FIRST SHIPS of the SEASON -



A rite of spring for my husband and me involves waiting in Thunder Bay to greet the first ship of the season, then dashing down to Duluth to see the first ships loading there.

This past weekend, we were lucky enough to catch the arrival of the John J Munson in Two Harbours on Friday and the the Edwin H Gott in Duluth on Sunday.

However, the absolute highlight of our trip was meeting both Terry White and Paul Scinocca out doing what they do best, photographing and recording ships of the Great Lakes. It was an honour to meet you both and to put faces to the names from our favourite FB group.

"She is turning in. Oh my goodness. She is turning in!"

So says my honey with the delight of a schoolboy as the lake freighter, John G Munson, hoves to outside the Two Harbours break-wall in preparation to enter the ore dock for loading. We have followed this ship since we left Thunder Bay finally catching sight of her at Split Rock Lighthouse but were unsure of her destination. After supper and cards, we drift off to sleep lulled by the clanging and roar as ore pours down the chutes and into the ship's holds.

"Cathie! Cathie get up! Our ship is leaving!"

This statement wakes me from a dead sleep. Scrubbing my eyes with my fists, I crack an eyelid and croak, "What ship?" Carl is as excited as a kid at Christmas because the John G Munson, now fully loaded, is backing out of her slip at the ore dock preparing to head down Lake Superior to the Soo Locks. It is barely light and Manny snores gently beside me completely disinterested by ships that pass in the predawn.

"Look what it is! Oh my goodness. I gotta go. I'll be cold, but I gotta go!"

This is prelude to the resident train nerd leaping from the truck dressed in jeans, shirt and vest into a 22F with wind chill morning. He gallops up the highway onto the railway overpass to photograph three CN "rent a wreck" locomotives working on the Duluth, Mesabi and Iron Range right of way. Teeth chattering, Carl hops back in and gives me a rapid-fire history of the railway, mining and milling taconite and locomotive ownerships.

The highlight of the weekend for my beloved is meeting Terry White (administrator) and Paul Scinocca(photographer) from the Facebook group 'Great Lakes Shipping Channel'.

And to think, people ask if we miss having television!

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