Summer Cruises

I found the following article in the Duluth News Tribune today. It makes me so excited for summer. I hope to see the Clelia II many times and I will keep you updated.

I'm currently in Phoenix Arizona but start back to Michigan tomorrow. Can't believe shipping season starts next month-29 days.






Clelia II yacht will be docking in Duluth about every two weeks between July and September. It’s the first time Duluth will be the starting and ending point for a passenger cruise. Duluth officials are hoping cruise operators will increasingly use the port here as a place to conclude or kick off their trips.

Historical Picture

This picture from the Soo came into my possession some time ago. The date is 1891 and shows laying the first block in a new lock. I have no information about a lock being built at that time.
W.J. Bell from Sault, Michigan is the photographer and I have no information about him.

If any of you can lend a hand with additional information, it would be appreciated.

Sea Gull Diet Problems

I read an article today in the Toronto Globe and Mail about sea gulls. It caught my attention because sea gulls really cause us trouble in the summer at the cabin. Just out from us in the St. Marys River is a small island that was formed when the Corp of Engineers last dredged the channel. They dumped what they took from the channel in close to shore and this formed into a series of small islands. The islands have become hatchery for hundreds of sea gulls in the summer. They bother us with their 24/7 squawking and also their dirty droppings which go into the water.

This article, Herring Gulls Face Trans-fat troubles, tells that trans-fats are now showing up in gull eggs because of diets consisting of human garbage. But I have another idea where all the fat is coming from. Clyde's Drive-In at the Sugar Island ferry dock is one of our favorite eating spots in the summer-both for the food and the good view of ships. But I know the food isn't healthy. If you have ever eaten at Clyde's, you know that the sea gulls are hanging around looking for any scrap of food. They will even swoop down and take food right off the tray when it is attached to your car window. (Clyde's is an old-fashioned drive-in and they bring food to you car.)

I find it difficult to feel sorry for the gulls. But if we could get them on low fat diets, maybe they would move on and leave us alone.

Any of you out there have any sure-fire gull repellents? I would appreciate hearing about them.