Next morning dawned sunny but still windy. Since this was a planned layover day, it was a leisurely morning. Now having “dinner for breakfast”, I got a fire going and cooked up our steaks with grilled onions and peppers. Nothing says vacation like having a glass of wine with “breakfast”!

Given the wind, we decided a relaxed day in camp sounded like a good idea. Found a couple trees to hang the hammock and mainly spent the day soaking in the beauty of nature around us. Both of us have pretty hectic jobs, so being able to unplug and just be was a wonderful feeling. At least the sun was out so we could soak up the rays. Temps were in the low 60s, so it was a little cool for going swimming, particularly with the wind.

We had a trio of mice that lived in the woodpile around the fire grate who came out and entertained us for chunks of the day. They enjoyed scurrying up and over the grate.

Around 3pm, the wind finally broke and a hushed silence overtook the area. It was amazing to realize how much “noise” the wind brought, particularly driving the water against the coastline. Only saw one canoe go past all day.

Dinner was a homemade dehydrated meal that turned out surprisingly well. Also figured out that a panful of cold lake water worked perfectly for chilling the no-bake cheesecake. The clear night sky led to a touch of stargazing, but soon the sleeping bags were calling. Our lone wolf was back again tonight, joined by a chorus of loons. With the wind down, it was a totally different experience as mother nature seemed to come alive.

~Long Island Lake