Late yesterday afternoon, members of the Hancock, Houghton, and Calumet Rotary Clubs boarded the Isle Royale Queen IV and glided away toward Chassell. Captain Don Kilpela and crew provided a smooth, colorful ride along the Portage Canal, with a wide left turn at Bootjack, arriving at the docks across the highway from the Dreamland Inn.

Good morning.

Good morning & have a great weekend everyone!

Good Morning Everyone! It is a rainy autumn morning here in Cadillac.

Good morning everyone. Rainy here in West Bend WI also, but it's much needed. Have a great weekend.

Anyone else get nostalgia pangs?

Looks like a great trip - with a great dinner!

Welcome back to the UP marsha/ Hope you and Gary get the oil burner going so you can spend time there in the winter// The best part of the UP///

Good Morning. It's a normal heavy traffic morning here in Farmington Hills. Of course, it was heavier when they blocked off the expressways for the President on Wednesday. Makes you want to head out of town.

Dear U.P.

See you in 16 hours, and counting.

Looks like a great time - and, yes Roudy, I get nostalgia pangs seeing these images! "Back in the day", my girl friend (now wife) and I used to take her little boat over to the Dreamland from her mooring off the sands just south of Houghton. Many-a fine meals at the old inn followed by a slow moonlit cruises back to the sands, ahhh.

Would love to see some photos of the autumn foliage! Looks like the colors are really changing now.

Man, Charlie... That must have been fun for them. Sounds like a great trip, and the pix are super!

Does the bridge have an elevator? Oh, it must!

I can't imagine having to walk up all of those stairs, plus what would they do if something happened to the bridge keeper and they had to get him out on a stretcher?

Does anyone know?

Buckwheat how about a Bosch and a shot..

Hello,
It's been a while since the last time I visited this website and talked with people. The website I am currently managing has received pretty cool photos of firework from one of the guest photographers recently. If interested, please come and check them out.

http://www.cutonion.com/

Have a good day!

Taka

It really is beautiful in the UP. Can't believe it's been a week since we were there. Miss my son at Tech. He's lucky...no traffic jams, slow paced, beautiful scenery and soon snow!!

Had a beer or two in Dreamland, on the way to Rabbit Bay. Always a favorite stop.

Grand Rapids to Iron Mountain...Looking forward to seeing some great fall colors, and a great High School football game. Iron Mountain vs Kingsford.

Is the fish fry at the dreamland as tasty as
I remember it back in the late 60's use to be a nice place to eat, each table had a candle on it as I remember but then again that was a long time ago.

The fish fry is always great at Dreamland. They usually have trout, whitefish or herring. It was a great place to work also. I was a waitress there from 1975 to 1981. The Sarazin family continues to run this business in Bootjack.

Just tried to check out another view of local color and could not locate the web cam at the MTU site- could get as far as the campus map- any ideas???

Try this link: MTU cams Then bookmark it in your favorites to visit often!

Dreamland has the freshest fish, the coldest beer, and the friendliest folks in da UP.

Good Morning from Houston! Happy Friday!

By the way, hear's a REAL AUDIO film clip of the interior of the Isle Royale Queen IV, and embarking at Dreamland.

Thanks for bringing home to me wherever I am, Charlie! My husband says you can take the girl out of the Yoop, but you can't take the Yoop out of the girl.

Almost forgot,... my most remarkable Dreamland experience was when a cougar crossed the Rice Lake Road right in front of my truck (this was BEFORE we stopped at the inn for refreshments.) It was no more that a half mile from the junction of Bootjack Road. Needless to say I was both shaken and stirred! Anyone else see the big cat out thataway? This happened about twenty years ago.

Yes John!
We at Rice Lake saw a big cat on the RL road last year and have had some tracks right around our camp! Gave us somthing new to think about for sure. Did not see him this year-frankly I hope he found a little more remote location for his hunting!

alex tiensivu, georgia

they use the stairs, if something does happen, there is a trap door on the floor that flops open. it just makes it that much easier, and rids of extra expense.

A trap door? Are you joking, as in he could jump, or are you serious, as in they could lower a stretcher?

Good grief... I'd have a heart attack just looking at them, much less climbing them!

hey, there's a Finnish flag on that boat! at least I think it
is...

Good morning from warm, sunny San Jose! We stopped for lunch at the Dreamland Inn last month! Nice to see the picture and know we were there!!

Alex,
The bridge keeper is not up top, he's in an office about 13' above the road way on the Houghton side tower. You drive right under him as you cross the bridge.

Recently a cougar was spotted on Rd 557 outside of Gwinn.There have been a few sightings of it around here. It's about a quarter mile from the main road to our house & my husband wonders why I drive there to pick up our newspaper & mail.Dah!!! Excerise he says.Right!!!!! I'd DEFINITELY lose the race to the big cat. I'm heading up to Calumet tomorrow, hope the colors are there. Want to take a ride to the Harbor, espeically Brockway Mt.

Becky/Lansing-MTU Webcams-Click on the AtoZ & it brings up the alphabetical listings, scroll down to W & click on the webcams. It's not as easy to get to, but I haven't found any easier way.

I was on a chartered trip of the IRQII a few years ago. I stood on the deck of the boat and cried at the beauty of the Keweenaw.

Thanks for the help on the web cam- now its in my favorites-- I cry when I arrive because I am so happy and cry when I leave because I am so sad-beauty in the surroundings and the people

Fish is tasty! The down side is fish has mercury.
The mercury calculator at http://www.gotmercury.org/ .
Brought to you by our friends at the FDA
calculates amounts of mercury in fish.
It's important that pregnant women and women of a
childbearing age who may become pregnant know the risk.

This week there’s been lots of talk about fall color in the UP. Check out this site for today's outstanding picture of Leelanau, MI. WOW! (I think)

www.lelandreport.com/

http://www.lelandreport.com/

There, now you can click on it!

http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/cams


Direct link to store in your favorites!

Unfortunately, the Tech cams are "stuck" today -- trying to avoid the rain, I think, or taking some time off for homecoming. Hope Capt. Paul and Dr. Nat are having a good time!

The Portage Lift Bridge operators house is indeed 14 feet above the roadway on the Houghton side tower, and there is a set of stairs on the west end. Also, there is a standard size man door on both east and west ends of the bridgehouse.
There are also elevators on each of the towers east sides that start on the lower deck, and commence at the "machinary" rooms on the tower tops. The elevators can be stopped anywhere on the way up, including at the operators house.
Although, they aren't that big.
There is no "trap door" in the bridge operators house.
Next time your sitttin on the Houghton waterfront, on the Ambassador side, check it out, you'll see the elevators.

Audrey, thanks for the Leelanau link -- what a great photo!

Candy... You're welcome!

Small World Story
Who would have thought, today when getting my flat tire fixed here in Arkansas, the person fixing it saw the plate on the front of my car (which is a Michigan licence plate with the mackinaw bridge which reads "UP NORTH) and said "Where in Michigan are you from" I told him formally of the Keweenaw Penisula and East Lansing..and in reply the mechanic told me "WOW your a YOOPER too, I was told how he and his family used to live at KI Sawyer AFB -
Funny to run into someone in Akansas who knew where the U.P. and was actually origanally from KI he said how he and his wife/family miss the U.P(even the snow ..ha ha) Anyway...made me think what a small world..
I havent ran into any Michigan plates here..alot of southern states, & Some Illinois.Indiana,Iowa..but never a Michigan so there are Yoopers everywhere--- = )

anyone hear about the cougar picture taken in the keweenaw which has a cougar stalking a deer about 3 feet behind him. its pure crazy

We had a Cougar "passing through" town using the empty water canals last Monday. In the process he snatched 2 kittens from a residental yard. Fish and Game indicated he was probably a yearling dumped from the family group. Hopefully, he kept going.

this is not a local picture I hope someone up there has another..



This is a test..this is only a test!

Well Well it worked GO figure.

No way! Is that a real picture?

It was E-mailed to a broadcast station in Green Bay last week.We were told it was Wisconsin!! we were led to sources soon after that seem to narrow it down to "out west" perhaps wyomimg. We think the picture is real or.. a REAL good fake!!

Well, if its real, I bet the person behind the camera felt like his heart would jump out of his chest!

oops!! should of mentioned it was said to be a digital "deer cam" set to take pics every few seconds.

By fy on Friday, October 8, 2004 - 12:19 pm:

Alex: The bridge keeper is not up top, he's in an office about 13' above the road way on the Houghton side tower. You drive right under him as you cross the bridge.

------------

WOW! I had no idea! I thought he was in the top! So what is up top then? I see windows up there and stuff. My thinking was that he would be way up top to be able to have a better and farther view of things.

ALSO... Thanks for the picture, explaining this to me, "K". How nice to even get a picture lesson!

Thanks to all.

Very good pictures. Wish we could have been with you for the sail. Love seeing those colors come up.

Big storm is rolling through Houghton County. I jsut took this photo on my way home about 5:30P

OH MY GOSH... there's a RAINBOW in the picture at the Houghton County Airport webcam right now!! Check it out!

The tower tops, inside, are what is referred to as the "machinery rooms".
In each tower top, you will find the electric motors, brakes, cable drums, a system of gear reduction shafts, etc. that are used to raise and lower the vertical lift span.
Large electric motors turn the reduction gears connected to shafts and drums. These drums pull the operating cables connected to the lift span and towers. The lift span is guided by each corner of the tower. These corners prevent the lift span from moving sideways during the lift. The tremendous weight of the lift span is balanced by the two steel boxes filled with concrete blocks, or counterweights, located in the towers of the bridge. These counterweights are connected to the lift span by several cables.
Next time you drive the bridge, notice that there are more cables on the west end of the towers than the east. This is because the lift span is heavier on the west end because of the added steel members in it to facilitate railroad traffic.
The balance of the lift span and the counterweights must be precise, well actually the lift span should be slightly heavier than the counterweight.

When the lift span goes up, the counterweight comes down, thus requiring minimal force to operate the bridge.

Over at Pasty.NET the Calumet Copper Kings and the L'Anse Purple Hornets are doing battle on the football field. You can hear the live play-by-play from K-Bear 102.3 FM.

Here's that rainbow picture from the Houghton County Airport webcam:

Thanks Charlie!!

A Duh....'scuse the spelling of "counterweight" in the picture.

Good grief! I feel like I could build one of these now! What an education... I knew about the counterweights, but the desciption was just awesome! (Are you the keeper? How do you know all this stuff!)

I sure appreciate this... I love that bridge!

Rose; Thank you for the great fall picture with
all the great colors. There is a storm brewing
downstate too.

Rose, what a gorgeous picture of the fall color. That's the kind of color I've been waiting to see. The stormy sky in the background really sets the mood. Thanks.

Well, I googled "cougar deer" and got this URL:
http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/
tm.asp?m=759926&mpage=3&#771008

and as you scroll down it suggests checking out
http://trailcam.arkansasusa.com/Coug1.jpg
http://trailcam.arkansasusa.com/Coug2.jpg

And this is all from 2003. Interesting how things travel with the
internet!

I absolutely love the all the pictures, especially the one of the Houghton-Hancock Lift Bridge!! Great job Charlie.

The five mile or seven mile point road behind Ahmeek is really in full color peak tonight.
Take a ride out to Sunset Bay Campground, hated to leave.
Lee

Calumet 52 L'ANSE 8

mymomwenttosuomi: Owner of the Queen's name is Kilpela (good Finnish name). Hence, the flag of Finland on their boat.

My niece and I saw a large black cougar on the cutoff from 41 to Eagle Harbor. At that time, about 2 yr ago, everyone denied there were cougars in the area, but we knew what we had seen!

Kosk in Toronto: Thanks for asking about me. I have been in the Keweenaw, unfortunately because my father is terminal. He's 90, and it is his time.

HAVE ANOTHER BEER WHILE FLORIDA SUFFERS???

DB do you care to explain?? And speaking of Mistress Elvira ..Does anyone know if the "Keweenaw Berry Farm" is still open?

Da color here in Cornell is getting really spectacular. Wow!! Such bright reds and gold and orange and yellow, contrasted with the different greens of the conifers. Had some bright flashes and thunder and LOTS of rain, but for a short time only. Unplugged the 'puter and phone lines for a while. Tomorrow is Toni Tikkanen's memorial service in Houghton.

I don't know anything about the "Keweenaw Berry Farm" but I do know about my pasty recipe on Wednesday's posting.

Great photo Rose.

Elvira, sorry, but that wasn't a true Cornish pasty Cook
made. Your creation does sound yummy though, esp. the
carmelized onions.

Is that a gerbil stalking the cougar, who's stalking the deer?

There was a Cougar spotted this summer crossing Woodside, down along behind my late Uncle Rick L.s old place and then across M26!
My son in laws family has property and a cabin in northern Alcona county. He has seen the prints now and then and the locals have seen the cats on numerous occasions. Down here one was spotted a couple of weeks ago by the local Police hanging around a wooded stream passing thru a heavily populated subdivisioned area of southern Macomb county!! (Sterling Heights)! Just the other day they closed a school in Sumpter Twp. Wayne county! as one was seen in the area of the schoolyard! Several years ago a black one was seen many times for an extended period in the Jackson county area. One was seen in SW Kalkaska county about a year ago! I suppose a few of these are escaped "pets" (illegal!) but it goes on and on now! Last winter there was a confirmed sighting of a real honest to God Wolverine found by hunters in the thumb! This was accepted and confirmed but the Cougar sightings are not!
I went to the links Barb Nelson posted and came across the map of Illinois with Cougar sightings marked----Incredible!
I find this Cougar thing absolutely fantastic and am fascinated by it!!!! (Here Kitty, Kitty!)LOL!

I was driving between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay on Highway 1 when a cougar or wild cat jumped off a hill on side of the highway and hit my car. It scarred me so bad I didn't stop until I got to San Francisco to check the damage it did to my car. Cities are spreading so rapidly and taking away their habitat that they are coming out of the hills and into the city. I am sure they are just as afraid of all the changes, and loosing their hunting grounds. Here where I live the wild boar come out of the mountains and tear up the golf coarse; or the deer come in and give birth to their young next to the houses. We have intruded on their space so we should expect it and know how to deal with such an encounter.

And now we know where the rainbow ends.

people are sure up early. Decided to check the site to see how early the pic changed. will have to check when we get home. We are heading in the other direction this am to Indiana for the day. Have a good day everyone,

To Elvira and Cook: The pasty you described the other day sounds delectable! I am a diehard cornish pasty lover since my mother was from Great Britain, but portabella's are to die for. Asparagas is also one of my favorite vegetables. I will be trying your recipe for sure, in the near future. And now for something different: Has anyone heard of or tried this "Food of the Gods", from Asian countries called Durian?

two schools are in lockdown mode here in Monroe County and Sumpter Twp in Wayne Co.

So ed/mi,
Why are these schools in lockdown mode?
Please explain.
Why post a teaser and not explain it to us?

Lock down on a Saturday?

Big Fan: "Fruit of the Gods" Yes. Being that I have been to South East Asia, Singapore to be exact, I have tasted this fruit. It is the edible portion of the seed. It tastes like vanilla, banana and caramel all at the first bite. Not popular here in the states as it has a pungent odor.