Pictures from the canoe camping trip

Below are a few pictures from our canoe camping trip. There will be more in the coming days. Here you see Rick making a really tasty breakfast on our last day with what was left from the past three days. It is amazing what you can come up with using only "what's left."

There is a picture of Caryl sitting by the fire, Ginger in her kayak and a view of our campsite. A HUGE tree had fallen several years back and the New York State DEC, which manages this area, cut it into sitting benches and makeshift tables.

I truly feel sorry for those people who cannot appreciate what a canoe camping trip can do for your soul. When you are surrounded by people you enjoy being with, in a beautiful wilderness setting, with loons to serenade you (What? You don't know what a loon is??? Friend, you need counseling to get your priorities straightened out.), and with time on your hands to really concentrate on having a good time - there is nothing finer in life, trust me on that one.

The day we paddled in to our campsite was an extremely windy day with waves over two feet high. My trusty Wenonah kevlar canoe just sliced right through the waves like they weren't even there. Rarely do I trust anyone in the stern of my canoe, especially with those treacherous conditions. I asked Caryl, as we started out, "Which do you prefer, the front or the back?" She said she preferred the back. I then asked her what her skill level was. Although she is one of the regulars on this trip, she has never been in my canoe. I said, "You know better than to let the canoe get broadside to these waves, right?" I believed her. She handled the back with perfection. Coming out on Sunday, the waves were to our back. But that didn't mean we had an easy time of it. Can you say, "cross winds?" Even though I trust my canoe and know how it handles in turbulence, I learned that I could also trust Caryl. . . and I will tell you all a little secret! I'm glad Caryl was back there instead of me!