Spring is a crazy time for both of us, when everything is gearing up and all the kinks are getting worked out. There's nothing like taking a few days off to clear your mind and restore your sanity (well, what little I had in the first place). It's incredibly liberating to just throw some stuff in the van and drive out of cell service. In this case, it was a short excursion south and across the river to Cliff Lake.
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| Have van, will travel |
We were followed there by a steady stream of dark, drizzling clouds and a few peals of thunder. Carl took his fishing pole for a walk by the lake while the dogs and I read a book and kept an eye out for intruders. There were plenty to keep the dogs busy - somehow a whole contingent of MSU students had picked out our little corner of paradise for a massive end-of-school get-together. There were frisbees flying and ironic trucker hats by the dozen. For the most part we really couldn't hear them over the sound of the rain on the roof, and nothing exploded or caught fire that we could tell. Still, we were plenty happy when they all trickled off and left us with blissful solitude.
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| Bubba in his happy place |
There's an old road that runs from the camp ground along the lake, offering plenty of opportunities for me to dork out over the newest batch of wildflowers. If I take enough pictures, maybe one of them will actually capture the beauty of those things.
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| Shooting Star |
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| Arrowleaf Balsam Root |
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| Checkered Lily |
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| Fairy Orchid |
The cooler temperatures didn't temper the enthusiasm of our dogs for water. In true puppy fashion, Mojo plunged right in after Luna, only to discover that she was all wet and couldn't touch the ground. Her look of perplexity had us busting a gut. Lucky for her she's a natural-born swimmer. I expect she'll be a pro before long.
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| Fishing for puppies |
Thunderstorms and showers created the perfect atmosphere for a well-deserved nap.
Carl had the good sense to bring along my kayak. He tried to take it for a spin, then realized that it wasn't designed for a man-sized man. He quickly returned to shore and we switched places.
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| Carl trying out the little blue boat |
Even though it was mid-morning the water was still glassy-calm and crystal-clear. I could see trout darting away from my shadow, and watched osprey wheeling and feinting overhead.
At one point I came around a corner and surprised three river otters sitting on the bank. We stared at each other for a few moments, then they slipped into the water and started heading away.
That evening we sat in the sun and enjoyed the noise. Between the osprey and eagles fighting over fish, mergansers flapping madly over the water, fish jumping, insects humming, and trees whispering, it wasn't anywhere near silent - it was much, much better. After the sun went down we started a fire and made mountain pies, the perfect camping food. Grilled cheese for dinner, followed by blueberry for dessert.
As we stood around the coals, we looked across the campground and noticed a solitary moose on the hillside. It was small, probably a yearling, and slowly grazing along in the dusky light. We watched until it disappeared beyond the rise and the last of the light faded.
