Earlier this week, the snow arrived, ushering in the season’s first blizzard. On the last day of good driving weather, I drove up to Houghton (aka the copper buckle on the snow-belt of Upper Michigan) and delivered my donation to Isle Royale National Park, in gratitude for last summer’s absolutely *sublime* artist residency. I had a hard time deciding which watercolor from my residency to donate, but stopped in Houghton back in September, and showed the whole portfolio to Greg Blust, Supervisory Park Ranger and Coordinator of the Isle Royale National Park Artist-in-Residence program. He selected this one himself! (I sense he is a fellow storm-lover.)

Isle Royale: Tobin Harbor Storm

I also donated a poem from my residency: “This Urge to Remain in Lake Superior, Forever.” Everything about the residency was incredible. When my month was up, it was already after Labor Day… and I found I wanted to stay until the last few Park Service employees left the island, in October. I love seeing cabins battened down, snug against winter of storms. I am already making tentative plans to return — perhaps to do some backpack camping, or perhaps as a park volunteer, repairing cabins? If so, I look forward to giving a reading and slideshow on the Ranger III, enroute, and sharing the residency program with fellow Isle Royale travelers.