If this is your first time to this page or our website, you'll find that this page changes at least once, if not several times, a month. We enjoy living in the northwoods and are happy to share the latest happenings with you.

August 4, 2004

Good Grief! It has been a while since I've had the chance to update this page. Since April, I've graduated with my Parks and Recreation Management degree and am signed up to attend Vermilion Community College this fall to complete my Wilderness Management degree. In between these two events, Dave and I have been working 12+ hours a day, six days a week assisting people with their wilderness canoe trips. We sleep, eat, and work - not necessarily in that order - from May throu about mid September. We love what we do and that's what keeps us fired up and going during the long summer hours. Enough about us though...

Spring and summer have been much colder than normal - about 10 degrees colder than normal. We've actually hit a whooping 85 degrees for a high, but only once. Most days are running in the low to mid 70's. Towards the end of July we had an overnight high of 39 degrees.

Two mornings ago, I was in the work-out room on the stepper and I saw a snowshoe hare go zipping by the window. I kept working out and about 20 seconds later a wolf crept around the corner of the truck and was following the scent of the hare. He stopped about ten feet in front of the window and turned to watch me. He had a curious look on his face for a few seconds and then turned around and slowly moved back from the direction he had come from. I guess I messed up breakfast for the poor guy.

Blueberries are currently at their peak, while raspberries are waning. The white-tail fawns are still sporting their spots, but quickly growing in size. Mosquiotes are out, but seem to vary in numbers. If a camper happens to be at the wrong campsite long about 8:45 pm, they best be in their tents as they will be driven inside for the night or donate blood for the cause.

Well, time to be moving along. Hope summer is wonderful where you are - have a great day!

April 23, 2004

Over the past few weeks, spring has begun to arrive in the northwoods. Migrations of birds and waterfowl have filled the air as the locals move in and the those summering in more northern areas move through. The first to arrive in the area were Hooded Mergansers and Goldeneyes. Those were followed by Canada Geese, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Pintails, Grackles, Starlings, and Robins. Bald Eagles have returned and reclaimed last year's nests. They are already sitting on clutches of eggs and are awaiting this year's young. Probably the greatest moment that everyone waits for in the northwoods is the arrival of the loon. I am happy to announce that as of yesterday morning (4-22-04) at 8:30 a.m., Moose Lake officially moved into spring as we heard our first loon call ring out.

The deer have begun their migration back towards Knife and Ensign Lake. It was a tough winter for them. The Ely area received almost 80 inches of snow. As normal, about mid way through the winter we received a warm week that caused some snow melt. From that point on, the wolves had the distinct advantage. The deer moving through have a veariness about them. They move only when necessary and for a short distance only. Their energy reserves are low and they need the fresh green shoots of spring to rejuvenate them.

The varying hare or snowshoe hare has begun to change its coat. Normally a dirty white in the winter, the hare is now changing to a soft mousy brown. Most hares change color at their own pace. So far, I have seen several that are almost completely brown, where as others have just a patch of brown started. By mid-May they will all have their new summer coats.

Willows are beginning to burst forth with their soft fuzzy pods. Most of the red osier dogwood and beaked hazel were heavily browsed by deer this winter. Deer tend to nip off the youngest, tenderest parts of trees and shrubs. These portions are the most recent year's growth. Buds for those shrubs and other deciduous trees have not started to form, but should within the next few weeks. A few good days of rain and warm weather will help the process.

Moose Lake still has ice. Based on the last couple of days and the weather forecast, Moose Lake may have ice out over this next weekend. If not, within the early part of next week.

I hope wherever you are spring is overflowing with its joy and beauty. Have a wonderful spring!

March 19, 2004

Wow, it's been a while since I was here last. Sorry about that! I've been taking 22 credits at Vermilion Community College, plus working 25-30 hours a week. There doesn't even seem to be much time to sleep these days.

June has quickly slipped away. We're coming up on the fourth anniversary of the wind storm (7-4-1999). Remembering that day brings back a mix of emotions. It was in some ways terrifying to see the strength and magnitude of nature unleashed, yet incredible at the same time. We traveled up to Ensign Lake last week. Those who have visited the area with any frequency over the years can easily pick-out the damage. First time visitors, however, may miss the damage as the new growth has already begun to mask the sizable scars. The Forest Service continues to do small controlled burns each year in an effort to reduce the fuel load. The burns themselves are excellent for the pioneer communities, especially the raspberries and blueberries, that prefer the more acidic soil.

I've been out hiking on several of the area's trails. The bug population has been very low this year (so far). We had a major dragonfly hatch at the beginning of June and the dragonflies have kept the black flies, and to a small extent, and mosquitoes in check. I love it when the food chain works!

The grouse chicks are out and about. Be wary of the grouse hens - they are very protective of their young and you may find yourself being "attacked" by a irritated mother. The deer and moose also have had their young. Give both plenty of room and don't try to get close for that perfect photo opportunity. Moose inparticular will not think twice about charging and possibly running you over.

Smallmouth are working the shallows. Topwater and shallow running lures are hot. Plan on crayfish, frog, and shad color variations as the best producers. Walleyes are transitioning to the reef areas. Right now you'll find them in 12 to 18 feet of water. Jigs are always my favorite for walleye, but slip bobbers with split shot and a hook tipped with a crawler or leech will do the trick too. The trophey northerns have started to move deep to avoid heat stress. Troll Mann's 20+ or 30+ as you travel you may be able to land a dandy sized northern. The lake trout are going deep too (you may find both northern and trout suspended together). A deep diving crankbait like the Mann's will work for the lake trout as well.

Hope you're enjoying summer wherever you are! Stay safe and have fun!

May 29, 2003

I am long over due for an update - I apologize. It's been a crazy spring. First too cold with little hope of the ice going out, then a sudden warm up. We'll keep the warm.

The US Forest Service did a prescribed burn between Flash and the Secret/Blackstone Lakes on Tuesday. It has gone well and it was quite exciting to see the variety of aircraft they use to carry water and monitor the fire by air. Yesterday was the "mop-up" day, so hopefully they will have the trail open and I can check the burn out later today.

Friends joined my husband and I for a day of fishing yesterday up on Ensign Lake. We caught a nice batch of walleyes and had a great fish fry last night. The walleyes are still shallow in about 6 to 10 feet of water. We used a variety of bait (minnows, leeches and crawlers). The most productive set-up seemed to be a 1/8 ounce chartruese lead head jig with a brown 3 inch twister tail grub (with black flecks). I caught several with this set-up alone, my husband caught several with this set-up tipped with a minnow. The bass are not yet spawning in the Ensign Lake area yet. They appear to be just moving up on the beds, so the spawn is at least one to two weeks out for the shallower lakes, and about two to three weeks out for the larger, deep water lakes.

The marsh marigold, columbine, violets, strawberries, hepaticis, and pincherry trees are all in bloom right now. The woods are just bursting forth with so many colors of green - it is just great to be up here to take it all in.

I hope wherever you are, you're enjoying spring and the wonders it brings! May your trails be short!

February 3, 2003

Well, last Thursday night, after living in the northwoods for almost twenty years, it finally happened... I saw my first bobcat. I have a short drive (and can actually walk to work if I take a trail through the woods) between home and work. It was about 5 PM and still light enough out to clearly see it. What an absolute treat!

It is kind of humorous. Thinking back on the conversations I have had with neighbors this past month, we were all pondering what had happened to the abundance of snowshoe hare that were over running our woods. Now we know the rest of the story. Fresh snow fell this weekend and the tracks of the bobcat reappeared on the road. He/she must be working this specific area until the hare population is depleted.

We also have been watching a wolf pack deer kill out off an island on Moose Lake. It took about five days before the wolves had cleaned up everything they wanted. Then the ravens moved in to clean up the rest. We have quite a vantage point from the office window, so it's easy to keep track of everything going on.

After a long streak of cold weather in January - most overnights ranging between 11 below to 28 below - we were glad to actually see February slip in with some close to zero overnight temperatures. We tend to be hardy souls up here, but it's still nice to be able to go outside without six layers of clothing on!

Well, we'll wrap this segment up. We hope wherever you are that you're enjoying a warm and safe winter. Thanks for stopping by!

January 2, 2003

Happy New Year! I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out what happened to most of October, November and all of December. Fall and early winter seems to have slipped by far too quickly.

October found me out in the woods on my first solo canoe trip. It went well. No major distance records, but it gave me a feel for what I can accomplish on next years trip. I learned that I don't have as many physical limitations as I thought that I did. I also enjoyed the fact that I could travel at my own pace, see the points of interest I wanted to, and fish/read/explore at my own leisure. Three huge perks that I had never experienced before. I completely understand now why folks do solo trips.

November flurries came and went with several good accumulations. It wasn't until late November that the area lakes began to ice over. By mid December I was out on Ojibway Lake cross country skiing with my good friend, Tobi.

We had an Eastern Blue bird (rare to our area) at the feeder in mid October. The usual chickadees, grosbeaks, nuthatches and goldfinches have been emptying the feeders at an amazing rate these past weeks. We have about six different deer that come in to eat sunflower seeds out of the bird feeders. We aren't trying to encourage them to come in, but they have been bedding down on neighboring property and find the sunflower seeds an easy meal.

My New Years Resolution includes trying to be more diligent in updating this portion of our website. I hope that you and yours will enjoy a safe, healthy and very prosperous New Year! Thanks for stopping by...

September 10, 2002

After a hard rain last night, the sky has cleared and a few whisps of clouds are rolling past the window. The temperatures have cooled off considerably and we woke up to temps in the 50's. After several days of temperatures in the 80's with high humidity the cooler temps are a great relief.

It's the day before the first anniversary of the World Trade Center & Pentagon attacks. I've been thinking about the tragedy for several weeks now. It's been a struggle to make sense of it all and it's still really tough to see the replays of things all over again. To be honest I still have to leave the room. It's not that I weak, it's just still far too fresh in my mind and heart.

Today I would like to remember those who were in the World Trade Center, Pentagon, planes, and the rescue workers that were lost in the tragedy. I would also like to honor those men and women who: worked in the hospitals to care for the sick and injured; worked to feed the volunteer workers; and those who spent countless months clearing away the debris and bodies at the crash sites. They did what many of us could not.

Our country has faced some difficult times in it's over 200 year history. As a nation we have always stood together and made it through. This time we came together with incredible unity. What the terrorists believed would be our downfall became our commonground. I thank God that even though we are a nation of unique individuals from many walks of life, we still can stand together in times of threat, terror and tragedy.

Where ever your footsteps take you in this great country of ours always remember that we are one nation; united under God, a common flag, and a constitution that gives us freedoms far greater than any other nation on earth. We are truly blessed and let each of us never forget what was sacrificed to give us those freedoms.

May our country always stand united with one heart, mind and spirit. God Bless America.

August 12, 2002

Fall has started to decend on the northwoods. The cooler air temperatures have given locals and visitors alike some much needed relief from day time temperatures that had been hoovering in the 80's and 90's.

This past week we ventured down to the Kawishiwi River for the day. Dave's Mom passed away on July 25 and the Kawishiwi River was one of her favorite spots to go crappie fishing. Mom would have enjoyed the warm sunshine and Kodak blue sky overhead. The crappies cooperated too. Dave caught several that ranged from 13 to 14 inches and we all came home with a nice "mess" of crappies, bluegill and walleye. The only thing that could have made the day more perfect was to have Mom at our side eating the raspberries and blueberries we found on one of the campsites. We know that she has probably already has her favorite fishing spot marked in heaven and is REALLY catching the big ones now.

We've been hearing some Cedar Waxwings over the course of the day. They normally travel through this area in late August and enjoy the Mountain Ash and Pincherries as they ripen.

A bear has been working the Moose Lake area and has left a lot of scat the last few weeks. He hasn't been a problem with the garbage - we're hoping it stays that way. So far there hasn't been a lot of problems with bears in our area or in the BWCA or Quetico Park. This is good!

Smallmouth and northern fishing has been great these past few weeks. We'll start to see the smallmouth transitioning into deeper water over the next few weeks. The large northerns should be starting to work their way up out of the deeper holes they've been staying in to avoid heat stress. Walleyes have been hit & miss. Walleye tend to start shifting to different areas this time of year. The lake trout are still deep, but they will begin moving to 35 to 45 feet of water by late August. The lake trout spawn in late September and early August.

Thanks for joining us! Be sure to check in with us in September as we head out on our fall canoe trip. Have a great day where ever you are.

June 24, 2002

We're finally starting to enjoy some summer temperatures. The wild roses have been blooming this past week, along with the Wild Buttercup. The last several days the Ox-eyed Daisy, Hawkweed, and Devil's Paint Brush have burst forth in bloom. On a hike along the Blackstone Trail several days ago, I was pleased to see three Wood Lilies in bloom. They are fairly uncommon to this area, so it was a wonderful treat.

Our son was hiking on a trail the other evening and saw a grouse acting funny in the middle of the trail. He walked slowly down the trail not trying to spook it if it was injured. He was about two feet away when it suddenly took to flight and a whole clutch of chicks scattered. The mother flew staright up at him and hissed. She then proceeded to chase him down the trail swooping and hissing all the way. Moral - Don't mess with the Mom!

We have a huge abundance of snowshoe hare EVERYWHERE! You can't drive more than 500 feet before you see one. With the increase in snowshoe hare that means that the bobcat population should also be starting into it's high cycle. We haven't seen any in this area for quite sometime, but their cycle carefully follows that of the hare.

It appears that we virtually missed the black fly season this year. The mosquitoes have hatched out during the last two days. We finally received some very much needed rain this past week, so everything is leafing, budding and hatching.

The large lakes are just seeing the last of the smallmouth bass spawn. I was out fishing this morning on Moose Lake and the small male bass were vigorously guarding the nests along the shoreline. In about a week the large females should be recouperated from the spawn and will join the males in the shallow shoreline waters. Northerns are insanely abundant this year - it's hard not to catch them right now. The lake trout are starting to head into tdeeper waters, and the walleyes are starting to orient themselves to reef structure in 7 to 10 feet of water.

Have an awesome day wherever you are! Remember: bad thoughts are quickly forgotten with wilderness daydreams!

June 7, 2002

This past week has seen some warmer temperatures. That equates to the hatch of midges, black flies and of course, army worms. The trees were about two weeks behind their normal "leafing out", now the army worms have attacked the aspen with a passion. Those new tender leaves are much to their liking. The high point in all of this is that the army worm population appears to have peaked last year, so we're on the down hill side of the curve.

Most plants and flowers were also late in leafing out. The buttercup is just now blosoming, and the wild rose will still be at least a week or so. The pearly everlasting have begun to shoot up and leaf, but their blosoms will be a bit yet in coming.

The smallmouth are behind on the spawn too. (Cold springs just wreak havoc on everything up here!) They have just begun spawning in the warmer, shallow lakes. Anglers should anticipate another week or so before they are spawning in the deeper, clear water lakes like Basswood, Agnes or Knife. The smallmouth fishing during the spawn is pretty tough. Immediately following the spawn, anglers will catch many of the smaller males that are in the shallows guarding the nests. Large females head for deeper water for a week or two to recuperate. Both male and female smallmouth should become really active on topwater lures by the fourth week of June.

Well, that wraps it up for this update. Hope summer is being kind to you wherever you are. Thank you for stopping in and have an AWESOME DAY!

May 19, 2002

Well, we were pretty close with our ice out prediction - Moose Lake was officially open on April 25, 2002. Unfortunately, the cold weather didn't leave with the ice. We have had snow showers the last several weeks, plus plenty wind and cold temperatures.

The resident coyote came up the abandoned road behind our house the other morning. He comes through once in a while looking for unsuspecting snowshoe hare. This time it wasn't a snowshoe that he found... after much sniffing around a clump of weeds, he emerged with one of our black lab's rawhide bones. We got a good chuckle as we watched him prance off into the woods with his find.

I went out hiking with a good friend last week. The Secret-Blackstone trail was a blast. The first signs of spring were beginning to unfurl. The Hepaticus are in bloom and we found not only the typical white, but a light blue flower as well. The trail was in great shape and they had done a small prescribed burn in the swampy area near the trail head. I am planning another hike later this next week, so we'll update you on any other finds.

The white-tail deer are in the final days of their pregnancies. A lone doe wandered through the yard two days ago. She was very large and you could see the fawn moving around (it actually looked like leaping) inside of her.

The loons and hummingbirds have both returned. It was great to sit out on the deck the other morning and listen to their call. As long as I am alive I will never get tired of hearing them. The hummingbirds typically return every year around Mothers Day - they were right on cue this year. Their quick darting movement and bee like buzz are a pleasure to watch.

We hope that wherever you are the spring season is bringing you joy! May the sun shine gently down upon you.

April 19, 2002

It's an overcast day here on Moose Lake, but GOOD NEWS... we've got black ice. For those who are new to the ice out game, there are a number of stages that the ice goes through before it finally leaves for the season. We start out with light grey and progress from there. We did wake up to a light dusting of snow this morning, but it's already up to the low forties. Black ice means we are within about five to seven days of open water (unless we get a super cold snap at this point!).

I guarantee that the canoe is pointed towards the lake and the paddles and life jackets are by the door. Our neighborhood has a spring race every year to see who can make the claim of being the first out paddling. Last December we were the last ones still out paddling. We take paddling serious, so we have a reputation to uphold here!.

The red-winged black birds and grackles have returned again. They along with the robins are the first signs of spring we see each year. They always return a week or two before ice out. Today our yard is filled with about 150 birds.

The resident coyote was also through this morning. He has been wintering out on one of the islands and traveling to the main land to hunt each day. Now that the ice is going out he has to find a new spot until ice up next November. Since we still have a high concentration of snowshoe hare in the area, he'll probably stay close by.

The willows have begun to bud out and the deer have enjoyed browsing on the tender new growth. Small nodules are beginning to form on the red osier dogwood and the beaked hazel. Soon those and many of the other plants and trees will begin to burst forth with leaves and flowers. Spring is such a beautiful time here as everything is renewed and the new cycle of life begins.

We hope that you are enjoying the wonders of spring from your backdoor - wherever you may be. Take care and have a wonderful day!

On March 22, 2002 our family decided to take its first official family vacation. We've taken at least one if not two canoe trips every year for, let's see... twenty plus years! This year the plan was to do something in additional to the usual family sojourn into the wilderness.

We packed up the faithful '91 Dodge Caravan and headed out on Friday afternoon. We traveled across Minnesota and stayed in Fargo, ND Friday night. We continued the journey through North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and looped up to hit the great state of South Dakota. When all was said and done, the good family "grocery getter" had added 4038 miles to its odometer. Needless to say she was relieved to see our driveway on April 2.

On the trip we saw our first buffalo, pronghorn, mule deer, golden eagle, mountain goat, and magpies (just to name a few things). The wonderment of experiencing new things really struck me at my core this trip. I felt like a kid again as I flipped through the field guides identifying birds and looking up the local geology. How cool to see the new and different. It was breath-taking to stand at 11,008 feet at Red Mountin Pass just north of Ouray, CO and watch renegade skiers come down from the mountain top above (over 14,000 feet elevation at the peak). Likewise, peering into the Black Canyon just outside of Grand Junction, CO, the Bad Lands & Black Hills of SD, and riding a ski lift over 2000 feet to the top of Angel Fire mountain in NM was equally invigorating. Totally different areas, experiences and scenery, yet all thrilling.

The trip also gave me a whole new appreciation of our back yard - otherwise known as the Boundary Waters and Quetico Park. Even the favorite trails will take on new meaning as I look for similarities and differences throughout the canoe country next fall. How wonderful it is to expereince new things... especially when it makes you further appreciate what you already have.

May your world be filled with wonder, adventure, and awe.

March 11, 2002

The birds and squirrels were in a feeding frenzy on Thursday - this should have been an indicator that something big was coming our way. The snows started Thursday night, were off and on throughout Friday, and hit us hard again on Saturday. When all was said and done, the area was covered in 14 to 16 inches of fluffy white snow. High winds followed on Saturday night creating a beautiful winterland of drifts throughout the woods and on the lakes. Snow plows, snow blowers and shovels all worked together in an attempt to open up roads. It took Ely nearly three days of non-stop to plowing and keep the roads open. There is nothing more beautiful than pure white snow drifted as far as the eye can see.

We had a moose sighting earlier in the week. On a walk with a neighbor we found one antler shed (from a 10 pointer) and two bird nests. The nests were tightly weaved together using grasses and a few random strips of paper thin birch bark. Its amazing the effort that goes into making each nest - how the materials are carefully interwoven to make it sturdy, yet soft. We also spotted numerous deer tracks, and tracks from mice and grouse.

We hope wherever you are that you are enjoying the great outdoors too. Thank you for stopping by!

We'd been discussing, plotting and planning how we were going to actually make one of the items on our top twenty "Things To Do Before We Die" list come true. Ever since I was about twelve years old I have wanted to fish for the elusive burbot, better as eelpout. If you haven't seen a picture of one, they are really weird looking. The front portion looks much like a catfish. Right after the gill plate, however, their body takes on the form of an eel. Catch a big enough one, and the old timers warn that they'll wrap right around your arm as you pull them out of the hole.

The journey started at Smitties on Snowbank Lake. We arrived at 4:30 PM and drove out on the ice road to Ice Shanty E. We were prepared to sit on five gallon pickle buckets and endure the cold howling wind coming through the cracks of the ice shanty. We were greeted, however, with folding chairs, a table and a LP heater. This was turning into a scene out of grumpy old men (mind you this was women!).

I caught a one pound eelpout about an hour into the adventure. Tobi's came through the ice at about 8PM - a whopper of about 5 to 7 pounds. It took us most of the evening to figure out how they hit, when to reel, and how not to set the hook. They are absolutely unlike any fish we've ever caught.

We wrapped up the evening with a late dinner of eelpout. Lightly poached and dipped in drawn butter - lobster never tasted this good!

If eelpout is on your to do list, here's some tips; they spawn in late January to February, are bottom feeders that eat minnows or crayfish, like glow in the dark jigheads, and gently wiggle the line when they are ready for you to reel them in. Just another northwoods adventure...

Stay safe, keep warm, and may all your ice shanties be heated!

February 5, 2002

Last night the sky swirled and danced as it filled with northern lights. For several minutes the northeastern sky was blanketed in red as the northern lights completedly filled the sky. What started as a twisted ribbon-like band of light green errupted into a flickering, flaring combination of greens, reds, blues and yellows. Spires of green leaped into the sky and disappeared as quickly as they appeared. It was breath-taking, but not the end of the show. A website called spaceweather.com is predicting two more evenings filled with even more activity.

We hope that wherever you are your nights are also filled with adventure and beauty. Stay safe, keep warm, and may your trails always lead you to the northwoods.

January 13, 2002

Happy New Year!

Things are finally beginning to look a bit more like winter. We received several inches of snow in the last 7 to 10 days. The ice condition still continues to be questionable. We need several subzero nights for it to really firm-up. Slush and thin ice are both concerns for the moment. Right now we're keeping the skiing and hiking ventures to the wooded trails. Hopefully by late January we'll have a more solid ice base for skiing.

The chickadees, nuthatches, grosbeaks, gray jays and woodpeckers are continually flitting to and from the feeder. The army of three dozen or more pine squirrels keeps our two labs thoroughly annoyed.

Most of the bucks we are seeing these days have lost at least one, if not both of their antlers. It's been an easy winter for them so far. They've been yarding up outside of Winton at a place the locals call Walton's Mountain. We've consistantly seen at least a 1/2 dozen each time we head into town. During the very harsh winters, it is not unusual to see over a hundred yarded up in that small of an area.

A neighbor of ours saw a black bear on the Fernberg about 10 days ago. We had been having a warm snap with daytime highs between the upper thirties to low fifties. We're guessing that his hibernation clock told him it was time for a stretch. With a winter like this a bear probably could survive if needed.

Keep the wind at your back and a smile on your face! Thank you for stopping by to visit.

December 21, 2001

We've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of snow. The weatherman is predicting that a major snow storm will be hitting the area within the next 24 hours. It would be a first not to have a white Northwoods Christmas.

Moose Lake still has not completely iced over - this is the latest we have ever seen open water in the area. The ice fisherman, cross country skiers, and dog sled teams are all anxious for the lakes to finally ice up so they can travel up the frozen lakes and enjoy the winter wonderland. Last week Dave & LD took the canoe out for one last paddle on Moose Lake. They had to break ice along the shoreline to reach the open water. Once they hit the open water the canoe glided effortlessly. If it hadn't been 35 degrees outside, we'd have almost thought it was July!

We spotted one of the resident immature bald eagles three days ago. It's late in the season for him to still be here, but the temperatures have really been unusual. The deer have completed their migration down from Knife and Ensign Lakes. Typically, deer don't migrate, but with the severe winters we have the deer have learned that moving to areas with roads and trail systems helps them survive the 60+ inches of snow and cold. The deer have several primary areas that they head to; Moose and Fall Lakes. A number of residents on both lakes put out deer feed, hay and salt licks. Although some individuals argue against feeding the deer, it is breath-taking to see the bucks, does and yearlings up close. Once the eye is trained, it's easy to see that they each have their own physical characteristics that set them apart from others (not to mention personalities too!). During the harshest time of the winter, the deer yard up and stay in a central location. They stay close to the food source to conserve energy as the temperatures often times reach a high of 20 below zero. It's not uncommon to wake-up and see deer bedded down in the yard.

We have had several individual wolf sightings on the Fernberg at Pea Soup and Wood Lakes during the past two weeks. We spotted a group of three wolves crossing the Fernberg at Fall Lake last week right at dusk. All the wolves that we've seen have been healthy with beautiful, thick winter coats. With the lack of snow, hunting should be very easy for them at this point.

As the final days of 2001 come to a close, our family wishes you and yours a joyous Christmas and a safe & healthy New Year. May all your days be bright!

December 1, 2001

It's gray and overcast with snow gently falling throughout the day. We have about 8 inches of snow currently on the ground.

Early this afternoon we had a 10 point and a spike buck visit the bird feeders in our backyard. Hunting season has been over for over a week now, so the bucks are becoming a bit more active during the daylight hours. The usual chickadees, gray jays, pine grosbeaks, evening grosbeaks and nuthatches frequent the feeder all day long.

We had an extremely mild fall. Up until two weeks ago we were having fifties for daytime highs. That's wonderful for the human residents and animals alike - although the five snowshoe hare that graze on our drainfield look a bit out of place all dressed in white!

The smaller ponds and shallow bays have begun to ice over. It'll be a few weeks before the medium sized lakes skim over. Lakes like Basswood and Crooked probably won't be completely covered in ice until almost late December.

Our two resident eagles can still be seen flying around. They'll stay here on Moose Lake until ice up and then move south towards the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers. They'll return in April around ice out.

Thank you for stopping by! Feel free to drop us a line or ask us a question. We'd love to hear from you!

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