I’m sitting in the Pizza Hut in Virginia, MN waiting for my order to come.

I didn’t have the third rum last night. A turtle walked up to me and said it wasn’t a good idea. Well, … it really didn’t SAY anything, but a turtle did walk up to me in camp. So did a second one a little later. They walked around me test digging for a place to lay their eggs. The two of them were still doing it when I went to bed at 9:00pm.

I got up at 4:45am to a beautiful morning. I chewed some jerky as I packed up and was on the water at 5:30am.

The paddle out was uneventful. I saw a couple beavers and a few ducks. I met up with a group entering on my final portage to the parking lot. I finished that portage at 8:15am. I did not see many people at all on this trip. Unusual since I have always considered LIS North a popular entry point.

I drove to Ely for a shower at VNO and to chat with the folks there for a few minutes. I learned there was a lightning strike caused fire east of Shell Lake. That is why the FS plane was buzzing around the area.

………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6:00pm

I arrived home at 5:45pm. The drive was uneventful, although when I stopped in Osseo at 4:00pm the temperature was 96 degrees! Hot day.