Sunday, August 28, 2011

The night before, DS had wanted to sleep right in his hammock. I was OK with that, but not willing to deal with skeeters/flies in my own hammock nearby, so DS opted to come in the tent with me.

Needless to say, when his alarm went off at 4am, he opted to keep sleeping :) We did get up around 5:15 and DS was paddling for the food pack before 6am.

The lake was even MORE like glass if that is possible. It was so still, you could see a film on the top of the water and all the bugs moving to and fro. I'm not sure I've seen anything that still before. It looked like a solid, not a liquid and there we were paddling out on top of it, every stroke ruining the surface with ripples.

As we approached the entry point portage, mini-tornadoes of mist were rising from the lake in that last cove. They were only about 3 inches in diameter, and maybe 3-5 feet high. I tried in vain to capture them on film, but they are burned into my memory. Very cool!
DS portaged to the car without complaint - maybe because he knew we'd be dining at the Chocolate Moose for breakfast! Always a motivator to know you're gonna get a good meal without needing to rehydrate something :)

A meal, some Piragis shopping, and a drive home on 169, past Lake Mille Lacs to avoid the I35 traffic. A shorter trip than intended, but precious nevertheless. I treasure the memories and photos still!
The ride home was long, if uneventful. I had time to replay the trip in my mind and savor the memories. I loved that DS had a million things he wanted to do - climb trees, swim, fish, read, make fires, eat... repeat! I loved the smiles over Yahtzee! and the hammock tricks and the swimming. I loved DS's sense of humor as he peed on an imaginary latrine :) or dressed backwards and posed for a picture. I am determined that we will CATCH A FISH there some day together; and filet it and eat it up.
I know this was supposed to be "DS's" pre-middle-school BWCA trip, but if I'm honest, I also know that the trip is really for me. To mark time in his life while I still have him at home - before he gets too grown up and too busy to paddle with his family. I cherish these times and he knows it, and he goes for me, if for no other reason. I will be eternally grateful for that. Maybe, just maybe, some of this magical place will rub off on him - he may not admit it yet, but I suspect it's already happened.
Just as soon as the trip was over, I was looking forward to "the next time", which I guess will be dad's turn before high school and my turn before college. That is both too far away AND much too close!
Thank you son - I love you with all my heart!