News From Here

The last few days have been interesting to say the least.

Sweetie and I actually had a date night! Drove about 6 miles to Gay to watch the sled dogs arrive at their first checkpoint. This was the inaugural run for the CopperDog150 and despite mid-40 temps and intermittent rain the race continued. Snow was hauled into Calumet's 5th Street where the race began and plenty of shovelers were on hand near Gay to keep snow on the trail as it crossed the bare road. Yooper perseverance at its best!

Yesterday we had our St. Patty's day dinner. In all my years I've never cooked a better corned beef brisket. Melted in our mouths and left me feeling grateful I'd bought and cooked TWO. Today we'll feast on Reuben sandwiches, peach pie and ice cream.

My oldest son paid us a visit yesterday, so the day was extra nice. He whooped my Dad at cribbage and promised to finish the ceramic tile in our hall and above the wood stove today. So, here I sit waiting to she if he'll call for a ride. He's the son without a license who manages to travel like a saleman!

The weirdest thing to occur was my trip home last night after bringing my son home. As I approached the turn for our road an oncoming car slowed down. I thought to myself: "Either it's a drunk, some one's lost or a deer has crossed the road." No. It was a Michigan State trooper who shined a spotlight on my car! I stopped, rolled the window down and he asked who I was, where I lived and where I was going.

Now, if you know me at all, you know those questions got my dander up. I'm thinking: "I don't like his attitude and I'm not under arrest. Therefore, I'm not answering!" Instead I said, "There's nothing wrong here officer. I'm turning here and heading home." And that's exactly what I did!

He turned around too and came about 300 feet down the road. Whether he'd run my license plate I don't know. We live one mile down the road and five minutes later he raced by with his spotlight on. Maybe he'd had a call about a domestic dispute or an altercation of some kind, I don't know. We watched for more than an hour but never saw him return. So that means the two track along Lake Superior is open and he circled around or - he was on a call for several hours.

Maybe he was searching for some dangerous criminal but, his line of questioning left me feeling like I'd met the Gestapo. It's rare that I'm out after dark and stranger still to see any patrol cars out here. The previous night we'd been to the sled dog race in Gay, where hundreds of people gathered, and never saw any cops!