Wildersmith on the Gunflint - September 1

The spectaculars of September in border country has yours truly heading off into year 16 of reporting Gunflint Trail news. To be specific, September 2, 2002 was my first ever scribing attempt. It was first as a columnist for the News Herald until 2008 and ever since with WTIP.                                                                                                                                                                      

I’m indeed thankful for the enduring support over the years. It is truly gratifying to have met so many folks who seem to enjoy the weekly scoop. Furthermore, thanks to everyone who has offered a news tip or two from wherever they reside in Trail territory.        

So here we go into a little review of what’s been going on. It may be my imagination, but autumn seems to be advancing rapidly. Some of the late August atmospheric and natural happenings might not amount to one iota with regard to my pre-fall observations, possibly prognosticating an early cold season. However, unusual things keep catching my attention.                                                                                                                                        
Whereas the lush green of the forest is still pretty much in command, a tamarak hidden back in the wetlands along the upper Trail caught my eye recently with its sparkling gold needles. While these dazzling forest sentinels are ordinarily the last color of the season in October, the flashy yellow tree makes me wonder if this isn’t some kind of signal from the “old man of the north.”                                                                                                                                                                      
To compliment this gilded needle appearance, the territory experienced a couple early mornings of cold temperatures as month eight headed into the last lap. The mercury slipped into the low 30s at a few locations with one report of frost having to be cleared from a windshield. A couple gardeners I know even threw a cover over their tomatoes. Wildersmith had three or four nights in the high 30s before capping the cold snap off with a 30 degree morning for the lowest so far, and our tomatoes will be best served as the fried green variety,                                                                                                                                                    

Needless to say, it probably remains a long ways from first frost to first snow. However, with mosquitos having been in the attack mode lately, a counter-attack of early freezing would not make some of us too unhappy.                                                                                                                
One more early autumn transition I’ve noticed is that boats are starting to come ashore. Several are trailered up with wintering protection battened down. Although this has no predictability of atmospheric things to come, it indicates summer folks have mellowed into the harvest season planning mode.                                                                                                              

Those cold conditions have eased some as I key this first report of month nine, and rain dampened this neighborhood in a Sunday soaker last weekend. The cool soggy setting made me briefly think, October. It was a nice rain with no wind, thunder or lightning, totally contrary to the tragedy suffered by millions in Texas. Remembering the derechos of 1999 and the wildfires in ‘05, ’06, and ’07, our hearts go out to them as we Gunflint folk know a lot about terrible tragedies too.                                                                                                                            
Reports of more bear visits continue to trickle in. Recently, a friend down the road experienced an all-day stop-over of the Gunflint Lake momma bear and her quadruplet cubs. She would not go away and the five-some ravaged bird feeders not having been stowed away. One of the black “Teddys” by chance tramped through the Wildersmith yard last Saturday morning, but found no temptations necessitating a stop, which was just fine with me.                                                                                                      

One of my squirrelly rodent buddies might be sending a weather signal too. Getting ready for winter could be on its mind as it had been working at a “B & E” (breaking and entering) project on a door to the outhouse for our guest cabin next door. It had already been evicted once as I found cold season nesting quarters in place just a few weeks ago.                                      

After squirrel proofing the gnawed point of entry, the little devil is back at its scheming to re-enter once again. This in mind, I am determined to win this battle of rights to privy occupation. I’m about to post no vacancies, there are plenty of vacant tree cavities to accommodate the rascal.                                                                                                                                              

I’ve been hyping the Gunflint Trail Historical Societies, Pie & Ice Cream Social for the past couple weeks. Such clamor ends now with the event at hand on Sunday. Don’t miss this sweetest of all holiday weekends up at Chik-Wauk, from noon to 4 p.m. There’ll be a lot of things going on as we usher in the Ojibwe “Tagwaagin”/fall season.                                                                                        

For WTIP, this is Fred Smith on the Trail at Wildersmith, where every day is great, during the month of the “wild rice” moon, September calls!