Day 5 – Vermilion Dam Lodge
If you’ve ever lived in Minnesota, you’ve seen the t-shirts or the bumper stickers that proclaim that the state bird is actually not the loon, but the mosquito. We’ve all had backyard barbecues and weekend campouts spoiled by swarms of those pesky, persistent little bloodsuckers. And so, when planning our trip to Lake Vermilion, I try to keep my expectations in check (no matter what, there will be mosquitoes) and to pack accordingly (long pants and plenty of bug spray).
Mosquitoes are a nuisance, but on this trip we’ve all encountered something much more sinister: biting flies. They don’t bother us when we’re outside, but when we retreat indoors, we discover constellations of angry, itchy red welts from our foreheads, scalps, ears and necks, to our midriffs, to our calves and toes. I’ve got the Big Dipper on my back. And Clare, bless her heart, has the North Star right under her left eye. Bug spray helps a bit, but we douse ourselves in it and the painful red bites still seem to multiply.
The guys took the boat out this morning, while Gram, Sue and I took the kids on our annual canoe trip down Nine Mile Creek to the Vermilion River. Kate paddled with me, and Anneke had her own kayak. The little kids – Natalie, Charlie and Clare – handled themselves beautifully, sitting calmly in the canoes, enjoying the ride, dipping their hands in the water, singing along to “On Top of Old Smokey” and watching out for wildlife. Clever Natalie was the first to spot the mama loon – her nest had moved farther down the creek since last year – and we all got a good look at her while staying far enough away and trying not to alarm her.
The breeze picked up while we were out on the creek, and dark clouds blew in. And just as we got back to the cabin, the skies opened up for a summer shower. It sprinkled on and off through the rest of the afternoon, so we stayed inside and played games with the kids.
Tonight, there was a fish-fry at the lodge, and Clare had three huge helpings of fish, plus two hot dogs. Gramp, Keith and Peter caught 10 more big sunfish today, so we’ll have those for dinner tomorrow; I hope they caught enough for Clare.
If you’ve ever lived in Minnesota, you’ve seen the t-shirts or the bumper stickers that proclaim that the state bird is actually not the loon, but the mosquito. We’ve all had backyard barbecues and weekend campouts spoiled by swarms of those pesky, persistent little bloodsuckers. And so, when planning our trip to Lake Vermilion, I try to keep my expectations in check (no matter what, there will be mosquitoes) and to pack accordingly (long pants and plenty of bug spray).
Mosquitoes are a nuisance, but on this trip we’ve all encountered something much more sinister: biting flies. They don’t bother us when we’re outside, but when we retreat indoors, we discover constellations of angry, itchy red welts from our foreheads, scalps, ears and necks, to our midriffs, to our calves and toes. I’ve got the Big Dipper on my back. And Clare, bless her heart, has the North Star right under her left eye. Bug spray helps a bit, but we douse ourselves in it and the painful red bites still seem to multiply.
The guys took the boat out this morning, while Gram, Sue and I took the kids on our annual canoe trip down Nine Mile Creek to the Vermilion River. Kate paddled with me, and Anneke had her own kayak. The little kids – Natalie, Charlie and Clare – handled themselves beautifully, sitting calmly in the canoes, enjoying the ride, dipping their hands in the water, singing along to “On Top of Old Smokey” and watching out for wildlife. Clever Natalie was the first to spot the mama loon – her nest had moved farther down the creek since last year – and we all got a good look at her while staying far enough away and trying not to alarm her.
The breeze picked up while we were out on the creek, and dark clouds blew in. And just as we got back to the cabin, the skies opened up for a summer shower. It sprinkled on and off through the rest of the afternoon, so we stayed inside and played games with the kids.
Tonight, there was a fish-fry at the lodge, and Clare had three huge helpings of fish, plus two hot dogs. Gramp, Keith and Peter caught 10 more big sunfish today, so we’ll have those for dinner tomorrow; I hope they caught enough for Clare.
If I were there I'd be sure to get plenty of biting fly bites!! Are they like the no-see-ums in Florida?
ReplyDeleteGrandma