Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters

It’s been raining today..we have ice on EVERYTHING….even the gravel on the road. School let out early, and Mother Nature flooded Round Lake for us. I can’t quite get over how lucky we are to live on a lake. Lucky to have a couple of giddy adolescents I suppose too.

Denali and I wandered out yesterday to poke around in the woods….on top of the crusty snow. Since last Thursday (at 33 below zero) we’ve had a big old dose of spring….up to 60 on Tuesday I think….so the landscape has changed.

First of all, we were being stalked by this Canadian Jay. I tried unsuccessfully to capture his grumpy face, you’ll just have to take my word for it. He was swooping us. Too close to our heads. One of these jays (maybe the same guy?) has done this to me before–when the bird seed on the deck ran out. I’m always skeptical of that conclusion–thinking that it might just be a coincidence…he isn’t really trying to tell me he’s hungry? But yes, the birdseed was empty again. So maybe he is just that smart. And communicative.

Then, we noticed the new woodpecker holes on a nearby white pine. I don’t know that much about woodpeckers…why hit on this apparently healthy tree? I know most bird books say that woodpeckers won’t kill a tree—they peck the rotten places. These spots sure didn’t look rotten to me. Was the woodpecker going for bugs inside? Was he doing the spring marking of the territory (with the sound not the holes)? Was it an attempt to make a nesting spot? Why so close to the ground? Shelby says the holes were made by a Pileated pecker for sure, down this low. I don’t know if just one, or many would have done this. But I don’t like it. Looks to me like the tree will be wide open to bug infestation now. What comes first…the bug or the woodpecker hole? Is it possible that the woodpecker is making a breeding place for bugs? Attracting them for future lunches?

I do have to shake my head at myself as I get mad at the woodpecker. Somehow, walking through the trees, makes me feel like I’m presiding over them. Is that just human instinct? I can boss the Pileated Woodpeckers around? What am I going to do? Sit by the tree with a sling shot?

So, on we went. Denali can float on the crusty snow, but the deer can’t. Poor guys with their pointy feet, they must be in up to their arm pits. We don’t have many deer on our road, but we followed these tracks.
I planted a bunch of trees with the Gunflint Green Up crews of the past few years— so now I’m the keeper-of-the-trees. (back to the presiding over the woods role). Most of them are still deep under the snow, but here is a little stunted white pine. A deer browsed this poor little one—several times over. Supposed to be tall, but just mowed down.

So, now I’m mad at the deer too. Not to fear, plenty of wolf activity in our corner.

And they have the advantage this time of year—floating on the crust like Denali. You can see this path across the ice by the Cross Bay river….not people prints, but wolf tracks. Big wolf tracks.

The fur in the scat might be bunnies…or mice…or rodents…but….looking awfully deer-like. If I am also presiding over the scat…then I’m OK with that!
When we spot the actual wolves (not so much anymore), they are looking really healthy. And big.

And that’s it for the windy walk. This big old dead tree was rocking like crazy in that wind. Beautiful too…in a stark sort of way. Sure is good walking weather!

Whew! We had a lots of new snow up here. Which made for a perfect set up for this weekend’s Mush for the Cure event.

Unfortunately, we’ll all miss it this year! Longtime friend of Tuscarora, Jeff Vilen will be here, and musher John Stetson, his son Nelson, and their dogs will stay the night on Friday night….
The kids and I will be in Madison at Canoecopia—we’ll be helping at the Becoming A Boundary Waters Family booth..

Andy is in Minneapolis at the Northwest Sports Show.

That’s a lot of flurry for one weekend!

We Minnesotans in Cook County are a very simple people this time of year. All we really talk about is the weather. We just can’t get over it.

In college I remember learning about Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs. If I have it right, at the very bottom of his pyramid theory are the needs for air, food, water, shelter… or “some way to achieve a constant body temperature.” Then…people move up the to safety, then belonging, esteem, self actualization.

That’s all well and good and noble, but during January and February, we’re all stuck at the bottom. We do like our winters, but that “achieving-a-constant body-temperature part” takes over. And now…it’s March…and these past few days…it has been in the 30’s! And sunny! And we’re dancing. The sun feels so WARM. Nothing actually HURTS. Can spend the entire afternoon out there…it’s glorious! Still winter by all standards, but it’s so FUN to ski and slide and wander around and play broomball and actually be able to throw snowballs and build things.

No worrying about self actualization when all we need to do is sit on the deck with the sunshine on our faces…and be competely happy. No transcending going on. At least for the next few grateful weeks…we’ll all be talking about the weather.

Andy’s PCL buddies were up and visited Seagull Lake….Trent, Mike, and Mark, on their annual spring trip, also spiced up our Winter Tracks broomball game. Lucky us! Unlucky Mike, but he is sure a good sport, even while headfirst in the snowbank, even while taking the ball to the lips, and becoming Charro-for-the-day.

During lunch Mike and Mark sat at the counter and noticed a stray Calvin and Hobbes book. Shelby and Daniel have collected them all; Daniel studies them, and has a Bill Watterson (creator) worship thing going.

Twice last week, visitors at the kitchen counter noted that comic book.

And both times, we had to pause for a moment of connection. I had to smile for a second to bond with somebody else who recognizes the brilliance behind Calvin and Hobbes.

Yesterday I was talking on the phone to one of my favorite Quetico travelers. I haven’t actually met this guy from East Peoria in person – I was someplace with the kids when he visited – but I can always recognize his deep drawling voice, and we have really good phone conversations. He had to cancel his summer trip, because his plant closed.

We not only hear it on the news, we hear it on the phone. The middle schoolers from Indiana live where the unemployment rate is now 12%. My heart goes out to these folks, and I worry. All the experts have opinions about toxic assets, the mortgage crisis, the stimulus packages. These are sober times, there is plenty to be concerned about…

Then, I notice the book on the counter and remember Calvin. It occurs to me that I can learn from Calvin. Part of the profoundness of his comic philosophy is that he actually spends his time subtly pursuing the purpose of life.

But at the same time, he’s enjoying the wild ride.

I’m calling this the Calvin Effect. Life is full of serious issues, sad circumstances. And in no way do I mean to minimize those. Yet Calvin manages to consider it all from the playful side.

Other important books say the same thing, but …today…I’m listening to Calvin..

“Sometimes it seems things go by too quickly. We are so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.”

” I say if your knees aren’t green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously reexamine your life”

“You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don’t help.” (click on the comic if you want to actually read it)

“Get out the time-fracture wickets Hobbes, we’re gonna play Calvinball!”

Every once in awhile, on lucky days, you get a chance to hang out with somebody who embodies the Calvin Effect….a human Calvin. I’d say, never pass up those moments!