I'm in Ely MN for the next several days, just chilling out on my annual solitary retreat. These times away from the routines of my life are increasingly valuable to me. I get a chance to hear nothing but the sounds of my thoughts (except for the occasional chattering of a nearby squirrel) and re-charge.
Ely is a particularly great place to do this. Thanks to the enormous generosity of my good friends George and Mary Kay, I'm able to spend these few days in the splendor of their cabin that is not exactly within the confines of Ely... the exact spot will remain a mystery for the readers of this blog. I don't want to give away too much about it, because I want to protect my friends. Besides, it is one of my favorite spots in the whole world and I want to keep its meaning all to myself.
Ely is a small town in the northern corner of Minnesota - supposedly the late Charles Kurault's favorite little town (and he virtually pioneered the video travel documentary format during his travels to every corner of America). For him to anoint this wonderful place with his highest blessing drove an influx of people here in the 80s and 90s, but it has thankfully retained its charm and a lot of its anonymity since then.
The whole area of northern Minnesota reminds me a lot of my native New England - especially Maine. The lay of the land is similar to Maine and especially the northern part of the Maine coast that eases down to the rugged shore. The place reminds me of Machias Maine where I spent a few vacations in a previous life. The deciduous forest, the winding roads, the sparse settlements, and even the "yard sculptures" of abandoned vehicles and bathtubs that festoon some of the properties is all very familiar to me. The people also have the same kind of attitudes it seems: A stranger getting a haircut from a local, one-chair barber is greeted with caution and plenty of questions for an out-of-towner from "down in the cities." But, people in Minnesota are a bit more friendly than the cranky ole Mainiacs who might actually give you the wrong directions you ask for just to ensure your experience in Maine is so bad that you never come back. Here, they're nicer to your face, and they let the "state bird" - the biting black midge - do the dissuading to strangers.
The whole area borders the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Ely is one of the towns that is nested just outside it near the Superior National Forest. The Boundary Waters is a million acres of pristine land with more than 1,000 lakes where no motorized equipment of any kind is allowed. In fact, Ely is one of the staging areas for explorers of the area who take canoe trips into the Boundary Waters to camp and fish. So, in a sense, it's quiet in the off season and a bustling little frontier town in the Summer for tourists galore.
All the more reason why it has been a real treat to be here before families arrive with their RVs and boats. I have always liked being alone in places like this at the time others have chosen to be away. There is something incredibly peaceful and fulfilling - if only for a blink - to know you can have an intimate relationship with the natural world and put the rest of it all on hold.
Of course, the temptation for me will be to not just veg out with the TV or dive into books for teaching. I'm challenged by the nature of the place to go for walks, to meditate the way Thoreau did, and sometimes just sit on the porch and do absolutely nothing.
Life is good.
Roger W.
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