Making Wood

We like a fire.  

We do not heat our home with wood, but we enjoy our fireplace and our outdoor firepit.

 In order to have a fire, one needs wood.  

Since we no longer have a woodlot

we purchase wood.

We order our wood by the logging truckload.

Here comes our wood!

A squirrel watches the action.

Happy guy gets his wood.

Consulting about where to place the pile.

Starting to unload and set the pile.

Unloading...

Unloading... 

Unloading...

More to go...

Once the entire load is piled in the yard,

Michael saws the wood into smaller pieces.

Michael later chops just enough wood for a 

few fires and piles that in a convenient location--

right on the back deck.

Debarking and sawing the logs into smaller pieces.

Smaller pieces are later chopped and stacked.

Finally we can burn the wood!

A toasty fire indoors.

Coals are great for roasting hotdogs.

Outdoors--blazing winter bonfire!

We do enjoy our fires!!

A Need for Trees

We built our home, called HighTree, in the middle of three lots in the midst of some large pine trees and juniper bushes.  We had no grass because the pine needles snuffed that out--for which we were happy. We had no lawn and no weekly date with a lawn mower, which we did not own. 

tall trees and no grass

house is on the right--in the trees

the house on the sand in the trees--no grass.

Then came the Eagle Harbor Water Project in 2010--

and everything changed.

Because the water line would be coming down the road on our side,

many of our large trees had to be "plucked out" and the juniper removed.

Once the pipe was laid and covered up, all that remained was a 

very large area that looked like a beach with no water.

 Yes, our yard is totally SAND--no soil, no rocks and no GRASS.

I see the beach, but where is the water?

lots of sand minus big trees and juniper in front

Part of the project called for returning the owner's property to

pre-project condition.  (Not sure where that happened!!)

We were away for most of the summer of 2010, and when we returned,

we discovered grass had been planted along the entire edge of our yard.

We did not want grass so we "shaved off what we could and 

Michael dug out an area for parking. 

Then we scoured the road side for pine needles

that we used to cover the parking area.  

Michael also reinstalled our walkway that had 

been left in a pile.

pine needle parking area

So now we had our walkway and parking, but 

we still needed TREES!!

Thank you to the Soil Conservation District, we were able to purchase

100 red pine seedlings.

We planted them yesterday.  

a few of the 100 seedlings

10 planted, 90 to go

digging

We also planted a rosa rugosa hedge in the back yard.

rosa rugosa
does not look like much--but i have a vision (and hope!!)

in case someone mistakes them for grass

Hope the deer will not eat everything.  

They did manage to eat whatever juniper remained after the Water Project.

I hope to report progress in the months ahead!

Walk to Lake Bailey Pond

Today we decided to take a little walk on part of the Nature Conservancy Trail (across from Eagle Harbor South) and then continue 

on old logging roads to the the pond near Lake Bailey.  

We walked about 5 miles round trip--just a pleasant morning outing.

We came upon this deer that was in no hurry to leave.
We wondered if a fawn might be near but did not see one.

An intersection.
One of many in the forest: trails and roads for
loggers, ATVs,  snowmobiles, mountain bikes, and hikers.

Nature's first green IS gold.
Spring is definitely here.
Trees are budding and the air holds the scent of growing things.

From one spot we could see Grand Marais Harbor (the one right next to Eagle Harbor)
and then Lake Superior in the distance.

In the woods we came upon some rusting metal
from what was once some type of vehicle.

The pond near Lake Bailey.
Today one could hear ducks quacking and swimming about.
Last October we could walk across as it was dry as a bone.

We saw no beaver, but we did see the abandoned
beaver lodge on the west end of the pond.

We crossed this small stream.

This guy hitched a ride on my neck.
I found this woodtick when I got home
and was taking off my jacket.
Another sign of spring!!