Island in the clouds

Grand Portage, MN - A thick fog bank makes it look as though Pete's Island is floating on top of the clouds. 

Living in a Foggy Dream

That's what it has felt like the past few days, like we're living in a foggy dream.  There has been so much fog on Lake Superior the past few days and it never seems to burn off.  It's there during the day and it's there at night.  Yesterday as I was driving home from work the fog was thick but low and as I drove Highway 61 up the Mt. Josephine grade suddenly I was above the fog.  I pulled over at the Susie Islands overlook and made this photo.  The islands are down there, hidden underneath the fog.  I loved the layers of the fog and the soft blue of the sky above.  A magical scene.  

Sawbill Trail Roller Coaster

I love this section of the Sawbill Trail in Cook County, MN.  It reminds me of a roller coaster.  Which is ironic because I am not a fan of roller coasters.  But I do love twisty roads with lots of hills!

The Handiwork of Nature's Architect

An impressively large beaver dam dominates the landscape near the Pigeon River in Ontario, Canada.  

My first wild Lynx sighting!

So last night after my bike ride I was driving around on Arrow River Road in Ontario, Canada when I came around a corner near a beaver pond and there was a Lynx standing in the middle of the road!  Once he saw the car he ran quickly off the road.  I backed up a bit, then positioned the car so I could photograph him if he came back out, then turned the car off.  After about 10 seconds he came back out into the road and sat right down in the middle of the road and looked at me.  Apparently deciding I wasn't a threat, he disregarded me after that first look and went about his business.

After a few moments I realized he was intent on watching the few ducks that were on the beaver pond and at one point I thought he was going to try and catch one.  He hunkered down and just like a house cat wiggled his butt and his tail started flicking back and forth.  The ducks never got close enough however and eventually he started walking very slowly down the road away from me.  It sure was a cool experience and a great way to end a day in the woods!

The next two photos are a little blurry but I still like them because of his posture as he walked across the road. 

Beaver Pond Sunset, Arrow River Road

Last night's sunset was pretty sweet overlooking a beaver pond along Arrow River Road in Ontario, Canada.  This sunset came after a super fun adventure bike ride where I saw 2 Sandhill Cranes, 4 Black Bears, 6 Garter Snakes and a Lynx!  What a great day :-)  

Spooky Birch and the Milky Way

I made this photo while wandering around in the woods all night last night.  It's kind of spooky but also wicked cool.  That's the galactic core of the Milky Way behind the trunk of the tree.  A group of coyotes were yipping and howling in the distance as I photographed this tree.  Their sounds just added to the memory and the spookiness of the scene.