June 5, 2013. The Monks and the Berry Bushes.

 

 

 

 

  

June 5, 2013.  The Monks and the Berry Bushes.  We drove about 60 miles to Copper Harbor today.  The entire area was once rich in copper, hence the name of the harbor.  The drive up Highway 41 was very pretty in places.  Along one stretch of road, the maple trees arched over the road and created a tunnel of green.  Above Copper Harbor there is a lookout on Brockway Mountain which gives a majestic view of Lake Superior and Lake Fanny Hooe.  While on the mountain, Annie spotted a lone eagle.  Soon, the lone eagle was followed by ten companions, all soaring purposefully to a common destination.  I tried to capture all ten in one photograph, but succeeded in getting only seven.  I have never seen anything like that, even in Alaska.

We took an even more scenic drive back to McLain State Park.  Highway 26 follows the shore line of Lake Superior.  It offers splendid views of the greatest of the Great Lakes with water falls, blooming trees and even a lighthouse or two.  However, the reason we chose Highway 26 was the stories we've heard about a monastery along the way. 

Monks of the Society of St. John, a Catholic Monastery of the Byzantine Rite established their small community on the Lake Superior shore in 1983, where they have built the onion-domed Holy Transfiguration Skete.  Originally, there were just a few monks on the site.  They supported themselves and the construction of the Skete by picking wild berries and converting the berries into jams and jellies.  They expanded their enterprise to include a bakery.  Now, people drive long distances to purchase their jams, breads, brownies and other tasty delights.  The monk who took my money appeared to be about thirty years-old.  His brown beard was untrimmed and he wore a brown, hooded cloak.  I wondered what caused a capable young man to leave family and friends for a life of nothing but labor and prayer. 

We saw the Skete from a mile away.  The Jampot, their roadside outlet, isn't pretentious, but seemingly, it serves its purpose.  There was a steady flow of customers while we were there, notwithstanding the slow traffic on the highway.   The purchases were pricey - $12.00 for a lemon pound cake - but, we were happy to donate to the cause.  And, but for the pound cake which was soaked in brandy, the things we bought delighted the palate.

Tomorrow is another move day. We just don't know where we're moving to. We'll figure that out in the morning, about the time we start Harvey and coax him out of the campsite.