North Shore Morning

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota, where she authors the Minnesota Starwatch column.

On this edition of Northern Sky, Deane explains a few of the encounters Venus & Mars will be having with stars in the next few weeks, and an opportunity to see the zodiacal light.

Read this month's Starwatch column.

There's so much happening at Great Expectations School! This week, True and Noah bring us the latest from GES.

Border country offers a “Boozhoo” (welcome) to October. September ended on a stunning note throughout the Gunflint corridor. The past week or 10 days in these parts have been magical in regard to our north woods transition from a warm to cold atmosphere.

If ever I have seen one, this autumn seems to be the most beautiful on record for yours truly. However, if you have followed me over the years of this column, you will remember that I have said this more than once about this dramatic multicolored experience as each year supersedes my previous recollections.

Our month of the “falling leaves” moon has been so aptly tagged by the Ojibwe ancestors of long ago. Mother Nature has many tasks to look after with the coming of each succeeding season.

This yearly segment is no exception as Sh” has now taken on the role of carpet layer in our northern forest. After a few short days of flaming iridescence, the tokens of flora life high in the forest have begun to trickle earthward.

With the help of a steady rain and gusty winds last Saturday night and into Sunday, the layering of leaves and age-old pine needles got under way. A trip leaf peeping with friends last Sunday found the umpteenth thousandth layer of such accumulation being put in place by “Her Highness.”

Golden brown flakes were floating down in our pathway like squalls of an autumn blizzard, while tawny needles of red and white pine pierced the air space like early winter sleet. And, as we tooled along the byway, these reminders of another growing season danced and skipped alongside and behind to what will most likely be their final resting place.

What a seemingly sad farewell to the joyous quaking and awesome shade that characterized our summer. As I reflect on our leaf peeping trek, we probably never give thought to the fleeting life of a deciduous leaf.  How about a leafy memoir?

Born at the end of a growing season, these tiny embryos of plant life remain curled in their winter husks for seemingly months on end. With a sudden burst of warm energy from old Sol come late March or April, these buds of a new generation wake up and begin to feel the juices of life enter their veins.

Gradually peeling off their winter coats they flex to open and accept the light of a new day. Soon stems of their lifelines are strengthened to enable a fluttering of movement. By June in these northern latitudes, the green hands are palm up, ready to meet the tribulations of life in the forest.

The solstice of summer finds them basking in the sunshine, turning their backsides up for an impending thunderstorm and hanging on for dear life during windy days. What a life!

By July’s end, minutes of daylight are slowly diminishing and the processes of life start taking notice. Green pigment production dwindles as other characters of their make-up step forward.

August finds them turning restless with change. Come September they are proudly dressed for the harvest celebration, but nervous with cool anticipation. Suddenly, life takes a turn. Juices of vitality begin to wither, flush pigments fade and the stem of support gives way. Gusts of the season cause them to lose their grip, and it’s the beginning of the end.

It’s October, leaves tumble and fall, skittering about until finally nestled on the forest floor.  They are not yet done, though, in their leafy contribution to creation. Decaying atrophy adds them to the eons that have gone before them providing nutrient substance for a new generation yet to come. And the beat goes on!

Amazing is the minimal duration for these verdant creations. While other species in the universe may also experience short spans of life expectancy, none seem to offer the rapture of a zillion dazzling leaflets growing green, to yellow, to orange, to red and even in death, a russet tone. Their grandeur will forever capture us. Happy fall!

Keep on hangin’ on, and savor this abundant beauty in the northland!

Vaughn shares the latest School News.

I am a huge fan of Cook County Higher Education. It’s the little college with the big heart that allows people in Cook County to pursue degrees and certificates without having to leave the county. 
 
Last week, Higher Ed announced an exciting new scholarship program funded by the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation.  The new program will provide significant scholarships to potentially dozens of people who want to pursue higher education, but have been held back by financial barriers.
 
Lloyd K. Johnson was a Cook County native who was the first in his family to go to college.  He graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School and was the Cook County Attorney for a few years.  After a move to Duluth, he became a very successful businessman, which gave him the wherewithal to establish the Johnson Foundation.  Now, years after Lloyd’s death, his foundation is making it possible for many Cook County residents to receive the blessing of a good education.
 
If you are worried about your ability to attend college in the midst of a busy working life, talk to the wonderful folks at Higher Ed.  They’ve done it themselves and have helped hundreds and hundreds of your neighbors improve their lives through education.  They will walk you through it, step by step, helping you with whatever you need, academically and financially, right through graduation.
 
By the way, Higher Ed has two other well-established scholarship programs: The Wes Hedstrom Scholarship and the North Shore Health Care Foundation Scholarship. 
 
The Johnson Foundation also has a separate scholarship program for Cook County High School seniors who want to attend Lake Superior College in Duluth.
 
You can get information on all of these exciting opportunities by calling Kristin or Paula at Higher Ed.  Their number is 387-3411.  You can find them online by searching Cook County Minnesota Higher Education.  Or, you can always contact WTIP and we will put you in touch.
 
A big congratulations to Ailee Larson of Lutsen who was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference athlete of the week, after winning a big collegiate cross-country meet last week.  She placed first among 147 runners.  Ailee is a student at St. Kate’s and is the daughter of Jana and Mike Larson of Lutsen.
 
I am thoroughly disgusted by the federal government shutdown this week.  There are many things wrong with our political system at the moment, but there are three main things that, in my opinion, are seriously wrong.
 
First, the radical Tea Party strategy to hold the country and world hostage in order to defeat laws that have been passed, signed, tested by the Supreme Court and enjoy majority support of the electorate is an attack on democracy itself.  Majority rule is the basis of our civil society.  Ultimatums and blackmail are never productive.
 
Second, extremely rich individuals and corporations, who have only their own narrow interests at heart, are funding these hostage takers, with no public accountability.  The unfair advantage created by unlimited and untraceable money in our political system has led to ridiculous gerrymandering of congressional districts that allows many representatives to disregard the voters.
 
Third, the people who are hurt the most by this insanity are our friends and neighbors here in Cook County.  They are the working people who take care of our campgrounds, maintain our roads, prepare our timber sales, protect us from forest fire, and the list goes on.  That these sincere and hard-working Americans are taking the brunt of a childish temper tantrum by a do-nothing minority of the most ineffective Congress in the history of the country makes my blood boil.

            There have been big changes in the scenery since we last met along the Trail. It appears Mother Nature was just waiting on the calendar to really get after the landscape pigmentation changes.
            In just a matter of days the big show has exploded. The striking tapestry of golden tones, along with a glow of molten red iron on our sugar maples, is simply breathtaking. The blur of our new autumn is just one of those “you gotta see” moments in time. I encourage everyone to make time to experience the Gunflint in full color regalia, but don’t wait too long.
            The morning of the day we ushered in our Technicolor season, it sure felt like fall too. In fact, it was downright cold last Sunday. The Smiths arose to a good hard freeze with rooftops crusted hard in crystal. So I’m feeling that summer can surely be put out to pasture.
            Moisture was on the menu over that past week as well. The rain gauge at Wildersmith had to be emptied twice with a total of well over two inches. I’m told that there was even more in other places along the byway corridor. It came to mind during the dousing of a week ago Thursday that, given a few degrees colder, we could’ve had a heck of a nice snow.
            It’s been like a zoo around the neighborhood in recent days. We had a late night deck-side visit by one of those invasive masked bandits. This makes the third straight year a raccoon has encroached on our neighborhood. Others living along the South Gunflint lakeshore indicate never having seen one. Why me?
 This migrant did a number on my apple tree. It managed to break a substantial branch out of the center, while pilfering part of the first good crop I’ve ever cultured.
 I’m now lying in wait for this alien with a fine slice of bread and jelly (this has always been well received in previous entrapment efforts.) If this masked ringed tail returns to take the bait, there will be more to come on this adventure.
A wanted guest made a cameo appearance last Thursday when a huge bull moose was reported ambling on the Mile O Pine not far from our driveway. I did not see it in person, but confirmed the visit upon seeing a trail of big hoof prints.  We haven’t had one of these icons down this way for several years, so this sighting was great news.
 The scoop on his visit was that it sported a massive rack, a real handsome devil. Since ‘tis the amorous season for these big critters, there is hope that there might be scent of a female companion somewhere nearby.  If such would transpire, we might experience more frequent visits from the now dwindling herd.
As a follow-up to the moose passing by, a third member of our wild neighborhood stopped by a day or so later. This one was also uninvited, and not necessarily wanted up on our deck, looking in the window. This peeping Bruno was of medium size, maybe a yearling. It was quite inquisitive after being discovered prowling around, but quickly high tailed it when I un-loaded a shot from my blank starting pistol.
I don’t know if this north woods Yogi had an eye for my apple tree either before, or after, it was dispatched. Next morning, I found a second incident of animal vandalism. Only this time, the tree was more seriously damaged.  The tree, which is not too far along in years, has taken two good whacks in a week.
 I can only imagine how it must have looked with about a 200-pound teddy perched precariously, munching my ripening Haralsons. At this writing, none of the three wild characters has returned for a curtain call. In the meantime, Act Two of this saga suggests that I’d best be picking what’s left of my apples, as I just got word of a momma bear and her twins frolicking just over the hill, grrrrr!
Keep on hangin’ on, and savor the north woods glow, as October’s banging on the door!
 
 
{photo by Darkone courtesy of Wikimedia commons}
               

The Crossing Borders Studio Tour and Sale is going on now through Sunday, October 6. This year’s tour features 23 artists in 8 locations between Duluth and the Canadian border, along the North Shore of Lake Superior. The tour is self-guided and runs from Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 6.  Studios are open from 10 a.m .to 6 p.m. each day.
 
To learn more about the Crossing Borders Studio Tour, visit www.crossingbordersstudiotour.com.
 
 

In the summer of 2012, a coalition of Minnesota conservation groups calling themselves Mining Truth started a public dialogue surrounding the proposed Polymet and Twin Metals mines near Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. 
     The coalition is continuing a public debate over four questions they feel Governor Dayton and mining companies should be able to answer before allowing the mines to proceed. (Click on audio mp3 above to hear an interview with  Aaron Klemz of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.)  

Those questions are:

1)   Will Minnesota’s water stay safe and clean?

2)   Are there safeguards in place for when things go wrong?

3)   Will the company leave the site clean and maintenance-free?

4)   Will Minnesota’s taxpayers be protected?

     Mining Truth coalition members have stated that unless Governor Dayton and the mining companies are each able to demonstrate to the people of Minnesota that the answer to these four questions is an unqualified yes, the mines should not be allowed to move forward. 
     Mining Truth coalition members have met with Minnesotans around the state to encourage them to sign an online petition that will urge Governor Dayton to take these questions into account when it comes to deciding on the mining proposals.  
     “Minnesotans from all parts of the state need to understand what is at stake with these sulfide mines,” said Paul Austin, Executive Director of Conservation Minnesota.  “When they fully understand the risks we all face, we believe they will join with us in demanding that these four questions are resolved before the mines progress.” 
     Mining Truth is a combined effort of Conservation Minnesota, the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.  The goal of the coalition is to provide a resource for Minnesotans to get the facts about sulfide mining and its long-lasting impacts.  For more information visit www.miningtruth.org. 

Wild rice was an important food source for early Native Americans in this region.  

In this edition of "Moments in Time," Ojibwe elder Billy Blackwell, of the Grand Portage band of Lake Superior Chippewa, tells the story of wild rice and its place in Anishinaabe culture.  Produced by Carah Thomas.

(Photo by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. Minnesota Agency, 1934)

There is still time to make your plans for the 18^th Annual North Shore Health Care Golf Scramble, which will be held at Superior National in Lutsen this Sunday, Sept. 29. 
 
This valuable and important event was the brainchild of Sue Hansen and Patty Nelson, two of the most effective and respected residents in Lutsen.  It is the largest single fundraiser for the North Shore Health Care Foundation.  The Foundation supports Cook County health care organizations with grants and operates several very useful programs.  They have contributed more than a half million dollars since they started in 1995.
 
Registration for the golf scramble can be done in advance online - just Google the North Shore Health Care Foundation office in Grand Marais.  You can also register starting at 8:30 a.m. this Sunday.  The shotgun start is at 10 a.m.  You can put together your own team, or you can join a team when you register.  The golf will be spectacular this year, as it will coincide with the peak of the fall colors. 
 
There are many, many great sponsors for this event, but I do want to specifically mention Lutsen Resort, which traditionally sponsors the 19^th hole after-party.  As always, you can contact WTIP for full details and contact information.
 
Another long-running North Shore event is happening all this week. The Crossing Borders Studio Tour is a chance for a self-guided tour of the home studios of professional artists all along Lake Superior’s North Shore.
 
This year, the art includes stone sculpture, Ojibwe artwork, pottery, weaving, glass, printmaking, wood turning, metal works, jewelry, and leather.  This is a great excuse to make some interesting stops while you’re out enjoying the fabulous fall colors. 
 
The tour runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. every day from Sept. 27 through Oct. 6.  Not only will you see a lot of beautiful art, but I guarantee you’ll meet some interesting and entertaining characters.
 
You can find a map and detailed directions at http://www.crossingbordersstudiotour.com/ or contact WTIP.
 
Construction of the new, high-speed six-pack ski lift at Lutsen Mountains is moving full speed ahead. Last week, a heavy lift helicopter was delivering the lift towers to their permanent locations.  The Caribou Express lift replaces the old two-place Caribou lift and will cut the time between runs from 10 minutes to three and a half minutes.
 
Which reminds me, local ski pass deals get more expensive soon, so you might want to act fast if you want to take advantage of the generous discounts available to locals and part-time West End residents.
 
I was shaken by the terrible news about the terrorist attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya last week. 
 
Two year ago, I traveled in Kenya with my son, Adam Hansen. Adam spent a year in Kenya when he was a junior in college.  Nearly a decade after that experience, he arranged a three-month visit back to Kenya and invited me to join him for a couple of weeks.  We stayed with his college host family less than a mile from the Westgate Mall. 
 
We were actually inside the mall a couple of times, so when I saw the video of the attack and the nearby streets, I recognized it immediately.  Even at this safe distance, I felt a little of the fear and horror that the people in that neighborhood were feeling.
 
Like everyone else, I’ve become somewhat hardened to news of terrorist attacks in far away places.  It’s hard to admit that, because each attack is a crushing tragedy for those involved.  Every victim – and every terrorist – is someone’s child, and the violence causes grief that can last for generations.
 
Terrorism has been part of the human condition since prehistoric times.  It is not a problem that can be solved by increasing security or even by an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” as tempting as that may be.  It can only be solved by the long, arduous task of building a civil society.  Education, economic opportunity, a fair and equitable legal system, good governance and strong civic systems are the ultimate answer.
 
The good news, if there can be good news associated with such a horrific event, is that Adam’s host family and his many friends are all safe.  However, as he and I check in with the people we know and love in Kenya, their anger, sadness and shock have been palpable.  My heart goes out to them.
 
The whole experience has given me a new appreciation for what we have here in the little old West End of Cook County.  We aren’t without our problems here, but I’m profoundly grateful for the civic life that allows us to live in relative safety and happiness.  The distant tragedies serve to remind us to never take it for granted.