Dam Busters

Yesterday, Monday, we enjoyed a quiet day at the Camp. We had the place to ourselves. The day started out foggy but quickly cleared to a sunny and warm one.

About noon Dar and I took the canoe out on the lake with a mission in mind. The lake we're on is fed through a small stream from another lake higher in the chain. At times in the past, small dams, the result of debris or beaver activity, would plug up the stream and the level of our lake would go down. In the past week or so, our neighbor Bill has noticed this very thing. He thought we might have a dam again. So we headed out on a mission to find the plug and, if we found one, to remove it.

And, just as predicted, we found one... a small debris dam in a shallow area of the stream. After 20 minutes of dam hard work the stream was flowing strong again. The residents of our lake will be happy when the water level creeps back up a couple inches in the next few days.

We kept canoeing into that next higher lake and along the shoreline to a small sandy landing spot on the other end where we could pull the canoe into the brush and walk over to the finest dining establishment in Three Lakes... Stumps Bar... where we enjoyed a burger and a beer for lunch.

Later in the afternoon I actually napped, something I almost never do. In my previous life I knew of someone who could nap at will. Sitting or laying almost anywhere, with almost anything going on around him, he could force a nap in just a couple minutes, sleep for 20 minutes or half an hour, and wake up refreshed and re-energized. My naps (the few I've had), on the other hand, were uncontrolled in comparison. It took me forever to get to a sleep state, and then I think my body thought it was night and didn't wake up... for hours. Then I wouldn't be tired that night and struggle a second time in the same day to get to sleep.

I always envied that fellow with the napping talent. And today I enjoyed my little nap. My sore muscles from that foolishness the other day are slowly improving too. They now only hurt when I do certain things... like walk, sit, stand, or lay down.

Lounging on the lake...
T