Another Dune Hike etc.

I finally was able to get out in the dunes yesterday to hike. It was a glorious day in Grand Marais. I started at Sable Lake and hiked over to Lake Superior and back.

Sable Lake is sure looking like summer....

With the rain lately, the vegetation in the dunes is looking very green.

The Jack Pine flowers were in full bloom.  When you hit a branch as you pass by one of the trees, the pollen makes an intense miniature cloud.

When I passed by the cliff swallows, I decided to sit and wait to see if I could see any of the birds.  After waiting around five minutes, I saw one of the swallows fly out of the sand cliff.  A few moments later, part of the cliff fell away.  Here is a before and after picture.

After a few more minutes, I saw the swallow return to the nest and then the whole section to the right of the first cave in also fell away.  Since I had just seen the bird fly into that section (I think--but I'm not sure), I took off over there and tried to dig out the nest to rescue the bird and possibly any babies in the nest.  I was not able to find any birds so I am hoping I was wrong and the nest was not in that section.
As I was walking across the dunes, a freighter passed on by. 

After reaching the Lake Superior bluff, using the telephoto, I captured this picture of Au Sable Lighthouse.

A hiker in the dunes...

The other morning I had breakfast with some of my golf friends.  From George's house on the bay I took this picture of the inner harbor lighthouse.

The building that will soon be an outfitter store in Grand Marais is coming along.  The building was basically gutted and is being completely rebuilt.  The progress is coming along.  Many of you remember this as the Cozy Corner Restaurant.