Second Day of Camping

Gary is setting up the cook tent as I type. With a fully equipped camper which includes a stove, a microwave, a refrigerator and a freezer, why do we need a cook tent? Only Gary knows.

Ranger Kevin arrived this morning with a chain saw to take care of trees that fell during yesterday's storm. All day we would find the remains of fallen trees already cut up along side the roads. That must have been some wind. The mosquitoes were swarming around Kevin and his assistant. We gave up on campground life and drove to Iron River to do some errands.

Iron River has the biggest Ace Hardware we've ever seen. Gary was there to buy some nuts and bolts while I took the opportunity to walk around some for exercise.

At Angeli's Supermarket, we got chili and some egg-rolls at the deli and took our lunch to the open court area to use the wi fi to catch up on mail. I had time to read Bettyann Moore's short story and to send her an e-mail to tell her it was perfect. I never saw the end coming and I should have. It is now posted at Black Coffee Fiction  .http://blackcoffeefiction.blogspot.com

Gary was off wandering in the grocery store for a while and came back with one of Angeli's custard pastries which we split.

I continued to work, catching up with my storytelling tour contacts. Gary went to wash the Subaru but suddenly he was back. The car was in the car wash but the keys were locked in the car. Good thing I had thought to bring mine. There is a third set but that was in the glove compartment. I razzed him good about that and told him I was saving the story for the next time I did something stupid.

Next it was St. Vinnie's where I bought two sleeveless shirts because I was hot, and put one on but it turned out to be a very, very small X-Large and looked terrible on me. But it was cooler so I wore it the rest of the day. After all, who knows me up here? Gary got two pairs of pants to wear until I can bring him his pants from home.

Gary stopped at the Miner's Bank and opened up an account to use in the Upper Peninsula. Like W.C. Fields, he'll have bank accounts all over the place. Fields didn't trust banks so he had dozens of small accounts all around the United States but forgot where they were. It is possible that is money is still resting in financial institutions.

At Schuettes store, Gary bought some citronella candles, at the Shell station gas for the generator, at Family Dollar, more small items.

At the Lake Ottawa campground, we stopped to talk to Anita, the camp hostess. At 82, she still works there every summer. We didn't stay long because the mosquitoes drove her back to her little trailer and us back to the Subaru. We'll see her later in the summer.

Back in Wisconsin, we next checked out the Lost Lake campground. The weekend is coming yet only two campsites were filled. Trillions of trilliums fill the woods along with what promises to be a bumper crop of wild strawberries.

We'll be camping there later this summer.

At the Chipmunk Rapids campground, Gary filled our water containers at the artesian well while we chatted with four other men waiting in line. It was a long process because the water runs slower every year. One of the men described four birds he had seen at Lost Lake so back we went to take another look. We did see the four birds, but way across the lake and neither of us had thought to bring our binoculars. As best as we could determine, they were scaup.

We took Fay Lake Road toward Long Lake because we've seen bears there before, but not this time.

We wound up at Fritz's in Long Lake. Fritz was living in Milwaukee when he decided it would be a good thing to own a bar and grill in Northern Wisconsin. He's been trying to sell it ever since with no success. We don't wish him ill, but Fritz has the best Friday night fish fry in the area. We pigged out on walleye dinners.

As we we drove into the Laura Lake campground we heard the bell like calls of the hermit thrushes and even later, the call of the loon. I'd love to be out there with them but the mosquitoes are still terrible. I sit here in the camper typing with the air conditioner running, trying to convince myself this is camping.

Early to bed tonight, I think.