On Sunday morning, Sam, Katie, Matt, and I drove to Soudan (between Tower and Ely) to the Soudan Underground Mine State Park. We rode in the same cage that miners did down the shaft 1/2 of a mile, then rode in rail cars over 3/4 a mile to the last "stope" that miners drilled and blasted for iron ore.
In a dark cavern a half mile underground surrounded by hard rock, the guide turned the lights off and used a candle and turned on the air drills miners used to illustrate how dim and loud it was to work in the mines. You really develop a respect for the hard work and tough working conditions they labored through, and that's without actually lifting rock or running the tools or working in ever-present dust that was in the air for 12 hours a day. What a relief it must have been to come up to the surface everyday! For those who hate baling hay, that would have been a vacation of fresh air and sunshine to these guys! (I knew there was a reason I always liked baling hay).
After supper with Grandma Senich, Kate, Sam, and I picked raspberries from Matt's garden. I assure you there are few better things to do on a cool summer evening than eating and picking raspberries right out of the garden. Afterward, we picked up Kate's friend Kris and went to the Hull Rust Mineview to walk and play disc golf and watch the sun set. We waited around for the meteor shower, but we didn't see it. Life is still good though.
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