Monday, July 7, 2008

Dad wanted to go to Dryden but when we woke up the water was fairly smooth. We decided to haul the kayaks to Clear Lake and paddle the creek. It took awhile to get everything packed from our lunches to our fishing gear to our kayaks. We first tried to haul both kayaks but mine was taking on too much water from its holes. It looked like a whale spouting water from its blowhole! We then took it out of the water and put it in the boat. It actually worked out pretty slick. We still couldn’t go to fast because we were still towing Scott’s kayak behind the boat. It took some tries to get it the perfect distance behind the boat.

We rode out to the entrance to the creek that flows from Clear Lake and Scott and I attempt to get into our kayaks from the boat. What a challenge! I guess I just assumed that we would hop out somewhere on a nice beach and launch our boats from there. It was either the boat or a big rock so we decided to try the boat first. I pretty much just plopped down into mine and it went well. Scott’s took a little more maneuvering but with Dad steadying his yak he was seated in no time. I was really surprised at how well it went. Mom handed us a couple of drinks and our lunch. They hung out in the opening for a little while to give us a head start. The only problem was that we got distracted almost immediately. We came to a Y and it was obvious which way to go but I could hear water running and didn’t want to miss a waterfall. It turned out to be an area the Beaver’s had dammed up and water was flowing over it toward us. I jokingly told Scott that our path probably circled back around to the other side of the beaver dam! There must have been a lake on the other side but neither one of us wanted to take the time and get out to check it out. It was a neat sound but it had made the water in that little bay really murky. We turned around and met mom and dad; So much for the head start! It was amazing! So beautiful and clear that you could see the bottom the entire way, it was obvious that we were against the current because the grass was almost laying flat the opposite direction. Surprisingly, it was a pretty easy paddle. As we paddled we drank in the beauty surrounding us. I would look up the paths that had obviously been made by various animals coming down to the creek for a drink of water. I had my camera all ready, I wanted to see a moose or a bear so badly. We were surrounded by beautiful grasses and flowers, tall trees and lots of rock cliffs. It was incredible. To my surprise the only animals we saw (besides the two flies that decided to have a drag race around my head), were two turkey vultures circling in the sky. The creek went around a curve and then around another curve and then around another curve. They were one after another and the wind had picked up a little. It was becoming a small challenge to maneuver around the curves going against the wind but it was a blast! I glanced at my watch and we had been paddling for about 40 minutes and the end was nowhere in sight. I was sure we were trying to paddle uphill but Dad and Scott both insist that there were no hills. After an hour, we were still winding around turn after turn and then we took a really sharp turn and I heard Scott who was a turn or two ahead of me yell, “I think you were right! I think this is going to circle back around to that beaver dam!” At the same time I rounded the same bin that he had. There were two 90 degree turns which seemed like they were in the opposite direction. We laughed and continued on. The logs in the creek were incredible! There were some logs that went on forever. When those trees are down you get a totally different perspective of how tall they a really are. You would look down and see the beginning of a tree and paddle and paddle and paddle and finally you would see the end. There were a couple places where there was a little island and you could choose which direction you went around the island. Of course we chose the shortest route whenever possible. One time I missed the short cut because Scott was right next to me and it was a nice short cut. He gained a lot of distance on me.

Mom and Dad caught up with us in the big boat and Dad informed us that we were a third of the way there. It had been about an hour and twenty minutes. We were hoping that he was joking! I looked ahead and it was obvious that we were approaching Clear Lake. It was hard to get excited because it could just be that we would be making yet another turn in a completely different direction. Then we came to a spot where the beavers had started to dam up the creek, we weren’t sure if the boat would get through but saw it as an opportunity to strike ahead so we continued to paddle, we could hear Mom and Dad’s discussion as Dad attempted to navigate as she steered through the beaver dam. We finally reached one of the bays of Clear Lake. Dad threw in his pole as Scott and I paddled to the end, it took a total of one hour and fifty minutes. Dad caught a northern so we paddled up to check it out. After I took his picture he tried to throw the northern on my kayak and missed splashing me and Scott’s camera (then he felt really bad but the camera was fine). Scott and I got our poles and tried to fish in our kayaks. Fortunately, we didn’t have any luck. (I’m still not sure I want to be that close to the fish!)

Suddenly Dad said to start paddling back but Scott had had too much. His feet aren’t real comfortable in that kayak so they were starting to fall asleep. I pleaded with someone else to go with me but it was of no avail. I apprehensively started upstream by myself. It was a little disconcerting because every turn you take you feel more deserted. I suddenly didn’t want to see any moose or bear! I heard something in the brush and froze (which really didn’t work because I was flowing downstream). I looked up and there was a deer staring at me so I grabbed my camera and took a picture. It didn’t turn out real well because I was still too far away. He watched me for a few minutes and then turned and bounded away.

I continued on leisurely just paddling to stay straight but not having to do much work. I started breathing again when I heard their voices and the motor running behind me. I started to paddle harder because I knew it was a long way back and I was going to be very sore, I had been in the kayak for over two hours now. I came upon that shortcut again and slid right through looking back I saw them try to take the same shortcut! I didn’t think their boat could fit through it but I continued on and suddenly it got quiet again. I started to get nervous because I couldn’t hear their motor or their voices. They had been just behind me what could have happened? I finally decided to yell for Scott. I shouted his name twice with no response. The third time I shouted I heard a loud crashing in the woods just ahead of me. My heartbeat increased because that was not a single deer. Could it be a moose or a bear? I suddenly heard a louder motor and more voices. They were getting closer but now had stopped to talk to another boater that was coming from Clear Lake. Here I am stuck in this 5 foot wide shallow creek with a huge moose ready to trample me! I started to paddle back upstream not wanting to reach the source of the loud crashing. I heard Dad say, “Be careful we have another kayak paddling just upstream from us.” I heard the other boat start up and they were coming toward me at a high speed. I could only see their heads a couple of curves back. I got off to the side and treaded water. I decided that I would let them run into the moose instead of me. As they passed me I started paddling in high gear to get passed the spot. I also heard our boat behind us so I relaxed and started to enjoy the beauty again. I also figured they would be getting impatient and would make me quit once they caught up so I started paddling hard. I was making good time. I was determined at this point to make the entire trip. They did finally catch up and they could tell that I was pretty beat. Boy was I! It took everything I had but I gritted my teeth and asked how much further I had. They said we were at least 2/3 of the way through. Scott told me I should get out because I was going to be too sore. Mom told me to hold on to the boat and they would tow me but I asked if I could finish and Dad gave the ok. I pushed on and when I could see the backdrop of mainland behind Eagle I told them to go fish the bay and I would be out in a few minutes. They went ahead and I was now completely alone in the wilderness, dead tired and still in awe by the beauty that God has made. I know I’m being a little dramatic. They had stopped less than a half mile in front of me. I could hear them discussing where I could get back into the boat at. I was feeling bad at this point because I felt like everyone was waiting for me. I took another deep breath and headed for the end of the trail. I passed the beaver dam and soon reached the entrance. I had completed the entire course in 3 hours and 36 minutes. Going back had only taken an hour (50 minutes less than upstream). I paddled up to the boat which was along side of a rock that Scott had hopped out on to help me. I climbed out of my kayak and up the rock into the boat. My legs did not work very well and were very shaky. I got into the boat while my crew got my yak loaded and I sat in a daze in the front while everyone scuttled around me. I was going to be sore tonight! It was one of the fabulous and amazing things I have ever done and can’t wait to do it again! I am so appreciative of everyone taking the time out and having the patience to let me finish!

When we got back to the cabin and had everything put away I took a couple of Motrin for the pain I knew was to come and sat in one of the comfy new chairs. The phone rang and it was Dee inviting us over for some Mexican Train. We were expecting a call from my aunt Janet who was having kidney stone operation in a couple of ours so we asked them if they could come over instead. Dad did his crazy, distract everyone strategy and beat us pretty soundly. Ron came in a close second. Janet came through the surgery ok and I wasn’t too sore. All the practicing has been paying off I guess and let’s not forget the grace of God!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

We did our doctrine together and then Dad and Scott were off to fish. Dad hired Rich, the owner of Deer Trail Lodge, to guide them to some of the walleye fishing holes. They came back with about 5 walleye (plus supposedly Dad threw a real big one back in). It was a pretty windy day. There were some good waves.

Mom and I cleaned all the windows and screens in the cabin and then started trimming trees on the hill. After they got back, the guys cleaned the fish and we went up for lunch. After lunch, Scott and I took our kayak’s out to Paradise. There were entrails on the rock to the north of the island. We headed up the southeastern side of the island because it was completely calm. We could hear the seagulls starting to arrive behind us. We saw the eagle on a dead tree but he flew away as we paddled near him. Then as we headed back I decided to see how close I could get to the loons. I didn’t do too well they started to get nervous and they ducked under the water. Then I glanced over to the seagulls and saw the eagle sitting on the rock, I motioned to Scott just as he was taking off. He flew around the entire island with a fish’s entrails in his talons and finally landed in the nest. Pretty soon he headed back and sat on the rock for quite awhile. We tried to get in close but he took off once we got within a certain distance of him. We headed in for a nice chilling bath!

PS Check out the cute little groundhog that lives somewhere near our cabin. He stopped midchew to check me out.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Mom and Dad were going to arrive so we just kind of hung around the cabin and did a little straightening. :) They showed up midmorning. Dad was all pumped up so after we unpacked everything, he and Scott got the boat all set up and put on the water. They also added some bumpers to the boat. Then the four of us went swimming about half way to the island. It was fun and about the nicest temperature that the water has been. Scott and I went kayaking after that to give them a little time to settle in. When we got back we helped Dad and Scott get all ready for their fishing excursion the next day on Eagle.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

It’s Alan and Bridget’s anniversary. I’ve been waiting all day to call them. I tried around 8:20 pm. I’ll wait a few more minutes before I try again. I still haven’t been able to wish Alan happy birthday. We finally got the phone straightened around today so I can make calls. Scott and I were just working on dishes when we saw two deer walk between Jeff and Martensen’s cabins to head down for a drink of water. Then we watched them grazing in Muse’s yard. Then the deer took off and a gray fox came trotting down the road. He stayed on the road for awhile until we lost sight of him behind our garage. It was fun. I’ll have to remember that 8:30 pm is happy hour for the animals!

We had a lazy day for most of the day. It was very cold when we woke up. We used Dad’s fireplace/heater. It did a nice job of heating up the cabin. It was windy and we could see the rain coming in from the lake. It would bring a nice light rain and then clear up. We would start to think about taking the boat out and a couple of minutes later; we would watch another front coming in over the water. After about the third one we resigned to spending the day in the cabin. We read for awhile and until the rain seemed to have passed so after lunch and a couple hands of Spite and Malice we headed for the boat. The only problem was that it was rougher than we anticipated and the wind was going pretty well. We cast and trolled around Paradise Island and then headed in. We decided that indeed we would be in the cabin most of the day. Back at the cabin we watched some CSI episodes and took a nap. Around 3 pm it started to clear up and the sun was threatening to stay out so I put on my warmer kayak clothes and we headed out. It was like a whole new day. There was still a cool breeze but the water was calm and the sun was coming in and out of the clouds. I got to choose today’s destination so we headed for the mainland south of Tivo Island. Wouldn’t you know the sun started to disappear more often than not and the waves started to get bigger? So we made it to the mainland but chucked the plan of going back by way of exploring the shores along the way. It was going to be a cold, wet paddle back. Of course back we were against the waves and the wind picked up. (It still wasn’t as big of waves as the day before!) We headed back but took a turn into the island just in front of Bear Trail Lodge. It was much quieter there and we enjoyed a paddle along Muse’s and Janie’s shores. When we got back the water had calmed way down and the sun was back out. We laid on the dock for awhile to dry off and warm up and headed up for dinner.

P.S. Chippie is getting braver and braver still chowing down on those peanuts! There was also a female mallard on our dock when I woke up this morning. My animal pictures aren’t great because they were through the screen.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Happy Canada Day! It was already 70 degrees when I woke up at 5:30 as a matter of fact it was quite warm in the cabin. I got up and opened some windows and the porch door and slept on the couch for couple more hours. When Scott woke up we ate breakfast and did a Bible study. Today we did a John tape and he’s talking about the crucifixion. The main principle I took from it was that it wasn’t important that John stood on the hill but the doctrine that he had in his soul. He focuses on the promises that had been fulfilled rather than his environment. It’s hard not to focus on the environment here. It is so relaxing. Every time we embark on a new adventure my soul rejoices in the beauty and the grace of God. I can’t help but smile. We collected all the fishing gear and headed out. The motor was having problems starting up and wouldn’t run very fast. It was also die when we idled. We cast a few times around Paradise Island and then headed to Deer Trail Lodge to buy some fresh gas. The gas we were using was from last year and Scott was afraid it was causing the problem. Once we got the new gas we were good to go. It started in one pull and moved out at a good pace. We took a little tour of the mainland a little ways passed Cabin Island. We saw an eagle who let us get right up next to him before he flew away. We casted a few and then I pulled out the fish finder watch that Scott had received as a gift. I hooked it to the pole and we discovered there just weren’t any fish there! So we moved on to Tivo Island where we found some fish but they didn’t seem to want our lures. It was a beautiful day, the sun had come out and our thermometers read about 80 degrees. We talked to a guy for Bear Trail who had two beautiful dogs in the boat with him, they both looked like labs, one black and one golden. We watched a serious Canadian fisherman pull in a small northern. He was using a big lure and really working it. We decided it was time for lunch so we thought we would troll home. That’s when it happened! I finally caught a northern. We both thought it was dead until Scott reached in to pick it up! After that we headed in for lunch.

After lunch the water was getting pretty rough but still I decided to take a kayak ride. It turned out to be the ride of my life! It took me 10 minutes to paddle out to the tip of Paradise Island. The wind was really blowing. I was getting sprayed about every third wave but I paddled on. I knew that if I could just get around to the other side it would be a calm ride in with not a lot of paddling. After 10 more minutes I hit the southwest end of the island. It was like I suddenly hit the ocean. The waves were incredible (for Eagle Lake) but they were crashing into the shore. When I turned to go around the island, I would get stuck in the swells and water would crash into my kayak. I was actually scared but tried to continue to think. I knew then that I had to paddle against the waves and angle away from the island toward the other end. That worked much better but the waves were doing this crazy “mixer” thing. Every once in awhile I would get turned sideways or pushed by a wave and it would crash onto my kayak. I was sure I was going to capsize. I kept the beach in view through the corner of my eye so that if I did capsize I could swim to it. I continued to angle away from the island until I was passed it. The waves were still huge and there were tons of whitecaps. I wasn’t going to get the calm side like a thought! Now I had to somehow do an 180 degree turn so that I could go with the waves and not get caught in the swells. Once I did that I started riding the waves back toward the cabin. It did start to calm down at the end of the island and when I turned around the tip, I found Scott in his kayak and the water was pretty calm over there. When we looked back toward Tivo Island you could see the whitecaps, it was a lot rougher over there. Then we looked to the southwest sky and saw a storm moving in so we hightailed it back to the dock. As we were pulling in the wind started in again and the waves got rough again. It was throwing water over the last two sections of the dock. After we secured everything we took our baths and then sat on the dock to watch the storm. There was some massive cloud to ground strikes over toward the northwest that were cool to watch. Then the wind picked up and the lightening began to circle around toward us so we headed into the cabin. After picking up we sat down to do some reading and listen to the storm. It was a real pretty rainfall and didn’t last much more than a half hour. As I was sitting in the chair, I saw a man walk by our front door so Scott went to check it out. It was a furniture delivery guy from Orr, Minnesota looking for Jeff Grove. We called Ron and Dee and met them at Jeff’s cabin. They had sent this old guy to deliver this heavy furniture without even a dolly! Scott and I ended up carrying the chest inside because this guy couldn’t even lift one end of it. They had also delivered a bunk bed for the kids and some beautiful chairs for the front deck. We visited with Ron and Dee for a while and then headed back to the cabin as a light rain started to fall. It doesn’t seem like it will amount to much!

It’s 7 pm and we are going to heat up some leftovers and who knows maybe a game of cards…

Monday, June 30, 2008

I think I slept for ten hours last night. I didn’t fully wake up until 8:30 this morning. My arms were feeling better until I typed my blog entry from the day before. They started to cramp again. I took two more ibuprofen and they have been tolerable for most of the day; Just a twinge of pain here and there. It was already 70 degrees when I woke up this morning so it must not have been too cold last night. There has been a nice breeze all day which helped keep the mosquitoes to a minimum. We just had a lazy morning; sitting around talking or reading. After lunch (leftover soup), we headed down to the dock. It was sunny with a cool breeze. It couldn’t have been a nicer day. Scott took my kayak for a short spin to test it out. We worked on clearing off the beach some more. I found a lot of hard but mushy little, black slimy things and just as many white wormlike bugs with a brown head and legs. I would be interested to know what they were. I killed a few bloodsuckers that must have just hatched in the muck on shore. We chopped and pulled some of the weeds and grass along the shoreline. Mommy Ducky came by with her 8 babies and an eagle flew over. I was really worried we would have a repeat of the “Dianne” incident when the eagle swooped down in front of Scott, Janet and I and had one of the babies for a snack but the eagle flew on. We fed the ducks a couple of pieces of bread. The water was pretty rough and had whitecaps most of the day. (P.S. When I ran up to get some bread for the ducks, I almost stepped on Chippie Redbud. He was so busy eating he wasn’t watching, he saw me at the last second and took off. I think it really freaked him out although he did come back later and finish them.)

Then we hooked the little boat up to the truck and headed to Deer Trail. He backed Scott into the water. He patiently talked us through the entire process and waited for Scott when the motor wasn’t starting. He took great care of us and we really appreciated it. While they were doing that I followed the rocks around so that I could see Barker’s cabin. Their boat house was open so I was wondering if Cameron’s had arrived. I would have called checked but we can’t use the phone right now. There was a mix up with the phone company and our package wasn’t activated. I can’t use the phone until tomorrow. I feel very badly because it’s my brother’s birthday and I wanted to call him and wish him happy birthday. He has been on my mind off and on all day. I’m sad to think that because of various circumstances we won’t be up here together any more. I always miss him when we are up here; we had so much fun when we were younger. I have many memories that I will always treasure but more importantly I want him to know how blessed I am to have him in my life. I love who he has become and I love how he loves God. I love how comfortable I feel around him. I know that he will always be there for me. I guess birthdays aren’t the only times to say those things! Love you, Al! Sorry I missed your birthday.

Anyway Scott brought the boat back to the dock and we got it all tied up. It ended up being a waste of time to get it out today because at this point the whitecaps are in full force – too dangerous for that little boat. BUT not too dangerous to take my kayak for a spin!!! I decided to stick close to shore to begin with so I went around the peninsula by Deer Trail and as my confidence built and turned west and headed out for open sea. I decided I would go parallel to Paradise Island and then ride the waves back to the dock. I didn’t want to send my arms into shock again! I was doing great, it was a blast. The waves make it extra fun! Suddenly the wind picked up even more, not only were there whitecaps but there were now “wind ripples”. It took everything I had but I paddled a few more feet to reach my goal. I let the wind turn me back to shore and started to paddle. It was bizarre! It was like I wasn’t even moving. I couldn’t hear the wind. I could see the waves but when I paddled it was like I was like they didn’t work. It was an eerie feeling almost like the still of a tornado but the wind really was blowing. I paddled in to shore and told Scott he had to try. So he went out a ways and tried it only after a couple of strokes back he quit and laid down on the kayak and floated back in. That was weird too because it took forever for him to get back.

It was one of those lazy days! We just hung out on the dock after that. I daydreamed and watched the water, the island, the boats and the birds. It’s so easy to see the grace of God lying on a dock surrounded by all that beauty with not a care in the world. Scott read his book. Around 5:30 pm we carried a few more buckets of muck to the burn pile and raked the beach again. The wind was stirring everything up so I’m sure we’ll have to redo it in the morning but at least it will be easier. We took our baths and I washed some clothes. The water wasn’t warm but it is getting more bearable. Scott even swam out to the rock. After that we fixed dinner and watched a couple of CSI episodes. It’s after 9pm and just starting to get dark. The water has calmed a little but still not worth going down to kayak. Scott also said that the mosquitoes are getting thick again. I’m excited for our next grand adventure tomorrow and will go to bed thanking God for our pleasant day and safety…

Sunday, June 29, 2008

I’m actually writing this Monday morning. I don’t think I even could have last night. My forearms and wrists were cramping to the point of tears. I took two Motrin before I went to bed…

After we were both awake and alert Sunday morning, Scott and I had bacon and pancakes and then did our Bible Study. The lesson was on David and a great reminder of how important it is to self evaluate and then move on. We decided to try and get the truck unstuck. Not only did we make the ruts bigger but the front tires also began to dig in. Our last attempt was to put some boards under the tires. It still didn’t work, but as we were trying, the Groves and Durbins came along. Jim offered to pull us out with his truck. Using a ski rope as a chain, we were out in a couple of minutes! After visiting for a little while, we went to the Coop in Vermillion and picked up a couple of groceries. After looking at prices it reaffirmed our decision to bring most of our groceries from the United States. On our way home we stopped at Gold’s Deer Trail Lodge and bought our fishing licenses from Ruth. We both bought a one year conservation license that were about $40 (actually they were more because of the exchange rate). I gave her a $100 and it was only worth about $97. We set up a tab, talked to her about using their garbage bin and putting our little boat in and headed back for the cabin.

When we got back we made some sandwiches and Scott decided to take a nap. I cleaned up a little and headed down to the beach. I cleaned up about 5 bucketfuls from the beach and decided to take my kayak out. I hollered up to Scott who indicated that he wanted to go with me (big mistake!) Today our goal was to go a little farther so we headed out for Tivo Island. The water was choppier than it had been the day before and you could see a whitecap every once in a great while but we paddled on finally reaching our destination. It was fun. An eagle flew over us about half way there. I tried to take a picture but it took too long getting the camera out of the dry bag. I took a picture of Scott instead. We decided to go around the island before we headed back. When we reached the southwest side of the island we were discussing whether to swing back by way of Paradise Island or just head straight back. The my brilliant husband suggests we go to the next island further southwest saying things like “it’s not that far” and “we’ll be fine”. Of course me being the realistic logical one was saying things like “we have two weeks we need to pace ourselves” and “are you sure we’ll be able to move tomorrow” but of course my competitive side and my joy for kayaking won out. Oh we had a grand adventure but I was destined to pay for it! As we passed the wind block of the island the waves got bigger and the wind picked up but we paddled on. The waves were splashing the bow of my kayak and spraying my face. It was a blast. When we arrived to the island we decided we should get out and stretch our legs. The problem was that there were rock shelves all around the island that dropped off into the unknown. We circled the entire island stopping to talk to some fishermen and take some pictures of the ducks, not finding a good exit point. On the north side of the island, there were a couple of houses and a dock with boats. I was surprised; I guess I had never been on that side of the island.

We decided to head for the beach on Paradise Island to stretch our legs. We were in for a big surprise when we lost the protection of the island. The wind had picked up and there were lots of whitecaps. It was a battle the entire way. I wasn’t sure if I would make it but I did. We got out of our boats and looked at dead fish bones that were all over the place, took a couple of pictures and then headed back. At this point it was just a matter of survival, each man for himself. Paddle with all your might. Finally home sweet home we both beached our kayaks and just sat there! It was quite awhile before we disembarked.

By now it was 7pm and I started our Zuppa Tuscana soup while Scott ran to Kleinpeter’s and got us some water. We put the small boat back into the garage locked up and were carried in by the mosquitoes. They aren’t terrifying yet but they weren’t pleasant either. While the soup was cooking we headed down for our baths. The water was not any warmer than before. It was painful to emerge but better after the first dip. After dinner, we watched to CSI Episodes and started to prepare for bed. That’s when it happened! My arms started to cramp. The pain would shoot from my wrist all the way up my arm but my forearms hurt the most. I whimpered as Scott twisted the cap off my water and helped me into bed.

By the way, I fed chippie. He was starving. He sat there and shelled them and ate them and didn’t even bother stuffing them into his mouth. I will give him more today. I have named him “Chippie Redbud” after his orange hair on his bottom half.