I came home last night. I would have stayed but there were a couple things I need to do. And Phil wants to go fishing but the ice is still on the northern lakes and he might be gone the next time I have a break. It is his birthday tomorrow and I wanted to be here for that. I also have to see the Dr.
A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to incredible itching and pain on my back. No rash, nothing there, but it was driving me crazy. I went to an Urgent Care doctor and he gave me some medication for a mild infection. When I asked why there was such pain, he said "There shouldn't be any pain!" and that was that. I have been eating ibuprofen like candy. The pain is so fierce it is difficult to sleep at night. I woke up Saturday morning with a really weird rash. Shingles@! So much for the Urgent Care appt. I have no idea why I would have gotten this except that I must be older than I thought.
The North Shore has been cold and rainy with snow mixed in. It seems that Spring will never get there. I went to Grand Marais the other day (had to get a brown belt and brown shoes as I have to wear a Forest Service uniform. And believe me, I look really cute and professional (NOT!).
There are deer every where and I have been hearing owls hooting quite a bit. There is still mounds of snow and it has been a tad cool at night. I have a lot to learn about permits, entry points, walking trails, maps, etc and have been studying my handbook non stop. Perhaps by the end of the summer, I will know half of what I need to.
It does give me opportunities to get to Gooseberry Falls, Grand Marais and other areas. I may even decide to go to the Isabella work station. I never knew there were so many places to see up there and anyone fortunate to get up there will have plenty of activities to keep them busy. And I would like to bring my bike up as there is a incredible bike path that starts right in front of the Ranger Station and goes south to Two Harbors and south. It would be great exercise which I need.
The cabin I stay in is on the Ranger Station and is very cute! I have the whole upper floor to myself which means I won't have to have a roommate. There are two other bedrooms downstairs that have
double occupancy, a smallish kitchen and bath, and a fairly large living room area. It is so quiet at times, and really restful. I don't have a TV or anything, I have to walk out into the yard to use my cell phone and I have to drive to the Tofte General store to get WiFi for my Kindle Fire. But I can handle that and it will give me time to catch up on some of my hobby projects that I have.
The deer look so hungry! It has been a long winter for them and other wild life. It is sad to see the deer look so thin, you can see their ribs. They are out at dusk and dawn, eating grass in the ditches along side the road. I am so cautious as I don't want to hit one and they can jump out in front of you in a second. I see near misses every time I am out driving in the evening.
It's tough getting groceries too. I have to drive to Silver Bay or Grand Marais if I need anything quickly. They are both about 1/2 hour away in either direction. And the prices are a bit steep so I will be stocking up when I am home on staples and hauling them back up north. I can't even find real lemonade for my Ricky's unless I go to Silver Bay or GM.
I am enjoying this so far. While I am only working 4 days a week at this point, I am only working 4 days a week!!!! Plenty of time to go exploring and checking out various shops and things.
I do miss my friends from work. Hopefully they will keep in touch via email.
That's it for now. I have to go find some cooking utensils as the cabin is lacking in things.
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2 comments:
I do love it up there. Seems to me I was on the Perseverance River north of Duluth about mid-May, Is that the same bike trail?
You are lucky to be there, it is a place of beauty.
But you already knew that.
That would be the TEMPERANCE river!
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