Wildersmith on the Gunflint - August 28

As I mentioned thirty days ago, we’d better not blink twice, or we’ll miss month eight. Well, we are on the brink of flipping the page to September, and like most of our summer, August on the Gunflint has slipped away, nearly unnoticed.                                                                         

This whirlwind of days leads us into month nine with a quick visit from the Ojibwe, “wild rice” moon on the second day. So set eyes to the sky for another one of those great fall lunar shows.                                                                                                                                               
While talking of celestial happenings there are only two days left to tune in for the virtual dark sky caravan at facebook.com/UMDPlanetarium. Shows begin at 7:00 pm and Livestream the moon and planets at 8:30 p.m.                                                                                                                               

Northwoods weather has been of little consequence since our last meeting, not too hot and not too cold, with little precipitation in this neighborhood of the upper Gunflint. Meanwhile, the water temp on Gunflint is declining into the high sixties depending upon where readings are taken.                                                                                                                                                                   

I don’t receive many fishing reports from the area, but one of note came from a six-year-old who hooked his first big one last weekend while fishing with Grandpa on Gunflint Lake. Guess there was a lot of excitement in the boat when what turned out to be a ten-pound lake trout took the bait and ran. One can only imagine the look on the little guy’s face when the “lunker” was finally netted. See a picture of the youngster with his catch above.                   

While the words of the day for many months, has been “social distancing”, this scene has taken on a different look around our yard. A small gang of my “wild neighborhood” buddies gathers most every morning, like a group of human “geezers” gathering for coffee.                                                               

As listeners might recall, I have been spreading a row of seeds out on the ground in the AM for little birds and beings who care to partake. This scene is pretty much dominated by the red rodents nearby and occasionally a chipmunk or two.                                                                                       
On any number of days, there may be as many as seven or eight squirrels coming by for a bite and a little chatter. The interesting condition of this gathering is the arrangement of bodies. It seems un-imaginable these varmints configure themselves in a row, straight as a line of first graders headed for the school lunchroom. Catch this too they are evenly spaced, at about a foot or so apart.                                                                                                                                                            

If one was to physically place them in this manner, you couldn’t do it more precisely. It makes me wonder who is in charge. Is there an “alpha” in the group? Whatever, this takes “social distancing” to an unexpected level of compliance.                                                                                   

Keep an ear to the radio or eye to the web site; I’ll eventually have a camera in hand to announce and confirm this anomaly of the animal world.                                                                                                                            

Clouds of sadness hangover the Gunflint Community with the loss of two well-known friends and neighbors. Janice Anne “Rabbit” Matichuk passed away following a difficult illness on August 4/5 at her home in Atikokan.  Janice lived and traveled the upper Gunflint via Saganaga (Sag) Lake as the long time Cache Bay Ranger in the Quetico. She is survived by children Leif and Ingla and will be sorely missed by many Gunflint Trail friends and Sag Lake neighbors.                                                                                                                                                    

Dr. Kyle Edlund passed away as the result of a tragic plane crash into a lake near Ely on the night of August 20. Kyle, a dentist in Woodbury, and his family have longtime ties to the Gunflint Trail. He was an avid supporter and contributor to the Gunflint Trail Historical Society and Chik Wauk Museum. Kyle celebrated many special days at his cabin on Saganaga while fishing area lakes. He is survived by his parents, Judy and Jim Edlund of Road Lake along the Trail, his family and uncountable friends along the Gunflint.                                                                                                    

Community condolences are extended to the families of both Janice and Kyle.                                   

Another Gunflint tidbit comes from the Friends of the Gunflint Trail Fire Department. Final tabulations have been released regarding the “Safe Summer” fundraiser. Wow, a grand total of $57,543.00 was raised! Congrats and thanks to all!                                                                                    

In closing, another great day on the Gunflint found me catching a few rays and contemplating the wonderful forest around me. We Gunflint residents are so fortunate to be living in an “island of forest (Goodall).” This island of Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness satisfies a great passion for trees.                                                                                    

While varieties of trees display an ambiance separate from the cousins around them, they all have a commonality of constancy. Whether it is the expiration of life-sustaining oxygen or the absorption of our Co2 wastes, they even offer so much more.                                                                                        

One can name perhaps dozens of things trees may provide; like wide limbs of dense foliage to provide shade from “old Sol” or to protect us from the rain; homes for uncountable creatures of creation; sturdy roots to hold our earth in place; or whispering soft melodies in the breeze.      
                                                                                                                                                                          
Most of all these slender or thick, fibrous beings of the woods favor a place for peaceful refuge from the world around us. Trees are far more than leaves and needles above; they are a stronghold for order and serenity.                                                                                                                                                              

This being said, I find troubling, recent reports of visitors infiltrating this northern island of trees and abusing this precious creation with remnants of un-caring practices. There is no place for this. Attention humans, “leave no trace!”                                                                                                                                             

For WTIP, this is Wildersmith on the Gunflint Trail, where every day is a precious sample of creations genius.