Beach Photos

It has been a week since my last post.  I have been in the mineral art making mode and did not get out to take any photos -- until yesterday.  I needed some driftwood sticks to make agate windows so Lois and I headed east to a beach to collect a few.  It was cold and raining, but we went anyway.

Even the birds were trying to stay out of the wind....

We spotted this wild iris on the beach!

Cool driftwood...

Tunnel of trees....

Then we drove over to the Sable Lake boat ramp.

Stawberry Moon and History Book Completion

Yesterday was the longest day of the year, marking the beginning of summer.  It was also the first time since 1967 that a full moon occurred on the summer solstice. 

The length of the day yesterday was:
5:54 AM – 9:43 PM
15 hours, 48 minutes

A full moon and June solstice won’t fall on the same calendar date again until June 21, 2062.

There’s something else special about this full moon.  In addition to its falling on the solstice. It marks the fourth of four full moons in between the March 2016 equinox and the June 2016 solstice. Usually, there are only three full moons in one season (between an equinox and solstice, or vice versa), but sometimes there are four. 

I also have great news to report.  Yesterday I not only finished the book, but I FTPd th 2.51 GB file to my printer.  It took well over seven hours to upload the file.  According to the printer, the printing, proof, bindery, and shipping will take 4-6 weeks.  Thus, the history book will be for sale sometime between the end of July and early August.  Below is a photo I took of my computer screen two seconds before the file transfer was completed.  YEA!

SOURCE:
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/june-solstice-full-moon-in-2016

Grand Marais Splash In

The annual Grand Marais Splash In took place yesterday.  Since the main event takes place during the afternoon, I have never been able to attend since I am at the museum.  However, I did get a few photos before I headed over there.  Some of the pilots were taking passengers up, for a fee, of course. My friends, Jamey and Lois, took Lois's father up and had a great time.  Next year I am going to go for a ride!

Miscellaneous Photos

First, before I get to today's post, I'll provide an update on the history book.  Last night I finished the final layout.  The process went faster than I expected considering I had to cut and paste 300 pages of text and add in over 200 photos and other images.  I still have to create the index and proof the final draft, but I should be able to send the file to the printer in the next few days!  Thus, I am expecting to have copies of the history book available for sale in August.

For today's post I have several different photos.  Burt Township decided to replace the sidewalk along Brazel Street, from downtown to the entrance of Woodland Park.  One of the township officials suggested that I donate some rocks to be included in the cement in front of the museum.  We didn't go crazy, but did add two rows of rocks, both perpendicular from the edges of the building.

A guy came into the museum with a very unusual stone.  He found this hexagon shaped piece of jasper in front of the museum.  It also has a center round depression.  Does anyone have any idea what it is?  Some type of artifact?

This weekend is the Splash In event.  The planes are already starting to arrive.  Temperatures are going to be in the 70s with sunshine on both Saturday and Sunday.  So if you want to attend a different type of event -- come on up north!

This is the target for one of the competitions.  The planes have to drop balloons to try to get as close as possible to the target.

Museum Founder's Agate Ring

This week a Grand Marais resident, Ruth Beaver, brought an agate ring in and asked me to repair it.  The stone had popped out, so I had to re-glue the ring.  She purchased the ring from museum founder, Axel Niemi, at least 50 years ago.  She was operating the Beaver House gift store when she bought the ring.  It was great to see a ring that Axel himself made!  She said she paid $60 for it, which is more than I would have expected.

Beach Fire Dinner

The other night friends, Lois and Jamey, invited me to join them for a beach fire dinner.  When we first arrived to the beach, there was some wind and one foot waves.  Over the couple of hours we were on the beach, the wind intensified.

As we walked to the beach, I noticed that the ferns were looking good!

The wild flowers, too!

Notice the wave height in the photo below, compared to the pictures below that I took when we left the beach.

As the wind started to pick up, we used a mat and towel to block it.

We dug a pit so we could have a safe fire....

Cooking the brauts....

As the wave heights picked up, the storm surge began reaching our structure....

Lois and Jamey sharing a braut...

When the water reached the inside of our structure, we decided it was time to leave the beach...

Then we drove into the School Forest to catch sunset...