Leaves and colors, that has been and remains the theme in the archives during these beautiful days of Autumn here UP North. Back in 2000, Joan Velde was in the Au Train area snapping photos and shared this beauty taken at Superior Cove. Vivid colors and rocks of all sizes dot this shoreline between Marquette and Munising.

In 2009, Barbara Bouwkamp took a drive to check out the action at Bond Falls. The color was a bit more subdued with mellow yellows, but the view of the falls from the lookout platform did not disappoint. The water was flowing, cascading over the rocks, making a dandy fall falls capture.

Everyone enjoys seeing a freighter passing by, but it's a special treat when one enters the Portage Canal waterway. Back in 2015, Carolyn Williams and Andrew Parker were on hand as the Algoma Transport entered the Keweenaw Waterway by way of the Upper Entry. The boat was on its way to the Mattila dock in Hancock with a load of "salt". Looking at this shot, I was thinking, now THAT is a unique way to take a color tour of the Keweenaw!

Speaking of color...Taana Kalliainen found plenty of it just a couple days ago, while taking her lunchtime walk along the Houghton Waterfront trail. It is a virtual sea of yellow, orange and burnt red across the Canal from there. The color is so outstanding, you almost miss seeing the blue sky and clouds above it. What a spectacular view and capture.

Our video clip today takes us through the 2017 shipping season on the Great Lakes. Dan Vaught prepared this collection of his favorite video clips and ships this year so far, so we get to see the big boats sailing on the St. Mary's River here in the U.P. during a few of the seasons. Enjoy the "birds eye view" of freighters gliding along.

Love 1999's picture. I have one similar to that
that we took on US 41 on our way to Copper Harbor.
It was so beautiful that we made it into a canvas.
And Bond Falls never fails to relax me. I just
love that place. And then there's freighters. We
were talking about them last night at bowling. We
all love going to Duluth and watching the
freighters come in at night. What a sight to
behold that is.
Happy Thursday, everybody!

Oh yeah. And I've always loved that 1st picture
today. It is so amazing it looks as if it could
be a painting. Love it!

Exquisite pix! The video is fantastic, as well. It's like the Woodward Dream Cruise...Great Lakes style.

Dan Vaught's video (more on that later) sent me off to Marine Traffic.com in search of more info on the Stewart J. Cort, and I happened to notice from the map that the Joseph L. Block, ostensibly on the way to Superior, WI, but was hiding out in "Beet Grease" Bay at 3:45-3:55 PM (EDT) today. I wonder what that's about?

I had to hurry that last message 'cuz the Joseph L. BLock was apparently headed out of "Beet Grease¹" bay, and I wanted to catch it in the act.

Now back to Dan Vaught's video:

That's one of the nicest videos of the lakers that I've ever seen!
Most particularly, ol' "Mother Superior" sure looked serene; nothing like when she's throwing a fit, with her skirts up, as in the "Gales of November"!

Incidentally, November 9, the 42nd anniversary of the sinking of the (click →) Edmund Fitzgerald is only three weeks away!