Friday, June 20, 2025 I slept well and woke to another beautiful, cool morning. I boil my water and take my coffee over to the "Chairs" to take in the morning. As I enjoy the morning, listening to the chickadees and White-throated Sparrows and watching a snowshoe hare hop around me without any fear, my thoughts turn to my sister and the last time I saw her. My sister was a fighter, and I know she wanted to beat cancer. I told her it was okay to go. She didn't need to fight anymore. As I talked to her, I could see tears around her eyes. I know she could hear me. I don't want my last memory of my sister to be looking at her dying in hospice care—but I know I would have regretted not being there. For breakfast, I made instant steel-cut oats and my dehydrated eggs with Canadian bacon. Over the years, I've gotten rid of the freeze-dried meals and dehydrated all of my meals. It looks like everyone has left, and I'm the only one left on the lake. I plan on fishing the rest of the day. My main goal is finding walleye. The first time I stayed on Gebe, I caught several walleye over 24 inches, but subsequent visits have yielded nothing, despite fishing all day. Today seems to follow the pattern. Gebe is definitely a great smallmouth bass lake, but finding walleyes has been quite a challenge. Gebe also has whitefish, but I don't know how to fish for them during the summer. I give it a shot anyway. I put on a small Kastmaster with some added weight and troll over the deepest section of the lake. After a few minutes, I've hooked a fish. My heart races, and I anticipate catching a whitefish for the first time, only to be disappointed when I discover I've caught only a small bass. Tomorrow, my plan is to head to Oyster Lake, my final campsite before I exit. The forecast is calling for storms throughout the night and up until 5:00 a.m. When the wind is bad, it's usually an easy decision to stay put and be safe. When thunderstorms roll in, you're at the whim of nature. You can take some precautions, but ultimately you are at the mercy of nature. Why solo? I've been asked this question many times. You have to have something to go back to. Take stock of your life. Challenge yourself physically and mentally. For me, it's been mostly a mental game. Can you stand being by yourself for an extended period of time? Being alone and being lonely are very different. Being alone can test your mettle.