1/26/14 – We had a fun visitor to the office bird feeder the other day.

The pine marten is a member of the weasel family.

Pine martens are formidable predators, but they also like to eat sunflower seeds.

They are incredible climbers, spending much of their life in trees. It takes some serious skills to climb the steel bird feeder pole.
Here is this week’s edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio. – Bill

1/18/14 – Mike Valentini, our friend who lives at the end of the Gunflint Trail, had a lucky encounter with a lynx this week.

It’s always a treat to see a lynx. Photo by Michael Valentini.

…but to see a lynx chasing its lunch is amazing! Photo by Michael Valentini.

Michael reported that the squirrel got away, but the lynx’ agility in the tree was phenomenal. Photo by Mike Valentini.
Tom Sonnek is a long-time Sawbill canoeist. Tom sent a link to this video on the Ugly Stik website highlighting his fishing adventures on Sawbill Lake.
Steve Gendron is another avid Sawbill visitor who sent along this note and picture:

Hello Sawbillians. Enclosed is a photo of a black bear that I made of chicken wire, papier-mache, and white pine needles. Insofar as I’ve got 14 white pines in my small, south Mpls yard, and I read at least one newspaper cover- to- cover every day, I’ve got plenty of supplies. I’ve also made a bull moose and an African, two-horned black rhino. Each is life-sized. Making these animals-except, obviously, the rhino, is one way for me to be “in” the BWCA in the deep winter. There aren’t rhinos in the BWCA, are there?

Steve Gendron, artist extrodinaire, inspired by his time at Sawbill.
Here is this week’s edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio.

1/15/2013 – Long time Sawbill paddler, Helen Illich, sent along this beautiful colored pencil drawing that she made one rainy morning on Cherokee a couple of years ago. – Bill

Cherokee Lake from a rainy campsite by Helen Illich.
Here is last week’s edition of the Cook County West End News from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio.

1/9/14 – When I drove to town yesterday for an early meeting, I saw a rare January rainbow. The sky was completely clear, but ice crystals were condensing directly out of the sub-zero air. When the sun broke over the Sawtooth Mountains a full rainbow appeared in the Onion River valley. – Bill

A rare January rainbow at 16 degrees below zero.

1/7/14 – In the last 30 days only two nights have recorded a low temperature that was above zero. Two nights ago we hit -31F and yesterday the high temperature was -19F. The old timers used to say, “Time to button up the coat!”
When I stepped outside this morning, it was noticeably warmer at -22F.
I’ve been busy keeping our electrical, heating and communications systems up and running. Our radio phones have been flaky due to excessive frost on the antennas and some intermittent power failures at the base station in Lutsen.
All things considered, we’re maintaining just fine and looking forward to the coming heatwave. The forecast is calling for temperatures in the 20s by the weekend. – Bill

1/2/14 – Cindy and I recently returned from a lovely trip west for the holiday season. I visited my son, Adam Hansen, in San Francisco, where he now resides. Adam and I then joined Cindy at daughter Clare Hansen’s house in Missoula, Montana to celebrate Christmas.
A big thanks to Sawbill crew member, Nils Anderson, for business, home and dog sitting for us.

Nils reads “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to the terriers on Christmas Eve. He may have been alone for a few too many days at this point…?

Nils also snapped this picture of the “Sawbill Guard Station” Forest Service cabin.
It has been chilly here since we got home. Last night hit -31 F. – Bill
Here are the Cook County West End News segments for 1/2/14, 12/26/13, and 12/19/13 from WTIP, North Shore Community Radio. – Bill