Fall in the Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northernmost part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200. Wikipedia
Donna and I spent 3 nights in Houghton, Michigan, home to the Michigan Tech Huskies (the MIT of the midwest, according to cousin Steve, newly retired Computer Science Professor at Michigan Tech). We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Steve and Ellen, Steve's brother Chuck and his wife Mary, and Steve and Ellen's son Carl, his wife Aimee and their adorable three little girls. All of their pics are on the "Theory of Relativity" post. We did hit the peak of the fall colors, and it was gorgeous. The fall colors contrasting with the blue of Lake Superior was very beautiful.
Steve is courageously battling brain cancer, and we are so glad that we were able to spend this time with him. Steve is a "classic British sports car guy", having rebuilt an early 1970's MG many years ago, and just very recently finishing rebuilding a Triumph TR6. Both are beautiful cars, and he took Chuck and I out for a brief spin while we were there.
Steve and Ellen do contrast with the local Yoopers, as they are classic Seidels (highly educated, thoughtful and very proper in their speech). Michigan Tech is kind of an island in an otherwise fairly "salt of the earth type area". The Finnish heritage really showed up at Carl and Aimee's wedding a few years back, where they had a Finnish Polka Band provide the music. Much fun.
Donna and I spent 3 nights in Houghton, Michigan, home to the Michigan Tech Huskies (the MIT of the midwest, according to cousin Steve, newly retired Computer Science Professor at Michigan Tech). We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Steve and Ellen, Steve's brother Chuck and his wife Mary, and Steve and Ellen's son Carl, his wife Aimee and their adorable three little girls. All of their pics are on the "Theory of Relativity" post. We did hit the peak of the fall colors, and it was gorgeous. The fall colors contrasting with the blue of Lake Superior was very beautiful.
Steve is courageously battling brain cancer, and we are so glad that we were able to spend this time with him. Steve is a "classic British sports car guy", having rebuilt an early 1970's MG many years ago, and just very recently finishing rebuilding a Triumph TR6. Both are beautiful cars, and he took Chuck and I out for a brief spin while we were there.
Steve and Ellen do contrast with the local Yoopers, as they are classic Seidels (highly educated, thoughtful and very proper in their speech). Michigan Tech is kind of an island in an otherwise fairly "salt of the earth type area". The Finnish heritage really showed up at Carl and Aimee's wedding a few years back, where they had a Finnish Polka Band provide the music. Much fun.
Yooper is a form of North Central American English mostly spoken in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which gives the dialect its name (from "U.P." for Upper Peninsula). The dialect is also found in many northern areas of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and largely in Northeast Wisconsin.
Yooper differs from standard English primarily because of the linguistic background of settlers to the area. The majority of people living in the Upper Peninsula are of either Finnish, French Canadian, Flemish, Scandinavian,German, or Native American descent. Yooper is so massively influenced by these areas' languages that speakers from other areas may have difficulty understanding it. The Yooper dialect is also influenced by the Finnish language making it similar in character to the so-called "Rayncher speek" of the Mesabi Iron Range in northeast Minnesota.
Some fall pics.
Triumph TR6
The MG
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