June 2022

Last Wednesday, our crew of six sailed from Silver Bay to Two Harbors. A “nor’easter” built all afternoon, but we were “running with it,” as they say in nautical terms, moving with the waves and wind rather than against them. So, the ride was relatively smooth. If you never looked behind you, you’d never guess how big the waves were. We have a seasoned crew now, and it was a thrill for me to watch them take over at the helm, peer ahead with purpose, and start decisively spinning the wheel.

It is that time of year again (however brief it may be) that we need to be more concerned with sun safety. The sun can be dangerous year-round, but for a large portion of the time we are bundled up against the cold, and so we automatically protect ourselves against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. But this time of year brings about increased health risks, such as skin cancer.

There are invasive plants, insects, aquatic and terrestrial dwellers. Parasites and even diseases are categorized as invasive. This is a subject I struggle with because I believe we are meant to move, travel, and spread out. Evolution developed an enormous tool belt of ways to move lifeforms about our planet. From the weightlessness of a dandelion seed drifting in the wind, to the laxative effect in European buckthorn berries, we are up against true forces of nature.