It was a lot darker then the photos would let you believe, close to midnight out in the country side near Duluth. Focusing through the lens is impossible, and I had to use the distance marker on the lens barrel. The first shot is a 20 second (ISO 400) exposure, the second almost 150 seconds (ISO 100), causing the clouds to streak. I manually fired an external flash a few times to illuminate the foreground. Third shot is the big dipper.

Just a few minutes before we had heard a pack of Coyotes howling, not to far away. Coyotes normally hunt alone, but will also hunt in packs for larger prey. The group howling was probably to celebrate a kill, likely a deer. I don’t think they’re interested in humans. Wolfs would be a different story though. Not sure I’d stand alone in dark out there if I thought wolves were nearby. Did you know that Minnesota has the largest wolf population (estimated at around 3,000) in the lower 48? They’ve pretty much filled up the north woods, and population is stable now as a balance between prey (deer), space, and wolves has been reached.

As it was though the only creatures interested in me standing a the river’s edge were the mosquitoes.

That’s what the counter weight is for 1/2 of the lift bridge in Duluth (there’s one on each side). The counter weights of course mean that the power required for lifting the bridge is primarily needed to overcome friction, not the actual weight of the bridge. Imagine the hole that weight would make if it were to come loose way up in the air. Not to fear, from what I’ve seen this bridge is well maintained.