I won't pretend that my daily life is blog-worthy by any means -- most days are some combination of the same thing. So to keep things interesting and to jump-start the memories, I figured I would start blogging again by posting about highlights from my year of absence.
I'm going to start with our trip to the Boundary Waters (also known as my first-ever canoe trip).
Let me start by saying this: everyone should go to the Boundary Waters as much as they can. It is such an intimate and glorious way to experience the wilderness and I cannot wait to get back out there again.
Now that I've said that, I also have to admit that our first couple of hours out there was pretty much a comedy of errors. Like, one of those buddy cop movies where things get worse and worse and you can only laugh. See this?
Within a minute of taking this picture, both dog and husband were in the water. Clyde couldn't wait to get in the water, and in his excitement created a domino effect that ended with a big shove to Jamie much to the amusement of seasoned canoers around us. By the time we got out in the canoe Clyde's excitement hadn't abated and a 60lb dog running back and forth on a canoe isn't the most fun for someone (me) who had never canoed before.
We "pulled over" and tried rearranging things a bit putting Clyde up front with me rather than having his way in the middle of the canoe. This was much more successful as we quickly learned that Clyde had just been trying to get to me the whole time...once there he just went to sleep with his head in my lap.
Once making it to land for our first portage, we strapped on our hiking boots. I took my first step and the sole of my boot came off. Incredulous, I took another step to get to a rock and investigate when the sole of the other boot came off. I no longer had hiking boots and I had only taken two steps of an estimated many miles. We forged on -- for the first time I was grateful for my thick-soled Incan feet.
The second important lesson I learned was to never trust Jamie when he told me it was safe to walk somewhere.
Shortly after this picture was taken, I was fully submerged in the water (Clyde jumped in after me because he's a good boy) because Jamie assured me that the grass on the right which is clearly floating ON TOP of the water, was solid ground. Despite my proving it was not to him with an oar, he still insisted that I step on it to get in the canoe. Those pants were wet for the rest of the trip. Jamie was sheepish for the next couple of hours.
Despite all of this, it was still an incredible day and totally worth it.
We spent four days out there, with each night at a campsite even more picturesque than the last. We had a whole island to ourselves in Lake Cherokee and I don't think I had ever seen Clyde happier -- he had a forest to run and lake to swim at his disposal.
We enjoyed the solitude together and took in the incredible feeling of being in a place so quiet and pristine.
We managed to make it the entire trip without tipping the canoe in a lake (the one time it did sort of tip was when we parked it and Jamie was about to get back in, but I'm not counting that) and without any of our gear lost to the lakes. Clyde did lose some his treats from his treat bag, but I like to think that was just him sharing food with the fish.
Ultimately, we paddled and portaged SO many miles...
...but the incredible scenery made those miles fly by. That, and the fact that Jamie carried the canoe by himself when we portaged. He assured me it was easier that way, but I'm not so sure...
Boundary Waters gets two enthusiastic thumbs and four fuzzy paws up!
