Come Back Summer Warmth - MAC ISLAND (LAKE OF THE WOODS) - Day Sixty One

Yesterday was a true August day. The blue sky stretched in all directions, the wind blew down the lake, and there was a bite to the air - that chill reminding us that we are in the late days of summer. After a morning paddle through some choppy water, we could not resist the open rocks and perfect hammock trees we found here. The only warmth on the island is on the flat rock by the water in the full sun - otherwise it is time to unpack the cozy layers.

The wind was blowing right to our point, a good sign that the fish too would have drifted in towards us. In his excitement to fish, Erik hopped out and left the boat loaded by the shore. Within a few casts, he reeled in our first fish of the day and soon had a second bass to fry up for lunch. That's two full filets and some deep fried extras each. That's a darn fine lunch. And there's nothing like a little fish to go with the full bottle of oil it was cooked in!

We woke up today to a day that was no longer August but instead a chilly Thanksgiving morning. The howling North wind kept us in camp and the temperatures left us in the tent. When we ventured out for breakfast we wore our long johns and sweaters and jackets and toques. We drank mugs of hot cocoa and hot apple cider, keeping a stoked fire for the day to keep the water boiling.

Despite packing up camp in a short window of calm water, the lake was white capping as soon as we were set to go. So we retreated to the other end of the island and crafted for the afternoon. Erik is finishing his wooden eagle and I used some clay we've been carrying since the Rainy River along with colourful crayfish claws to make some little designs.

Our pleasant afternoon was followed up with some delicious fettuccini and then not one, but two cakes baked in the embers. There's something so awesome about getting a fluffy lemon poppy seed cake by piling coals on top of a pot. Now it's time to cozy into our sleeping bags and hope summer returns tomorrow so we can paddle into Kenora!