As we continue looking back into the archives, we're finding many interesting subjects. Today's shot from 2009 is actually a photo snapped in 1995 just offshore at Eagle River, where the Pasty Cam originated. E. Neil Harri took this photo of the USCGC Makinaw breaking heavy ice and he added that it had to back up and ram the ice many times to get through. It was a year that ice was across Lake Superior.

These ice breakers make way for the freighters to begin the shipping season each spring. In 2012, Rod Burdick captured this shot of the Mesabi Miner as she arrived at the Upper Harbor in Marquette. The Mesabi had wintered over in Superior, Wisconsin, so she was not affected by the Soo Locks opening date of March 25th. It looks like there wasn't much ice left in the harbor that year, so they could move around much easier, too.

Today's video excursion is a trip aboard the USCGC Mackinaw for the Great Lakes Marine Academy Cadets Icebreaking trip on March 12th of this year. It shows some impressive footage of the ice being pushed out of the way by this amazing vessel.

Nice pix and exciting video! That last part reminded me of myself, trying to park the SUV at Kroger. It takes me 2 or 3 try's, but I make it.

Slightly off topic, but also "looking back" in a way:

Here's a tip for anyone who used to enjoy Carl Pellonpää's "Suomi Kutsuu" TV program or the earlier radio program of the same name. (Hei, I yoosta listen to the old radio program while I was at da Tech ca. 1958-1664!)

I found it educational, and great practice listening to the Finnish pronunciation. (Of course I also used to enjoy reading grandpa's Finnish newspapers back on da farm in the late 1940s! — I always found it amusing to see so many of those long Finnish words that had to be hyphenated/folded to fit the relatively narrow newspaper columns. Hah!)

These days I've fallen into the habit of listening to (click →) "Radio Pooki¹" from Finland, via the Internet. You will see at that web site that there are other channels available as well, but that one is my daily favorite as an easy listening background while smashing software.

One summer vacation Bob & I took the Sunset Cruise
from Copper Harbor. We went freighter chasing the
Mesabi Miner. Sailing 60 ft. from the Mesabi was
pretty cool out in the shipping Lanes of Lake
Superior!

Absolutely love the picture of the Mesabi Miner.
And I always used to turn Carl off, lol.

Re: FRNash/PHX, AZ (Frnash) on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 - 09:01 am:
… "Radio Pooki"

Well that was an unexpected experience!
I just finished (Finnished?) listening to that old Israeli folk song "Havah Nagilah" on "Radio Pooki" — in Finnish!

(They often do popular old American hits with Finnish lyrics, but this sure was unexpected!)

Just in case some are unaware, Carl and Doris Pellonpää's son, Carl Jr. passed away in his sleep Sunday night. Visitation is from 4-7pm tomorrow at Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming. Friday visitation will be from 10-11am, when funeral services for him will start. He was only 61 years old. But if you have to go, in your sleep can't be all that bad. We'll be keeping them in our prayers.

Gotta love the U.S. Coast Guard.