Cooler by the Lake

We have always chuckled when the local weather forecasters say it will be “…cooler by the lake.”  We are not chuckling anymore, now that we’ve been alongside the harbor for 5 days.  We are hearing about record-breaking heat throughout the areas we’ve just come from (Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa) but we haven’t seen 50 degrees yet this week.  If it hasn’t been cloudy, windy, and cool, then it’s been rainy, foggy, and cold.  This evening it is so foggy that we can’t see across the harbor less than 1000 yards away.  Just one reason why there are no photos tonight.

Other than icebrakers, US and Canadian freighters have been using the port for a week or so.  But the first international vessel (called a “salty”) arrived in Duluth’s harbor about midnight last night, officially opening the shipping season. The Diana sails under the flag of Antigua.  It was delayed in arriving due to ice conditions between here and the Sault Locks in Michigan.  This is the latest arrival of the first salty since Duluth became an International port in 1959.  Saying the past winter was hard is an understatement. 

Our week has gone by smoother than expected.  The estate sale buyer and his crew (Bob calls them the “pickers”) came on Wednesday morning and filled an enclosed trailer before lunch.  They were back later to load up the rest and were gone by 2:00.  Joyce’s realtor also came over that afternoon so her house is now officially empty and on the market.  Thursday the cleaners (us) got back to work with brooms, mops, vacuums, and scrub-brushes.  The house is now ready for showing – earlier than we had hoped for. 

This will allow us to get up to the cabin and open it up for the summer.  We have to look it over closely before bringing the new motorhome.  We may have a few more branches and trees to remove to get this bigger unit onto the lot.  We’d also like to lay out a harder/flatter driveway.  Oh the joys!!

Brett and his girls are coming up late Friday night so they’ll be around to help with some of the opening chores.  Brett will bring some saws to help with the tree cutting.  The girls are very excited about coming to the cabin.  And…. The weather is forecasted to be dry and sunny, maybe even the 60’s!!!  A good weekend, hopefully!