Sounds of Silence

Lin got to ride along with a friend to spend a couple days in the Cities this past week - shopping, a quick visit to Mall of America, haircut - and came home very glad to be living on the Gunflint Trail! The traffic, the slick streets (around here the only thing sharing the road when it's slick is the occasional moose or deer) and the noise and lights... it was very good to get home to starlight and silence. As we unloaded the truck (I did mention shopping, didn't I?) the only sound was the crunch of our feet on the snow and the moonlight was bright enough to find our way down to the house without flashlights.


Sometimes it's so still you think you can hear your thoughts, while the stars have been so bright the sky looks coated with them. And during the day you can eavesdrop on the birds' conversations, right now the siskenfinchpolls are discussing whose turn it is to eat from the feeders and whose turn it is to check the ground. You can even hear the flap flop flap of the little birds' wings as they fly onto the feeder.

It's snowing today, so the world is white and very very quiet - here is the view from our deck looking out towards the lake.







Mike has been fishing a couple times, demonstrating why they call it "fishing", I guess. Going fishing is quite a project this time of year, he has to carry his ice auger and all his gear down the trail, down the "cliff" to the lake, wade through deep snow and then drill his holes with an auger that seems to need sharpening. He's met several new neighbors - and they weren't catching anything either. But it's lovely to get out and enjoy the sunshine and the quiet.

I guess spring is coming. Right now it's perfect outdoor weather - temperatures in the twenties, several sunshiny days - gorgeous for snowshoeing, skiing, snowmobiling and enjoying the silence!