Monday, August 6

We are up in the UP, hanging out on Sand River. Thanks to the generosity of Jean and Joanna for the use of the cabin.

We drove up Saturday, playing along the way. First stop was at Maple River Game Area. Lots of herons and egrets. It was over 80 degrees and real muggy. We had a long way to go so we didn’t spend too much time there.

Next we stopped at the Mackinac Bridge for lunch. Always a fun place to stop. Temperature dropped to a pleasant 75 degrees. We watched a well trained ring-billed gull. It would stand off from a picnic table watching people eating. As soon as they left the gull would run, not fly, to the table and look for scraps. Kind of an avian Yogi Bear.

Next stop was Seney National Wildlife Refuge. A bit more productive than the first two stops. We did the nature trail and the driving tour. Temperature was still in the quite tolerable 75 degree range. On the nature trail we ran into the heart-stopping burnt stump that looks like bear cub. Also got good views of an unusually cooperative Canada darner dragonfly.

Oh my god, where’s the mother bear?

At Seney Lise and I got Brewer’s blackbird and trumpeter swan for the year. I also got purple finch, a species Lise already had. That brings out counts to 290 for me, 276 for Lise, and a combined count of 292.

Sunday was cool and very windy. Lake Superior had whitecaps. I spent the morning cruising Sand River in my waders while Lise walked the beach. Sunday afternoon Jean and Joanna took us on a great paddle on the Dead River. Very nice and mucho fun. Then we went to dinner for our anniversary. Twenty-three years.

Surf’s up on Lake Superior.

Today we spent the day playing on the river. I spent most of the day in my waders trying to photograph odonates. Lise cruised the river in her kayak. I had a merlin cruise down the river within about 15 feet of me. Major cool. A good time was had by all.

We like it here. Some places are special. Where you’re comfortable and enjoy just being there. This is one of those special places for us.