Current weekday editor Mary Drew has a well deserved day off. Our thanks for her reports, even while on vacation, via Pasty.NET nationwide dial-in.

A special welcome if you are new to the "Pasty Cam". We've been here for 2,192 days bringing a "glimpse of life in the U.P."

In the winter of '97-'98 a new Sony Mavica arrived at our house in Eagle River. Our son Jonathan was commuting to Michigan Tech, and took lots of Winter Carnival shots that year. Up to that time, Pasty Central had simply been a place to order pasties and find links to other U.P. websites. Why not start a daily feature photo? What would we want to see from "back home" if we lived in some other part of the country? Thus the Pasty Cam was born.

Along the way we have been joined by hundreds of other photographers - both amateur and professional - with historic, interesting, humourous, and beautiful photos, like today's peaceful scene from Mike Radigan. A few years back we added this ability to respond to each day's picture, allowing us to interact with thousands of new friends who share our love for this remote piece of North America known as the "U.P."

Thanks for coming along on the journey!

Happy Anniversary, and thank you for the delight of seeing these pictures and comments! Always uplifting and positive, it's a pleasure to visit. Great job and God bless for many years to come should He tarry!

Thank you for your endeavors! Bet ya' never thought this would get so big eh?

I must have found you shortly after you started. Thanks for my daily UP fix, and may we enjoy Pasty Cam for many years to come.

Thanks for this great site of life in the UP.

Thanks for all the great pictures.

I may have to buy some more computers to have more background screens. :-)

As someone said earlier, I must have found you at almost the start. When I sign onto the internet, Pasty Central is the page that comes up. Have enjoyed the GREAT Pictures and stories that have been posted for these many years. Was born in Ishpeming 72 years ago. God Bless.

Congratulations, Pasty Cam. EVERYDAY you have brought so much pleasure with your beautiful photography and comments to me and my friends all over the country who might not have otherwise known the U.P. existed. You're to be highly commended for this most wonderful endeavor of selfless sharing with so many. I have been with you since day ONE and hope to continue with you for a long time on this wonderful journey. Thanks to ALL who have made this possible. We are so proud of you!

A fantastic forum that is contibuting to making the world a smaller , friendlier and happy place . The passions will ebb and flow, arguments will wax and wane , but at the end of each day, the community of the wider world will come to appreciate the uniqueness of the Upper Peninsular of Michigan and its hardy people ; just as the the community of the ' UP ' will come to appreciate the wider world that we all inhabit. A fitting result for us all !

Am so happy Pasty Cam was started. Look at it each morning, can't start the day without my daily fix. Thank you for so much enjoyment.

Thanks for your daily fix. Ole saying "once a Yooper always a Yooper". I met my wife at a Upper Peninsula Club picnic near Pontiac and swam lots of times at the Finn Camp in Wixom...Is that camp still in operation??

I would like to add my "Thanks" for this great site. I do not envy the responsibility of being the person who has to pick the daily picture. After looking at the guest galleries, it would be too hard to choose.Keep up the good work!!!

hi its the new month

The tracks in the snow could also describe this winter. "It's been a long journey" and not over yet. The last few days have been beautiful, like a transfusion to get us through the rest of it, and Pasty Central has been a big help. Thanks for all your hard work.

Ed,
The Finn Camps are still there, and going strong, in Wixom. I live just down the road from there.

"I left a trail of footprints deep in the snow,
I swore one day I would retrace them,
But when I turned around I saw that the wind had erased them,
and I can never replace them"...D.Fogelberg

I miss living in snow country!

Thank you for adding to the beauty of each day!

Thanks for letting me come home every morning.

Just saw the first robin of spring in Houghton!!
Yippee!!

Big thanks to Charlie & the Crew. Keep up the great work, and let us know when we can help!

My wife and I found each other here on the Pasty Cam 2 years ago. We were both living in Florida and wanted to move back home to the Copper Country. We have been married for over a year and now live on Bumbletown Hill here in our beautiful Copper County. Our first winter back was great. We are both very happy and want to thank the people at the Pasty Cam.

Congratulations, PastyCam. Sure do love the site, and sincerely appreciate the effort it takes to bring the U.P. to us each and every day. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences with us.
If the pic above was taken today did March come in like a lamb? Does that mean out like a lion? Don't put away your snow scoops yet!

I read all the comments on this site and don't think there is any greater nostalgia for home than I read from the people who left the UP. It's a magical place. My mom was born in Freda in 1913, but lived near Buffalo for 60 odd years most of her life. We went to an art show in Buffalo and mom was quietly admiring an untitled painting depicting waves crashing on a beach when the gallery guard walked over to her and said out of the blue, "Looks like the UP, doesn't it?" Turned out he was born there too. We all were stunned. She's been gone exactly two years now. Wish I had known about this site then. Thanks for sharing the UP with everyone.

After an often hectic commute through the Twin Cites on my way to work every morning, thanks for letting me relax with pictures from home.

Thanks for this site. I always look at the picture of the day when I turn on my computer in the morning. I'm living in Texas but love to visit the UP almost yearly and remember part of my childhood there.

Thanks to all involved in keeping this site up, running, and so very special. It is ALWAYS the first place I go every day.

Dave and I left the UP some 20+ years ago but we still refer to it as "home". Guess it will always be that way.

This site is sure to give me that taste of home every time I come. Thank you again for all your hard work.

Me, too;-):
Despite all discussions, thank y'all at central for this site.
It's not like coming home, but a constant reminder of all the beautiful places out there coming from what seems to be one of the most beautiful among them.

Congrats on your 7th year anniversary! And thank you for all you do to make this such a wonderful site to come "home" to!

Is that rain on the bridge cam lens? Must be warm there today. Anyone have a guess as to when the ice will break up on the canal?

Yooper in Utah .... where are you? I'm in SLC, behind
the capitol building, up on City Creek Canyon. We're
moving back to the UP (Eagle River) this summer --
started packing all the books yesterday!

Edie and Casey and I just got back from a walk in the rain, down Five Mile Point Road. The snow has melted quite a bit the last few days, but John Dee says it will be turning to snow again by tomorrow.

We also want to send a Happy Birthday to Edie's Dad, Jerry Cobb, who turns 75 today. We always check to see if he comes in like a lion or a lamb :o)

Jerry, a few years ago (quite a few)

I haven't been coming to this website long but I'm already "hooked" I also want to congratulate you for starting this effort and thank you for bringing back memories of four fantastic years spent in the Houghton/Hancock area while going to Mich Tech.

Couldn't get by without my daily dose of Pasty Cam!! You all bring God's country to this troll. Congratulations!

I use the Webshots screen saver and load it up with Pastycam photos.

I can't tell you how many times someone walks past my 21" monitor and asks "Where was THAT picture taken?"

My usual answer is "That's where I grew up."

Many a "Wow!" usually follows.

Congratulations and thanks for all the fine work. This is a great place to retreat when the BS gets deeper than the snow.

Lesley--I'm in Delta...a small town in the west central part of Utah. A desert area, a lot different from our beloved U.P.! Wish I were moving home, too. I am planning on heading there this summer. Can hardly wait! Been here nearly 22 years, and don't get home often enough!

Thanks for the web site...I have introduced my kids to the site,so they can see where their mom grew up...Keep up the good work, and a very happy anniversary..

I'm not sure I could survive without this place, and the hope of returning to the UP one day. I still say it's the #1 site on the Internet.

I guess my logging comments have been censored,maybe I hit on a sore spot or this site just does not like all this bovine feces. I would like to know why and will restrict my comments from now to be happy and more positive, I apologize to anyone that was offended.

Bob - Your comments were directed to the seperate discussion page on Logging and the Environment

Thanks for the GREAT website gang and congratulations on your anniversary!!! It constantly brings me back to a world that I will always love and cherish.I have 3 PC's on my desk and all have screensavers from Pasty Cam.Thanks to all of you for your efforts.

Marvin... can you see Ahmeek from your home in Bumbletown?

The snowshoe tracks thru the snow drew me to today's discussion, that was a favorite activity of mine when I lived up dere... often on those starry northern light nights, holy wah i miss it!!
congrads on the greatest website on the net, i visit every time i log on! Thanks for all the work keeping it going, it's a life line for us displaced yoopers!

Congratulations, Pasty Cam on your 7th Anniversary.

Congratulations also, Charlie, on your *Crimebusting* as reported on www.mininggazette.com Thanks for being on your toes !!!

Happy Anniversary, Hoppers et al! Like many
others, pasty.com is my first site of the day
and my last site at night. After changing "home
towns," it's a great connection for me to
another place I love. And while I don't miss
being in the snow, I sure like looking at it over
the "broadband." Congratulations on seven
wonderful and blessed years, and here's
looking forward to many more!

Congrats on the 7 year mark! Love this website, I visit at lunchtime, it's like a window or two to the world we miss.

Congrats from me too! The best site, the best pictures, the BEST!

Congratulations PastyCam, it has been a great "ride", keep up the good work for many years to come, you will never run out of friends!

bob-hubbell: You weren't censored. Charlie moved the discussion to a separate page. See the note at the top under the logging truck picture.

Where is this discussion????

Try: Logging and the Environment}

THANK YOU !

Holy WAH!! I just saw the lengthy debate sparked by the topic of logging! That sure touched a raw nerve... and now on to the next controversial topic... The presidential race... or the war or ??? (lol)

But seriously, I really just wanted to congratulate and thank Charlie, Mary, Toivo and everyone else who makes pasty.com such a wonderful site. You do a fantastic job and have created something very special!

Hey Guys!! Congrats on the Ole # 7!! I have been logging on since the beginning and I have seen many good things here. One of the best features, no doubt, would have to be the accessibility for all of us pasty camers to be able to show our views of the U.P. through our camera lenses!! Thank you Charlie!!

Checking the PastyCam has been a daily event for me for a couple of years now. Super great photography, great stories. I especially like the shoe box memories. Keep it up. Thanks,

GREAT JOB HAPPY 7 ALSO THERE IS A UP CLUB IN THE ANN ARBOR AREA

UP gal: Click on the picture of the logging truck. immediately under that is Charlie's explanation of the move and a link to get to the page with the discussion. Logging truck picture is in last week's gallery.

Click on the blue link above for a quick way to the logging discussion. Look for "Bob-Hubbell" about 17 posts above here.

Yooper in Utah .... Delta's a ways away -- too bad! I've
been here about 22 years,also.

I'm compelled to add-a-note! I'm an infrequent poster/ yet ever-present lurker who checks in every day. My son is a freshman at Tech, and I found this ~wonderful~ site in my quest to stay close to him. I'm still delving into the archives and have a new wallpaper every few days. I grew up in a small, lower pennisula town and I feel the same vibes about "nature" and "small town living" that ya'll do. I'm a yooper in my heart, and sincerely appreciative of the effort that goes into maintaining "pasty.com." HUGS to all of you!

Thanks for 7 years of Pasty cam!!! I "visit" home several times a day via this site. Yes,it is still home even tho I have been gone for 42yrs. This is just where I live. I am sure it is the same with others. Once a Yooper always a Yooper!!!

Thank you very much for this wonderful
site. My day would not be complete without it.

This about the only website I visit on a daily basis since it is by far the most interesing. Thanks alot to the Pasty.com crew for faithfully maintaining and improving the PastyCam. The comments elicited by the photos and discussions that result contain lots of local history and remembrances. Thanks again.

By Louan-Elk Rapids MI on Tuesday, March 2, 2004 - 12:01 am:

I found the pasty cam a couple of years ago. It was the day you ran the story on the hermit of Brockway Mountain. I loved reading the postings from his relatives. He was a beloved character.
I thank you for introducing me to so many people both in the UP and around the world.

Note to comments about the Finn Camp in Wixom: the link below is their official website.

Click here: Finn Camp 3.0

Hey, 64th posting of the day. Is that lucky or Wah!

Triggered by all the posts and espec. Louan-Elk, I tried to remember when I found pasty.cam. It was in fact by an accident: the one whith the orange truck literally in the street!
Obviously got hooked on the site in spite of this "mishap" anyway.

Hello can anyone help? I came across this site and have found it wonderful. I have downloaded a wallpaper but would like to know what town this is. It is Week of 4/13/3 - 4/19/3 - by Taka Aoki on page http://www.pasty.com/cam/2003/wowq2.html

It looks beautiful and reminds me so much of my visit to the Kingsford Iron Mountain, I still have family there and in Menominee, MI.

It would be great if someone could tell where this photo was taken and perhaps the web site of the town or a place where more photos are available.

I'm from Northern Ireland and you can see my site on my home town here http://www.magherafelt.org.uk

Thank you in advance. Johnny Hudson

Johnny the town you are looking at would be Houghton, Michigan

By FRNash/PHX, AZ on Wednesday, March 3, 2004 - 01:27 pm:

Johnny H, Northern Ireland:

As Charlie hopper said in the post under accompanying the two pictures:
"These shots were obviously taken from the turnout on the way up Quincy hill."
"In the top photo you can see a bit of ice cover remaining on the canal out toward Chassell." And from the title of the second photo: "Up toward the mall"

See the following map.

Both photos were taken from the "Scenic Overlook" atop Quincy hill, on US41 above Hancock, MI (at the red star on the map).

The top photo is a view along the Portage canal toward the east southeast. The tall buildings on the south side of the canal in the middle distance are on the campus at

Ooops, I didn't mean to slight the City of Hancock,MI in the above entry.