An Ordinary Day - Sky Watch

On an ordinary day,

you might watch the sun rise

in the sky.

It casts a silvery glow over water.

If you happen to be visiting
Eagle Harbor, MI,
you can relax and enjoy
the blues of sky and water.

Or, you can take a walk
through beach grasses.

You can hike along the curve of Lake Superior

and climb volcanic rock

to get closer to the sky.

Or, on this ordinary day,
spend some time
sitting and listening
to the waves of the great lake.

Walk down deserted roads

to admire fall colors

against the blue of the sky.

Find a deserted cove

where you can boat,

or wade,

or watch a Bald Eagle in flight.

At twilight,
you might notice a young couple,
just married,
watching the sun set
over Lake Superior.

Ordinarily,
they might not climb

so high in their finery.

(But, the young woman

who says she's a "Yupper Girl"

is wearing flip-flops!)

Good Luck to them!

Finally, on this ordinary day,

at one of the most
northern points in the US,

my friend, Mary,

who grew up in Eagle Harbor,

watches the sun set on the horizon of

Lake Superior.

My visit was

Extraordinary!

To visit other extraordinary skies,

click here:

Sky Watch

A Special Post by Lucinda B. Rabbit

Hello to All!

My name is
Lucinda B. Rabbit.

I know many of you are questioning where I've been all summer.

Well, now that Barb is away on vacation
and is not supervising
my every move,
I can finally share my news with you.

I have an important announcement:

If you remember,

I began writing my Rabbit memoirs

this spring,

while on vacation in CA.

After returning to Co,

I barely had time

to smell the flowers.

Hikes were few and far between.

Occasionally, I took short breaks
to talk about my writing with Waldo.

Sometimes, I found myself daydreaming

about all the carrots

a famous Rabbit author

might receive.

.

It has been a trying period
for a normally fun-loving Rabbit.

Through all the turmoil
of writing and rewriting,
Amanda has been my trusted confidant.

In fact, Amanda began helping

me with my manuscript.

Honestly, I barely took time to eat.

Only occasionally was I tempted

to lunch with friends.

My best friends encouraged
me in my literary endeavor.

Even Barb

(who sometimes grew weary of my

creative impulses day in and day out)

tried to remain upbeat.

Finally - after sliding into fits of creative despair

and getting behind on deadlines...

I am proud to announce

that my book,

The Adventures of Lucinda B. Rabbit,

is finally in print.

Though it seems improbable,
I am an even more famous
Rabbit
than I previously thought possible!

(Especially with Family and close Friends,
who may be relieved
that the ordeal is over.)

Yes, Lucinda B. Rabbit and Amanda
are busy signing autographs!

We are planning a book tour
as soon as Amanda
finishes first grade.

Please don't breathe a word of this to Barb.

I'm already plotting my next adventure!

Your Friend,
(the unstoppable and occasionally naughty),

Lucinda B. Rabbit

PS Please - if any of you think I'm "cute,"
don't make the mistake of calling me
"Bunny!"

Breathless at High Altitude

Early Tuesday morning, two friends and I

hike the crest of the 10 Mile Range
from Frisco to Copper Mountain, CO.

We climb a portion of the Peaks Trail

to Miners Creek Trail (also a part of the CO Trail)

and finally descend on a portion
of the Wheeler Trail.

In the dim light of early morning,
we cross Miners Creek.

The aspens on the Peaks Trail

are dressed in gold.

We wear several layers plus gloves and hats.

The morning air is cold.

(Enlarge to see ice "ornaments.")

Frozen raindrops on the evergreens

glitter in the filtered sunlight.

Everything is slick with rain
from an overnight downpour.

Finally the sun reveals a blue-sky morning.

Mist rises in the open marshes.

After a gradual climb up Peaks Trail,

we intersect with Miners Creek Trail

where the terrain grew steeper.

We meet a man from NJ, hiking alone,

who joins us on the climb.

Shafts of light begin penetrating
the old-growth forest.

We hike upward through three
stream-fed meadows.

Blue Gentian bloom in profusion

amid colorful drying grasses.

The high peaks beckon us.

However, there is
a lot of climbing to do

before reaching the ridge.

We pass large areas of scree.

Looking north, we catch a glimpse

of Lake Dillon in the far distance.

With the sun higher in the sky
and with our continual exertion,
we're warmer above treeline.

Here is where we become breathless!

Both the thin air and the awesome views

leave us a little weak in the knees.

Finally, we're on the ridge.

With the wind whipping,
we bundle against the cold.

At 12,573', with stormy skies all around us,
there is no turning back.

Cairns mark the way across the high tundra.

We hike toward the distant snow-capped peaks.

To the east is the town of Breckenridge.

From my house,

I can see the ridge line where we're walking.

To the west, are Copper Mountain's ski runs.

When we gaze down instead outward,

beautiful lichen

and gaudy succulents grow amid the talus.

We hike toward the distant tree-line.

From the crest of a mountain,
we understand the meaning of "vast."

We're on top of the world!

But, what is up must finally come down...

We descend through fall colors,

downward through the trees
of the Wheeler Trail

to the base of Copper Mountain.

We cover 11 1/2 miles in 8 hours.

We gain 3,000' in elevation.

We make a new friend from NJ.

It didn't storm until we were in the van
heading for home.

Good-bye for a little while.

In a couple days, I'm leaving on a Girlfriends' Trip
to the Upper Peninsula of MI.


Lucinda is threatening to post while I'm away...