A Christmas Carol: Sure, we all know the tale of Scrooge's redemption in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but did you know that when the Ghost of Christmas Present was teaching the old miser about how others keep the joy of the holiday, he took Scrooge out to sea? We share that passage from the book – and send out Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa wishes to all of those working through the holidays on our Inland Seas like this saltie, Federal Kushiro, in a photo by Paul Scinocca. It arrived Tuesday to load wheat at the Riverland Ag elevator in Duluth and is expected to leave tonight (Dec. 22), making it the last ocean-going freighter of the season in the Twin Ports and tying as the latest saltie departure date with 1984, 2016 and 2019, according to Jayson Hron with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. And we don't forget our laker friends, like the Edgar B. Speer arriving in Two Harbors to load ore this week, shown in a photo by Christian Dalbec. Happy and safe holidays to you and yours, wherever you find yourselves, and now to pick up Charles' story ...
The Spirit did not tarry here, but bade Scrooge hold his robe, and passing on above the moor, sped—whither? Not to sea? To sea. To Scrooge’s horror, looking back, he saw the last of the land, a frightful range of rocks, behind them; and his ears were deafened by the thundering of water, as it rolled and roared, and raged among the dreadful caverns it had worn, and fiercely tried to undermine the earth.
Built upon a dismal reef of sunken rocks, some league or so from shore, on which the waters chafed and dashed, the wild year through, there stood a solitary lighthouse. Great heaps of sea-weed clung to its base, and storm-birds—born of the wind one might suppose, as sea-weed of the water—rose and fell about it, like the waves they skimmed.
But even here, two men who watched the light had made a fire, that through the loophole in the thick stone wall shed out a ray of brightness on the awful sea. Joining their horny hands over the rough table at which they sat, they wished each other Merry Christmas in their can of grog; and one of them: the elder, too, with his face all damaged and scarred with hard weather, as the figure-head of an old ship might be: struck up a sturdy song that was like a Gale in itself.
Again the Ghost sped on, above the black and heaving sea – on, on – until, being far away, as he told Scrooge, from any shore, they lighted on a ship. They stood beside the helmsman at the wheel, the look-out in the bow, the officers who had the watch; dark, ghostly figures in their several stations; but every man among them hummed a Christmas tune, or had a Christmas thought, or spoke below his breath to his companion of some bygone Christmas Day, with homeward hopes belonging to it. And every man on board, waking or sleeping, good or bad, had had a kinder word for another on that day than on any day in the year, and had shared to some extent in its festivities, and had remembered those he cared for at a distance, and had known that they delighted to remember him.
Celebrating Light: While Christmas occupies much of the space and news, we do not want to forget another religious celebration of the season. The Chabad of Duluth posted a photo of a giant menorah at the Miller Hill Mall denoting the Jewish observation of Chanukah, the festival of lights, which started on Dec. 18 and ends Monday. Shabbat times listed by the Chabad of Duluth for this week are 4:06 p.m. Friday, Light Shabbat Candles, and 5:16 p.m. Saturday, Shabbat Ends.
Artists in Residence: Isle Royale National Park is one of the parks soliciting applications for its 2023 Artist in Residence program. Co-sponsored by Isle Royale National Park, the Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association and the Copper Country Community Arts Council, the residency lets artists spend two to three weeks in a rustic cabin with complimentary transportation to and from the island. In return for the free ferry and lodging, artists must donate an art piece to the park and will be asked to contribute to the park's online exhibit, like this oil painting "Moose Skull in the Woods" by Janice Kasper from 2009. Artists also may make a presentation to the public about their experience. There is also a Teen Artist in Residence program. Most of the national parks around the Big Lake have similar opportunities. Check with the one you'd like to visit and capture in artworks, photography and other creative forms. Applications for Isle Royale are due by Feb. 16.
Game of Throwns: You, too, can learn Kubb, a Viking-inspired outdoor recreation involving the tossing of wooden batons at wooden blocks (with a lot of strategy involved). The Lake Superior Kubb club will be demonstrating their sport almost every Thursday (not tonight, too cold) through February at Earth Rider in Superior. The teams are there from 6-7 p.m. and are anxious to show how it’s done. We spoke to club founders for a story in our December/January issue and Co-chairman Shane Linge says they are on a mission to expand Kubb around the Big Lake neighborhood. Now, they only dress up like in this photo by Cheryl Carlson for special tournaments, like the Lake Superior Ice Festival coming up on Jan. 27-28 in Superior. We love the names of some of the teams already signed up for the Ice Fest: Kubbadivers, Life's a Pitch and Science for the Win(ter), to name just a few.
Lift in Motion: The Portage Lift Bridge officially opened its underspan to snowmobile traffic this week thanks, in part, to the snow haul efforts of the city of Houghton Public Works, reports the Keweenaw Snowmobile Club. This Keweenaw Trail Reports video posting by Ricky DiMaria shows just how much fun crossing the bridge can be. Just today, the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce posted updated trail conditions around the peninsula and included a map. The chamber encourages riders to get real-time trail grooming updates by downloadomg a Groomer Tracker App and by signing up for the Keweenaw trail system with a portion of the fees shared to support our local trail grooming club.
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list. Remember: Christmas Eve on Saturday; Christmas Day on Sunday, Kwanzaa starts on Monday and Canada observes Boxing Day on Monday, too.
Michigan Today, Dec. 22: Last-minute and local - check out the Hancock-Houghton Area Cold Season Farmer's Market at The Orpheum (Studio Pizza) in Hancock from 3-6 p.m. today. Thru Dec. 24: Downtown Marquette has posted a great local Holiday Gift Guide featuring local spots to shop for your coffee lover, beer lover, U.P. lover, art lover, sweets lover … and any kind of gift you might need to find. Minnesota Thru Jan. 31: Grand Portage National Monument is hosting an exhibit to introduce "The People Behind Northern Nights, Starry Skies." Connected to the PBS documentary celebrating stars and dark sky places, Indigenous star knowledge, and stewardship of the night sky, the work of artist Carl Gawboy and photographer Travis Novitsky are on display upstairs at the Heritage Center through the end of January. Today-Monday, Thru Dec.25: Pull on the long johns and lace up the mukluks … Bentleyville remains open for now despite the "brisk" weather. The annual Tour of Lights at Bayfront Park in Duluth ends on the evening of Christmas Day. The walk-through display, by the by, earned the No. 1 spot among USA Today readers for "Best Public Holiday Lights Display (2022)." Starting Tuesday (Dec. 27) volunteers are sought to help take down the displays. Friday, Dec. 23: Head inside to Sir Benedict's Tavern in Duluth where The Fish Heads, Mike and Kim and their friends LaPlant Road will send out some holiday and bluegrass tunes starting at 6 p.m. (We are told Kim will have her crazy hair on and Santa will be in the building.) Wisconsin Thru Winter: On Saturday, Mt. Ashwabay in Bayfield officially celebrated its first "lift" of its 75th winter season of Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, fat tire biking, skijoring and snowshoeing. Watch the operation's Facebook page to see if there are early closures (like today) because of the subzero temperatures and windchills. Friday & Tuesday, Dec. 23 & 27: Skate with Santa from 5-6 p.m. on Friday at the South Arena of the Hayward Sports Center. The Alumni Games start after Santa leaves the ice. Then unwind after Christmas with the Community Skating Party at the Tot Lot on Tuesday. Enjoy ice skating, hot drinks, saunas and music from 6-8 p.m. Ontario Friday, Dec. 23: The Art Gallery of Algoma in Sault Ste. Marie hosts an Open Art Studio of Christmas Crafts from 10 a.m.-noon Friday. We all know gifts you make can be the best! Saturday, Dec. 24: Dagwood's Bakery & Deli in Thunder Bay will have Mrs. Claus on hand to help get all those last minute treats ready, from noon-4 p.m. You can pick up some Santa Hat cupcakes or cookies to put out for the jolly old guy. (The Yule Log Cake looks pretty tasty, too.)
Photo & graphic credits: Paul Scinocca; Christian Dalbec; Chabad of Duluth; Janice Kasper; Cheryl Carlson Photography; Keweenaw Snowmobile Club; Downtown Marquette/Visit Cook County/Mt. Ashwabay/Dagwood's