During high wind storms, the ore freighters making passage on Lake Superior often look for a port to take refuge in, waiting for the storm to calm. These three found a safe harbor near the Portage Entry Lighthouse in Jacobsville, MI. Braving the windstorm to bring us a glimpse of the scene was John Lehman, today's photographer.

On a side note, it's Groundhog Day. Myself, I'm hoping "Phil" doesn't see his shadow. If we get six more weeks of snow here in the Keweenaw, we may never be able to dig our way out! I found this shot from an earlier Groundhog Day. Toivo says that's a groundhog (note the LONG shadow), my husband says he doesn't think it is... can someone please settle this debate...

Good thing Phil doesn't live in Calumet - he couldn't dig out to even see his shadow today!

Actually 6 more weeks of winter would be nice, I'm afraid we'll have 8 or 10 more weeks which I guess would be typical. The pic of the frieghters brings back memories, I worked on them in the 80's till '91.

wow, that's a site you don't see much anymore. Wish I had been there.
As for you people wanting winter to end, toughen up! Winter just got off to a good start and the skiing is just getting good, so I'm ready for more. Get out and shovel - it's good for you!!!

Susan,Hancock....we agree, your certainly right about that ! Bring it all on !

This does not look like a woodchuck, which is what Phil is. It does look like a muskrat.

I don't know exactly which brand of rodent it is either, but I'm sure the PETA people will want it covered with at least an SPF 28 to protect it from the sun's harmful UV rays while it's out seeing/ not seeing it's shadow...

Speaking of SPF's, there's a new one out for people to use in the sun after having spent the winter under cloud cover. It's SPF 150. You put it on and the sun goes out.

The possessive "its," as in "seeing it's shadow" does not have an apostrophe. Furthermore, animals are not "it," they are "he" or "she."

I agree with John from PA; looks like a muskrat to me

For .,
Lighten up!

This picture is definitely a WOW. The ships have a ghost-like appearance, which gives the picture a timeless look. Especially with the lighthouse snuggled in there keeping them safe.

I've always wondered the criteria for when a freighter chooses to go thru Portage Lake/Canal vs go around the tip of the UP. IE: how long will these freighters wait for the weather to clear before they head past Houghton/Hancock, if that is the direction they are going! My ignorance may be showing here. Beautiful picture and beautiful memories from end of the month postings.

A very unusual scene. When the lakers duck for cover behind Keweenaw they usually anchor in Bete Grise, about 30 miles to the NW. It appears their heading is WSW, so maybe they moved further down the peninsula for protection in a strong SWly. They appear to be loaded, so my guess is that they were downbound. Even if upbound, they would likely sail back around Keweenaw Point rather than negotiate the canal.

Sarah, you can have all your freighter questions answered on boatnerd.com. Amazing what can be learned there! JBK

Make that 30 miles to the NE.

Another great picture on Pasty.com.

And I think whatever animal that is, the shadow could be cause by laying a very bright flashlight on the ground along side. Whatever, winter will have it's own way!! And Yeah for snow!

I don't mean to change the subject, but what's with the PAULDING LIGHTS? One ex-Yooper told me they were mysterious lights, but another told me they were just car lights from the hill beyond. I prefer to have a little mystery, even if it's not true.I've seen them; they look small, but someone told me they can appear huge, and come right up to your car!

I think that this is a FANTASTIC picture. I live around the Detroit area and don't often visit to the UP, so I don't get to see the freighters on the lakes, especially Lake Superior. Just awesome!

There are websites on the Paulding Lights......

Just check it out on Yahoo.....

and who cares what PETA would do, DG....

Next year, if Phil sees his shadow, he'll also see a quick flash of light. The he'll see no more!

Ahh, indeed animals are also "Bucks" and "Does" or, as the old time hunters would say for plurality, "Buck" and "Doe".

To Rachel in Illinois...
We went to see them... it sure is an optical illusion at the very very least! An interesting weekend entertainment in the UP... you'll have to see for yourself and be the judge.

I have two uncles that live in Calumet. that I have'nt seen or heard from in years. Ralph and Bob Bryant. They live on Rockland Street. If anybody there knows them, could you please have them contact me at the email address given? Thank you very much.

Thanks for the picture. What a nice memory...that's where my husband proposed to me.

I would like to make the picture of the freigher my screen saver. How do I go about it?

Suzanne - If you want to make it your screen saver, right click on the picture and then click on save as backround.

My old home: I spent many days on the Jac.beach. I didn't know how good we had it , and the bear pit, also. Nanc

speakin of the freighters, regardless of weather or conveniance the 2 on the left are too big to go through the canal anyways....

For '.....I agree you need to lighten up....also, I believe it is correct to use on an apostrophy to show possesion as in "it's shadow"....furthermore, how do we know it is a "he or a she".....shadow?

Note to Mary Lou, just to clarify your comment, it's is an abbreviation for it is. Its is a possessive without an apostrophe. But, in the whole realm of things, it's quite apparent we can all understand a message despite its grammar being somewhat flawed. Best wishes to all.

da flawed grammer is what yoopers do best (tiggers too)

A, Royal Oak..........Now how we determine if "it's" a "he" or a "she" rather than an "its" shadow?........????

My flawed grammar met my flawed gramper and produced (two generations later)a very flawed me,
thereby proving once again that two wrongs don't make a right, brother. Note to myself: when bagging on PETA people, double-check your punctuation. (Yes, I'm pretty sure there's a hyphen in "double-check"... :)

I think it's the Captain and Tennile's Muskrat Love!

I awoke during the night and as I was returning to bed I noticed the lights of an ore boat hove to about 2 miles off Jacobsville. The following day 3 more boats were seen waiting out Superior's high winds in the same area. Quite a pretty sight at night with all the lights aglow. The boats stuck around until the high NW winds calmed down.

I nominate the refuge-seeking freighters for the 2005 calendar.

What an amazing picture! It makes me want to visit there soon. Is John Lehman a professional photographer? He must be quite a guy.

Strange. It's Groundhog Day and no posting from P&G in Tenn. Hmmmmm

Toivo says that's a groundhog (note the LONG shadow), my husband says he doesn't think it is... can someone please settle this debate...
Toivo should "Leave It To Beaver" that's a MUSKRAT. As a "Child of the Depression" I have seen, cleaned and eaten many a Ground Hog that my Father caught. I can imagine that during Toivo's recent travels around the U.S when he was in in the SOUTH and the Waitress asked him if he would like GRITS with his morning eggs he replied to the effect "Just bring me one"!

YUP, definately a muskrat. Looks by the way it is puffed up that it might be road kill. Under PETA rules, it is then edible as it was not murdered for its' fur or exploited in any way.
(Rule #607845 which reads in part "Any animal killed accidently, without malace afore thought, may be consumed as long as it is cooked with respect and served on PETA bread.")

Did I use the apostrophy correctly? Hmmmm? :>)

No PETA guy here, but we kill over 8000 unwanted animals a year in the city at our shelter. Everyone needs a pit bull, until they decide they can't handle a pit bull. They say that ignorance can be cured with education, but stupid is forever. I deal with a ton of stupid everyday.
Lucky Yoopers...........not much longer.....I will be coming home.........

Great picture John! Now every time I stroll down that pier I will think of this scene. Of course, I do my pier walking in warmer weather!

Hello. I have consulted my NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD GUIDE TO NORTH AMERICAN MAMMALS...and I believe that critter is a woodchuck.

Maybe it is a furry blow fish? Seems too short and stocky for a wood chuck. Or maybe some one is pulling our collective legs. Whatever it is, it looks a bit stuffed.

OK, all together now "HOW MUCH WOOD COULD A WOODCHUCK CHUCK, IF A WOODCHUCK COULD CHUCK WOOD?"

ONE LOOKS LIKE THE GALLOPING GHOST OF THE JAVA COAST ANYONE KNOW THE REAL NAME OF THAT SHIP

ONE LOOKS LIKE THE GALLOPING GHOST OF THE JAVA COAST ANYONE KNOW THE REAL NAME OF THAT SHIP

Looks like a rabbit to me. You can tell I`m a troll.(ha ha ) About the spelling. Who cares?
It`s overrated.KNow some very smart people who
could`nt spell dog if you spotted them the d and o. Very,very nice shot.

Susan in Hancock
Here's wishing you at least 6 more feet of snow. Shoveling is so-o-o-o good for the shoulders!

WOODCHUCK - GROUNDHOG - WHISTLE PIG, But this one is a Muskrat and it is a poor picture as well - not up to UP posting quality!!

The groundhog, also known as a woodchuck (Marmota monax), is a member of the squirrel family. Groundhogs in the wild eat succulent green plants, such as dandelion, clover, and grasses.

According to handler Bill Deeley, a local funeral director, Phil weighs 15 pounds and thrives on dog food and ice cream in his climate-controlled home at the Punxsutawney Library.

Up on Gobbler's Knob, Phil is placed in a heated burrow underneath a simulated tree stump on stage before being pulled out at 7:25 a.m. to make his prediction.


© Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce

Could it be a photo of the infamous Hodag?

"Pulled out" at the crack of dawn to make his prediction??? No WONDER we have more winter!
How about offering him a nice warm Hilltop roll and a cuppa coffee to coax him out of his nice nest!!! (or some groundhog tasty equivalent!)

We're down the homestretch, the final month completing year #6 of this daily feature. Each day we'd like to dig back into the Archives and find past photos which go along. Today's reminds me of the time Peggy Riemer took the Pasty Cam for a stroll along that same breakwater (in a warmer time, of course):

thanks charlie-
its one of my favorite places

That thing ain't no muskrat or woodchuck. It's a snipe. Can you see the beak? I used to hunt them all the time in Boy Scouts, so I know what they look like. They're all over the place in Hiawatha National Forest.

When was this pic taken? I think the Soo Locks are closed for the season now, aren't they? If they are in da BIG lake, they came t'ru da locks. The little critter looks like a muskrat to us. And I'm sure 'it' wouldn't care if you called 'it' he, she or 'it'.

That "groundhog" could even be a picture of someone's wig! It wasn't clear enough to tell!

Naw, you're all wrong; it's a pasty if I ever saw one. See how the crust is folded over on the sides. A little ketchup is all it needs.

Mary Lou, in response to your question about whether the animal in question is a he or a she, the adjective "its" is gender neutral and obviates necessity of determining whether the animal is male or female. Note dictionary definition (Merriam Webster):

Main Entry: its
Pronunciation: 'its, &ts
Function: adjective
Date: 1598
: of or relating to it or itself especially as possessor, agent, or object of an action

Mary Lou, the rest of definition didn't get posted in previous message. Remainder of definition is:

going to its kennel; a child proud of its first drawings;its final enactment into law

p.s. I just discovered the last line printed in this message only after I deleted the lesser than (<) signs preceding each dictionary description. Don't know why that occurred, however.

MaryLou, please keep all your pics and info coming on here I enjoy them all and Im pretty
sure many many others do as well... I dont think
we mind if there is and " ' " on words or not, nor
if the grammar is up to a teachers classroom..this
is for fun and relaxation ...I for one appericate
all your time and effort you put into the web site....and cant wait to check it out everday
warm regards ... :)

A, Royal Oak....Is Dam Guy, Parasite Creek......now excused for using "gender neutral" its in reference to the critter?..........Why do I feel like I am back in school????..........JULIE,.. thank you for your kind words.....incidently, my greatgrandmother, Elizabeth Meese Fretter, was originally from the Netherlands....came to Quincy with her husband Johann Joseph Fretter in 1884...during the large building program at the Quincy mine.

PS.......Julie Barrie, Netherlands.....After rereading your post it dawned on me that you may have me confused with MARY DREW, who does put a lot of effort into this site. She is the one one who posts all the pictures and manages the site for Charlie on the weekdays.

Is P. Phil a woodchuck or a ground-hog? Is a ground-hog a woodchuck?

Lastly, How much wood, would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood but that woodchuck was really just a ground hog?

hahahah MARY LOU ... I did mean MARY DREW ....thanks for responding any old way :)...
I hope MARY DREW read my post as well ...

Having grown up in Jacobsville, I had to look at the picture for awhile to realize it was not taken from the Jacobsville side of the Canal but the other side. Grat picture!

Hi You Guys and Gals are great. Keep up the good postings, they make for fun reading every day.

;-) Mary, isn't phil seeing his shadow
exactley what we want?

ONLY six more weeks of winter would be fantastic!

Bob

I am not positive, but I believe the one on the far left is the 1000 ft. tug and self unloder combo of the Presque Isle. It is hard to gage, but the middle on appears to be another 1000 footer. Either way it is a great and unique shot.

Julie Barrie, Netherlands,

I sure did read it too! Thanks!

I heard that if Phil sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter and if he doesn't see it there will only be a month and a half of winter. Makes sense to me. :>)

Hey - There aren't too many folks in the land of the governator, that know where Portage Entry, Michigan is. Like those boats, I'm harboring out the winter storm here in Livermore, California.