It’s that time of year, when Lupines start popping up all over the U.P., in a variety of colors, purple, pink and white. We have a trio of photographer’s photos here today, starting with the first two shots from Nancy Haun. Did you spot the deer in the midst of that patch of Lupines in the first photo? I didn’t see it at first glance, it is hidden quite well by the colorful Lupines.

The third photo was snapped by Donna MacIntosh on a cruising adventure recently, when she spotted a few Lupines in color. Stay tuned for tomorrow where we’ll see more photos from her excursion.

And the third photo, from Diane Richard gives us a close-up view of the pods that form the Lupines.

A few Lupine facts for those that are curious about them like me. They bloom from late spring through the first few weeks of July. Individual lupine plants do not spread, but they do produce dozens of pealike seeds per plant, which are dispersed when the pods pop open in late July or early August. They prefer full sun and at least six hours of direct sunlight on most days. Lupines give off a sweet fragrance if you get close enough to smell them. Some folks say you can eat them, too, but if you have a peanut allergy you should avoid them as they are both legumes and could give you a reaction like peanuts would.

We join Alexis Dahl at the Soo Locks today. Her lead-in to the video says: “The Soo Locks is one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure in the United States... and I had no idea. So, I went to the Soo to try and understand the engineering behind how the locks work, and the geology behind why they're needed. And along the way, I went on some incredible, unexpected adventures. Special thanks to the Army Corps of Engineers and the International Bridge Administration for being such enthusiastic and wonderful hosts!”

Very nice pictures! I've so
enjoyed seeing the lupines when
we're out and about. They're so
pretty. I'm glad you mentioned the
deer, Mary. I had to enlarge my
screen to see it. Such a pretty
animal.

I had to look hard to find the deer...cool! When I
lived in Baraga, there was a field up the road
FILLED with lupines. They disappeared.
When we were little kids, we picked a big bouquet
for Gram, who of course, put them in a big
vase...and that night, moths filled the house.
Apparently, they sleep in lupine buds. lol

I LOVE Alexis's videos...she has the most awesome
adventures.....and thankfully, shares them with us!

I remember my family and our friends' family camping
at Copper Harbor. We took a day trip to Bete Gris
and saw all kinds of lupines.

Another amazingly beautiful set of pix
that for some reason made me think of
the movie Annihilation starring Natalie
Portman where animals and plants were mutating
into alien beings. That deer looks like a mutation.
And another interesting video by someone who
is becoming one of my favorite story tellers;
Alex-is Dahl. And if she wasn’t married, I’d ask
her to bare my children aptly named Alex.
On a side…Willie Mays, one of the greatest
baseball players that ever lived, passed
away today.

…or is it bear??? I fell asleep that day in geography.

Alex, if you want someone to bare your children, you
want someone to undress them.