Fiery Sky

There are some sights up here in the north that words just can't describe. So, I'll just say, "You can't get that color out of a bottle!"

The Northern Shore

On a recent trip back from Wisconsin, I stopped at a small park on the northern shore of Green Bay (the body of water, not the city). The green grass and marsh growth went right to the water's edge. Large orange butterflies decorated the air over land, while a seagull performing aerial dives into the water provided excitement off shore. Each of my steps sent tiny toads scattering; there were hundreds of them. Larger green frogs were bountiful at the marsh edges but were more elusive. The early evening sun cast golden light at an angle that richened green and blue hues to a point where I don't know whether the colors could have become any more saturated.

Yep, late summer on the northern shore - where the message in nature tells you to take a break and know that life is good.

Harbor Sunrise

 

This is a view I regularly see on my way around town. Sometimes I have to park and take it in for awhile longer when a quick drive by won't do it justice. The variety of colors and textures in the sky and ice yesterday morning prompted me to snap this shot of the lower harbor. Beauty, eh?

February Dog Fire

 

About 10 miles from the sled-dog starting gate, a blazing fire at a sled drop point provided warm comfort in the otherwise frigid darkness. The stars and moon were as intense as they can be, but they were still as cold as diamonds in the outer space deep freeze. I learned that teen-age boys are good people to hire as bon-fire tenders. They guarantee that the flames stay high and the heat radiates intensely. We had steam coming out of our gloves and coats.

Sled Dogs

 

The mushers had headlamps, which makes sense because the UP 200 starts after dark. The interesting thing to me, though, was that the lead dogs also had head lamps (in many of the teams). This makes sense, too, of course, but I wondered whether the dogs suddenly felt like they had a new supernatural ability to see better in the dark. What goes on in a dog's mind at times like that? What goes on in a dog's mind at any time?

Winter Waves

 

Sometimes Lake Superior waves at you invitingly, and though it's beautiful to look at, you know that you are better off keeping your distance. The crashing breakers are icy fireworks, spectacular but eager to burn with frostbite, hypothermia, and worse.