Friday, June 21, 2013 Man I’m lucky I moved here yesterday. The wind has switched 180 degrees and is coming from the northeast, strong as it’s been in days. It has rained sideways all morning. I do some laundry, but it will have to wait to dry. Finally, around lunch, the rain looks like it might end as a drizzle sets in. I decide to eat peanut butter with a spoon, and it is good. I have one dry boot and one dry water shoe and no dry socks. I keep refreshing the right foot with deet to keep skeeters from a the whitest meat I got. The more I look out toward the island, the more I’m convinced there is a nicer campsite there. I vow to check it out as soon as I can, and maybe even move there. The landing here is really not conducive to easy launch and take out. I have to muscle my canoe up a steep slope each time, and ankle breakers are abundant along the shore. It’s fortunate I didn’t head to Kawnipi. The wind would have cost me enough time that I would be rushing during the good weather, not relaxing. My knees are stiff again. Could be a regular thing from here on out. Might as well get used to it. I will bring a square of foam next time so I can get in and out of the tent with less agony. The air has tuned cool, and I get into my woollies. My socks are all wet. The last few portages were strenuous enough that I decide to keep quick release aspirin in my shirt pocket from now on, and on future trips too. It works pretty good to relieve my knee pain and should be ideal for a cardiac episode. Maybe I’ll ramp up my bike training too. The aspirin has been buried in packs until now, and my long portages are all behind me. Better late than never, I reckon.
A squirrel seems to be angry at me for camping here. He is chattering and squealing like a mad rodent, back and forth along the perimeter of camp. Little bully. I’ve eaten a lot of squirrels in my day; he needs to chill and count his blessings. Finally, at about 4:00, the wind died and the drizzle ended. I get the boat out and troll up the shoreline. A nice bass hits my lure near a cliff, and gives me a great battle. This guy came completely out of the water 3 times. This was well worth the wait. I land several others before heading back to camp. I’m not great at taking photos, holding this guy behind me, which doesn't do him justice.