Received word that Copper Country legend Jack Foster passed away at his home this week. As a local historian and collector of mining memorabilia, Jack was instrumental in helping the Pasty Cam get started back in 1998. Charlie recounted somewhere in the archives how Jack gave him an ongoing personal tour of historical Copper Country landmarks, telling stories with each. He would often visit the folks at Still Waters, and will be fondly remembered. Jack was 94.

Shortly after the moon eclipsed out here over the Atlantic, the old photo inbox delivered an almost-live shot from the Copper Country by Jonathan Hopper, who was in Hancock at the time. In the top shot above you can just see it ending, as well as the stars which sprinkle the Keweenaw sky. <sigh>

With such inspiration, maybe today I can finally get caught up making license plates, and update the Sightings page.
Good night from Rhode Island and good morning from da U.P.

UNBELIEVABLE Photo! That's a WOW!!! Awesome job Jonathon!

Great pictures. Jack Foster was truly a gem of history in the Copper Country. For those who have not seen the Moving Vietnam Wall there is a window of opportunity if you don't mind a trip to Rockland (between Mass City and Ontonagon). I stopped there yesterday and found that it will continue to be displayed today and will be taken down tomorrow some time. It is directly on the main street and visible as you drive through Rockland on Highway 45. The parents of someone involved with its' display live there. It was not scheduled to be there but somehow it worked out that way and for those who have not seen it or want to see it again, the drive is pretty and the trees are beginning to "green". Enjoy the sunshine and the moonlight.

What a WOW! I was overjoyed to see the lunar eclipse after all... as it was too cloudy in our neck of the woods to see the event! What a great picture!

The moving VIETNAM WALL is now in Milwaukee.

FJL. Where in Milwaukee? Any news on the Dead River flooding? I'm hoping the Hoist dam didn't break.

Yes, Jack Foster did give a big boost to the Pasty project beginning back in '98. Still Waters had just appeared in an article which was published by dozens of newspapers around the country, as originally seen in the Detroit Free Press. We received support from hundreds of interested visitors all across the U.S., but few people locally seemed to notice. Jack contacted me with some suggestions for the daily feature, and he drove me around to several places which he thought would make good topics for the Pasty Cam. Later on he personally provided the picture pose for our "Pasty Dough" gift certificate.

That kind of encouragement early on gave some credibility to what we were doing, and attracted other Copper Country residents to become a part of it - ordering pasties, joining our Pasty.NET Internet service, and participating in special projects, like the recent successful van fundraiser.

Jack Foster was a generous supporter of Still Waters. But more than just financial, one of the greatest gifts he gave to us was his vote of confidence.

Thanks, Cousin Jack.

Hey, Toivo! You're just a hop, skip and a jump from Massachusetts -- come by and check out the Public Garden -- be sure to go to the "real" Cheers, and take a look at the garden just across the street. In the corner, you'll see a great angel sculpture.

Not as good as what you see in da Yoop, but pretty cool for not being in Michigan.

Is that the Cousin Jack that makes the comments here in the conference? He just made a comments a couple of days ago! Oh no!

Great shot of the eclipse. I missed it here in Chicago due to clouds (and an early bedtime). It's been a while since I've seen a clear night like that shown in the picture. I actually wiped my computer screen to get off what appeared to be dust on the moon shot. Come to find out it's stars. I remember many nights pondering the stars while attending MTU. The light pollution in Dollar Bay is a lot less than here in northeast Illinois.

Mike R. The Wall is at the lakefront in Veterans park.

Cousin Jack(and Jenny) are generic terms for the Cornish(Cornwall, England) who came to the Keweenaw and brought their mining technology and know-how with them, Alex. I have many relatives who worked in the copper mines here from the Cliff Mine near Phoenix in the late 1840's, through the C&H hey-day in turn-of-the-century(20th) Calumet all the way up to the modern Homestake mine in Centennial.
Considering all the great historical preservation work that Jack Foster accomplished for the Copper Country, we can all be grateful for the life he led while we mourn his passing.
May we all make it to 94!

Toivo

Promises promises.
We've heard that tune before.

Lovely shot of the eclipse. We here in Missouri
were also obscured by clouds (didn't even
have the chance to crank up Pink Floyd's Dark
Side of the Moon CD in honor of the celestial
event…couldn't see it at all!)
Sorry to hear about the passing of your local
historian and friend. My grandfather always
said… "Get to know the old people…you might
just learn something useful if you listen long
and hard enough!" He was 100-percent
correct. Condolences to those who called
Jack Foster and family member, friend or
mentor.

Seven days without a new Toivo sighting makes one weak.

FJL Milw., do you know how long the Wall will be here? I noticed the top of an enormous POW/MIA flag while walking on Prospect Ave. yesterday, but haven't been down by the park.

Great picture Jonathon. It was too cloudy here to see the eclipse so we really appreciated the picture.The stars were a bonus.Fantastic! Rarely see the stars here, there is too much light from a nearby city.The C.C. is the greatest.

Mark, Dollar Bay was pretty good for viewing the stars and also the Northern Lights. I guess maybe there are more lights now but yrs back it was Dark!

The moving wall will be there through the weekend and that is the biggest POW-MIA flag in the world. Please visit the web sites below. The second one is dedicated to my brother.

http://www.virtualwall.org/
http://www.virtualwall.org/dk/KolkaEL01a.htm
http://www.thewall-usa.com/
http://www.themovingwall.org/

Although it was cloudy and hot here (85 at 7pm) last night, I did not see the reddish tones captured in this pic. GREAT SHOT !
I am coming home (Hancock) in June and want to know if anyone has seen any Northern Lights yet ? My wife, a native desert dweller, has never seen them.

Wow! What a picture! Last nite, here in Texas we were having thunderstorms so we didn't get to see the eclipse. On the subject of the moving wall....if you get a chance go and see it. I saw the memorial in DC several years ago (was a very somber and moving experience) and in Fort Worth I saw the moving wall and it was just as somber and moving.

I just went thru Rockland MI and the Moving Vietnam Wall is there too???? Do they have more than one? It said it would be there from May 12th-17th I think. Rockland looked nice, Old Glory and yellow ribbons line the main street.

Gorgeous shot of the eclipse! It was cloudy here in Tennessee, so we missed it here, too....OK, so I probably slept through it. :-) Toivo, we missed you at the pub when you passed thru Nashville!

I read about the flood in Marquette on the www.wluctv6.com site....

How'd Jonathan get this lovely shot last night? Is this with a digiital? I've never been able to get a good one all the times I've tried.

I was sent this link to some pictures of the flood. My father lives on County Road 510 directly across from the Hoist Dam. I'm hoping everything is all right - I haven't had the chance to talk to him yet.
http://www.mqtcty.org/psapage.htm

Jason just came from the public boat landing on the north side of 510 bridge--waters going down--looking god--ive got 2 kids with homes on white bear drive--the steel bridge is open an 510 from midway drive to big bay

Even da moon in da U.P. is copper colored! Wow!

Great picture! Our view of the eclipse was obscured by clouds and rain. Thanks for bringing it to those who didn't get to see it!

Nice picture of the eclipse, Jon. Mimi and I were on our way home (Cornell) from the cemetaries in Calumet and Hancock and got to watch some of it. Was almost dark when we got here. (The moon, I mean.) Didn't get very reddish down here. Was nice to meet your Mom Wed. afternoon. And Casey, too. :o)

Good to see you, Cousin Jack... Thanks for the clarification... Thought we lost YOU! :(

Condolences to those who knew and loved your beloved Jack Foster. And kudos to that oh-so-beautiful shot of the moon. Any novice with a camera can appreciate the skill required to make God's original creation into a lovely man-made photo creation. My photo inspiration was my father, Bill Clay, who passed 4 years ago today. Hearing of your own loss and that beautiful moon made me a feel more than a little melancholy and very homesick for my father and his wisdom along with his photo creations. Yes, listen to those who've been here a while...you WILL learn something. (Yet another of my father's treasured lessons). Each day we have them with us is a blessing...don't spend it foolishly.

Our moon sighting here in Monroe, MI was awesome. Clear, crisp, but too many lights from "civilization". Wish I were UP there to see it in all its glory. A little concerned about sending my baby boy back to Tech for summer session with all the flooding I've been hearing about. Hope no one was hurt and losses were minimal.

Rest in peace Jack Foster. Rest in peace Bill Clay. Till we meet again.

Out here in Cal. we had clear sky's and an AWSOME view of the eclipse. Sorry everyone back east missed it.
Sorry to hear of the passing of Jack Foster.
Good night from Lodi.

What a great shot of the lunar eclipse. We were in Yellowstone at a campsite, having a campfire, when the moon appeared over the mountain. What a sight to see. It was also a nice way to watch the eclipse, enjoying nature. Now that it is getting closer to summer, I am already missing the Great Lakes. Hope one day to be living by water again.

ooh....pretty....wonder if my grandma in Houghton saw the same moon? we didn't see it here but this picture is better than real life!

I am so small in comparison. What a fantastic WOW!! Thanks for sharing. I am one of a few who missed the lunar eclipse, too, because of overcast skies! Peace. PJ :0)