Weekend Drive

So this past weekend, instead of our usual sitting around in pjs and watching movies all weekend, we actually went out and did something! And I'm just finally getting around to uploading the pictures!

First we went driving around the Chequamegon National Forest and checked out some of the campgrounds for future reference. Really we went out driving because I was anxious to get some pretty pictures of the trees changing.

While I'll be complaining this winter about the coldness and overabundant snow, it sure is damn beautiful around here in the fall.


After we drove through the national forest, we decided to go check out Copper Falls State Park and hike around the falls. It was beautiful! And it was the first time I and the kids had been there.

I carried baby B in the carrier and my husband carried D on his shoulders. D was too funny. When my husband first got him up on his shoulders he grabbed on tight and said "Don't you fall D, don't you fall." My husband said he had a death grip on his neck. Less than 10 minutes later he said "Don't you poop on my back D, don't you poop on my back!"















It was such a beautiful day! Even so, we only made it about a quarter of the way around the trail before we turned back. Two reasons: the adults were a little tired from carrying the extra weight up stairs and hills... and we heard a low growling coming from the woods... we didn't really want to stick around and possibly find out what it was.

After the hike, since we were pretty close, we decided to go up a little further to Lake Superior and do a picnic dinner. Amazingly, I didn't take any pictures while we were there. I should have because there were hundreds of seagulls in the parking lot and on the shore. We didn't really want to brave the flock, so we ate in the car. I'm glad we didn't get out - my husband rolled down his window and threw out a piece of his bread and about 40 seagulls swarmed the car! We thought they were going to bust in. It was a little like "The Birds" for a minute there.

It was nice to get out of the house and do something, and it was probably one of the last nice weekends left to do so. It could be snowing here next week. ;)

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

You know you're back in the Northwoods when...

Two weeks after moving back here to the Northwoods we had something tear into our garbage (which we intelligently were keeping just outside the back door) and drag a bag out behind the garage. After checking everything out my husband said that it was most likely a bear. I only halfway believed him, and hadn't been too bothered by it.

note: his area of expertise happens to be natural resources and he knows a lot about the wildlife around here and he knows his animal tracks...

Every night before we go to bed he's been checking out the woods behind our house and across the street. I've been watching him and been slightly amused. I wasn't too worried.

Last night and the night before all the dogs in the neighborhood were barking. And our big dog was on the (enclosed and within the fence) porch whining (she's a big chicken). And I started thinking that he was probably right about the bear. There has definitely been something lurking around the neighborhood at night. To be clear - it's not much of a traditional city neighborhood. There is about 5 or 6 houses around us, but there is much more space between them than in a city. Three of the houses are behind the wooded area behind our house - we can't even see the houses. But still I only half believed that there's been a bear around here.

In the little over 2 years we'd lived up here (before the whole moving to Iowa fiasco) I had only seen a bear 3 or 4 times. All of my sightings were at least 15 miles from our house.

That was until tonight.

We were on our way home - about 4 blocks from the house - when a little black bear cub came shooting across the highway. You know his mama wasn't far behind. We didn't see her though.

So now I have to admit to my husband and myself that it was most likely a bear in our garbage. And a bear that's been lurking around here at night. I won't be going anywhere after dark! :)
Not a chance.