Molly and I are “Up North” which may sound odd to folks who know we live at the edge of Duluth, Minnesota. After all, isn’t that already way north compared to anyone else in America? However, we own a little bit of heaven deep in the Chippewa National Forest … a small Northwoods cabin on federal leased land.

One of my primary tasks this week has been to work upon an old boat trailer which would then allow us to visit area lakes with our 12 foot Lund. I completed my work and playtime has now begun. Two days ago we boated over to the Joyce Estate on Trout Lake. Here is where the term “slow boating” comes into play. My engine is only 3 & 1/2 horsepower. Thus, we plan our excursions only given good weather forecasts. If storms or strong winds are forecast we stay land bound. Both Trout Lake and Lake Wabana are large (35 miles of shoreline with large open areas where large waves form).

Back in 1985, this then young married couple took our very first even week long vacation. We rented a small white cabin which my own family had rented when I was a child in the 1960’s. When we approached that September evening almost 40 years ago I was worried … would Molly like the cabin? … would the cabin live up to my childhood memories? All the answers were yes as a glorious sunset greeted us that long ago evening. For Molly and I some of our best memories will always be on Lake Wabana. Back in the old days we only had a 1940’s vintage SeaKing 1 & 1/2 horsepower engine. Slow boating with two toddlers (soon to be three) was an even slower experience!

As I mentioned earlier in this post, our first excursion two days ago was to the Joyce Estate. Unlike my bride who had to be happy with a small rented cabin, the Joyces were a lumber baron family from Chicago. They built a amazing retreat deep in the woods which included an entire 3000+ acre lake (Trout Lake), other remote lakes and thousands of acres. The Joyces had many “Lincoln Log” cabins and lodges. Molly has a great post on her blog about our Return to the Joyce Estate. The forest service has restored some of the cabins. The estate may only be reached by boat or a long hike (no road access).

This morning we took a different route from one of Wabana’s two boat launches to Bluewater Lake. This lake is aptly named. The water is a deeper blue than I have ever seen in northern Minnesota. Another notable fact is Winnie the Pooh once went swimming in Bluewater Lake! (my two year old dropped his stuffed bear … safely rescued by Dad). I will now tell the rest of this story with images … although images are not needed for me as the morning boat ride is imprinted in my brain … we were slow boating.

The Bluewater Lake Bridge

Our first ever vacation … we rented both cabins at times, but loved the White Cabin which is partially blocked in this view.

Slow Boating need not mean Slow Birding! I was amazed when a small flock of female Goldeneyes popped up along side our Slow Boating Lund. Normally wild ducks, and particularity Goldeneyes spook very easily. These birds were never more than 20 yards away from us till I turned my boat away.

Goldeneyes of Lake Wabana

One final image … I’m still taking a daily bike ride. This neat spot is one mile from my cabin … Caribou Lake Bicycling Black Eyed Susans.

It was fun watching my two bird families feed their young yesterday evening on NorthStar Lake. Both the Bald Eagle and Common Loon families live within 500 yards of my small Northwoods cabin. I was actually surprised to discover the Bald Eagles chicks had not yet fledged since my last trip up here 2+ weeks ago. In addition, most of the Common Loon families are down to only one chick (most had two). I wonder if the large muskies found in my lake had some baby loons to eat??

Common Loon Dinner Time on NorthStar Lake

Bald Eagle High Rise (the parent was sitting about 10 yards above the nest)

Molly and I returned from our cabin on Northstar Lake a few days ago, and I’ve finally had the opportunity to process my Common Loon family photographs. While most people pay attention to whether you want to “pop” the shadows and highlights in post processing, do you spend enough time while out in nature long before you are even on a computer by “composing images in your head”?

The answer to that question for me is a definite “yes”. Over the course of two days I had researched / found two Common Loon families which were raising chicks of quite different ages near my cabin.

• Family #1 lives out on the big part of Northstar Lake, which tends to mean my photographs will have more blue, some reeds and no lily pads.
• Family #2 lives on a much smaller section of the lake with hills rising on all sides of the water. This section of the lake is much more protected from winds which generally means calmer waters, and lots of greens reflected into the water from all the pine trees on shore rising above the lake. There are also lots of lily pads.

Thus, I know I will get significantly different kinds of photographic opportunities in both sections of lake (different colors and vegetation). I tend to like the greens and calm waters better with loon family #2, but both are worth pursuing.

Common Loon Families of Northstar Lake

Spend attention to cropping. I recommend pressing / clicking upon both sets of images … perhaps even saving both to your computer. Then toggle back and forth between option 1 and 2 for each photograph. Many people do not utilize a 16:9 cropping (normally considered more a “video” kind of crop), but I like the end result. It shifts the eye more to the action of the photograph while still maintaining image quality.

Images #1 (A & B)

Images #2 (A & B)