This was our morning to go fishing with Marti. There is history for this that goes back to 2007, when we took Anna up north for the first time. I had decided that it would be nice if she had a fishing experience. Since neither Spartan1 nor I were fishermen, I contacted our friends Bob and Marti Marchino, the former owners of Clearwater Lodge, who had recently retired to their beautiful cabin on Shorts Road. And Marti agreed to take a four-year-old on her first fishing trip. We had such a lovely time! Anna caught a couple small fish, and she took to Marti immediately. They seem to have formed a bond of friendship that is really quite special.

This year the fish weren't biting in Clearwater Lake. At least, not for us. After Marti and Anna each caught one tiny fish, we decided to call it quits. We had enjoyed some lovely, quiet time on Clearwater, and we weren't going to keep any fish that she caught anyway. Anna decided, twelve years ago, that it would be a "happier ending for the fishie" if it went back into the water. Nothing appears to have changed, except that now she will handle the worms and bait her own hook.

The sky was looking a bit cloudier as we wound down our fishing trip. After we left Marti, the three of us agreed that a piece of pie from Clearwater Lodge would be a great idea. So we sat in the dining room of the historic lodge, savored some coffee and hot chocolate, and were content to call rhubarb pie our "lunch."

On our way out Clearwater Road we decided to stop by Aspen Lake and see if it looked like a possibility for a canoeing venture later in the week. We drove to the access point, looked around at the lake, and decided that we might enjoy paddling around it on another day. None of us had ever been on Aspen Lake before. It has just a few cabins on the road at one end, and the rest of the lake is undeveloped.

Anna took quite a few photos while we were there. I thought this thimbleberry and the bird's-foot trefoil were particularly nice.

On this afternoon we played another game of "Rat-a-Tat Cat". It was close between Anna and Grandpa, but this game of extended recall just isn't my thing. It could actually be said that I am just abysmal at "Rat-a-Tat Cat", and we decided it would be more fun in the future to play something else.

We enjoyed another campfire meal for our supper. Anna loves playing around in the fire and she stayed out late doing so. Grandpa and I relaxed while she was amusing herself, and she snapped this photo of us. When did I become the white-haired old lady in an Adirondack chair instead of the intrepid wilderness adventurer?

After cleaning up from the campfire meal, Spartan1 and I played a game of "Five Crowns" while Anna was showering. Then she came out and challenged me to a game of "Perquackey." This is one game Grandpa doesn't like to play. We were up quite late giggling and spelling, dropping our noisy cupful of dice onto the wood table. It didn't seem to keep Grandpa awake, though. And I was pleased to be the winner, since our granddaughter's vocabulary has developed so much that it is becoming very, very difficult to prevail anymore.