Built in a late 12th century Norwegian stave church style, the Boynton Chapel in Door County was handcrafted by Winifred and Donald Boynton. Winifred learned woodcarving and fresco techniques as they worked on the chapel. There are numerous carvings like the dragon arch of the doorway, fifty-two gargoyles under the eaves, the twelve apostles, carved pews, raised pulpit, altar and baptismal font. Winifred Boynton also painted forty-one frescoes which decorate the interior.
Boynton Chapel
Another summer weekend will have people visiting parks, including Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which make the news last month when some boaters captured video of a 200 foot part of the cliff that broke off and fell into Lake Superior. The cliffs in the park range from 50 feet to 200 feet above the lake. In 2019, a group of kayakers narrowly escaped injury from another collapse of the cliffs.
Cliffs at Pictured Rocks
The native wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) dangling blooms provide food for the ruby throated hummingbirds and other pollinators. The flower stalk grows one to three feet tall with one to two inch flowers. The genus name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word for eagle as the flower petals resemble an eagle’s sharp talons. And its common name of columbine comes from the Latin for dove as the flower petals looks like five doves nested together. So looking like an eagle or dove might depend on how far the blossom is open as this one looks more claw than dove to me.
Wild Columbine
The sandy dunes at Whitefish Dunes, along the shore of Lake Michigan, has evidence of settlers as early as 100 B.C. and one of the later groups was the Late Woodland People who occupied this area around A.D. 800-900. As many as fifty wigwams like this one, were occupied from spring through late fall for the fishing season before they traveled to their winter hunting camps.
Wigwam of the Late Woodland People
The second keeper at the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse for 35 years was Civil war veteran Captain William Duclon who lived there with his wife, Julia, and seven sons. She wanted to give her children a musical education and taught her sons how to play the Rosewood piano which William paid a month’s pay for it. The boys formed their own band and were favorite entertainers in the area. They would take the piano with them by removing the legs to get it out of the lighthouse.
Traveling Lighthouse Piano
The Dwarf Lake Iris isn’t easy to spot since the flower stem is only about two inches tall and it is also a federally threatened species. Found around the shoreline of the Great Lakes, its habitat has been reduced by shoreline development so it can be a rare treat to find this wildflower.
Dwarf Lake Iris
Another hot day has people heading for the water and a sail on Green Bay is one way to cool off during the long holiday weekend.
Sailing on a Schooner
The sky tonight was filled bursting lights from fireworks and in some places, nature’s lightning added to the sky show.
Fireworks on the Fourth
With the temperature predicted to be in the 90s tomorrow and being the holiday weekend, this beach probably will have a lot more visitors enjoying cooler waters of Lake Michigan. Whitefish Dunes State Natural Area preserves the largest Great Lakes dunescape in Wisconsin. The area consists of active and stabilized sand dunes, including Old Baldy, the tallest dune which rises 93 feet above lake level.
Beach at Whitefish Dunes
The feeding young ducks are enjoying the water and with the warm holiday weekend, there probably will be more people playing in the water too.
Feeding Ducks
