vacation nights 6 & 7 in Bayfield Wisconsin

on day 6 of vacation we were headed toward the Apostle Islands. We stopped at a cute little village type town called Cornucopia. not much there. but several nice shops. arts, books, antiques. I bought a children's book called "Agate." Then I bought another one. One for me, and one for Heidi who took care of all of our horses while we were gone. It's about a moose named Agate. It's a beautiful book and I highly recommend it for young kids and old kids. We took some pictures of some really old boats and pretended that that's what the cruise ship would look like that would take us touring the Apostle Islands.
























also some cute pictures of a mama Mallard and her 2 babies. Greg said he better not tell the guys that we were taking pictures of plain ol' Mallards on vacation. So now he won't have to tell them. They can just look at the picture!
















Then off we went, and we did make it to Bayfield.
We decided to stay at the Bay Front Inn hooked on to the Pier Plaza Restaurant and Pickled Herring Bar where all the employees wore shirts that say "We're so brine." or "I'm so brine" or something like that. anyway, good food here! Always busy and not a lot of seating so you gotta be patient and grab a seat at the bar for a while. No reservations or hostess either. Seat yourself. We were invited to sit with a nice couple who were finishing their meal, because they noticed we had been waiting for quite a while. How nice of them! well of course, the woman's name is Darcy! Another really neat place to eat in Bayfield is Greunke's. Full of neat old art, posters, photos, etc. It rained a lot while we were in Bayfield and the Apostle Islands. But we did everything anyway. The first day we took the ferry over to Madeline Island. It's the Island that has a bunch of shops, hotels, bar & restaurants. lots of artsy stuff. Lots of vehicles went over on the ferry with us. It poured while we were on Madeline Island. We bought the last umbrella to be found on the Island, I'm pretty sure. I think it's one that is supposed to be displayed somewhere. It's really pretty and has a fancy design. but it kept us dry. We spent some time in Tom's Burned Down Cafe or Bar. Mostly a bar I'd say. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures. It's kind of like some old trailers and tents kind of put together and it does indeed look as though it has burned down. In fact a woman in a shop told us it has burned down a couple of times. Xmas lights strung everywhere. handwritten signs everywhere. kind of an anti-establishment, anti-government type of feeling. picnic tables where everyone writes and carves stuff. (we didn't). there were a bunch of tshirts hanging on a line, well, I can't remember how they were hung up, clips or something. some of them were pretty neat but I didn't know if you would actually buy that shirt that was hanging there or if those were just samples. and I didn't feel like asking so that was that. It is unique for sure. and you must go there if you go to Madeline Island. Because there really isn't much else to do there when it is raining. plus everything was all under construction when we were there. Don't get me wrong. Madeline Island is nice and beautiful and I would sure go there again. But it would be twice as nice with the sun shining and the construction equipment gone. There are a lot of Islands in the Apostle Islands. 18? 22? can't remember for sure but something like that. The next day we went on a tour of the Islands aboard the Island Princess (you know, we have a horse named Princess!)















This is a picture of part of Bayfield, taken aboard the Island Princess.





















This was really a great tour. except it rained the
whole time again and it was kind of cold. We couldn't do the whole tour because of the rough waters. But it was nice. I think one of these islands in my pictures here is Rocky Island (you know, we have a horse named Rocky.) It was pretty neat because when you are near one island you can see several others around you and in the distance. really really pretty.













On vacation Day 8 we were I guess on our way home. one little town we went through not far from Bayfield is Ashland. I think it was in this town where I noticed this neat Lion head on an old building. Greg drove around the block so I could get the camera out because I thought this was so neat. And........ It wasn't raining, so we had the top down on the little car, for the first time all vacation.

vacation day 5, north shore, highway 61

Well Greg has always wanted to drive Route 66. We will need more than 10 days for that one. But, Highway 61 would have to do on this vacation. To start off the day though (still in Duluth at this point), we had breakfast at a little coffeeshop type place. Amazing Grace Restaurant & Bakery. A really neat menu. Quiche included! At night they have musicians and poets, that type of thing. just real cute and laid back and the food was very good. The bakery was incredibly busy! Then we took off driving. This won't all be in the right order. These are just some of the names/places I remember. North Shore, Highway 61, Two Harbors, Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse,

First for a couple of places that we didn't go to. Glensheen Historic Estate. I didn't know what it was. It looked big & beautiful though. when we got back, Volunteer Tina told me a family was murdered there! We also didn't go to Betty's Pies and a couple of people mentioned that so it must be good. Next time! And we did not do the whole Highway 61 drive. our destination was the Apostle Islands, and we still wanted to get there.

We did spend a lot of time though at Gooseberry Falls. Lots of hiking trails. We walked a lot on this day, and I was very hungry by the time the sun went down. But Greg was on a mission to get some neat pictures of Split Rock Lighthouse, so supper would have to wait. We stayed at Larsmont Cottages on Lake Superior. We talked about staying there 2 nights, because there was a lot of relaxing stuff to do there, a beach, etc. But it started to rain again so we decided to move on, in search of the sunshine. I don't remember where we finally had supper on this night, we were very tired I think. next day, on to Bayfield Wisconsin, which is right across from the Apostle Islands!

Vacation Night 3 in Duluth

On Night 3 of our vacation we stayed in Duluth. The parts of Duluth I saw, I love! We went to Fitgers, the famous old brewery which is actually a resort type place with lots and lots of shops too! We stayed at a place within walking distance of there though. I think they call this area Canal Park. It's pretty much right on the beach. lots of restaurants and shops and of course watching the big ships go by. I took lots and lots of pictures of the sea gulls, who cooperated nicely. Greg took some of me surrounded by the beautiful birds. The white ones are the adults, and the more speckled ones are the youngsters. Greg's brother works for the Army Corps of Engineers so I had to take a picture of Greg by the sign. Our first night in Duluth was Sunday night. Kind of quiet but still plenty to do. We ate at Grandma's, up on the deck. Had some sandwiches and beer. Going to different restaurants is one of my very favorite things to do on vacation. We try to find places "with atmosphere or charm" without having to dress up. anyway, this is all I have time for for now.

Traveler, the rescued Crow

push yourself to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary
In some cultures, the crow is viewed as symbolic of magic. These cultures believe that the continuous squawking and calling out is to remind us that magic is around us at all times, just waiting for us to use it in our own lives.
Many people see crows as thieves and a nuisance to be done away with, just an ordinary, everyday, trouble-making crow. But spend a day with a crow and you will be in awe of the intelligence and entertained by constant humorous antics.
Today we are treated to one of my sister's wildlife stories. It's about Traveler, a Crow.

My sister, Mickie, is a licensed wildlife rehabber out in the Hills. Often when she comes to visit she brings critters with her, because there is no way she could teach anyone how to feed them while she is gone from her home. I was lucky to meet Traveler when he was young. He was kind of sick when he came to stay at my house with my sister, I think it was June 2006. I've never taken the time to discover the magic of birds. But Mickie has always loved them.

Here is what she is sharing with us today:
Traveler’s Journey Continues
It is November 10th, 2007. It has been 5 months since I have seen Traveler. I still miss him every day. His intelligence amazed me and his ability to show tenderness touched my heart. We did have a very special relationship. It was almost like the two lovers in the movie "Ladyhawke". By day she’s a hawk and he’s a human and at night she’s human and he’s a black wolf. The only time they see each other as humans is for a very short time every morning as the sun is coming up.
In February Traveler started trying to feed me. He’d fill his mouth with food and then come and stand in front of me. He’d put his beak up to my nose like he was expecting me to open my mouth and accept the food he was offering me. One day I decided to experiment. I put a Cheeto, one of his favorite snacks, in my mouth and held it up to him. He took it from my mouth. He even started sharing his precious pistachios with me. I feed the squirrels a nut and seed mixture that has pistachios in it. Traveler would pick all the pistachios out of the mixture and stash them in my flower pots on the deck. It wasn’t at all unusual to find a pile of the nuts carefully placed in a pot with maybe a leaf or a stick over them to hide them.
He also started bringing me other little gifts. Sometimes there would be a special stone placed on the deck railing when I’d get up in the morning. Sometimes he would bring the gifts to me when I was out on the deck. It might be a piece of a stick, a stone, a brightly colored piece of plastic or a piece of wood. Each time he would come to me with the item in his mouth. He’d stand in front of me and make a sound over and over like he was saying, "Here. Here. Here." I’d hold out my hand and he would place the gift in my hand.
Traveler started staying here even at night. He had a special branch up in the maple tree where he would go to bed each night. I’d look up into the tree and see his little silhouette against the sky. He’d be preening and settling in for the night. It was somehow comforting to know he was up there watching over things. Every morning he started calling at 5:45. There were 3 or 4 other crows living in a tree across the street. They’d call back and forth with Traveler. Sometimes they’d join him in the maple tree for awhile. But he never went off with them. He always stayed here with me. Sometimes he’d look at me like he just couldn’t understand why I couldn’t go with him.
Traveler started showing me great affection. He enjoyed sitting behind me and playing with my hair. He was fascinated with the combs I use to hold my hair back and would often remove them. The greatest act of tenderness he showed me was when he would preen my eyelashes. He was so careful and gentle and it made me feel like he was saying, "I love you Mickie". This tender act touched my heart deeply.
But I always knew that one day he would figure out that he was a crow and I am a human. I remember that day vividly. It was June 11th, 2007. Traveler started calling at his normal time and the crows across the street answered him. They went on and on calling back and forth. They were particularly noisy. Finally, one of the crows joined Traveler in the maple tree. They continued their squawking. I had to leave for work and as I was walking across the backyard to my car Traveler came and perched on one of the lower branches of the tree. He started squawking and squawking at me. I said, "I have to go to work. I’ll see you for lunch." At lunch time Traveler wasn’t there but I didn’t think that much of it. He wasn’t there for supper either and I started to wonder what happened. The next morning he wasn’t up in the maple tree. Plus---the crows from across the street were gone as well. So, this is what I believe. I believe the crows from across the street kept yelling at Traveler that morning. I think they were getting ready to go and were saying, "Come on, we have to go!!" I believe Traveler was yelling back, "Just a little bit longer. I have to tell her good-bye!!" And when he was squawking at me that morning I think he was saying good-bye.
For the last two weeks now there have been two crows that come and sit in the maple tree. One of them is especially vocal and seems to be telling some lengthy stories. They never come down to me on the deck. But they will sit up there and listen to me when I talk to them. I tell myself that the noisy one is Traveler and he is telling his friend all about the days when he lived here. I imagine him coming down and sitting with me on the deck. He will begin to preen my eyelashes and I will start to cry. He’ll catch the tears with his beak as they run down my face. It’s as if he’s wiping them away and saying, "Don’t cry. I came back. I’m okay."

Here is Mick's introduction to Traveler, written while he was still with her.
Life According to Traveler
Take flight on Traveler's Journey
I have to say that I am fascinated by crows. They are one of my favorite birds. So when Traveler entered my life in June, 2006, it was a very good day. He was found on the ground after falling from the nest. He had long, clumsy legs that couldn’t yet support the weight of his growing body.
About a week after receiving the baby crow, I traveled to the eastern part of the state for my grandmother’s birthday. Since the crow was a rather high-maintenance baby requiring frequent feedings and clean-ups, he made the trip with me instead of staying home and having someone else care for him. I made the comment to him that he was a very good traveler and that’s how he got his name.
I wasn’t sure that I was supposed to have him in the motel room with me and because he was a rather vocal youngster I frequently had to tell him to be quiet. He was just learning to perch so I’d place him on the back of a chair in front of the television and let him watch Emeril. He seemed to really enjoy the cooking channel.
Crows stay with their parents for a long time, sometimes for up to a year, so I was prepared to have this baby for several months at least. Other baby birds grew up and left home. Baby bunnies, baby squirrels, the fawns—everyone grew up and started life on their own. But there was always my Traveler.
Fall arrived and I started letting Traveler out of his big cage to wander around in the yard. He always returned to the cage before dark. Finally one day he flew off. I was filled with mixed emotions. I was happy that he was exploring his world but I was going to miss his company and his "help" as I did things around the yard.
The following morning, just as it was getting light out, I heard a familiar squawking and I knew he was home. I was so happy that he’d returned. I jumped out of bed and went out on the deck and there he was, up in the big old maple tree. He has been here every morning since.
I fill his food dish every morning and put it out on the deck. On weekends, in addition to his regular dish of food, we have scrambled eggs, which he loves. Sometimes we have toast with cherry preserves or blueberry Pop Tarts. Some days we share a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. He stays all day and then disappears just before dark. I don’t know where he goes and I never see him leave. It’s as if he chooses a moment when I’m in the house to make his exit.
Traveler has a special friendship with my dog, Abby. They spend time out on the deck together. Sometimes he’ll clean out the bits of grass and leaves that collect in the long hairs on her toes.
He also enjoys spending time with my ducks. I think he thought he was a duck until the day he either jumped in or fell in their pool. Now when the ducks are swimming and splashing in their pool he just sits on the edge and bathes in the water they splash instead of going in the pool himself.
I was thrilled that Traveler was coming back every day. Every morning I wake up and hear his voice. It’s as if he’s saying, "Good morning, Mickie. Here I am. Time to get up!"
But what’s even more amazing is that now he is bringing a friend. And this friend will eat from my hand, too. Obviously there has been some communication between the two crows. Otherwise how would this newcomer have known that it could trust me? Why would it have accepted food from my hand without the slightest bit of hesitation the very first time I attempted to feed it? I marveled at the trust this wild bird had in me. I’ve named the new crow "Moocher".
Are they mates? I don’t know. I don’t think they choose mates at this young age. Sometimes I see them flying above me in unison like an Olympic event—Synchronized Soaring. It is so beautiful to watch. Like MAGIC. As I watch them in their joy, my eyes get all watery. I blame it on the cold wind.
I know there will come a time when they will not be here to greet the morning with me and I will, again, have mixed emotions. I will miss them greatly. But, I’ll be happy for them, knowing they’re enjoying a life that they should have and knowing that I did a good job of raising my Traveler.
Traveler has taught me little tidbits of wisdom and hopefully you too have enjoyed our travels and everyday "push yourself to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary."