Summertime camping across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

I have a really fun job that allowed me to travel across the Upper Peninsula this Summer and camp and educate people on aquatic invasive species. I had the opportunity to go to 7 different locations from as far east as De Tour to Lake Gogebic. As North as Twin Lakes or Little Lake to Cedar River Harbor near Escanaba. Pictured above is me looking goofy after having a fun time wading in Lake Huron, geared up in Parkers mosquito shirt and wet pantlegs. 

Beaux got to come along camping and on one trip the mosquitos were so bad he ripped a huge hole in the tent right before bed which made us have to find somewhere else to go. Mosquitos in the Upper Peninsula are unparalleled to anywhere I have been before. 

We had some really great camping around De Tour and Brimley. The last night near Brimley however started the trend of it raining whenever I have field work or a work trip and we actually woke up to our tent floating on water that was pooled around us. We stayed dry in the tent- Parker really gets credit for that because we strung up a tarp over head and luckily the tent at that time had no holes in it. But our whole campsite was absolutely flooded and it was miserable. Huge shout out to the Bay Mills casino for hot food and warm clothes.  

When we were at Cedar River Harbor I got to learn about their Lake Sturgeon program that the MI DNR is involved in. These "dinosaur fish" have a really hard time getting started in life and the program gives them a huge head start. I forget the stats but it was crazy like only 1-10% of all sturgeon that hatch actually make it to adulthood and this gives them a 30-40% chance. I could be wrong on the numbers but I think that is really close to what I was told. 

The picture below is of me, at our campsite near Cedar River, just trying to not get carried away by all the mosquitos. Parker was taking shelter in the tent, I tried to stay by the fire but was burning up with all these layers on and Beaux had about 50 trying to bite him on his belly. I told Parker to let Beaux in the tent and I'd stay and tend the fire. That's when Beaux missed being with me and ripped a hole in the tent to escape and come to me. Half way to me he noticed the creek and tried to go swimming but I caught him just in time. Then, we got an air B and B at 9:30 at night that was a yurt. Not a great time but it's funny memories. 

I am trying to crank these blog posts out so I can catch up to real time. A lot is about to start happening since I am 9 months pregnant right now and have a conference coming up I have to speak at- Lord help me. I decided to just post the verse of the day and when I clicked on it, it actually fits this blog! "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamites. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:10. This made me remember how I actually talked a lot about God at each event we went to. Either to our partners or the public because I can't hide Jesus. There was a lot of good in some of these bad, bug ridden, rainy, cold days and I see that God strengthened me to get through them and in a cheerful mood. A cheerful mood is SO important. So when things go wrong- its OK, you're OK.  

- Nichole🌿