Many Moons at “Home”

Where is "home?" Where your heart is, they say. For boats doing The Great Loop, it's the home port. For Mainship Many Moons, that's Huron Bay, a narrow 12-mile-long bay (some call it a fjord) on the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Many Moons has been at anchor here for over … Continue reading Many Moons at “Home”

Biding Time in the Marshes

Many Moons has extended her stay in the small town of Darien, Ga. in the salt-marsh tide-creek ecosystem, as this coastal region is called. The other Looping boat near us has done the same. We've entered days of projected rain and winds, with conditions worse north of us. Weather delays are expected on The Loop. … Continue reading Biding Time in the Marshes

Stumped? I’m Finnish!

The waterfront path at my camp is the first thing I cleared after buying the land. It's lined with stumps, every 20 feet or so -- with foreign words on them. You may be stumped by this! Let me explain. Some people are content to look at a pretty scene. I want to feel it. … Continue reading Stumped? I’m Finnish!

Pets Need Nature Too

Boo and Roscoe are my outdoor companions. They are so fun, and funny. I can't imagine outdoor life without them. Roscoe is a full-blood Siberian Husky who weighs 65 lbs. Boo is an American short-hair of undetermined pedigree who weighs 6 lbs. Both are about 11 years old but still full of energy and curiosity. … Continue reading Pets Need Nature Too

(Many) Moons

I've always been aware of the moon -- its phase, its arc, its pull. Even more so here at Camp Many Moons! I gave this place its name for three reasons. 1. It was the nickname my brother gave me. 2. It suggests a Native American connection. 3. I want the retreat we've developed here … Continue reading (Many) Moons

Ties That Bind

"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

Shifting Sands

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

Fog Bank

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

In Praise of Rowboats

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