When Casey flapped her ears this morning to wake me up, I rolled over to look at the clock: 3:58am. Stumbling to our picture window which overlooks Lake Superior, I saw nothing but clouds, with a gentle glow behind them from the full moon. But by the time I had a cup of tea and did some reading, the skies were beginning to clear. At 4:45am I bundled up and stepped outside to suddenly see it clear from horizon to horizon. Moonlight was so thick you could taste it. It soon became clear where to look for the Leonid shower... several streaked across the Big Dipper, as I stood by the Eagle River monument.

That was 10 minutes ago. Just now stepped back in and found this peak locator on the web, adjusted for Eastern Time. (Right now glad to be in the Keweenaw, not New York City). Hey, looks like the grand finale will be here in a few minutes!

Wow!!! More falling stars than I have ever seen all at once. We apparently had the perfect weather window, as clouds moved back in to shade the moon, just while I watched during the peak. At one point, several meteors seem to eminate all at once from a point about 40 degrees to the right of the Big Dipper. I held my breath, afraid to blink, not wanting to miss any of them. After the show began to diminish, full cloud cover drifted back over.

What an appropriate day for these sunrise shots. Thanks to Mary, Donn, and R.C. for some great views around the Keweenaw.

We welcome another distinguished U.P. enterprise to our growing family of Pasty Central sponsors. Thanks to Iverson Snowshoe Company for their support, and we hope you will visit their "Seek Wilderness" website.

Thanks all, for the wonderful pictures, they are just awesome. How has the deer hunt being doing in the Keweenaw?

These pictures are incredible: the colors, the choice of the setting etc. Thank you!
I come here daily; often it is like taking a deep, deep breath.
Please, never stop pasty.com-cam-notes!

I watched the Leonid meteor shower last year from the Sturgeon River Sloughs parking lot. It was cold, but with a few others there to talk to and the sights in the sky, I hardly noticed. What a show! It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. It was cloudy here last night, so no meteor shower watching for me. Maybe tonight will be better.

Just a wonderful way to start the day! Thanks for the beautiful pictures.

Melissa,
I managed to get my lazy bones out of bed, (unlike last year), and lucked out for a nice show down here in Minnesota. I'm now regreting not seeing it two years in a row.

How long will the meteor shower be visible (in days) and at what time are you viewing the shower.

Charlie,

How very lucky you are to be in the UP to watch one of the best display of the Leonids. We watched them in Baltimore. Even with the "city lights" we were treated to a wonderful display.

What beautiful photos. It makes me want to be back home in the UP.

Beautiful pictures! Its just so hard to get up so early for sunsets or meteor showers!

Beautiful, beautiful shots. Hey, could someone please send some of that cold weather and snow down here??? It's been in the 80's, sunny and miserable for fall weather here. This kind of weather is nice for summer, but hey, enough is enough, and I want COLD for fall and winter! Having no seasons is the reason we're planning on getting out of here. (Don't mean to complain though, the warm evenings watching the sun set on the beach make it worth it.)

Gorgeous! Thanks to all the photographers - it sure did make my day! Thanks Charlie too!

What beautiful photos! We got up early and watched the meteors in suburban Chicago--and remembered much better conditions watching the Perseids in August from a Lake Superior beach.

Mary Drew, is your pic the Lake Linden Park? Temp here in southeast Ga this AM was a cold 37 and a little frost. BUT NO SNOW!
All nice pics.

Hey Bro in GA!!
Yep, the Lake Linden Park with the Sandhill Crane is my pic!! It's 37° right now at 12:35 p.m. here, no new snow, but some freezing rain off and on this morning! Three more months.....I think I'll start a countdown now!!!!

Drew, shouldn't that be an MN by your name? :)
Glad you got to see the show, I hope I can catch it tonight.

Great pictures, everyone!

Gee, Aimee, I know college students like to sleep late, but to have to get up early to watch a sunSET? ;-)

No meteors here. It was still raining.

Mary, was just outside and has warmed up to 68, beautiful day now, wish I was on the golf coarse but there is that thing called work that sometimes takes priorty.
Start your count down. Looking forward to the visit again.

STUNNING -- THANK YOU!

Thanks for the Lake Linden photo. We took
our senior class group picture for the
yearbook not too far from this point and my
dad did a lot of work at this park when it was
being developed. Beautiful shot!

Melissa,Guess that was Freudian slip - You can tell where I would really like to be right now. Good luck with the weather tonight - I think it should cooperate for you this time.

haha... oops! SunRISES are the early ones!

The best way to catch a sunrise is not having to get up for one at all.... best to just stay up all night and then go to bed afterwards! And thanks Charlie for the wonderful description of your early morning sighting. Seemed like I was standing there right next to you. I also hope one of these days to see them northerns too... tried when we were there in early October but the weather just wouldn't cooperate.

It has been cloudy here for each Leonid shower for the past few years and I can't remember for the Perseids--probably cloudy for them also! My kids really wanted to get up in the middle of the night.

Incredible pictures!! Thank you for capturing the unique beauty of the Copper country in November. Although its quite a contrast from when we stayed at my uncles camp on the canal in July!! Anyone remember the 100 degree day around the 4th of July?? (whew)

The posture and habitat of the bird standing in the water looks like it belongs to a Great Blue Heron rather that a Sandhill Crane. Hey, but I wasn't fortunate to be there when the picture was taken. I've seen (and heard) Sandhills by the thousands when they migrate in the spring and make a stop-over near Monte Vista in southern Colorado. Whatever it is, he better keep moving before he finds himself frozen in place until the spring thaw.

Hello from rainy Seattle,

How about some pictures of the deer hunters,the

guys & gals that have gotten there bucks? How is

the season going. Blessings to all for a safe

& happy hunting!! K&R

Drew--Foiled again, this time by a full moon. It was too bright to see anything :(
Oh well, I'll never forget last year!

Gary, CO,
Once you mentioned the Great Blue Heron, I typed in Sandhill Crane and then Great Blue Heron on Google and studied the pictures. I'm still sticking with a Sandhill Crane. It was a bit dark to really see well, but I'll tell you what, it's been at the park for the past two mornings and if it's still there tomorrow morning I'll try to get a better look at it. Yesterday when it flew off, I thought I could see the red on the head. But I'll double check and let you know! :) After seeing it so many days in a row, I'm beginning to worry that it's not going to go south.

Hey Mary Drew Nice pic of LL Park. Will contact later. Really enjoy the pics and Jibber Jabber.

Hey Ya'all! Hi Mary-Lake Linden, Bro in GA and Mike P Kingsford. It's Michelle down in Texas. I love the pictures of the beautiful U.P. They give me a little sense of "home" here in Texas. Thank you! Love you guys!

WOW, too cool......it's becoming a family affair!! Love you all too!
Hey Michelle - Texas....I could send you some of the snow we've gotten if you really want a "sense of home"!! Sure miss you all!

BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE PHOTOS!

Thanks, Mary Drew, for the one of
Lake Linden Park!

Being a "night owl" I haven't seen a lot
of sunrises - ha!