Harlequin Duck in honor of Bodie … my new Grandson!

Year 8

I am down in Fox Point, Wisconsin from Duluth to meet my new grandchild (#7). I decided to take some time this morning and drive over to the Broughton Drive jetties in Sheboygan. I had heard there were two Harlequin Ducks in this area, including a mature male. Once, seven years ago in Duluth I saw a female … not near as pretty. After several passes walking back and forth along the jetties without seeing the Harlequins amongst hundreds and hundreds of mallards, guess who came swimming right up to the shoreline and allowed me to watch them feed from about 15 yards?!

These ducks don’t belong in my sandbox! Take a look at their range. There are Harlequins which breed in British Columbia and Alaska, and basically winter in the same area. Some of their cousins call Greenland home summer and winter, and finally there is a population in extreme northern Quebec (read Arctic tundra) which winters in the Atlantic waters off the Canadian Martimes down through Maryland.

Harlequin Duck (video link for email subscribers)

Northwoods Nordic Ski / Snowy Owl Trifecta!

Year 1,

I often talk about living in the Northwoods. I took these two GoPro videos on Tuesday afternoon within walking (or skiing) distance of my home and the films are evidence of my Northwoods environment! In fact the second video was taken while walking home. While I only skied 6.5 kilometers, given my five heart operations over the past year … and the fact that the ski required me to climb 400 feet in the first 3 kilometers, I was quite happy!!

I found the three Snowy Owls late the same afternoon of the videos … after cleaning up and resting a bit. On Wednesday (after these videos), we received yet another 1/2 foot of snow.

Amity Ski Trails 1 (video link for email subscribers)(30 second video)

Amity Ski Trails 2 (video link for email subscribers)(30 second video)

Snowy Owl #1 (apparently a card shark!)

Snowy Owl #2

Snowy Owl #3

Snowstorm Snowy Owl

Year 8

During this morning’s break between yesterday’s blizzard and today’s winter storm I found this Snowy Owl resting on the snowy tundra near Duluth! I hope to get a cross-country ski in before the next burst of snow and wind starts in a few hours. The official grooming report is the trails are “ungroomed” because our local roads are too snow covered and dangerous to get the Pisten Bully over to the Lester / Amity Trails.