The Shore Line of the big Lake Superior

It seems, at times, like it is not possible to spend too much time on or near water. Maybe the affinity has to do with chemistry, with our silent knowledge that we are mostly made of water. In fact, I suspect all living things are made with water. For a brief colorful moment, I was thinking that it might be possible to substitute water with wine--Jesus deliberately changed water to wine, so he must have considered the fruit of the vine superior for some reason. No, wine is made of water, but then alcohol might make bad water drinkable. He might have had a mission in his efforts that precludes an actual substitute.

Water is soothing, as are the waves that lap on the beaches and waves that crash against the rocks and out-croppings and against legs . We walked along the shore on Madeline Island, on a boardwalk viewing the many delights and taking note of strange sightings. In one area, we paused because of the number of miss-shappend red pines there on the sandy shore line. There among the straight trees, many in the 30 year age group, was maybe ten trees that had noticeable doglegs in them. The trunks went up two feet and then went out horizontally and after 2 feet, again, turned up to continue their journey toward the sun.

Some even went downward for a few inches before they returned to the vertical. I had heard years ago the native peoples bent trees over to mark a forest trail, but trees only 30 years of age hardly would qualify for historical trail markers. In thinking about it, what must have happened is a storm blew down a larger tree that partially broke or maimed the main branches of these trees. While they were not killed out right, they were deformed from the impact, but once they found themselves alive, continued in a crooked way. They simply marked a storm that passed some years ago. Maybe it was the same storm that got the Edmond Fitz.

On the treeless stretches, the grasses, shrubs and lichens held sway. The later, the Reindeer moss and British Soldiers were most prevalent occupying a nitch were other plants could not take hold. Their combination of algae and fungus allowed them to make a day of it in a very harsh and infertile location. There was great effort to keep the trampling of human feet off the delicate plants because during the dry time they become brittle and comatose, simply waiting for moisture to bring them back to life. Any step of man was disruptive. The hikers of the beach were mostly respectful and they thrived.

The water and the beach environment is a restful place, a place to just sit and marvel at what was largely untouched. It is good to get away from the world of mad men and their toys. We shall return.