• Saturday-What'sUP December 10 - 12:41 pm

These two snow bunnies seem to be having a great time at the Fort Wilkins State Park playground. There are a number of advantages to a winter visit in the Keweenaw. Just ask the photographer here, Michael Musiel about the pleasure of taking pictures without having to swat at any bugs! Then of course there's no worry about getting sunburned and when you come down the slide too fast, the snow will cushion your fall! But let's face it, visiting here UP North in any season, is great fun!

Morning, I remember times like that. Making paths in fresh snow. Snow is so pretty and fluffy looking. Loved making snow angels.

To be young again and enjoy life's simple pleasures. Now that's how kids should be enjoying themselves, not sitting in front of their play stations all day long!

I knew right away that this was Ft. Wilkins! The new playground equipment they put in a few years ago is great. My kids have spent many happy hours playing there. Wish they had that equipment when I was a kid growing up there :) My father worked for 22 years (seasons) at Ft. Wilkins State Park. He would have worked longer, but the State of MI required that he retire at age 70. I remember when they were restoring the bakery and then later the Captains' Quarters there. They had to hand hew all the logs for the walls. Fun, Fun!! The buildings looked great when finished, though!

though not normally a morning person, I had to drop Sarah off for volleyball this morning. As I left the house the color in the sky made me go back inside and get the camera.

here's what I found on the way back

https://pasty.com/pcam/albva70

Wow Bob, what a gorgeous sunrise! We sure don't have them like that here!

Thanks Bob, your Pic #7 today of the Mineral House reminds me of the many trips I made there carrying a hot lunch prepared by my mother for my dad, Art Sr. when he worked in that building in the 40-50's. On cold days they would take a 55 gal drum and put in shovels full of brickets to keep warm The barrel would stay red hot all day. I would come home from St Celelia's pick up the hot lunch, bring it through the C & H smelter building, (no EPA, MIOSHA, OSHA in those days)and watch the complete copper making process every day...I knew every part of management from the President to General Manager, forman, supervisor as I was also the paperboy for the GAZETTE in the Linwood section of Hubbell. enough rambling for today but thanks again for all of your pictures.

Gorgeous pictures, Bob. Definitely worth getting up for! Thanks for sharing.

I remember achingly cold wet toes being warmed in front of the kitchen wood stove or floor vent or even an open door on a gas oven(different homes over the years!) Cold Fingers wrapped around a cuppa hot cocoa (maybe even with a special marshmallow to stir in slowly!) Then there's this sledding hill built by youngsters along US-41 in Hancock and spotted a few years back on Easter vacation:

It had to be an exciting ride.

Richard, those were the good old days! My fondest memories were making the snow forts with plenty of "ammo" ready for the next attack!

Snow play memories: coming in w/wet wool mittens,
hats, scarves and hearing them sizzle on the coal fired steam registers. Then trying to put frozen toes on the same and yanking them back.

Morning All.
(Bobq) Beatifully done Bob. Is that an Owl in the last picture? Enjoy the day everyone.

Randall it looks like a bee hive with a cap of snow ;)

WOW great pics...I love sunrises.

It looks like the kids are having fun.I was looking at the temp up there today 45? whats that all about. Great pic it reminded me of the easter we spent up at whitefish point there was atleast 10ft of snow on the ground it was great. And mom and dad didnt take us to the restaurant we had breakfast in the snow bank cooked on the colman stove,memorys:) Great pics.Michael,Bob and Richard.

Hornets nest with a clump of snow on it!
Yes it does look a bit like a "Snowy Owl"!

Very nice picture! Oh yes, warming frozen toes was not a pleasant process. They would burn forever! Skating in the freezing cold and then going in to the ice shack and making sure you were first so you could sit on the great big heater in the middle of the room. I truly did enjoy winter then. Now I just get cold! We sure didn't need video games to keep us entertained, that's for sure. The snow forts with all the snowballs to throw back and forth. Yup, enjoyed it all.

My fondest recollection of the UP snow (when we visted our grandparents in Kearsarge) was digging snow forts, more like caves, in the huge snow drifts.
Great fun!
Eliisa Mannisto Seigle