Devils Day 17

Sunday, July 24^th, 2005

We picked lots of blueberries. About a quart. Visitation low due to winds and a choppy lake. Most visitors walked from the S. Landing. As an experiment, we made fudge brownies packed full of blueberries. A success!

Devil’s Island FAQ:

Q. What are the railroad tracks for? A. This used to be a stop on the Duluth-Chicago Rail Line.

Q: Are the flies always this bad here? A: We’ve never had any good flies here

Q: How much further to the top? A: (As I arrive at the watch-room landing) This is the halfway point.

Q: Are the blueberries ripe yet? A: Blueberries? I haven’t seen any blueberries.

Q: who mows the grass? A: We let the visitors mow it, care to go a round?

Q: What kind of work does your job entail? A: Light housekeeping… (Groan)

Q. Why is it called Devil’s Island A: (Haven’t come up with a good one yet.)

Saw sunset from tower, later went out to view stars and saw the gibbous moon rise over N. Twin Island at 11:30 pm. Yawn….

Note: These were obviously my whimsical answers to kid's questions, but the name "Devil's Island" came from the Native American name "Marche Manitou Miniss" or bad spirit island. The legend was that the great spirit Kitchee Manitou imprisoned the bad spirit here. Historians guess that the name came from the groaning and unearthly sounds that come from the waves pushing air in and out of underwater caves. Even now, it can sound like voices on a calm day. During rough seas you can feel the booming shake the earth even in the house.