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An unofficial source of Eagle Harbor, Michigan news, views and information.

Winter Storm Approaches

The Week's Weather Journal.

"...when we don't live with birds or weather or waves we lose the opportunity to think hard about ourselves, to discover from nature important facts about human nature."
(excerpted from Nancy Lord's, Fishcamp)

The Week Of October 19th

Sunday: (Day three of PEREGRINE's late fall journey to Peuaming) At about 3 a.m. the rain begins and the wind begins to veer westerly. By 5 a.m. the hoped for "lull" arrives and we quickly pull out into the darkness and enter Keweenaw Bay in the midst of rain showers. We are fortunate. The wind abates and even though visabilty is near zero we are blessed with radar and motor safely to Baraga, arriving at the empty town marina about 8:30 a.m. Craving for food after a twenty hour fast, we quickly walk into town in search of breakfast and stumble into AJ's Kitchen, the local gathering place. We order a hardy breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and eggs. The cook peers from the kitchen and inquires about the size of our hunger. We assure him we are up to the task and quickly devour his very generous offerings. The locals chatter about two fools out on the stormy lake in the night. It's cold and raining as I sheepishly phone the marina operator at 9:30 a.m. on a late October Sunday morning to beg for a holding tank pumpout. He arrives quickly and to my great delight and relief, seems genuinely pleased to be able to help us out. We pause in the rain to chat about preparing boats for winter, the impressive improvements to the Baraga marina and its operation, and the frustration of all Superior boaters...the short season. We cast off from the dock and head for Pequaming across a bay now beginning to stir as the promised northwest winds begin to build. PEREGRINE snakes through the maze of pilings and submerged cribs in Pequaming Bay, remnants of the days when Pequaming was the site where Ford Motor Company made and shipped the bodies for the famous "Woodies" of the early 1950s. Not a soul around as we battle a now fierce and cold northwester to berth alongside the weather side of a decaying dock. I'm so grateful for Bruce's able hand in this the last, and probably the most difficult, mooring of the season. PEREGRINE is home for the winter and after three or four hours of cold, tiring labor, we have her winterized and perched on her land "roost". We drive the 75 miles to the Harbor, trying to thaw out and stay awake as the end of my three day journey is at hand. Jeane welcomes us to the Olson's Cat Harbor home with a cozy fire in the fireplace and a good hot meal. Truly good friends. The lake is now caught in the teeth of a strong northwester. I'm off the lake....just in the nick of time.
Monday: It's blowing and turning very cold. Snow is in the forecast for later tonight. I'd really like to hunker in today, but it could be the last opportunity to complete the outdoor work of preparing my camp for winter. I split some more firewood, winterize the outboard and lawnmower, haul the inflatable boat from the marina, secure storm doors, haul in the hoses. set flower boxes on the ground, hook up the waterpipe heating coil, empty the van of gear removed from PEREGRINE, add stabilizer to fuel cans, restock the indoor kindling box...and on and on. I wonder what my doc's would think of all this? I'm exhausted as night falls.
Tuesday
Wednesday: Another October "shorts and tees" day. What's going on here. If it's indian summer, the indians must be on the warpath. Probably not warm by the standards of those of you further south, but at 75 degrees, it's hot by Harbor standards. The media explains this has nothing to do with el Nino, but one wonders. In the back of my mind the thought prevails...we're being set up.
Thursday
Friday
Saturday: Return To Harbor Web
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