I learned to canoe in Northern Minnesota and the BWCA. I recently returned for a five day trip with an old friend. We went to the extreme northeast corner along the Canadian border. The lakes in this area are mostly long and narrow, running west to east between steep hills. The water clarity was remarkable. We saw bear, beaver, loon, eagle, osprey, and many smaller birds. Our route included the Royal River, which was beautiful and very different from the large lakes. Wild rice was falling into our canoe as we passed. At one point we even had to pull over a beaver dam.
Category: Photography
Scarab Beetles
I’m riding my bicycle to the post office and notice bits of doggy-do that appear to be moving on their own! Closer inspection revealed several scarab beetles (aka dung beetles). About an inch long, these impressive insects have beautiful green and orange iridescent backs. This particular species, Phanaeus vindex or Rainbow Scarab, is a “roller” and the most common dung beetle in the lower half of the US. This behavior apparently caught the attention of the Ancient Egyptians who associated the scarab with the rising sun. None of these photos do justice to the bright orange antennae, which give it a very acute sense of smell! Here’s another photo and video of the little bulldozer!
Machu Picchu 2007
I’ve recently returned from a trip to Bolivia and Peru that culminated with a visit to Machu Picchu. The “Lost City of the Incas” was never really lost. This is where Pachacuti and other Inca aristocracy came to relax back in the late 1400s CE. Surrounded on three sides by the Urubamba River, the view is truly spectacular with countless peaks receding into the sky. The site itself is dominated by Huayna Picchu, which rises a thousand feet and has ruins on top. The terraced agricultural district supplied food. The urban district provided accommodations for several hundred inhabitants, including a series of sixteen fountains, royal apartments and several religious areas (2) (3). The Inca even fashioned image rocks as a special tribute to certain sacred peaks.