Symmetrical snow etches 

Basic Malfunction

Another sub zero day.  Wary of the vast cold Lake Superior; thousand foot freighters gingerly plow through the churning water within site of the shore.  Steam from the relatively warm water condensates into the air.  Winds funnels the vapor and whip it into tornadic steam spouts that twist their way across the frigid expanse of the largest lake in the world.  Simultaneously (and yet in complete contrast) this same vapor reflects the yellow, green and orange sunlight rays of sun dogs that dance across the frozen sky.  Today, much like most in the past month, the thermometer won't reach zero.  Tonight the temperature will plunge deep into the twenties below.  Wind will make the air feel like forty below- cold enough to freeze uncovered flesh in minutes.  Forecasts are predicting the coldest air in decades to hover over much of North America for the next week.  Wind chills will most likely reach a dangerous 60 below zero! 

Nothing wants to work in this weather.  As a result the homestead and it's inhabitants are in a state of basic malfunction.  The cold has frost heaved the patio up to the sill of the front door.  Every opening is a struggle to lift and push the door to an acceptable width in order to accommodate the poor soul and their baggage who is hoping for passage.  All this effort just to step into air that makes the vapor in your lungs instantly freeze and leave you coughing.  A slow leak in the truck tire has been exacerbated into a flat.  The old battery looses it's charge overnight.  The valve on the main shaft of the air compressor contracted into a substandard seal and it now simply blows air into the air.  Fortunately the snow blower putters to life.  A critical point due to the fact that we have already received as much snow as a typical winter!  Any water pipe that is less than perfectly insulated freezes nightly.  Worst of all: for some reason the well pump isn't getting power and thus leaves us without running water.  On top of that we are all sick with a respiratory virus and struggling to keep the wood stove stoked -not to mention clearing the driveway of the ten inches of snow that fell last night! 

It all goes to show that life is not always glamorous on the homestead.  With that said, however, there is nothing like hearing wolves howl under a northern light draped sky.  Or strapping on a pair of skis at your door, breaking an empty trail through some of the most beautiful, rugged, remote terrain in the lower 48.  The reality is that this has begun as a particularly brutal winter.  It's a winter that makes northerners "earn their stripes".  It reminds us how fortunate we are when we're healthy, have working equipment and a warm shower.  As difficult as these times can be they're essential...

 

A headland's fate

Perspective

Ripples marks form as the receding tide bears down on beach sands.  The ebbing water creates undulating wave flow marks. The resulting patterns form parallel with the coastline.  In the geologic record ripple marks are commonly found in sandstones deposited in coastal environments. However, one can only discern these while looking at an outcrop hat is exposed perpendicular to the features- opposite of their formation. 

Water flows from these saturated hills into the losing tide. Water that was short lived to be a storm cloud barely made its way off the ocean only to fall in the coast range.  This was as never destined to rush over the Rockies and be reinvigorated by southern air and fall as part of the two foot snowfall that is barreling down on the north woods as I type. 

At home I observe subtle changes on the property daily. From year to year patterns emerge. Patterns, much like the ripples under my feet, are only obvious if observed at the right perspective and a long enough time to become apparent. Sometimes changing your perspective is he only way to see.  It's important to travel away from your home surroundings to recalibrate your perspective.

 adventure to the Pacific Ocean, Oregon.  

Snow squall over Tom Lake

Ice forming on Two Island Lake.  There's snow in the forecast. 

The leaves have long since fallen.  The snow shoe hare is white.  November gales shove piles of waves that batter the shore of Superior.  The garden has been harvested.  Firewood is split and stacked.  The deer hunting season opens this weekend.  Snowflakes and frost crust the ground cover most mornings.  Darkness prevails.

The summer came and went with the sinking sun of this late autumn afternoon.  We learned what it meant to raise a toddler, improve a homestead, maintain careers and explore the deep wilderness around us.  Our adventures were short.  Our camps offered luxuries we weren't accustomed to having- extra blankets, pillows, fresh fruit, bathing suits, beach toys, boxes of wine.  Our building projects paled in comparison to earlier endeavors.  

In short, we entered a new phase of life.  We learned a lot, enjoyed more.  Now that the bird migrations make their way through the north woods, moose rush to feed in the ponds before they completely glace over with ice, few travelers venture on the water and trails we've come up for our first "breath of fresh air". 

Our focus has shifted up towards the top of the property.  The lower cabin that we inhabit is complete.  Now we set our sites to the larger project- our dream house.  This winter will entail a lot of planning and decisions.  (Hopefully lots of skiing and ice fishing too!)

Oberg Mountain