Another Day at Apostle

7/30

Starting a fire at 8pm, I plan on keeping it roaring. Feeding it my last pieces of wood and crawling to my cot. The heat of this fire (a fire that took me thirty seconds and one match to start) will have me sleeping by 10. That’s my hope at least.

This morning I sat in bed until the rain stopped (the cot, by the way, was a lifesaver with the rain and moisture this time, call me a sissy… I’m out here in the woods alone, where are you?). It worked! Tumbling out of my tent around 10am kept the rain away for the rest of the day. I set out with overcaste skies but not daunting rain clouds.

I had a foolish dream of biking down to Bayfield, a 15 miles trek and then hopping on the ferry to Madeline Island. I got a mile past the camp ‘office’ and realized what an idiot I was. This body cant take a 30 mile commute followed by a 10 mile island today. Instead, I wised up or sissied out, threw my bike in my car and drove south on Old County Road K. Madeline is ride worthy enough. The round trip ferry ride for a bicyclist was $17! Crazy! Still I’m glad I had my bike. Made it out to Big Bay State Park. The sun came out just as I hit the pavement. I pulled to the side and shed a layer of clothing immediately.


I’m glad an itsy, bitsy bikini packs nicely in my camelbak. I made my way to the water while my skin was still begging for a cool down. The beach towel didn’t pack well on the bike … instead I settled for air drying on a mere 70 degree day. The hours on Madeline were the only few that received sun that day. Timing. Timing. I paced the beach and sat on a boulder to dry off. Remember, no towel so laying out wasn’t really an option. Well, I suppose it was an option, but a sandy one. I listened to ten year old complain of their freezing balls in the water. Mostly, I laughed. Then I took a nice hike along the ridge.

People are funny when you are traveling alone. Several people offered to take my pictures. I didn’t even ask. I didn’t even have my camera out at the time. They just offer. People I keep pace with for even a few minutes, end up wishing me safe travels and great weekends. Maybe when I travel alone I wear a happier, more inviting face … People approach me more. Or maybe people are just less intimidated by strangers that are detached from friends/family.

I don’t really know what else to say about today. Biked. Hiked. Swam. Ate an awesome curry tofu wrap.

I love ferries. I wish I needed them for everyday commute. What a great way to start the day. On a boat, looking out at the water.

I have found an obscene amount of daddy-long legs crawling all over my body. I don’t rip there legs off anymore like my youthfull years.

I am sort of ready to feel my own sheets.