past (and I'm
not complaining!). The weather guy says that we have received
45+ inches of snow so far. Gary says that I have gotten very
good at running the Skid Steere and plowing the driveway.
01/17/04
This was an anniversary weekend for all of guests! The Nessers'
and Lammers' celebrated wedding anniversaries and each couple
got a taste of dog sledding with Bill Slaughter's Northwoods
Guide Service. The weather was cold and the wind was blowing
hard out on the lake but everyone was a trooper and went out
anyway.
12/27/03
The wolves have been active this winter.
It could be that all of this snow is pushing them out into the
open. Their tracks covered the driveway this morning. No wonder
Goldie wouldn't go off the deck last night.
11/27/03
It feels like the holidays! Today we
put up the outside lights and decorated the lodge for the holidays.
The lights and snow sure make it feel like Christmas!
011/07/03
Today I saw the biggest buck of my life
standing on the edge of the driveway just past the creek. He
never moved, just watched me as I drove past.
10/04/03
Well, the weather certainly caught me
by surprise today. My head is hung low as I admit to having
a cabin "freeze up" under my watch. I screwed up and
now Gary is going to teach me how to replace the water lines
that feed cabin #1. I wonder how long before Gary lets me forget
this one (probably not until spring after the lines have been
fixed!).
09/27/03
For awhile now I have had an interest
in researching the history of the resort. I've had a little
time to do some basic research and my findings can be found
by clicking here to read our new HISTORY
page.
08/04/03
Last week was a fun week here at the
resort. Our thanks go out to the Kvitrud family for teaching
JR to water ski. He's hooked.
07/30/03
We spent this morning upgrading the driveway. While Gary was
hauling in gravel he saw 3 white wolves crossing the driveway.
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