Further Adventures in the UP

Thursday, September 11

Well the rains were followed by north winds that brought in the cold temperatures of fall. When we awoke this morning, it was grey and only 41 degrees with a promise of only a high of 50 degrees for the day. Our weather page automatically shows the temperatures in Reykjavik, Iceland since we were recently there and searching out that info and today they are warmer than we are here!!!!!!!!!!

We set off in our heavy coats and gloves first stopping at the North Star Bakery where a transplanted Canadian woman, as a "hobby" maintains a wood burning brick oven and creates a huge variety of breads during the spring and summer months.  As soon as snowflakes are in the air she said she closes.  Gary and Judy treated themselves to a fresh loaf of sour dough bread and cinnamon rolls and Ken seeing those broke down and got two of them as well.

Then we drove a short distance to Oswalds Bear Ranch, the largest bear ranch in the U. S.  This family owned operation cares for rescued black cub bears from all over the U.S. and keeps then in four huge natural habitats with trees, fresh running water to swim in and drink pools behind a high double fence.

The bears make their own dens for winter hibernation but are kept separated by gender as the government does not allow them to breed the bears.  Since bears have a 25 to 30 year life span they are truly here for a long period of time.  We walked all the way around one enclosure with eight bears in it (it took quite awhile to go around) and never spotted one of them. The woods are so dense they can truly hide from people if they wish.

Since the cubs would not survive with the older bears, they are kept in a separate area as are the yearlings.  Even doing this has not kept fights for territory from happening.  We were told that this indeed has happened.

We had the unique experience of being in the cage of one of the cubs and getting our picture taken with him while he ate fruit loops out of a spoon.

After a warm bowl of soup back at our motorhome we set off again in another direction for the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Germfask.  The Visitor Center is loaded with exhibits on wildlife,

habitat ecology and includes a short movie about the various seasons and the changes that take place and the various things that can be seen during those seasons within the refuge.

From there we went to the Marshland Wildlife Drive which is seven miles long and took well over an hour to work our way around it stopping along the way to see the surroundings and the birds we discovered including loons,

trumpeter swans,

and sandhill cranes.

 It was so cold and windy that there was very little activity, however.

On our way home we stopped at the small Farmer's Market in Newberry hoping to find some interesting items as well as fresh goods, but the super cold and windy weather kept people away and certainly affected even the amount of fresh goods available.  So we just got a couple of items and then finished our grocery shopping at the local IGA.  Gary and Judy were especially looking forward to getting back to the motorhome where they could enjoy the raspberry pie they got at the Market from a couple of Mennonite women.

In the evening, Ken and I played several rounds of Sequence with Gary and Judy.  The guys ended up the overall winners.

Then Gary, Judy and I played a round of Golf before calling it a night under a pile of blankets since it was due to drop to 34 degrees over night.  Brrrr, it sure has gotten cold here.