In From The Wilderness...

I'm back.  A wilderness it is becoming, more and more, as it was in days of yore.  I speak of the wonderful island from which I've recently returned, Tuesday, that is.

We had a grand time of it, my brothers, father and I, as well as several blasts from the past - friends of the family.  The barley pop was flowing, to most if not all.  Cards were played in abundance.  Testosterone was hanging thickly in the air, punctuated by a thin veil of estrogen - mostly in the cookhouse.  The lake was lovely, with it's breakers crashing on the shoreline, in every way looking like it could be nothing other than an arm of the some northern ocean, just lacking the salt.  The almost constant breeze was whispering through the branches and needles of the pines, cedars, and spruces, carrying along the rich scent of conifers wherever it went.  The earthy scent of birch and aspen leaves, freshly fallen on the fertile soils, was like a perfume to my senses in the depths of the forests.

My various companions and I spent hours stalking through the woods, leaves softly crunching under foot, as we sought the elusive avian denizens of the boreal forests there - the ruffed grouse, and woodcock.  Both of these birds were to be found in abundance, a product of the wide variety and quantities of foodstuffs in those fertile forests.

The wildlife of ages past seem to be showing up in greater abundance in the region.  There have been reported sitings of cougar/puma/mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, bears, and moose on Drummond Island, right outside the doors of the cabin where we stayed!  My brother told of an incident where another party of gents were in the cabin, doing the usual sorts of things done there, i.e. card playing, etc., when a black bear shoved his burly front paw through a glass window of the cookhouse, nabbed a gallon can of goodies,  crushing it, and left with a mouthful of their food, and perhaps a tail-full of lead - not long ago.

While we were there, one of the deer hunters was in his tree stand, over-looking a pile of apples, carrots, and sugar beets, watching a deer approach, when the deer spooked, due to the sound of another approaching animal - a bear.  The bear ended up directly below the hunter, who's knees were shaking uncontrollably.  The hunter succeeded in shooing the bear away in the end, but was looking out for a larger one that might have caused him more problems, like happened to someone from his city recently - momma-bear problems.

Anyway, we made it back safely, but miss being there greatly.

I will post some photos of our trip when my family sends them to me, for all to see and enjoy.

Ciao,

Panchito