Summer in the Northland is a late arriving, early departing guest and those of us who call this our home relish every tiny slice of summer we can get, no matter how trivial.
Here are some snippets of summer I’ve especially enjoyed this year.
It’s been a good year for toads. Toads are some of my favorite people. Early in the summer I plopped a cute little toad house beneath the chive plant where I’ve spotted several toads but none has yet chosen to move in. However, they are so plentiful this year that when Dick trims the grass along the garden’s edges, I walk ahead with a broom to shoo the little guys out of harm’s way.
The beauty of one especially early summer morning. Getting up at 4:45 a.m. is not a pleasant task, but, due to a medical appointment in Duluth, was something I was forced to do several weeks ago. As my vehicle headed onto the South Shore Drive, I noted the absolute stillness of the morning. The sun spread a lovely light through the forest bringing a shine to every tree leaf and blade of grass. As I drove down Highway 61, the huge expanse of Lake Superior was smooth with the shimmer of a summer morning. “I should get up early more often,” I told myself, giddy with beauty and vowed to do so. Don’t ask if I followed through.
A goofy sighting. One day, while in town, I happened to see a compact car whizzing by, its driver totally oblivious to the plastic drink container, ice cubes and all, perched on the car’s roof, directly above the driver’s seat. The drink was not moving an inch. Only in summer. Winter wind would have immediately blown the drink onto the icy street.
July’s weather. Perfect for golf. I learned a lot about playing in wet conditions in June, but July has been gorgeous.
Blueberries ripening up the Trail. Seems early to me, but wonderful.
Huge white swaths of daisies growing everywhere this year. True, daisies are always part of summer, but seem to be especially abundant. No one can complain about too many daisies.
Fisherman’s Picnic’s arrival. True, this means the beginning of the end of summer, but the large influx of people in Grand Marais, including first time visitors, high school reunion attendees, and out-of-town vendors do liven up things. It seems everybody comes back to Grand Marais during Fisherman’s Picnic week. If you’re looking to reconnect with someone from the past, this is the time to do it.
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