I was up at 7:30. No hurry today. Today is our layover day, so we had a morning fire (Julie likes a morning fire). We have coffee, tea, and breakfast, all very leisurely. Followed by wood gathering, reading and napping. The string hammock had been strung up for the later. It was an absolutely beautiful day -- partly cloudy, very warm, a nice breeze -- a perfect day for a layover.

This is a very nice campsite. The tent pads are limited but adequate for our needs. However, there are lots of “areas”. Pine trees dominate with nice shady areas under them. There are areas for the tarp, clothesline, hammock, dishwashing area, sitting places, and lots of area to spread out into. There are many trails to explore. Much of the woods behind camp is carpeted with moss. Firewood is plentiful. The air is perfumed with pine needles. This site is also covered with blueberry bushes, but there are no blueberries on them. It looks like a very bad year for blueberries. I haven’t seen one in the BWCA on any trip this year. I wonder if this will make the bears more troublesome in the fall.

The resident loons are very comfortable with us, often appearing just yards off our campsite. Beavers, too, make appearances late in the afternoon.

At some point I know we had a swim. I’m also certain I made a few casts from shore, but as usual I don’t catch anything. Later we paddle around Emerald Lake just to “explore” our lake. It is small. Our site is on the “good”, deep end where the water has the emerald tint. The other end is marshier, and though the water still has a greenish tint, it is more algae-ish.

Supper was Lipton Teriyaki Noodle Side Dish spiked with dehydrated hamburger.

Ten o’clock rolls around – my bedtime. The pattern for this trip is: to bed at 10 and up at 7. I read a bit before sleeping.