I needed to get out and away from the house yesterday, so I took a quickish drive-about. I’ve drive this route many times, and it’s always beautiful in the winter. Drove up Arvon Rd. and around to Silver Rd. then Indian Rd. and out to the Herman area. After a good snowfall, it’s a wonderful drive.
Silver River from Silver Road.
Herman Road
After defrosting the car from an inch of snow on top of an inch of frozen rain and graupel mix, I head to to store for a few groceries. On the way I noticed three freighters in the bay taking refuge from the storm. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to get much of a photo from shore to include all three, I decided to fly the drone up from the house and see what I could get.
From left to right, John J Boland, John G Munson and Cason J Callaway.
Freighters on Keweenaw Bay
Freighters on Keweenaw Bay
Last Sunday we had our first proper snowfall. Drove out to Big Erick’s Bridge, it was snowing pretty good while I was there. I had plans to fly the drone around, but no dice in the heavy snow, so I took a couple photos from the bridge. I then drove out to the Slate River on Arvon Rd hoping to fly the drone there. The snow was falling much lighter there so I did fly it for a bit. It was quite tricky flying with all the low hanging branches, took me three attempts to make it without the drone’s object detection stopping the drone. The object detection can be turned off, but I’m not confident enough to fly without it. I don’t want to crash and wreck my drone, even if I do have insurance on it.
This past week was my first full week of work, without taking some days off, in over two months. The full week didn’t really feel much different, as most my days off I end up working some anyway.
This weekend I not doing much at all. Yesterday was super windy, though it did turn out quite nice with temps in the low 50s. Today, well, it’s a snowy one. Forecast is for up to 6 inches of snow and lots of wind. What snow that does fall today will melt away during the week, we should be getting some nice warm days ahead with temps up into the 60s.
Huron River
Slate River
Arvon Road
I went out yesterday morning at the crack of dawn for two reasons, one to see if there was any snow in the Herman area, and two, to hunt for Mr. Moose.
Sure enough, right in the area I thought the moose would be.
He was quite a ways off, so only using a 210mm lens, I had to crop in quite a bit. He was about 800 feet away.
I saw this guy the other day, but missed getting a photo of him. I have also seen his tracks for the last couple years.
Bull Moose
Snow Frosted
Lake Plumbago
Yesterday, Saturday, I had plans to check out the snow along one of my favorite rivers, well, it didn’t happen. We, Eli and I, headed out to the Slate River to hike up the river and get some photos of all the snow. Once we got there, Eli decided he didn’t want to go into the snow, though I can’t really blame him, it was quite deep and he’s getting up there in age. Also I’m not sure how I would have done in the snow with my leg issues. So it was probably for the best.
So, from the Slate River I headed up to Big Erik’s Bridge and the Huron River. Too much snow there to be able to hike back along the river.
With it still being early in the day, I thought a drive out to Herman and the Herman Nestoria Road, the usually get pounded with snow and is really pretty. Well, that wasn’t the case. They did have quite a bit of snow, but I think the winds had knocked all the snow off the trees, so the drive was just that, a drive through the woods. I didn’t even take a single photo through there.
After getting back to about half way between Herman and L’Anse, I thought, what the hell, I’ll take the loop from Indian Rd then loop back to where we started, the Slate River. I missed the turn, or just didn’t see it, off of Sliver Rd that I had taken before, so continued. Oddly enough, the road I was on ended up looping back to Arvon Rd, then back down to the Slate River. Roads change in the winter, you can never tell which ones will be plowed, and as it turns out, I took the correct one.
After that, we headed back home.
I was still good to get out of the house, I needed it.
Today will be a day of some ice and snow cleanup before it gets colder this afternoon and turns everything into concrete. Then comes the snow again, they’re calling for 6-8 inches for my location. After that’s done, nothing. I’ll be relaxing and maybe watch a movie if I can find one I might like.
Eli on the two-track near Slate River
Slate River
Huron River from Big Erik’s Brdge
Silver River from Silver Rd
Sun Burst Through Snow Layded Pine
I got the driveway cleared, but only after having to shovel the very last bit. Something has clogged my auger on the snowblower and making the auger belt smoke. I’ll dig into that when I feel like it, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
I looked under the Subie and found out I’m fucked. I need a new Y pipe because when I hit what ever it was, it banged against a U-clamp and in the process it disconnected it self and also broke the mounting point on the driver’s side muffler. I can get a new Y pipe for under $100, but getting on is a different story. At this point I don’t know what I’m going to do.
After all that crap, I got something to eat and sat back to take a nap. Then the sun came out. I couldn’t stay inside, so Eli and I went for a walk around the property and took some photos.
My Thanksgiving will be mostly work, work to clean the driveway, and work under the Subie. Yesterday during the storm I drove out to see what was happening on US-41 as it rounds Keweenaw Bay. During this drive I came across a smallish tree down and across my road, this tree had also brought down the power lines and snapped a power pole in half. Anyway, I saw a couple tracks crossing the tree, so, so did I, and without any problem. I went to the end of my road, parked and went to the shore for some photos of Lake Superior washing up rocks across the road. I went back to my car and made a call to report the downed tree and power pole, and within just a few minutes the fire department were coming down the road. I turned around and followed them to the point of where the tree was, talked to them for a few, then the power company showed up. I needed to get out of their way so I crossed over the tree again, well this time I heard something and bam I heard a loud sound somewhere under the Subie and it’s now making a loud sound from the exhaust system, somewhere. I checked it quickly when I got home, but things felt tight, so today I need to drive it up on the ramps and find the issue.
Before I can get to that work, I need to finish clearing the driveway. I started it late yesterday, but couldn’t finish it due to excruciating pain in my leg, and I mean fucking excruciating pain.
Now to back track a bit in time to yesterday’s snowstorm. It was quite a good storm, but with it being so warm, the snow is very wet and heavy. I lost power a little before sunrise, called it in and waited. Once it was light enough outside, I noticed lights through the trees at my closest neighbor’s house, then I saw my power line was sagging and almost touching the ground. I went out to check things out. I walked behind the quonset and saw the problem, a huge tree had fallen and brought the line down. I called again to report what I found, and the crew were right over. After about 2 hours of them working, I had power again. Ah, but only about 10 minutes after the power crew left, boom, there went the power again. I checked things out again, but didn’t see anything here. I didn’t know where the issue was until hours later when I drive out to check the waves and US-41.
In the mean time, I called Spectrum to let them know their line was still hanging and almost touching the ground. They told me they can’t come out during the storm, bullshit. Oddly enough though, I still have cable and internet. They said they would be here Friday afternoon to look at it. Their line is fucked, it’s hanging behind the quonset and hanging low from the quonset to the house, if fact, I have to duck under it when walking back to the quonset.
So anyway, the storm brought 10 inches of snow here, and there are reports of around 2 feet in other areas with some people still without power. I guess I was lucky being without power for only about 8 hours.
So with that all being said… Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Rocks being washed over US-41
Power line down across the road
My lines
Snowy Pines in my yard
I couldn’t do it, I just couldn’t stay at the house today, so I grabbed Eli and we went for a quick drive. Seeing I didn’t have much snow here at the house, I headed up Menge Creek Rd past my driveway where they stop plowing during winter. Well, much to my surprise, there is much more snow out and up that way, much more. I started to wonder if I would make it up the steep hills with the snow ruts and ice. Ha, I didn’t even spin a tire. I was dragging bottom in a few areas where the snow ruts were deep and the middle was still deep, but all went well. It was like driving a slot car because the snow ruts were so deep and rock hard from the thawing and freezing again.
I then just went along Plains Rd, not to be confused with Baraga Plains Rd, to M-28 and on home.
Menge Creek Rd
Menge Creek Rd
Sturgeon River from Plains Rd
