Crazy

The weather that is. I’m not going crazy, already made that trip and it sure is nice once you get there! The mild and at times warm temps just will not let go. In the past month, we have had way more days with highs in the 70’s than in the 50’s, with the vast majority of them in the 60’s. We have also had a fair amount of sunshine. There have been some rainy days and we have gotten enough rain to significantly reduce the moisture deficit accumulated over the summer. All the grass is green and the floor of the woods is remaining damp almost through the entire day. That is important stuff this time of the year, as it can be a real fire risk as the leaves fall and all that dead vegetation is on the ground.

As for the leaf situation. Most of them are still in the trees where I have traveled. I have not been south of Houghton in a couple of weeks, but from Houghton north the trees still have most of their leaves on them. The color show is now past peak in most areas. I think it was one of those seasons where the colors were OK in spots and really good in others. Most of the pictures I have seen with really good colors in them were from the interior woods, meaning a logging road or recreational trail. 

The colors have been quite good on Jacobsville Rd this season. Unlike our situation when we lived in Keweenaw County, most of the trees on our property down here in Jacobsville are conifers, with a few birch and even fewer maples. So the color show outside our windows is not like that at our old residence. However, if you look a bit harder, there are some cool things to see color wise. We have some sort of a vine that grows off to the side of the house and it climbs a balsam tree. In the autumn it’s leaves turn a very pretty shade of red and contrast nicely with the other objects around it. We also have some golden raspberries that grow in the garden out back. They ripen in autumn and this autumn they just keep producing due to the mild temps! They are the sweetest raspberries I have ever tasted and one of these years we will have to make some jam out of them.

My mom is up staying with us for a few weeks and she and I took to the roads to take in the colors last Thursday. I have to say that I was surprised that our venture did not produce loads of beautiful colors. As mentioned, there were some great areas and other areas where, for one reason or another, the colors were not as magnificent as I was hoping for. One of the things that might have been handicapping us was the fact that we were touring during the middle of the day and the colors pop better when the sun is lower in the sky. However, the drive up the Garden City road did provide for some pretty sights.

Another road that usually never disappoints is the Eagle Harbor cross cut road, but this go around we hit it too late. many of the leaves had already come off the trees. Strange, as the distance between the last two shots was probably only 5-7 miles as the crow flies. Nor are they that much of a difference in elevation or proximity to the lake. We also did not have as much time as we normally would because Nora and Grace were at a camp, with Bleau and Kashi at home alone. So we did not get up to Copper Harbor or even go into the covered drive, but we did shoot up Gratiot Lake road to see what the colors were like in that neck of the woods. All in all, I’d say they were pretty darn good. The height of the sun washed out some of the colors, but it’s always cool to see the contrast between the autumn colors and the blue of the lakes. We did shoot down the lake shore to take in the views across the lake itself.

Nora and Grace both returned Friday afternoon and then Saturday was our 17th wedding anniversary! Nora said it felt more like 25…not in a bad way! I think I know what she meant! Anyway, my mom treated us to an early dinner and then once we got back to Jake, Nora and I headed to the beach for some alone time. It was a VERY enjoyable time. We had the place to ourselves most of the time. The weather was very nice and it’s kinda rare that Nora and I just get to spend time totally alone together. We even managed to sneak in a pretty good selfie. She is such a babe and I am extremely fortunate to have had her in my life for the past 19 years.

So out on front of us, the small waves lapped up against the beach, while just off to our right, the sun slowly fell until it disappeared behind the horizon. The beacon illuminated on the south entry light and it was about as peaceful as it could get. We both remarked at how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful place. Sometimes it feels as though we are living in a romance movie or something. The truth is actually better than that and we both know it and do not take it for granted. 

Not much else happening around here. I have not been as busy working on the shop and office the past 2 weeks with my mom being here. She will be here for just over another week and then I will be able to get back on things. I am still hoping to get my seasonal outlook produced by the end of this week, but I make no promises with my limited free time right now. I actually could make the guarantee, but I also was hoping to do a video of it and was planning that video to kick off the new Youtube channel I will have starting this season. It’s the video production that I am concerned about not having ready yet. 

I do have one more photo to share with you before going. It was taken last Tuesday morning, up the road at the north end of Jacobsville Rd. Just another magical moment from the land of the Keweenaw.

Good Night from the Keweenaw..
JD