August 23, 2026 The Home of the Deer

It’s easy to leave the campsite when it actually is a campsite. This morning, birds were bright and we were happy to greet them. The grass was relatively dry. The humidity felt low, so we avoided needing the comedy of trying to dry our tents, sleeping bags and gear. We could organize our belongings on a picnic table. We didn’t need to start our morning on hands and knees gathering, folding and stuffing. Also we had the comfort and luxury of an outhouse. Finally we packed our boat and stepped into it from a dock.

8:00 AM We were on the lake. Johan wanted his grandmother to count his strokes. He soon strove for 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000.

I had no need to keep track of such heroic endeavors. I watched the houses on shore grow from occasional cottages to shoulder to shoulder near-mansions. The lawns went from a little parched to carefully mowed grass. Signs increased from private property, to keep off , to something about prosecution, and then I saw the ridiculous banner proclaiming that everything Trump said was true.

I turned toward Johan who had exhausted himself and wanted to take a nap. I wondered how did we get to this point in history making it possible for a 9 year old to inherit a failing country?

We began to slow. Johan couldn’t make himself paddle. Anne pulled off to let him rest. We ate a little lunch. There were a number of recreational vehicles in the water. Ski boats, jet boats. Pontoons. None of them human propelled, except for us.

Losing full power from Johan, we would not make it to the dam. This will be another day with no current to assist us. Where could we land our boat? We were near two islands. Anne decided the far island was better. Scouting it made me think it was impossible or at least unwise.

She (I guess we) rammed the bow into the island. The sharp wedge steadied the boat long enough to wrestle the three heavy packs out. Our passage into the island seemed impossible. The shore was non-existent. It was ringed with trees. We had to negotiate slippery rocks and the three heavy packs. We must get around them and drag them up. The island was heavily forested. Somehow, I can’t even speculate how, we got all of our packs up and into the forest. Johan fell a couple of times. That was par for him. He seems indestructible.

We wedged the canoe into a slot and pitched the tent. Jetboil food went down quickly . We were off to sleep in time to hear two deer huff at us. This was their home.