"Blessed be the tie that binds." So begins an old hymn I learned as a child. It came to mind as I paddled over bits of sunken railroad ties that bind me to the history of Huron Bay. Across the bay from Camp Many Moons, the remains of the Iron Range and Huron Bay Railroad … Continue reading Ties That Bind
Boats are meant to move. But some of her best moments are when she is not. These photos are taken at the tiny marina at Pequaming, a little-known jewel tucked into a corner of Keweenaw Bay on the south shore of Lake Superior. This is the current berth for the Mainship Many Moons. Many repairs … Continue reading Pierside Pleasures
On the south end of Camp Many Moons, the waterfront is interrupted by a small inlet. The waters of Huron Bay ebb and flow here. The sand does, too. Sand is a remarkable medium, both adaptable and resilient. It shifts as nature or humans require, never losing its elemental nature even as its appearances changes. … Continue reading Shifting Sands
Do you ever have a "foggy head" that isn't caused by illness? You know, that feeling when you can't quite focus. Sometimes it's dense and oppressive, and sometimes wispy and fleeting. This fog bank on Huron Bay was dense but fleeting. That's because Huron Bay is long and narrow, bordered by hills on both sides, … Continue reading Fog Bank
June 17, 2021 - The humble rowboat ... simple, useful, and underrated. We have many types of watercraft at Camp Many Moons, but my go-to is the rowboat. This one is a "Jon boat," supposedly nick-named that by Scandinavian fishermen. Flat-bottomed and square-bowed, it is stable and light-weight. This makes it easy to launch and … Continue reading In Praise of Rowboats
June 9, 2021 - Here in the far north, boating season is under way - but not quite making way. Huh? "Under way" means a vessel is free to move-- in other words, has left the dock or anchorage. "Making way" means it's actually moving, under its own power. (I learned this on board Navy … Continue reading Under Way, Making Way!
June 4, 2021 - Sometimes you just need to turn off the words -- and the thoughts. A hammock is a great place for that. Mine swings just feet from the shoreline. Sometimes I come here to read and sometimes to think. If I stay here long enough, the words and thoughts stop...and I just … Continue reading Turning Off the Chatter
May 31, 2021 - You know that space between dreams, when you've let go of the old one before the new one has taken shape? It's an uncomfortable place to be. It can be ugly. But it's necessary. Up to now, Camp Many Moons has been a kind of rustic nature get-away -- the first … Continue reading Making Space
May 24, 2021 - I'm a pretty rugged girl. I use a chain saw, for pete's sake! But a persistent mosquito can turn me into a wimp ... an irritable, whiny wimp. And it's a whine - not a buzz - that we hear, say insect scientists. They make that sound by beating their wings. … Continue reading Irritation Management!
May 18, 2021 - Here we come! Hello, sun! Hello, people! Like the fiddleheads (fern fronds) unfurling at Camp Many Moons after a long and chilly spring, my friends scattered throughout the U.S. are gradually emerging from a year of pandemic hibernation to reengage more directly with society. Some are uneasy. Some are hesitant. Most … Continue reading Re-Emergence
For Many Moons 