Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Sum Sum Summertime...


Finally!


After another insufferably long and cold spring summer is actually here. Vacation time is nigh. This year our plans for another BWCA trip were scuttled. So... My brothers and I decided to go the state park route and it turned out to be a good decision. The weather gods smiled upon us - it rained at night but was gloriously bright and sunny during the days. Although it never got really hot it was quite pleasant all in all.

We played boccie ball, bean bag toss and a very competitive cribbage tournament. Winners cheered and the losers, of course, were robbed...


Perhaps the nicest aspect of northern Minnesota's Lake Bemidji State Park is the fine beach. Many hours were spent here playing in the sand and watching the kids getting pulled behind the boat in an activity we call "tubing". For once the cool temperatures and the dearth of rainfall this year has produced a distinct advantage for us campers - very few mosquitoes!



I found time to make one nature walk - I had intended to tour all the trails the park had to offer but it seems I was a bit lazy this year - I had a very good Stephen Hunter book along. Anyway, the first thing I noticed was one of the original White Pines - one that had been spared Paul Bunyan's axe.

As I moved along on the nature walk I came across a rather unremarkable body of water. Just as I was turning to walk away I saw the sunlight dancing on the water. I turned the camera toward it and snapped a few shots fully expecting them to be a waste of bits and bytes quickly to be deleted when I saw them on the computer.

Whoa Nelly... Check out the coolest picture I've ever snapped!

My quest on this nature walk was to find a particular wild flower. I failed. What I found was beautiful and impressive but the Showy Lady Slipper eluded me.


Purrrrty, aint it?




CW

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