THE LAND NORTH OF SUPERIOR

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It had been a warm spring and a hot summer to date.  Dry weather had spawned forest fires and some feared the blueberry crop was lost.  I had my camera with me, like always, when I go into the bush in the land north of Superior.  I was just taking our two Xlabs for their daily run.

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The weather and politics have always played a part in our dogs daily runs.  Both dogs were Xlabs, Missy was black lab and border collie, Major was chocolate lab and rot.  The rot portion may have been what gave Major his occasional knot headedness.  Missy was simply to smart a dog for me.  Politics in the form of no unleashed dogs at the local marina had taken away a super running spot, with the water both dogs loved, within minutes from home.  Of course I saw unleashed dogs that the marina all the time, that’s another story.  Further politics had seen the closure of most of the access points to the shores of Lake Superior to out east.  These politics came from the money governments had poured into marinas along the north shore, even going so far as to create a marina in one town.  Finding water and a running spot was difficult this year with the low water levels.

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On another note I had gotten a digital camera a year and a half ago or so.  Making my own instant prints from the computer and being able to do various computer related activities with them made the digital very handy.  The digital however had several drawbacks, one of them was it’s single lens.   Even with 3X optical and 11X total zone many outdoors subjects were simply out of reach of this new technology.  My 35 mm camera system had fallen into disuse.  On several occasions I had despaired of this lack of reach with the digital.  Ducks on a river and bears on a number of sightings would have been easy captures on film with the appropriate lens in place.  I had pondered taking the 35 mm with my 500mm cat lens on my next outing after each of these missed opportunities.  The 500 cat however does severely limit the photo opportunities in close.

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On this day I had just grabbed the digital from the table where it always is in case a photographic situation presents itself.  Kids and dogs seem to give ample picture moments at the most unsuspecting of times.  Out the door and into the truck, both dogs were just raring to go.   To them the outdoors was escape from the enforced idleness of the house.  We left town and I decided to check out a couple of spec spots, not fish them as the dogs would be in the water before I could bait or tie a fly on, to see what the water levels were.

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As soon as the trees blocked of the highway Major let me know, by putting his paw on my arm and a small growl, that this was indeed a good place to run.  My destination however was several miles off the highway.  Missy as always sat quietly while Major grew more impatient as we drove deeper into the forest.  Twice we crossed bridges and both dogs perked up at the smell of water and the fun it held for them.  Both times I drove over and continued.  At the bottom of a steep hill was a third bridge, once over I turned the truck around, fighting Major’s now knowing body, and parked on the road side.  The dogs burst from the truck, almost before I was fully out.

Racing up and down the road to check out this new territory they soon were panting and down into the creek they went.  I followed with my camera and took some pics of the small beaver dammed lake that held specs.  The water level was real good behind the dam and I would be back to try for a few pan sized fish the next week I hoped.  The water however could only be reached by a difficult rock-to-rock jump for the dogs.  It would be most inadvisable to throw Major’s stick into the water for his retrieve.  The rocks could all to easily do damage to both dogs as they vied for the stick.  I decided to come back a ways to a better spot for this favourite activity.

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Once at the new place both the dogs raced for the water, the temperature was in the 80s and black dogs running in the sun needed a lot of moisture.  I took note that both had frozen stock-still and taken serious looks to the south.  They were suspicious of something out there, but the swirling wind was mostly from the NW, the dogs only got teased by whatever smell they detected.

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We were well into Major’s favourite game of fetch when from the corner of my eye I noted movement on the roadside.  Bears were a real problem in this area since the cancellation of the spring bear hunt several years back.   What I saw was not a bear.  Some 150 yards down the road stood a cow moose; just in front of her was a calf.  The almost jet black cow was a perfect background for her light brown calf.  With the animals there I wanted two things.  One to keep the dogs attention away from them and the second was to get my camera.  Even as I threw the stick away from the moose I booted myself in the butt.  Again I had bypassed my 35 mm camera and it’s lens system.  I got to the truck and reached in the open window.  The digital camera showed another of it’s flaws, the long period it takes to power up.  Major needed his stick thrown again. 

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Once I had the camera powered I zoomed in as much as it would allow.  The dark shape was the cow, she was difficult to make out with the shadows from the five o’clock sun, and the calf was invisible!  I took a dozen pictures before the animals faded back into the brush.  I didn’t need to see the pics on the computer screen to know they would show little, if anything, besides a country road and green brush in deep shadow.

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Once the dogs had done their run, they would come sit by the truck door, we headed back home.  Against all reason I kept the camera powered up for the first mile, the cow and calf might have come back onto the road.  Not such luck

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I know that the dogs will go running again tomorrow.   Do I pass up all hope of close pics, taking the 35mm with it’s 500 cat lens, and hope for a sighting two days in a row?  When you travel the back roads in the land north of Superior, having gear along is important, having the right gear along is a must.