Chickadee Building a Nest

There are times when you just get lucky a see something extraordinary and catching a chickadee hollowing out a hole in a tree was one of those times. Hope everyone enjoys this bit of good fortune. Probably should have gone out for lottery tickets. PLEASE VIEW IN WHOLE SCREEN MODE!

Snow Geese Flying off at Sacramento NWR 1/3/12

Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge has thousands upon thousands of snow geese that migrate there for the winter. These birds fly thousands of miles for the rice buffet served up by the farms in the area. Each morning the geese fly out to the eating areas and if they are fortunate enough to avoid the hunters fly back in the evening. This is a movie of the geese flying out. Please excuse the focus. This is one exciting event to watch and it is easy to become awe stricken and forget camera basics.

Trip to Bemidji and Black Duck

The folks here in Minnesota seem to like their larger than life statues especially ones of Paul Bunyon.

Pat is sitting on the boot of the Paul Bunyon statue in Akeley Minnesota which has a cute little rest area adjacent. Across Highway 34 is Paul's Purple Cow Ice Cream Parlor, and it didn't seem to matter that Babe wasn't a purple cow but was a blue ox. Next to the Purple Cow is Babe's Cut and Curl. You have to appreciate the humor of the Minnesota people. UhYep!

 This statue of Paul and his blue ox Babe is in Bemidji Minnesota which may be the small city with the most statues.

 This is a very large statue in Bemidji of a dancing brave. The area around Bemidji has a large Ojibwa  population and not far from Tamarac is the White Earth Ojibwa reservation. The Ojibwa won this territory by defeating the Sioux and then, like many other Indian Tribes were screwed out of their land by European settlers. When Ralph Nader ran for president in 1996 and 2000, his VP candidate was  Winona LaDuke. She founded the White Earth Reservation, still lives here and leads the fight to reclaim the Ojibwa lands unfairly seized by the US in violation of their treaties.

This statue is also in Bemidji

Hockey statue in Bemidji

While Pat was doing some shopping, I noticed this woman talking on her cell phone

next to one of Bemidji's more interesting pieces of art work. Wish the lighting had been better

but it is still a pretty interesting photo.

In a little town named Black Duck we attended a woodcarver and craft show. Many of the carvings were just outstanding and had a great deal of detail.

Notice the very life like carving of the woman in the background.

This was carved from one tree trunk.

While in Sault Ste Marie (Soo) we went to a maritime museum which was a pretty neat place. A history of water travel on the Great Lakes began with a dug-out boat which reminded me of the old Louisiana pirogues.

 The progression to the Indian birch bark canoe was a bit intriguing and we wondered just how authentic this replica was. Note the fish traps and gig attached to the boat.

I have been toying with the idea of building a stitch and glue kayak and after seeing this one might just attempt it.

In the maritime center, they had a replica of a sailing ship going through a storm replete with flashing lightning, rocking boat and the sound of crashing waves. Probably a big hit with the kids.
Patty took a watch at the helm.

My kayak

Here's Pat in our own skin on frame kayak. Being able to put our boats in the water at camp- grounds sure beat the boredom of travel. Plus we got a bit of exercise which we sorely need.

Minnesota Trip

We left home in June and headed for Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge near Detroit Lakes Minnesota. Pat and I stopped in Ohio to visit Pat's sister, and then went to Decatur Indiana to visit with some of Pat's family and friends that we think of as family.  From there we traveled up through the UP of Michigan and came across two neat old lighthouses.

Continuing North we arrived at Sault Ste Marie Michigan which is at the border of Canada and the US. Sault Ste Marie is the home of the famous Sault Ste Marie Locks where large ships transit from Lake Superior to Lake Huron and vice versa.

There was also a really interesting hydro-electric power plant between the campground and the locks.

 This old house with the widows walk on top probably belonged to a ships captain.

Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival

In early August, we headed up to Bemidji to watch the dragon boat races which were a real hoot. This very colorful event had large canoe type boats with 22 paddlers, oarsman/steerer and a coxswain. Not sure that the person beating on a drum and calling the strokes is correctly called a coxswain in a dragon boat but it sounds good.

They had  eight boats and raced four at a time. While the four were racing, they loaded the other four. As you can see, the crews were made up young to old male and female.

 The coxswains beat on the drums, some shouted and others waved their arms in a rhythmical fashion.

 Note the middle coxswain with the orange gloves and the one in the foreground with one hand for herself and one for the boat. It just dawned on me that all of the coxswains were female. Wonder why?

 As you can see the competition was fierce.

 They did seem to be having fun, however!

 No pain. No glory. So these folks apparently are in line for much glory.

 Check out the determination on these faces. The coxswain is urging every bit of intestinal fortitude she can get from her rowers.

 She's happy because they won their race.

 The old folks give their all.

 The merchants of Bemidji turned the downtown area into a giant rummage sale and this clerk went all out with blue hair.

 Some ladies put on a demonstration of gypsy dancing at the historical museum and seemed to have a grand time. It was interesting to watch.

 It isn't only the athletes that have courage.