The painted turtles are beginning their annual reproductive activities, which include a slow- motion game of chicken on the roadways. The soft shoulders alongside our roads are easy places for the turtles to bury their eggs. The digging is easy and the ground is flat and boulder free. The downfall, of course, is that the turtles get run over a... READ MORE >
Monday started with a thick morning overcast that burned away by noon. The clouds disappeared and the wind shut off. It was so calm that the ropes to our anchors were completely slack and the boat did not move. It was a slicker. The morning bite was not as good as I thought it would be with the early overcast... READ MORE >
I am usually the first one to admit that I have done something less than brilliant, therefore I have granted myself permission to mention other people’s moments as well. While motoring out of the narrows on Saganaga Lake we came upon a gentleman oaring his motor boat. We stopped and asked if we could help and he replied, “I just... READ MORE >
What a difference a couple of weeks can make. The lakes and rivers on the Gunflint Trail are on the rise. Saganaga Lake is only a couple of feet below the high water mark and the rivers are pushing out a lot more water now than they were at ice-out. Too late for the riverspawners, but good for us. The... READ MORE >
What a week! Rachelle and I delivered a healthy baby boy last Thursday and we could not be happier. So far he seems to enjoy his new home on the Gunflint Trail with his big sister Sophia. He looks like a Christianson and I think his eyes are blue, but it is hard to tell since he sleeps about 20... READ MORE >
If the fish are biting, I would not know. The due date for our next child is the 21st which is when I write this, and we are on high alert around the Christianson household. Rachelle has been pacing the property in an effort to convince the little man that it is time to join us. We were hoping he... READ MORE >
Opening weekend in Northern Minnesota is anything but predictable. It could be sleeting sideways or hot and miserable with anything in-between. This year was hot, calm, windy, cold, and rainy with very few fish biting. That is about the most consistent information you can expect for these parts. The sun was bright in the cloudless sky this walleye opener and... READ MORE >
I don’t recall ever hugging a tree in my life, but it would be a sad day to have all of the spruce die. Traditionally now is the time when our forest begins to “green-up,” but many places are turning red. The premature change of season this year might be causing some of the spruce trees to die, or at... READ MORE >
The Gunflint Trail lakes are still on the rise and the Seagull River is flowing a lot harder after the recent rainfall we have received. The fire danger is high right now, due to the low relative humidity, and burning permits are no longer being issued until the conditions are greener. With a little luck it will continue to rain—minus... READ MORE >
‘Tis the season to get a jump start on spring projects. The bugs are still at bay and the daytime temperatures are nice enough to break a sweat. These might be the best outdoor working conditions of the year. Some of the summer residents have been trickling back into the county this week and it is warming to see a... READ MORE >
