Restorative Powers of Lake Superior

We just got back from a few nights away at our home away from home (not sure if the proprietors would completely agree, but as long as we keep coming back, they probably won’t care what we call it). It’s a cabin just a few yards from the shore of Lake Superior, with a commanding view of the moody waters.

Waves on Rocks

The next couple of days were a perfect combination of crafting, hiking, eating and drinking.

Dinner/Craft Table (with view)

We spent the first full day hiking in the Split Rock State Park, with bright birch and aspen trees framing the various views of the lake and surrounding shorelines.

Split Rock State Park

Split Rock State Park

On Thursday morning I woke up at the crack of dawn (actually, a little before the crack) and found myself facing a serenely calm and beautiful display of light and water.

Sunrise

Sunrise

After breakfast we made our way over to Gooseberry Falls State Park, for another couple of hikes. The sky was bright, the sun full (luckily I remembered to wear a hat) and the trails pretty empty in the morning hours.

Gooseberry Falls State Park

Fifth Falls - Gooseberry Falls State Park

Virginia got the prize for most adventurous, hanging out with feet dangling over the Upper Falls.

Virginia by Upper Falls

I stayed a more comfortable distance from the edge.

Dan by Upper Falls

Back at the cabin, we enjoyed the last of our growler (added bonus: the owner decided to open a brewery earlier this year and had several varieties available – I think he brews in 93 gallon batches, so it’s a small operation, but one we were quite willing to support) while sitting by the fire, all the while wishing we had a few more nights booked.

Still, the trip did the trick. We wore ourselves out during the day, slept well at night, worked on some creative projects, and felt ourselves being restored by the powers of that giant lake.

"Harold" and Rainbow

Weeks 19 & 20 in Review

Week in Review - 19

Some good transitions happened over the last two weeks. The happiest being warmer temperatures, allowing for nice long walks after work, as well as, the first bike ride of the season (albeit on rain-soaked trails).

Week in Review - 20

The garden continues to provide our yard with color and variety. Virginia decided to keep track of the number of cut flowers (specifically tulips and daffodils) that we’ve been able to enjoy inside our home: so far, 20 dozen daffodils and 16 dozen tulips (spread out through the last several weeks). Our hard work throughout the various autumns is really starting to yield some spectacular results. More amazing, you can barely tell that many stems have been harvested. The more we play with our yard, the more likely it seems that we’ll be staying in this house for many a year.

Tulips

But, that’s the best part of building a home.

Fiber Haul

We had the pleasure of making our way to the annual Sheherd’s Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival this past weekend. I thought about taking pictures of the festivities and animals, but I’ve already done that and, really, how many sheep photos does one need? Of course, what I’m about to show you presents the same question – how many photos of fiber and wool does one need? Apparently, not enough:

Fiber Haul

This sea of wool contains two fibers I have never spun before, and am looking forward to making some yarn out of them. The top left bowl of white, cloudy happiness is 100% angora – the kind of fiber that, when touched, just feels like pure warmth as opposed to anything tangible. The same can almost be said about the bottom left bundle. That’s 100% yak down. All in all, though, I feel I was a bit restrained, and that’s mostly due to the fact that I’m still working on piles of fiber from festivals past.

So, here’s to another year behind the wheel!