Time at Eagle Lake

The state flower of Minnesota is the Pink Lady slipper.  They are not easily found in the wild but at Itasca State Park they can be seen on popular hiking trails.  Sometimes I think they are planted there for the visitors' enjoyment.  I believe they are some kind of orchid.  Very lovely.

Other wild flowers are still in bloom in our late Spring.

This bridge at Itasca is a favorite of mine.

The "super-moon" made its appearance the other night and I had to experiment with taking moon pictures.  I have never been good at it, but this time I got lucky.  To be fully appreciated you have to imagine that you are outside in Northern Minnesota with the State Bird - the mosquito, buzzing around your head and biting every available square inch of your flesh.  Now isn't the picture better that you know what it took to get?

I took several moon pictures but couldn't get it to focus correctly.  Then I realized that the camera was focusing on a branch hanging in front of the moon, so the moon was out of focus.  I sort of like the effect and call it the "super-branch" photo.

The loons have finally had their chicks.  These proud parents are showing off their two little ones - Leonard and Leonora.  I am not sure if that is the names they chose, but it goes well with their last name - "Loon."

We celebrated 47 years at Chase on the Lake in Walker, Mn.  A beautiful day to wonder where all those years went so quickly.

Sort of makes one happy and grumpy at the same time.

Feeling Different

We have been busy getting the summer place looking like it is lived in.  A nice one inch rain has made the grass grow and washed away much of the pine pollen that covers everything outdoors this time of year.  The flowers are planted and the awning is down.

The yellow Ladyslippers are in fine form in Itasca State Park though their cousins, the Pink Ladyslippers, Minnesota's State Flower, are waiting till last to put on their show.

The boat on Lake Itasca is carrying the visitors to the park while the guide recites the history of finding the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi.  Yes, you actually can step across the river without getting very wet.  You will get bitten by mosquitoes though!

Robins are numerous and this one is way down the hill by Eagle Lake checking out the grass I have recently weed-whacked looking for juicy morsels.

Speaking of robins... what gives with this guy/gal?  I think there are times when we all feel different from other people, but can you imagine how this bird must feel?

He is apparently an Albino Robin, quite rare I hear, but very attractive in his own right.

While our differences often make us self conscious, this guy didn't bother to run and hide when we found him but kept on looking for worms and running under the shrubs to pass on his find to a little one.  Apparently other robins don't make a big deal out of his different looks.

As a matter of fact he has created quite a stir in the small town where I found him, Park Rapids, Mn.  A neighbor came out of his house when he saw me taking pictures and a policeman stopped to say that they have been watching his antics all Spring and he is well-known in town simply as "the bird."

Other than looking a little different, well, ok, looking quite a bit different, he seems to have no loss in robin skills like finding this fat worm to down.

I guess that other than looking different from his kind, he pretty well has accepted his fate and made the best of his differences and others don't seem to mind.

Perhaps there is a lesson there for all of us different folk.  One thing I have to say in his favor is that he really blends in well in the shadows, perhaps even better than his brothers and sisters, don't you think?

Well, that's the news from Lake Wobegone, where all the women are strong, and all the men are good-looking, and all the robins aren't red-breasted.

Signs of Summer

After a long and cold winter we had a long, cold, and wet Spring.  But there are signs that Summer may be making its way into our lives finally.  The Baltimore Orioles which we enjoyed for a few days disappeared as quickly as they had come.  Most likely just passing through but what a show they put on in their short visit!

The lake place has been opened and we even have seen a few sunrises instead of cloudy days!

The leaves have filled out the trees and a stop at a nursery brings some instant color.  However, there are still some signs that a few creatures are confused.

This Chick-a-dee decided to rent the Wren house since it hasn't been occupied ever at the lake.  I guess this must be a Chick-a-wren or maybe a Wren-a-dee.  Either way it is fun to see the parents trying to be as unnoticeable as possible darting in and out of the house.  There is another opening on the other side of the house so they are pleased to have cross-ventilation. 

This beauty was soaking up a little moisture from the road and paused for a snapshot.  I wonder where she wintered.  Or is it a he?

On the way home from the lake there was a car stopped along the road and we saw why.  A moose was on the loose.  A moose spent most of the winter inside or nearby the neighboring town of Crookston, Mn.  Apparently she hasn't left the area yet.

We decided it didn't look the healthiest, but then again maybe is just lonely.  Doesn't she look lonely in this last picture?  I think so.