North Shore Weekend

Chapter 21: Dad

(Photo courtesy of Loren Kerns on Flickr)

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota. She authors the Minnesota Starwatch column, and contributes to WTIP bi-weekly on the Monday North Shore Morning program through "Northern Sky," where she shares what's happening with stars, planets and more.

The Perseid meteor showers at their best in the learly monrnings of August 11-14; Saturn at east quadrature on the 21st; Lyra and mony more constellations.

Chapter 19: Mom

(Photo courtesy of Loren Kerns on Flickr)

For non-believers in this Global Warming thing, sure hope they’re enjoying the roast! The upper Gunflint has not been spared over the past week, and these lousy hot temps are getting a lot of folks down.

As I prepare this week's commentary, no break is foreseen in the forecast. It’s forcing the moose and me to lay pretty low after mid-morning. Then again, being retired, I quit most work-related chores at noon anyway.

Guess we can consider ourselves fortunate in one aspect as the humidity has been bad enough, but not complicated with additional moisture. Then on the other hand, another week with nary a drop of rain around this neighborhood and the fuel load throughout the forest has grown tinder dry. The agencies charged with monitoring forest conditions are not being too public with concern, but we who live here know it’s dangerously dry on the wilderness floor.

This in mind, it would be a good idea for area residents and businesses to crank up the wildfire sprinkler systems (WFSS). Doing this not only assures their unit is in readiness, but also acts to dampen down property holdings.

I’ve found that an hour or so of WFSS operation in the early evening can do wonders cooling the house down during these miserable warm days. It makes for much more comfortable sleeping conditions if one does not have artificial cooling.

All this being said in regard to our atmosphere, it’s nice to bid this crabby hot July farewell. One positive, while planet earth bids this chapter adieu, if skies are clear we will be blessed with the “blue moon” on her last day.

The “thunder” moon, as it's called by Algonquin tribes, sends us off into August. The hope in these parts is those notorious “dog days” of month eight will be few and far between.

This magnificent million-square-mile wildflower patch continues blooming its fool head off. Early blossoms are fading to seeds while mid-summer varieties have taken over. It’s a time for drifts of Daisies, Black-eyed Susans and Fire Weed to escort one’s trip along the Byway.

A local fishing guide shared a recent experience he had not encountered in over 20 years of hosting fishing excursions. His angling customers were taken out on an area lake in search of big Northern Pike, and I was told they did get their wishes, but nothing extraordinary. Near the end of the day, one of the catch was released. No sooner had it hit the water, than an eagle appeared from high in the sky and swooped in for its catch of the hour.

If that wasn’t enough of a thrill for this fishing party, moments later a bear swam by their craft. It actually came close enough to provide some great photo ops. What a wonderful wild woods and water gift.

Later, as the group trailered the boat to head home, a trifecta of critter observations was completed when a moose met them on the road away from the launching access. One could not have scripted a better north woods encounter. This northern reality show will no doubt be etched in these folks’ memories for a lifetime, and probably will lure them back to this wilderness paradise often.

Fishing fortunes here at Wildersmith are not often met with success. In all likelihood, it’s because we aren’t fanatics about doing such. However, the grandsons were here for a visit last week and angling luck briefly turned around. On a trip up to Saganaga Lake, Tuesday before last, grandson, Lane Smith from Iowa, had the thrill of his young life. He hooked onto one of those Walleye “hawgs.” After an arm wrenching battle of several minutes he netted a 29-inch beauty. Lane says a big thanks to his guide, Adam!

It has been his family’s rule if anyone ever catches a “whopper,” it was going onto the wall. So this green and gold trophy was frozen and headed south for proper preservation and a “wall of fame” induction.

A week from this coming Sunday (August 9), the third annual Gunflint Woods, Winds and Strings chamber music concert will be presented at 4:00 pm in the mid-Trail (Schaap) Community facility. Many accomplished area professionals will be engaged in the collection of performing musicians. A reception will follow where one can meet and greet the players. Time is running out for seating reservations. If you haven’t reserved yours call Susan 388-9494 before it’s sold out.

This is Fred Smith, at Wildersmith, on the Trail. The great Gunflint Territory awaits you!

(Photo by Kenny Murray on Flickr)

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota. She authors the Minnesota Starwatch column, and contributes to WTIP bi-weekly on the Monday North Shore Morning program through "Northern Sky," where she shares what's happening with stars, planets and more.

Saturn easy to find on Saturday July 25; a Blue Moon (hear Deane's explanation of the term) on July 31; Draco the Dragon; Sirus the Dog Star 'adding its heat' to the Dog Days of August; plus New Horizons news from Pluto at nasa.gov.

Field Notes with Molly Hoffman can be heard every Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning between 8:00 and 10:00.  Support for Field Notes comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

(Photo by Stan Lupo on Flickr)

Chapter 17: The Storm

(Photo courtesy of Loren Kerns on Flickr)

Chapter 16: Rachel's Advice

(Photo courtesy of Loren Kerns on Flickr)

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota. She authors the Minnesota Starwatch column, and contributes to WTIP bi-weekly on the Monday North Shore Morning program through "Northern Sky," where she shares what's happening with stars, planets and more.

Dark skies with the new moon on the 15th; good viewing of several planets, especially with binoculars; NASA's New Horizons space craft flies by Pluto on July 14th.

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota. She authors the Minnesota Starwatch column, and contributes to WTIP bi-weekly on the Monday North Shore Morning program through "Northern Sky," where she shares what's happening with stars, planets and more.

Venus and Jupiter at their closest to each other on June 30; a full moon travelling a low trajectory on July 1; Sagitarius, Scorpius and Saturn.