Every Day is Lake Superior Day

Firstly, I apologize for the long wait between posts; I was off-island for a few days (back in the sweltering heat of the mainland; I'd had no idea how good we have it out here) and Snug Harbor is picking up in busy-ness besides, as it always does after the fourth.


Melissa discusses the America in the shadow of one of its old lifeboats.



I returned on Lake Superior Day, when we celebrate this massive THING that's always around us, sparkling, making the weather crazy, keeping us cooler than our poor neighbors down south, inviting our jumps off the dock, generously providing a home for delicious fish, etc. We are defined and controlled by Lake Superior here on Isle Royale, and really every day could aptly be called "Lake Superior Day", but we choose to wrap up all of the celebration handily on the fifteenth. 



Valerie and her roving ROV were a big hit with the kids in town.



The past couple years we've seen a rather subdued celebration, but we went all out this year, with a sort of Lake Superior "festival" in the harbor. Valerie helped visitors explore the underwater world of the marina with 'Torch,' our friendly ROV. Robert explained how we turn Lake Superior water into safe and delicious drinking water to intrigued crowds, and Paul talked about scuba diving and zebra mussels with a slew of diving equipment props. The Buckleys told commercial fishing stories while Carl covered the sport fishing angle, and Melissa took visitors into the past with a giant map of the America shipwreck. Alina and Erin ran a popular 'Lake Superior dunk tank' trivia game on the dock, in which lucky winners got to push a wet-suited Erin into the harbor.



Erin frolicks into the lake after another successful round of trivia.



Dozens of visitors roamed the stations, and Lake Superior Day 2012 was pronounced a rousing success: especially after several of us leaped off the Ranger III dock as the Queen rolled out. I ended the day with a Lake Superior themed evening program in the auditorium. Fun was had by all, lemme tell you, even if it was about 4,000 degrees and remarkably muggy outside.

We're on the second half of summer now. The fireweed is blooming and the thimbleberries are green on the bush. Stay tuned for more stories and fun; Snug Harbor just gets more exciting from here on out.

Donna talks fishing with a crowd.

Paul shows off some scuba equipment to interested visitors.