Getting Buzzed

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When I stepped out on the porch this morning, it wasn't long before I got myself buzzed....by a hummingbird, that is. They're back! (Sorry, I can no longer remember what movie that is from, though I can see the picture of the little girl in my mind.) WTIP is very good about reporting regularly on the hummingbird migration. As of Monday, I heard that some had been spotted at various locations throughout the county, but I hadn't been home long enough to notice any here.

I chose not to hang out my feeder after hearing that, mainly because I knew that I would be gone for a few days. It's best if I am around when I have it out....I tend to notice more quickly if it has gone empty, or if the ants have invaded it. A second reason for waiting was because I had heard that we have a bear making the rounds this week. He was a little guy last seen on the porch at Cedar Point. He helped himself to the cooler, removing a loaf of bread from it. Aptly, he earned the name Boo Boo by the owners of the cooler. Now I need to remember each evening to bring in the feeder, so that we don't add to our collection of claw marks on the post where it hangs.

So after this little bird informed me of her return, I searched out the hummingbird feeder. Not surprisingly, I couldn't find our usual one. So I tried a substitute--a very small feeder meant to be stuck into a planter. After filling it and hanging it up, the little lady returned. She hovered a moment, and then took off. I could almost hear her harumph.

I dug a little deeper, checked a new location, and sure enough, found the old familiar feeder. It now is hanging in its usual spot. The male has been back, as I watched him come to sip some of the sugar water. He then did a hover near the newer feeder, and he, too, gave it a feather's down. In fact, he barely gave it a sidewards glance. Could they really be that smart and discerning?

I believe that the ravens can be, but I guess I should give those hummers a little more credit. After all, they can make it all the way from Mexico to here, and they don't carry much in the way of luggage.

Driving the Trail at Night

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The older I get, the more my desire to drive the Trail after dark diminishes. In my younger years here, I thought nothing of evening meetings or late drives home from Duluth, after running a day full of errands. Oftentimes, I had a baby or a kid, or two, in the car with me. We would get home close to midnight, and after getting them off to bed, I would then need to unload the car. It just didn't bother me.

Now it has to be a very good reason for me to plan a night like that. You may notice that this is being posted rather late on Thursday, the reason being that Addie and I just returned from our trip to Wisconsin. All of those hours on the road gave me lots of time for contemplation. One thing I decided is that if I am driving the trail at night, I like it best in the spring and early summer.

First off, the sun goes down so much later. At 9:20 on the North Shore, it was still light enough to drive without using the bright setting. The sky held streaks of faint light, but the reddish glow had faded. By the time we were on the Trail, the stars were out. And we had a half-moon to shine down on us, all the way home.

I thought about other nights out there, when I had the good fortune to see shooting stars through the windshield. Occasionally the Northern Lights have been dancing a good show, making it difficult to keep my eyes on the roadbed. Of course, there is always the need to be vigilant for wildlife. Tonight was a quiet one in that respect. Several insects filled the air, and some dark animal scooted across while I drove down our side road. I still am wondering what it was....small enough to be a pine marten, but it didn't run like one. Quick enough to be a fisher, but too small. Larger than an ermine, very dark in coloring. Mink perhaps?

Hands down, though, the very best reason for driving the Gunflint Trail after dark is this:

Don't worry that the picture doesn't show up...it was too dark out!