Can I help you?

This was the question posed to me by countless helpful people during my travels.

Yes, the jet lag and post-travel cold are subsiding and the reality of the holiday season is threatening to dissolve the afterglow of overseas travel. Greetings from the lovely and not-too-chilly Twin Cities, where I am taking care of the dog, cat and Seagull!

South Korea was amazing... Beautiful sights, completely addictive food and some of the nicest people I've ever encountered while traveling. Whether it was a glass of water, directions to the bus station or a shared smile at the top of a mountain I was treated with extraordinary kindness by everyone I met. One of the things I love most about travel is how I behave when I return. Everything looks fresh; road signs, laundry detergent and bus schedules all become fascinating for a brief time because it's amazing to understand every word on billboards and labels. And of course, I find myself on the lookout for the traveler in need--the wanderer at the bus stop, the group trying to take a picture in front of a local sight or the person trying to understand cough medicine at a drugstore.

So this holiday season, whether you've had the opportunity to travel near or far, keep an eye out for those you can lend a hand to...neighbor, stranger or traveler.

:)Shira

(As for the picture, no, it isn't Korea. It's the beach where I blissfully celebrated the end of another Seagull season.)

Shira is back to work!

Shira is back in the office at Seagull after taking a couple of trips to far away places. She is covering while Dave and I go on vacation. In addition, she gets to care for Lucky and Sadie as well as take care of your phone calls and emails. Of course I always have a small list for her as well.

We had a thin coat of ice and then a thaw in the bay. So, we still have open water although it won't last long. Cooler temperatures are predicted this weekend and soon the ice and snow will cover the lake and our winter wonderland will be here to stay for several months.

We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving Holiday with Family and Friends.

Deb

A Dusting of Snow

There was a light dusting of snow this morning on Seagull Lake and the pond next to our main store had this coating of early morning ice. Winter is on the way! Our seasons change so fast here in the Northwoods. The light snow has melted as the sun makes an appearance today.
Despite the warmer temperatures, I don't think it will be long before the white stuff stays on the ground.
Growing up on the Gunflint Trail as a kid, I have experienced a real change in weather patterns. I remember how the snow became so deep on the cabin roofs that we used to shovel them off about twice every winter. We had a small black lab named Peabody that would love to join us on the roofs to shovel. She climbed right up the ladder after us. While she couldn't handle a shovel too well, she sure kept up spirits to keep shovelling! After shoveling the roof, we would then jump into the snow and roll around with Peabody. It was great fun. In the past 10 years or more, we have not had enough winter snow to shovel the roofs. It would be nice for all the winter businesses to have some great white stuff again this winter.
Another great past time while growing up on the Trail was the winter ice fishing. We used to be able to take a snowmobile all the way into Tuscarora Lake off Round Lake to fish for lake trout through the ice. It was a beautiful ride through the portages and the fishing was fantastic. Times have changed with the preservation of the wilderness and snowmobiles are no longer allowed inside the Boundary Waters.