October 8, 2014 (With noon update) – One month and 2 days before November 10: “The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they called “Gitche Gumee.” The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy. With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty, that good ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the “Gales of November” came early.” – Gordon Lightfoot
The Edmund FitzgeraldIn our quiet little Whitney Bay just south of Lake Superior in Lake Huron – It looks like an Ocean storm.Wind out of the north at 20 mph. 9:00 and above freezing!!! This year in Chippawa County (The county of Drummond) storms came early – It is one of those times when everywhere you go the topic is the “WEATHER” – at the local Bear Track breakfast, at the hardware store, at the Northwood lunch bar, at the ferryboat dock, at Island Service and Towing, at the Fort Drummond Marina,….. – This year God decided that we needed very little summer and thus shifted everything by about a month – so the storms of November are starting in October. The green tomatoes are still waiting for summer – I ripened, off the vine, 4 beautiful tomatoes – that was it – the deer got at least 50 green ones – hope they did not get a sore tummy .More signs of summers end – My friend Carlye and I drain the water system in my upper building – – my mini-farm buildings/garage/corral area….Hope I beat the snow – planted “Fall” Grass – see their tinny heads – the deer found them – I saw 6 munching on the tender shoots last night!I left the last flowers in the garden for the deer – after I stored the fence for the winter – took them about 10 minutes to find the new Restaurant.Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings in the rooms of her ice-water mansion. Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams; the islands and bays are for sportsmen. And farther below Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her, And the iron boats go as the mariners all know with the Gales of November remembered. – Gordon Lightfoot
I looked out at the gap between Lake Huron and the boating channel to the Soo Locks and Lake Superior and got this photo of a 1000 footer headed up. – probable 75 miles from where the “Fritz” went down off White Fish Point near the east end of Lake Superior with 29 souls aboard. Look up Gordon Lightfoot’s song for the whole story set to song as a memorial. (Fritz was just under 728 feet and went down Nov 10, 1975). I saw the freighter in the Gap while tieing up the burlap around the shrubs – the wind died down a little, (Only gusting to 35 MPH) but the temp still did not reach 40. I have on a down snow mobil coat and multi-layers under it
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