Engineer Scott Robinson has worked on the harbor tugs for about a year and half. The sun shines on a fine layer of mist that glides over St. Louis Bay and the Bong Bridge on an early December day just after dawn. The mild temperatures lured people outside but the waves made it tough for the fly fishermen. Kayaking students braved high winds and cold weather to learn the craft. The ship in the background is the Luckyman, from Cyprus, which is waiting to take a load of wheat to Algeria.
Trainees can find themselves in a dangerous situation if currents change quickly.
But training under those conditions helps ensure the Coast Guard is ready to make rescues under the worst circumstances. The northern lights provide a backdrop to this illuminated farmhouse along Rice Lake Road near Duluth. Storms moved across the area but little rain fell.