Mandy Cadwell is looking forward to the day that she is living on her Bootjack property, so she will be able to see scenes of nature like today’s photos every day, all day. This is a mother and father Sandhill Crane with their babies, called colts. There are actually two babies, but they’re in separate photos and I don’t know which is the mother and which is the father Sandhill Crane as they are quite similar in looks. If seen together, the female is a bit smaller than the male. As for the Colts, the name may come because they have long, strong legs. Sandhill Cranes mate for life and normally hatch two eggs, after incubating them for about a month. These fuzzy babies are born with their eyes open and are able to feed themselves and run around within 24 hours of hatching. They are able to leave the nest eight hours after hatching. They normally stay with their parents for about 9 to 10 months.

We join Visit Keweenaw for a video production featuring Keweenaw County Sheriff, Kurt Pennala, speaking about how to recreate responsibly out on the Keweenaw waters. No matter if you’re paddling the Sturgeon River Sloughs, surfing Lake Superior swells or fishing out on the Big Lake, it’s important to protect yourself and also to keep the waterways clean. So listen UP!

Cool birds...back in the day, there was a place on
Post Road (there's a house there now) that had
sandhills gathering....just tons of them. I'd
sneak up, park behind trees and just sit and
listen. Wow. THAT was some loud squawking....real
loud.

And yes...please be careful, esp on Mother
Superior...she's a wild one...you just don't mess
with her! Water can be a wild one..be careful!

And as they say "Take only photos and leave only
footprints!"

Another great set! Good pix and good advice.

Very cool birds, for sure.

I always tell my hubby that I have
a good, healthy respect for Lake
Superior. Never trust her
completely. But it's the only lake
I really like going in. It may be
cold, but it's clean. And I've
never come out with leaches stuck
to me. So, there's that.
.

Hi
My grandpa always said "Respect the lake". He was
talking about Lake Huron, but it applies to any of
the Great Lakes. Be aware of the conditions and
your own (and your boat's) capability.

DebS, your remark about leeches made me remember
an incident that happened to me as a kid. We were
camped at the Porcupine Mountains. My little
brother and I had tried swimming in Lake Superior
but it was too cold. So we tried a creek that was
flowing into Lake Superior. It was warmer, but
when I got out and tried to brush off what I
thought was a dead leaf...it wriggled. I shrieked
"BLOODSUCKER!" My mom was nearby and got it off
(phew). Incidentally, I think you would like Lake
Huron or Lake Michigan up in the northern reaches.

Kathryn, ewwww!!! I got them
swimming out at Dreamland and a
couple of different places on
Portage.

And yes, I've been to both lakes.
I spent part of a summer in the
Escanaba/Gladstone area. I loved
swimming there. And, of course,
the dunes down by St. Ignace is a
great place to swim. It was much
warmer and the waves were so much
fun. But again, swim with
caution.

When I was a kid, I went to my dad’s
employer’s house, Charlie, on Commerce Lake
in lower MI to go skiing for the first time
in my life and I was in the water helping
Charlie tie up the boat. When I got out, I had
leeches all over my feet and I just about
freaked out. But he had two fine daughters
so I had to keep my cool. The next thing
I know Charlie is lighting up a
cigarette to burn off the leeches and my
keep’n it cool meter went through the roof.
But I manned up and the chicks were
very impressed. One of my finer moments
I must say.

Omgosh, Alex. How awful! Reminds
me of the movie "Stand By Me".
Those boys came out of that marsh
just full of leeches. I nearly
lost my cookies.

Deb…I’ve watched that movie at least a
half a dozen times and that scene
always makes me cringe. One of
the best movies ever made.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering,
a leech never made it north of my knees.
I don’t know what would be worse, seeing
a leech or watching a lite cigarette coming
towards Ted and the twins. You can make
up your own joke.

Alex, you started my morning off
with a grand chuckle. Thanks.

I’m glad that you got it and my apologies
for being a bit vulgar.