Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters

Maybe I was feeling a little nostalgic about Mother’s Day.
Maybe it was because Daniel was working like a fiend on his autobiography project—and I was helping him compile photos from growing up, and reading his version of the memories. I don’t know if it is a sad tribute to the Suzuki method of violin, or to me….but I had forgotten how we used to argue about the proper placement of the margarine box/paint stick that was his first violin. Really Suzuki? I was supposed to sit in on all the lessons and practice with him every day? I was supposed to remember and reinforce the exact placement of his elbow, and he was going to remember that forever.? Sigh.

At any rate, on Monday when it came time to throw this particular chair in the dumpster, I just couldn’t do it. It was a great chair before the glide pedestal broke off. The glider footstool that provided the true comfort broke years ago–not sure, but I’m guessing it was from multiple kids ‘surfing’ on that thing.
My parents bought us this glider–where they wisely guessed we might spend hours with babies. I’m most nostalgic about those middle of the night feedings, where I was alone in the world with each baby, in turn. The little cottage we lived in had these weird orange sconces. I fell in love with those little bald heads in this chair. In that quiet orange glow, I learned what Sylvia Boorstein meant–when she talked about mortgaging my heart for life.

In Daniel’s photo hunt, we came across a photo that didn’t mean so much to him, not such a good photo. It was our first family canoe trip, Shelby was the 4 year old expert on ‘Boundary Waters’ from her trips as a toddler, so she gave Daniel the lowdown for the entire car ride. When we arrived at the Seagull landing–Andy and I went into the bustling mode of unloading canoe and gear. It was July, 1999. We were in a hurry to secure a campsite, having no idea that we’d have the lake strangely to ourselves, because of a recent wind storm. We hadn’t been paying so much attention to the news I guess. We looked up, and the kids had climbed out of the car and were standing motionless at the edge of the water, just looking at ‘Boundary Waters’. I loved that moment.

Stop by my office. You are welcome to take a moment to sit in my chair and look at Boundary Waters.

The ice went out last Thursday–we woke up to a beautiful morning today, that’s for sure.

In a couple of hours we’ll plant some trees by the Round Lake landing–part of the Gunflint Green Up shindig.

Staff members started to arrive last week, paddling guests start coming on Monday. Here we go!

Yesterday was a day worth waiting for.

The pussy willows were liking that sun as much as I was…I think they might be a little behind this year.

I was reading about the way lake ice melts. Apparently, when the snow melts from the surface, the ice acts like the glass in a greenhouse, encouraging the sun to warm the water, and melt the ice from below. Who knew? When the depth of the ice is a foot or less, the ice is transformed into crystal “candles” that conduct light even better, which also makes the ice look black. After that, the ice doesn’t stand a chance. When a wind comes up, we hear the friendly tinkling sound of many candles breaking apart. Shelby and I were talking about it the other day…and she said “Isn’t it cool, that the ice evolved to go out like that.” Then she immediately corrected her thinking….it DOES seem like an evolution-type thing, but….why would ice evolve to disappear right on time? For the survival of the planet? For the survival of the outfitters? At any rate, it’s disappearing by the hour. It must have rained last night, because it is full of puddles right now, and much blacker than yesterday

Some people will recognize the wine water of the Cross River. It’s not pollution–it’s tannic acid, from the nutrients in the water. Not sure why some lakes are so clear and blue, and others are tea-colored, but it doesn’t affect the quality of the water. Just talking about it makes me want to take in small water bottles to our familiar lakes and do a blind taste test. I know some lakes have water worth camping early for—-and others are not quite as sweet, but I wonder if we could actually identify the specific lakes by the taste of the water? The sun yesterday made for a sparkling water sight, that’s for sure.

I can’t help taking photos from the overlook on the Centennial Trail. Denali and I make it a destination on busier days. We think of it as our plot. Our little retreat to a lonely place. It’s familiar and oh-so-peaceful.

This boulder fell next to the road this spring. Andy called the Highway Department to report it, not a problem for us, but I’m sure it might be a problem for the plow. Andy told his friend Gary not to worry, no hurry, we moved it to the side. Just a little road humor for Gary when he arrives..an inside excavation joke….we’re lucky that it decided to fall where it did.

It always tugs at my heart to see a baby tucked up under the protection of its mother–no matter what the species.
Welcome spring!

We’re feeling proud here at Tuscarora this week.
Daniel will travel down to Minneapolis to present a History Day Project at the State Competition on Sunday. He and his friend Alex progressed from the Regional Competition last month (with the video at the bottom of the page, and with the help of some community members). Hooray for Daniel and Alex!

Shelby was inducted into the National Honor Society on Monday night. Hooray for the 10th graders!

Andy and I have almost made it to spring, with a score of 193 according to the DNR “winter severity index”.

Apparently, index points are calculated by location. We receive a point for every day the temperature is below zero and another point for each day where the snow depth exceeds 15 inches. Sam Cook reports the numbers in the Duluth News Tribune:

The highest reading, 193, was at Poplar Lake along the Gunflint Trail. That was the only station that fell into the “severe winter” category, although Snowbank Lake near Ely was close at 177. Here are some other final readings: Grand Rapids, 98; International Falls, 150; Isabella, 159; Eveleth, 150; Cloquet, 112; Brimson, 149; Tower, 164.

Here’s how the DNR classifies winters based on the WSI:

Mild winter — WSI less than 100

Average winter — WSI of 120

Moderate winter — WSI 121-140

Moderately severe winter — WSI 141-180

Severe winter — WSI more than 180

So, technically, we won state up here!! Andy was still smiling this morning as he brushed off the car, with his score of 193. Hooray for the severe winter survivors!

(side note: the ice on Tuscarora Lake is still scheduled to go out on May 10th, at 4pm, when the wind picks up on that sunny afternoon)

I have found that, ignoring the forecast, refusing to talk about the possibility of snow, is not a deterrent. It still came this weekend. More than I would even consider.

Sunday was Daniel’s birthday. All those sickening cliches about babies growing up? I really try to stay away from them, but they are so very true.
I actually celebrated his birthday privately in my own head, on Saturday. Andy was at the Midwest Mountaineering Expo, and Shelby was in town. Daniel and I were both home in a snowstorm with really bad colds. For dinner, we shuffled around and cooked soup and grilled cheese, I laid on the couch, he sprawled on the chair and explained to me why Davy Jones had snakes and barnacles instead of a beard, and I watched Pirates of the Caribbean. Honestly, I hate that movie and all of its sequels. I am mildly entertained by Jack Sparrow, but mostly, I just wanted to hang out with Daniel the teenager. He thanked me profusely for managing the dishes so he could sleep, and before he dragged himself to his own bed, he folded back the covers of mine, and left my glasses neatly on top of my book on my pillow. He didn’t even know it, but it was a little gift/gesture that reminded me how glad I was that he was born 14 years ago.

On Sunday, the people came! We played a little broomball in the snow.

We celebrated 3 April birthdays.

We dyed the Easter Eggs, in the fancy Pysanki form,

and we also danced. You too, can do the Double Dream Hands! It’s awesome!

What I can tell you for sure?
Daniel will grow older, the snow and ice will melt under this intense sun. It’s all good.