Temagami Trip 2022

Day 9, Tuesday, September 20 (Layover)

0650-61F/57F. Solar 23%.

0835-I had my usual coffee and cookies and studied in Proverbs 19. I observed some light coming through the clouds to the east so I took a break and angled the panels in that direction. There was movement in the camp of the canoeists, but they are getting a slow start!

Time to get back to my Bible study in 2 Chronicles 8.

Verse for the day: Philippians 4:11 "For I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances."

0920-I read from D. Jeremiah's book, in the final chapter, then took a break to check on the canoeists, who do not seem to be in any hurry to get going. I observed someone reading onshore on the island, seemingly unconcerned about an impending move? You would think they would be gone by now to take advantage of lower morning winds, but I'm not the leader.  

Beautiful, Unique Site
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Back to the boat to finish my prayer time.

0940-Time for breakfast of shredded wheat, strawberries, and peanut butter toast.

1030-Canoeists finally departed. Very late in the day and just in time for wind to come up. It clouded over again, no surprise!

Canoeists Left Plenty Of Firewood On The Island
But Did Not Return The Wood They Took From Me!
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1115-Dishes are complete but I need to vacuum before I go play.

Lighter Skies For A Change
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1300-I pulled the kayak up onshore because it was full of water from all the rain, including the rear compartment.  All gear and the kayak are drying out on the rocks. 

Drying Out Kayak & Gear In The Sun
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I flew the drone to finally get some video of the site, the first on this trip.  Now I need to recharge all the batteries. The drone batteries were all at only 60% after about 10 days since being charged. They self discharge to give longer battery life. 

1520-Solar is up to 58%, a 35% increase from the morning. My goal is at least 70%. 

I set up the shower and had a long hot one, the first of the trip.  It felt really good.  Clean clothes adds to the good feeling.  Finally some blue skies.

YouTube Video

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1615-I had dinner of chili, salad, hot roll, and a cold beer topped off with a great afternoon of refreshment. Not only a great dinner, but a shower, clean clothes, sunshine and now Bailey's over ice cream.  Hard to beat that combination.  A long overdue break from the dreary clouds and rain.  I hope to see many more of these days.

1720-Finished dessert. I will take my kit up on the hill to watch the sunset. 73F/73F. Solar 75%, my goal was reached!

Evening Perch On Ridge Overlooking Lake
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1915-68F/66F. Solar 74%. Sat by the lake from up on the overlook and took some pics, time lapse, and video. Read more from Grey Owl. It will likely get cold tonight with the clear skies.

Very Old Tree - But How Old
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Video - End Of The Day

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Temagami Trip 2022

Day 8, Monday, September 19

0550-62F/59F. Solar 43%.

Rained hard on and off all night some thunder and lightning this time.

Managed to screw up the fridge/freezer messing with the power hook ups yesterday. Left DC power off on the generator! No power since yesterday afternoon!  41F in fridge/34 in freezer, not good.  Should have suspected a problem when the solar rose from 45% to 47%. Disappointed in myself.

0715-I finished coffee, cookies, and my Bible reading. Verse for the day is out of 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

0815-I read out of David Jeremiah's book and prayed for those in my list, including Ukraine and the U.S.A. Still raining on and off. 70F/60F. Solar 37%. fridge is now 39F, freezer 16 still a way to go to catch up. I will make an omelet with bacon. I may move if the rain stops.

0945-Finished breakfast and will begin to prepare for the move. Not raining currently.

1000-Departed the boat site and headed west to check out a couple sites for future visits to this inlet.

Extreme West End Of Obabika Inlet
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Checking Out Future Boat Sites
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Jeff's Map - Sites I Was Checking
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Checking Out The Small Part Of The Inlet
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1210-Arrived at the new boat site just short of the SW Arm.  Traveled 11.9 miles. I need to wash some dishes but will put up the solar panels first then do some pics and videos of the site.

Destination After 11.9 Miles
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1420-Dishes are done. Vacuumed the carpet. Could use a drink but I just brushed my teeth. Could also use a bath but will wait for sun tomorrow. Dinner soon. 70F/69F. Solar 32%.

1630-Relaxed on the aft deck with some music and a glass of white wine.

Steep Rock Tie Up - Panels Working
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After a while I started to prepare dinner of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, roll, and white wine. In the middle of my prep a canoe pops around the corner to approach my site and says "Whoa!" They quickly turned around and I assumed went back to the island camp site just adjacent to the east.

Even A Table At This Site
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But no...not long after they send a nice looking, sweet talking, guide to ask if they could share the site.  There were seven canoes full of kids, but she said they would be quiet.  I'm sure!  After my Lake Superior experience I acquiesced quickly.  Their strategy in sending a nice young thing to tug on my heart strings worked! I said to go ahead and stay. It was getting late and it was starting to mist again! It never quits!

Dinner was great, though I was not that hungry. For dessert it was Bailey's and ice cream again.

I should have been aware that two sites adjacent to each other would attract canoe groups.

Long Tie Point
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1730-It looks like the camp of canoeists are set up with a ferry line to the island to run back and forth in their canoes. They took all my firewood, which I said they could take to the island, if it was just firewood they needed for the evening. Hoping to stave off an invasion to my site. However, they didn't just stay on the island and took all the firewood anyway! If they bring back wood in exchange, in the morning, then we're good.  For the most part they have been pretty quiet. 

Note to Self: Stay away from sites on canoe routes, especially with large areas for tents.

YouTube Video

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1815-I tried to go up on the hill to enjoy a glass of red wine and the quiet evening while looking over the cove, but it didn't take long before the rain came along again.  It is getting really tiresome!

Somewhat Open To South - Have To Watch Winds
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1915-I had a glass of Bailey's while listening to music and now will listen or read one of two books.  I mentioned the audio book "Operation Joktan", but I'm also reading "Primary Target: The Forging of Luke Stone" by Jack Mars an E-book, so I have to pick one. I will crash and do one of the two after I finish topping up the primary generator from the backup battery. Primary is now up to 78%.  Despite the weather the primary did come up from a low of 31% to 45%, with just light breaks in the clouds, a rise of 14%. 

Temagami Trip 2022

Day 7, Sunday, September 18

0600-66F in/63F out. Solar 22%, not good! Warmest morning yet, lowest solar reading.

0940-Finished my Bible study and reading. Verse for the day: "All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions], but the Lord weighs and examines the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth]" Proverbs 16:2 (Amplified Bible).

Breakfast is finished, it has been raining  all morning sometimes hard. The forecast says no rain! So much for accurate weather forecasts. I will attempt to move up the NW Arm and into Obabika Inlet. Solar 15%, a record low. 70F/64F.

10:20-Departed boat site after rain stopped.

Canoeists Heading Down Lake
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1135-Arrived at new island site, traveled 4.9 miles. No problem with the shoals at Birch Narrows which I thought could pose a problem.  66F/64F. Solar 14%. Adjusted the panels to face south. Picking up some solar in spite of cloudy conditions. No rain enroute except some mist. Nice island site, but cluttered with remains from irresponsible users.

Leg 4, Day 7
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YouTube Video - Island Destination
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Island Tie Up - Panels Trying To Find Watts!
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1245-Dishes finished.  Need to forward my new position to Mike in case he decides to come and retrieve my truck keys.

1530-Messed around with trying to supplement input into the solar battery from the engine alternator but I did it wrong and burned out a bulb on the cord. Hook up sequence and selection for input is critical. But I finally think I got it to work. We'll try it on the next leg.

Grill is heating up for a burger and chips. It is spitting rain again, it just does not let up!

Tree Stump Stools
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1615-Finished dinner. It was great! Had to use the back up Li-ion battery to bring the solar generator up to 45%. I would run out during the night otherwise. Dessert was Bailey's over ice cream. I will go up and reposition the solar panels.

1700-I glassed the area for wildlife but there was nothing to see. The gray skies are discouraging and it has been this way all week. If weather does not improve I may have to go home early.  But, there is still time for it to turn around. Tuesday should have some sun.

Note Boarding Ramp Stowed On Foredeck - Bucket Is Anchor Rode
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1845-I read from Grey Owl and had some more Bailey's. Very quiet. No activity of any sort. No boats, no canoes. Still cloudy with a light breeze. Very discouraging weather. 

This could have been a good place to layover and do some kayaking and hiking. Lot's of potential, but the weather is just not cooperating.

Potential Kayaking & Hiking - Weather Nixed That Idea
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I may hit the sack early today. I'm planning a big breakfast tomorrow since it is supposed to rain. I might as well take my time. I will take down the panels before dark since it sounds like it will rain at departure time tomorrow.  67F/60F. Solar 45%.

1905-Panels are down and ready for a departure. Even if it rains. One less thing to do tomorrow. It is still light out but I think I will jump in the sack early.

Temagami Trip 2022

Day 6, Saturday, September 17

0600-60F in/54F out. Solare 62%, down from 83% overnight, 21% loss.

0850-68F/55F. Finished my reading in Proverbs and 2 Samuel. The verse for the day is "A man's mind plans his way (as he journeys through life) but the Lord directs his steps and establishes them." Proverbs 16:9 (Amplified Bible).  That is certainly my case, I "planned" or hoped for nice fall weather for this trip but instead it has been cloudy, wet, cool, and threatening to bring it to a premature close.  God has purpose even in the weather!

I read part of David Jeremiah's book and prayed.  Now it's time for breakfast. It has been raining off and on all morning so far.

0930-Finished breakfast and will consider moving when rain stops.

1135-Departed the site. Enroute it was generally cloudy, rainy, and windy.  Observed an immature bald eagle make four attempts to pick up a fish in front and behind me since I blocked his path. On his fourth try he was successful. I arrived at a small cove off the NW Arm that was well protected. Traveled 7.4 miles.

Underway
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Heavy Low Clouds
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Wind, Chop, Mist Make For A Miserable Day
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Leg 3 - 7.4 Miles
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Destination - Leg 3
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1230-Washed dishes and my face, brushed my teeth, then set about tilting the solar panels for the best sun angle. Since it was cloudy, I took a compass bearing and set the panels to the SW. 64F/59F. Light mist and cloudy.

YouTube Video - Panels Soaking Up Every Watt Possible

(Click To Play)

1420-Read more from Grey Owl and drank some hot chocolate w/Baileys. Should hold me until dinner, not that far away.

Observed five canoes passing the mouth of my little cove heading south.

1530-Filmed ashore after dinner of chicken wild rice soup, salad, roll, and white wine. Still very humid, wet, and cloudy, with a light mist. Generally unpleasant weather. Solar 47%, down from 62% this morning, a loss of 15%, not good!

Close Up Of Panel Mounts & Tilt Mechanism
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1915-I went up the hill for a  while and sat in my chair enjoying the silence and hoping to see some wildlife. So far, I jumped a ruffed grouse and saw a few small birds, and a chipmunk who was trying to board my boat beginning to climb the ladder to go up on the roof. I threw rocks and yelled to no avail.  I had to run down the hill and board the bow of the boat, he was still there not wavering in his daring.  Finally he jumped over the side since he had nowhere to go. I returned to my chair and finished my wine.  I saw no more wildlife. 

Several fishing boats passed the cove out in the Arm. It started to sprinkle again so I went back to the boat. Then it stopped so I went out on the stern and set up the table top fire and returned to my watch for critters.  This time I had a Bailey's, but observed no critters. It was still enjoyable. 

View From Hill Overlooking Cove
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Then I heard some beeping but couldn't determine the source until I went into the cabin. The CO alarm was going off, but why? I thought it must be a low battery but no it was the alarm not the battery. But what could cause it, since the heater was off. Then I found it.  One of the stove burners was barely on so the flame was an incomplete burn allowing build up of CO, so I opened the doors and windows and thoroughly ventilating the cabin. How long was it on? Probably since dinner time! I can't waste any propane but just did! A careless mistake but the alarm functioned as it should, thankfully. How I didn't see the flame mystifies me.

I later discovered that ceiling solar ventilator battery went dead because of the lack of sunlight, therefore it was not providing the ventilation necessary to suck out the CO with the windows and doors closed. More lessons learned.

Solar 42%. 70F/67F. 20% loss of solar battery through the day today.  I really need some sun!

I will prepare for bed and listen or read for a while then hit the sack.

2000-Reparied the solar vent by replacing the battery which should help with ventilation. Now I will try to go to bed since it is now dark.

Temagami Trip 2022

Day 5, Friday, September 16 (Layover)

0650-57F/51F. Cloudy. Solar 62%.

0750-Baking coffee cake to have with my coffee as I do my morning study and read "The Coming Economic Armageddon" by David Jeremiah. A fascinating and eye opening book.

0925-I finished my Bible study in Proverbs and 2 Chronicles.  The verse for the day: "...for the Lord sees not as a man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (I Samuel 16:7b) 

Spare Lines - To Add Extra Length
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0950-I rearranged and cleaned the solar panels to obtain maximum watts.  I need to finish reading my book and prayer time.  Everything is still wet from heavy rain last night. Solar 59%.

Added Equipment Illustrations
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1050-I decided to make breakfast first since it was getting late. I will finish my study time afterward.  Right now I need to send a satellite message out to family that I'm laying over today.

Helm Equipment Illustrations
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1140-Finally finished my reading and prayer time delayed by breakfast. It took all morning it seems like!  Though doing the baking, adjusting the panels, and making breakfast interrupted my normal sequence. Now I need to do dishes, always something to do.

More Equipment Illustrations
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1240-I finished dishes, then retrieved a new water jug from below deck since the first one was almost empty after days of washing (4 gal.) I also retrieved 3 beers from the aft storage to put in the fridge then vacuumed the floor. Solar 68%. 69F/59F.

1510-Pizza is in the oven to be joined by a salad and cold beer.. It is still overcast but some sun is coming through the clouds occasionally. Solar is up to 75% up from 62% this morning.

Stern Equipment Illustrations
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1610-I finished dinner, dessert will be ice cream with Bailey's over the top. Delicious!

1900-I took the fire ring up on the hill and set it up for the evening. Then the sun came out so I hustled to move the panels to face west again, they were facing south. The #4 LIB came close, I guess they weren't sure I was at the site. Not sure why since the boat is clearly visible when you enter the bay.  They wasted a lot of time.

Enjoying The Evening Fire Ring - No Firewood!
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YouTube Video

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I took some time lapses, videos, and pics and started reading the 2nd in the collection of Grey Owl's works called "Pilgrims of the Wild". It is getting cool so I called it an evening and returned to the boat before dark. 66F/57F. Solar 83%, up from 62%. A 21% gain but not enough to make up for the loss last night of about 30%, but still good. Since it was a cloudy day for the most part, that didn't help.

I will listen to my audio book "Operation Joktan" by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn.

Temagami Trip 2022

 Day 4, Thursday, September 15

0645-50F/37F. Solar 29%. Had coffee and cookies while I read my Bible and prayed.  Foggy morning.

YouTube Video - Foggy Morning 
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I went up on the roof to clean the solar panels to maximize gain today since there is some sun and the battery is quite low!

Sun Coming Up - Should Restore My Battery I Hope!
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0950-Completed my study time and started breakfast. 

1015-Finished breakfast then vacuumed the floor. Will begin prep to depart. 69F/54F. Solar 29%.

1045-Departed Tetapaga site for Spawning Bay. 

Departing Tetapaga
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Observed four house boats in bound, one outbound, #11 from LIH towing something alongside. Sun was out making a pleasant passage despite the cool air temp in the mid-50's.

Beginning Of Day Shows Promise For Solar Input
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Arrived at "Sliver of the Moon" island site (my name for it) at 1220 pm. 9.7 miles traveled.  Tie up was no issue.

1300-Washed dishes, then put up the solar panels for optimum angle which seems to have helped.

Tie Up "Sliver of The Moon" Island - Panels Angled South
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1400-I went swimming to retrieve the solar panel knob I dropped in the drink, the very first time I put the panels up while over water!  I hope that doesn't start a trend. No issue really since I wanted to clean up anyway. Water temp was 67F, warmer than the air temp.

1450-It warmed up considerably and is now 67F/69F. Listening to Celtic Woman and drinking a glass of wine.

1615-I had dinner of steak tenderloin, coleslaw, hot ciabatta roll, mashed potatoes, and red wine. There is still some sun and solar is now up to 90%, up from 29% this morning. I might get close to 100% yet, but sun is getting low in the sky.

1900-Adjusted the panels to face west, but by the time I finished it had clouded over! Nevertheless, I reached 91% for the day a 62% rise, not bad on a partly cloudy day but I did have to adjust the panels to get there. 

Panels Now Angled West
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Port View Of Panels Angled West - Helps Maximize Watts
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I sat on the stern deck and had Baileys with my chocolate covered almonds and enjoyed the table top fire. Unfortunately it began to drizzle so I moved inside.

I reviewed video for the trip so far to ensure the remote mic was working and some of the tracking features of the DJI Pocket 2 (P2). Enjoyed the table top fire inside while reviewing the videos and listening to music. 71F/57F. Solar 91%.

Gang Plank Fully Extended
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1930-I'm considering hitting the sack since it is getting dark and cooling off fast. 68F/56F. I will be cold again tonight and it is still raining.  So far rain every day of this trip!

I had to get up sometime in the night to take some Ibuprofen because my hips really hurt. Not sure why since that is not normal but likely associated with jumping up and down off the boat and antics related to rigging and launching the boat. I will preempt that tomorrow night and take a couple before bed since they still ache.

Temagami Trip 2022

Day 3, Wednesday, September 14

0530-Solar 51%. 59F in/52F out. 

0730-Did my morning study with coffee followed soon by breakfast.70F/53F. Cloudy, light wind out of the north. Maybe some sun this afternoon?

Departing Launch At Leisure Island Houseboats
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Leisure Island Houseboat Docks - Town of Temagami
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1045-Finally departed Leisure Island Houseboats dock heading SW down the NE Arm of the Lake. Wind was blowing out of the north and I realized I would get pretty cold if I was going to stay underway for two hours, so I put on a heavy down vest with a rain jacket over the top, heavy gloves, and eventually rain boots to block the wind.  Temperature was 51F, so wind chill was down there, especially moving at 7 mph with a wind of about 10 mph on top of that. Even if it was at an angle to my track.

Nav Leg 1, Day 1 - 6.4 Miles
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Squally, Rainy, Cold Day - Cut The Leg Short
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I decided to change plans and cut the leg short and go into Tetapaga, it was just too wet and cold to continue on.

Hazardous Approach To Tetapaga Boat Site
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1155-I arrived at Tetapaga boat site.  I had some difficulty balancing the boat with the gusty winds from starboard at the site. 59F/51F.  I fired up the heater and will snack on something to help warm me up.

Arrival Tetapaga
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1530-I washed the dishes, cut some firewood, and set up the fire for tonight. 

Tie Up - Tetapaga
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3 years ago I left a 12' push pole (I cut and trimmed) and left it hidden in the woods hoping I might retrieve it when I returned in the fall of 2020 for my planned third trip. Unfortunately, Covid-19 cancelled that trip. Now I'm back in fall 2023 and the pole is still where I hid it!  This was despite someone cutting back almost all the small spruce trees back to the larger tree where the pole was hidden camouflaged to appear as though it was just another tree growing up next to similar trees. A bit of a surprise given how close the cleared area was to the hidden pole.

Hidden Push Pole - Still There After 3 Years!
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1630-I prepared dinner by marinating some shrimp in a teriyaki sauce for 45 minutes and had grilled shrimp, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, hot ciabatta roll, and white wine for dinner. I had a glass of red wine afterward and will wait a while before I start the fire.  Listening to music on Pandora offline.  Solar 50%. 69F/58F.

Large Pine
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I'm hoping the cloud breaks bode well for tomorrow's weather!

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2000-Just came in from the fire. A nice evening with some sun but cool.  With sandals on my feet they got quite cold, even by the fire. It was getting dark so I came back to the boat.  62F/52F. I watched a vole playing hide and seek with me, at least it looked like it.  

A nice quiet evening on the Lake, the reason I came.  Solar 46%...not good, especially for the end of the first day on the water!

Fire First Night Of Trip
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