December Reflections

After neglecting this blog for a few weeks, I always return with the statement "time flies". This blog is no exception! Where have the days--the weeks---gone? Surely they've been busy ones and I've spent an inordinate amount of time concerned with snow; specifically: cellallir 'to snow heavily" and muruaneq "soft deep snow", both words from an Eskimo dialect. Being in the great northwoods, it seems fitting to have many words to describe the changing snowscape here.

In about 10 days time we've gone from bare ground to muruaneq and almost overnight there were no more exploratory walks in the woods for the dogs and I. The snow is knee-deep and and tough going for me without snowshoes. The dogs hop rather than walk since the snow is chest-deep for them.

The Rasch family is here for the week and they no more than got unpacked before hitting the trails this evening. The Phillips group was here last week and those gentlemen rode more than a thousand miles in five days!

I'm baking banana muffins with a brown sugar topping this evening and we're looking forward to a steak dinner compliments of North American Mechanical. How often do you find steaks on your doorstep?? I have huge baking potatoes and a spinach salad in mind to accompany the steaks and a pan of home made garlic breadsticks.

A Northern Shrike hit the window this week; he was scouting out his dinner and made a miscalculation I suspect. He sat under the window--stunned--for a few seconds before gathering his wits and flying away. What a beautiful bird! If you've never seen one they're mostly pale gray with black wing-tip and tail. They're a predatory songbird about the size of a Blue Jay. The following photo is a Hairy Woodpecker at the suet feeder last week; he's a big boy!

Dec 3rd

So much to do! I have a fifty pound bag of apples just waiting to be peeled and put up; either frozen or canned. There are six Christmas trees in the barn to haul out of storage and distribute to the cabins. Then all the every day activities on top of that.

We're on Facebook now and I've spent a couple days getting that in order...adding pictures and sending messages to former guests who are like old friends. Then there's the blog, and a Twitter account, and answering the phones and 2 email accounts...I'm a busy girl!

We made some reindeer over the long weekend:

Isn't it just cute?

We're gearing up for the snow season now and there's a big fluffy deluge from the sky as I write this. I cannot photograph it as it is too dark already (4:49pm)!

I have my mind on some BBQ this weekend..smoking some homemade sausage wrapped in bacon. Sure sounds good....

I spent one morning this week exploring along the shore of Lake Superior; visiting my favorite place for driftwood and soaking in the sunrise.

I'm trying to take advantage of my quiet time while I can. Once winter arrives, and our snowmobilers start pouring in, I'll be too busy to spend much time wandering around. Doing nothing is a luxury in mid-winter here; spending all day on the tractor moving snow is the more likely scenario. So I take my pleasure where I can now.

The trees and brush look dusty with a thick coating of frost, don't they?

Back at camp I baked a batch of brown-sugar crust banana muffins and sat down with a cup of coffee to warm up because I know winter and a whole lot of work is on it's way.

Mocha and I took a walk yesterday to check out the bog area. We found a lot of deer tracks and Mocha had a high old time racing through the grass. She's getting a little gray around the edges but still has the energy of a puppy when it comes to exploring.

The leaves of this Burning Bush are one of the last points of color in the camp now. Last week's wind and rain sent the last of the yellow birch leaves swirling to the ground and this past weekend was all about the leaf cleanup. We were all out there raking and tarping and wheel-barrowing leaves---funny, I never noticed how many leaf-y trees were mixed in with all the pines up here!

Our camp is graced by the Dealing brothers this week--they use Kemosabe as a reunion point each year and they bring a great energy with them; calm, peaceful and happy to be together for their own little reunion. I think it's soo cool that they take time out of their busy lives to get together each year to reconnect and enjoy each other's company.

Autumn Thoughts

Autumn has gone by in a rush; the leaves have gone from blazing yellow and red on the branch to a whirlwind of crinkling brown at my feet. I've slacked a little on the raking and it's time to play catch up and get it done! We're forecast for two inches of snow tomorrow--a mere hint of what's to come.

The blue jays have come back to the feeders in a loud, raucous bunch--their calls alert me whenever the feeders are empty. There was a chipmunk on the porch whose cheeks were chock-full of birdseed yesterday; since they semi-hibernate I'd guess he was headed back to his den to unload his little face and head back for more.

The dogs are fuzzing back up for winter and General is in the lead--he's really fluffing out. If dogs are like caterpillars, we may be in for a long winter based on Gen's coat.

Shotgun season is in a couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to having all the guys here; planning a chili contest and getting recipes picked out to bake. We'll also have some great smoked ribs, and pulled pork .

All in all--it's a good start to the cold season and everything that goes along with it.

Time to move forward---

My apologies to everyone who follows this blog. Through the summer and into the fall we have been dealing with the illness and subsequent death of a cherished loved one. I've sat down and opened this blog but I just couldn't seem to write much. You see, writing for me, is tied to how I feel and lately I just haven't been able to get past the sadness and grieving. It's difficult to be light-hearted and happy when your heart is breaking.

Marilyn, the time I had with you is priceless and you are with me every day. Your courage is a testament to the strength of your faith. I would have done anything for you and the best I can do now is to love everyone as much and as freely as you have. I love you heart and soul...

Summer Comes to a Close

We've had a couple weeks of simply awesome weather here; warm, sunny days and cool, clear nights. My decision to live in this beautiful but inconvenient place is reaffirmed every day. It may take an hour to get to a Starbuck's but we have the Falling Rock Cafe:

There may not be a Macy's or Target in my neighborhood but when I drive down the road, this is what I see:

Salmon fishing is warming up here and as much as I'd love to have a photo of myself holding one---it just isn't my time yet!

As always, we've had some wonderful guests in the past few weeks and I'm continuously amazed at how many kind and gentle people there are in this world! The Dettner's were here in honor of a family member who loved the UP, the Hatfield's and the Bateson's who all came up to ATV. The Bateson group are all long-time ATV'ers with many years of experience and they know how to relax and have fun. Then we had Dianne D and her Boston terriers and my friend Dreyfus (a mastiff who's a lap dog in a giant body), who brought his family here for some R&R. I could go on and on about our guests--there are so many each week who make our lives brighter and happier for having stayed with us.

Well, summer has finally arrived for the UP. It's not the hot, humid, miserable summer of the lower lands, but more of a gentle, warm type with a lovely, cool evening perfect for sitting at a fire and contemplating the stars. In town, things are back to slow and easy since most of the tourist season has passed. I have a leisurely cup of coffee at the Falling Rock Cafe and don't have to wait in line for a delicious Southwest Salad salad---what more can a girl ask for?

I am enjoying every moment of the season as I know that all too soon I'll be on the tractor blowing snow for hours every morning. Fishing has been grand here; you cannot beat a big, dopey bass grabbing a topwater fly or spending a morning watching the sun rise while you're waist-deep in mirror calm Lake Superior water. There may be things as beautiful as this view, but none more beautiful in my mind.

I went hunting for rocks and driftwood yesterday. The time near the water serves to center me; the sound of the waves lapping at the beach and the far-off cries of the seagulls is so soothing. I grew up along a river in Ohio and I've always enjoyed getting my feet wet.

There was a storm moving in on the east side of Munising Bay. When I walked up there were about 50 seagulls on this old dock and they flew away silently as if they, too, were in awe of how beautiful the sky was at that moment.

Summer is Flying By----

Anyone who has stayed at our camp knows that Abbey and I have a soft spot for dogs--we fawn over all of them. This lucky guy is Curbie and he brought his family, the Thorsen's, to Kemosabe for a vacation a couple weeks ago. Curbie is a rescue and an all around great pup!

Folks who have stayed at Kemosabe this spring/summer have more than likely been welcomed at the door by Moo, our office mascot. She just got this cozy little bed for the upcoming snow season and she's breaking it in.

Overall things have been going really well and it's been a great summer--we've have many wonderful families stay with us and we've enjoyed their company so much. The Koscis and Mazur families were here for a week and Cristyn Koscis graciously volunteered to make journals for each cabin. Thanks Cristyn!

These folks are the Thiel family--guests who have stayed multiple times and love the UP as much as we do.

We're perfecting the cinnamon rolls and this last batch was some of the nicest we've made; huge and gooey and beautiful even before the addition of icing. A cinnamon roll this good can only make the day better!In fishing news: the bite is on! Summer action on the lakes has been really good. This smallmouth bass was 23" long and caught last week on a little black/green rubber worm.

These lucky gentlemen hooked some nice bass and pike. Walleye are being caught regularly too.I have to post something from the garden as well---not nearly as exciting as the fishing pics, but still beautiful.

I love hand-splitting the firewood....no, really I do. It's good exercise and the feeling of accomplishment makes up for the hassle. That being said, the last cord of wood was purchased already split. I'm not a glutton for punishment....we go through a lot of wood.

We've had some rain in the past couple of days--good for the waterfall aficionados and the ATV'ers. This one is just a tiny little 'fall near Wagner's Falls.

I've been re-doing the front of our office; adding places to sit, making a flowerbed and trying to give it a homey feel. The flowerbed is tough-going; the ground outside the office is rock hard, so I'm carting wheelbarrows full of dirt up from the woods. I'll post a pic of the flowerbed when it's finished.

Porcupine Night

My apologies to everyone who uses this blog to stay in touch with the happenings in the north woods---I've been so busy! Our summer is just flying by....I bet you are saying the same thing. It seems that winter is breathing down my back, every day inching closer and I have so much to do before it gets here!

The little fella in this picture is a porcupine. He tried to eat one of the cabins last week. We were sitting out by the evening fire, enjoying the stars and the peaceful night when we heard a very loud scraping noise.
My brother was visiting, and he was the brave one to investigate the noise. Armed with a flashlight and a garden hoe, he walked off into the darkness very slowly and then seconds later, came crashing back yelling "It's bigger than a cat and it's eating the house!" Did I mention my brother is a city-boy born and raised? I knew right away it had to be a porkie, although I'd never seen one before. The people around the campfire erupted out of their seats and ran to see the porkie who was casually sniffing around the screen door and testing it's sturdiness a bit with his claws. We shot a video of him wandering around and eventuall he grew tired of his celebrity and walked off into the forest.


This little guy was my birthday present! Although he wasn't meant to be a bird feeder, I couldn't resist adding some sunflower seeds to his flat little head. Adorable!

A Busy Week

I've been up to my ears in work this week preparing for the holiday weekend and organizing the office paperwork (thanks to Abbey). She's spending summer break being my "right hand man" here at camp.

We've had nothing but rain this week and it offered us the opportunity to catch up on office duties that would otherwise get pushed aside for more seasonal chores; soaking up the lovely UP sunshine, planting flowers, watching the birds feed their nestlings--important stuff!

The weather has been amazing; down as low as 38F two nights ago! We've gotten rain every day since Sunday and I do believe that when it warms up, we're in for another big push of mosquitoes. They're hearty little fellows here and even at forty degrees the other night they were bouncing against our jackets and making a nuisance of themselves. So when the temperatures hit 60-70 this weekend, we'll be drowning ourselves in bug spray again to ward off the new wave of Yooper mosquitoes, eh?

We had some terrific guests in the last two weeks and yes, I know I say that all the time. I sound like a broken record, but darn it...it's true: our camp must get all the good guests. For every bad experience here at camp (there's been a few doozies) we've had a hundred good ones and our guests are world-class people; kind, generous, friendly and outgoing folks. Hi Sue Dominic! Mary Meyers! Nancy and Brian Bowers! Amy and Pam--we love you all!

This photo is from Miner's Castle at Pictured Rocks. It may not be the best composition bu I like the contrast of trees and sky.

For anyone who hasn't seen Pictured Rocks I say "My gosh! Why not? It's some of the most beautiful land in America".

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone...

This is a photo of the air filter compartment on my truck; that giant pile of what looks like nesting material is, indeed, nesting material. A chipmunk had a little home going there, didn't he? The soft little nest was made of grass, yarn and bits of fuzz and had a little stash of seeds in it...luckily there were no baby chipmunks in it or I would have had to stop driving for a few weeks. What can I say? I have a soft spot for critters...

I zipped up to Sand Point beach yesterday to soak up some sun and took this pic there...the water of Lake Superior is so clear!

We had the pleasure of meeting George and Marlene this week, and their little companions Elvis and King. That's Elvis in the white fur coat (what else?). Elvis and I spent several evenings cuddling on the porch----

It's about time---

We finally got out on one of the lakes, together,for the first time this year! Usually it's Jeff going since it's hard to leave the camp alone for any length of time. Anyway, the weather was simply fantastic and it felt so good to be out on the lake with hardly another soul around (we did see one other boat on the 980 acre lake).

This was Jeff's first smallmouth and it was a fat little four or five pounder.

This was his second one:He always catches way more than I do!

This was my first pike; just a little fella. I caught several others, but didn't take pics of everything. We were having too much fun!

We got a late start out there, and missed the morning bite, but caught and released about 25 fish. All in all, a great day!

Monday Ruminations on Bugs

It's 11pm and if I had half a brain, I'd be asleep by now. Jeff want to go over to AuTrain Basin to fish tomorrow morning and, knowing Jeff, he'll be chomping at the bit come daybreak. Never mind that we won't leave until all our guests are out for their own little adventures...darn it, he'll want to be ready (he'll want US to be ready) bright and early.



I spent the day greeting guests and enjoying another fantastic UP spring day; warm, sunny and simply perfect. Jeff and I weeded and hoed and cut stray tree branches in between arrivals and we ended the day sitting in the yard comparing mosquito bites. Due to some poor application techniques, we both currently have more bug bites than common sense; Jeff's are mostly on his legs and mine are all (I have, seriously, twenty five) from the ears up! Silly me...I didn't spray my hair or behind my ears. Back in Ohio---in the Black Swamp---we didn't have the voracious, man-eating bloodsuckers that attack in battalions, so we weren't quite as careful as we should have been but come tomorrow....I'm showering in bug spray.



Well folks, I have a Twitter account now. For anyone who isn't familiar, Twitter is a website that allows you to post one or two line statements about what you're doing. Twitter is an awesome marketing tool and I am always looking for new ways to spread the word about our lovely new home, so I "tweet" (post a comment about our camp) once a day or so and enjoy reading other people's tweets too. You can find our Twitter at: http://twitter.com/KemosabeCabins

Jeff's mom and dad visited camp this week and there were kisses flying everywhere. I don't kiss all the guests....just the very special ones.

Whenever I wasn't snake-wrangling I was baking, cooking and walking on air...two of my favorite people in the whole world were here!

In other news: a bag of grits arrived at the door via UPS and there was no name or address, so I created this flyer:

I suspect they came from the Davis family in South Carolina. Stan Davis and I discovered we share a strange fondness for grits. I'm going to make bacon grits first thing tomorrow Stan! Thank you :o)

Dog, Snake and Toad

Our dogs are like children to us; beloved and precious. My dog, the General, has been a source of great comfort to me over the past 11 years. He is a loyal friend and in his twilight years he is more precious to me than ever. So when he came trotting across the yard with a big snake in his mouth, bringing it to me---I had some mixed feelings. I don't like snakes very much and usually give them a wide berth; I'm willing to live and let live though.

I guess I should start off by saying that over the years I have compiled a set of survival references in my head--my own set of "what to do if...." rules. Now one of the little facts I had stored away is that, as a quick reference, most poisonous snakes in the US have a triangular head. I should also point out that I'm not the type to panic in an emergency; I keep my cool because, after all, I have spent years compiling my "what to do if...." rules.

Back to the story. The dog had ahold of a snake and was bringing it to me. The snake had a huge head and was most definitely alive. In my non-panic reaction I knew I had to get the other dogs away from it, find something to wrangle the snake, find a container to hold the snake and check the General for a bite.

The other dogs were dying of curiosity and ran to within a couple feet of Gen and the squirming, whipping thing in his mouth. I grabbed the two biggest dogs and practically threw them in the house but the little terrier, Ester, was another story...she wanted herself some snake too, and she kept dodging in toward the snake as it whipped around. So I zigged as she zagged and scooped her up, sprinting toward the house and yelling to the General "stay boy, stay" over and over. I tossed Ester in the house, turned around, and Gen was right behind me, with the snake. I'm pretty sure that if the snake had touched my leg at that very moment, I would have had a heart attack and died on the spot. I grabbed a broom and a bucket and ran off the porch into the yard calling "come on Gen, here boy" and he sprinted back to me.

The dog dropped the snake on command and I simultaneously knocked it away from him and yelled for him to get back. At this point I saw that the snake had a huge triangular head because it had a half-swallowed toad in his mouth! It was just a big garter snake! When the dog dropped the snake, the snake dropped the toad and from there on it was a matter of getting the snake safely out of the yard and finding myself some nerve medicine.

The story ends with the garter being deposited safely in the woods, the toad was tucked away into my garden under the tomato plants (I swear he looked reborn and thankful to be alive) and the dogs all got peanut butter sandwiches.

Now I know that there aren't any poisonous snakes native to the UP, but in the heat of the moment....that didn't matter. I had to protect the dogs; after all...they'd do the same for me.

Farmer's Market

Yesterday was farm market day in Munising and the weather decided to co-operate for a change!

We have a wood-fired bread oven (open for public use!) and the ladies from the Eric R Beverly Foundation were baking pizza and spreading around the friendliness and fun as liberally as the pizza sauce. If you've never had pizza in a brick over---you need to come to town and try it.

The oven is close to the Lake Superior shore and in addition to making some fantastic baked goods, you have a wonderful view.

The yarn this woman is using was home-grown, home-spun and now being hand-knitted! Talk about cutting out the middleman.

Here's a beautiful bowl/mug made by Open Wings.

When you're in town (May to October), make sure you stop by the market for a bit and check it out!

After the market I came back to welcome our guests and get some baking done. I made some beautiful blueberry cinnamon rolls, popped them in the oven and promptly forgot about them while I was answering email. When my teeny, tiny little brain finally remembered there was something in the oven I raced toward the house, scattering birds from all the feeders, running as fast as my bare feet (still too tender to ignore the gravel) would let me; I threw open the screen door and sent the dogs into a seizure of barking only to discover that my poor rolls were overdone. Not burned, just sadly overcooked and hard as hockey pucks....