Cool weather persists again this morning. Aurora has gotten pretty adapt at properly building a fire and does so again today. Yesterday was a fairly busy travel day and, being a little tired and sore, Aurora says she just wants to stay close to camp today. Since she wasn't properly involved in pre-trip planning I quickly concede to this course of action. So, I proceed to process some of the downed cedar around the site.

Aurora had received a new flint & steel this past Christmas. Since we're spending the day in camp I decide to work on some outdoor skills with her. Initially she gets frustrated, as there is a protective coating on the flint that needs to be scraped off before it will spark. But, eventually she gets the hang of it. Also, there is a compass on the end and it has a whistle too. I tell her if something where to ever happen to me on a trip that she should blow the whistle until somebody comes to help. So, always keep this tool close by.

Later, I leave Aurora to her own devices and retreat to the cozy confines of the hammock. I continue reading my book (from Word on Fire) about Joseph Ratzinger. It feels good to just enjoy the silence of this beautiful day and relax into the moment.

As the afternoon wares on, I succumb to the increasing weight on my eyelids and eventually doze off for awhile. Upon crawling out a couple hours later I am both astonished and extremely proud to discover that, while I was resting, Aurora had been able to boil her own water, prepare her own lunch (Mac 'n' Cheese) and keep herself responsibly entertained without any assistance. The wonders of wilderness!

The Ritz crackers were such a hit the other evening, I'm surprised they've lasted this long. I dig out the remaining sleeve and serve them with some cheese and summer sausage slices as a tasty afternoon snack. We keep ourselves entertained playing several different games throughout these afternoon hours and I note that Aurora hasn't changed out of her pajamas all day. Definitely a lazy day!

We never even make it out on the water today. Still, it was a great day of enjoying each others company and recuperating from the tough portages yesterday and resting up for a busy travel day tomorrow. The temperature has been increasing slightly the past few days and the weather radio says we may get back to the balmier conditions in the near future. We stay up and do a little star gazing tonight before retiring for the evening.