Michigan is off to a great start

We are spending our rest day outside of Crystal Falls. After breakfast, our host packed us into his truck and dropped us off on the Paint River with a couple of canoes. We were to drift.downstream for a few hours; at the next launching point he would meet us and bring us back. It is another perfect day although the sun was a bit intense at times on the river. A kingfisher flew put ahead of us and landed over and over. There was a family of small hawks calling in their shrill voices.

We had been assured that the Paint River would be calm - no rapids. We floated along, taking the occasional paddle stroke to keep going in the right direction. We had also been warned that there would be a couple of places where we'd have to walk where the water was too shallow. I guess I just didn't think much when I pictured that. I imagined a sand bar or something that we'd carry the boats over. It didn't occur to me to think about how the water moved through to continue the river's course.

We soon found out. We began to see lots of little disturbances in the water, and quite a few rocks protruding. We heard the water rushing. We looked very carefully, chose the best path we could, and made it through. Hurray! But then it happened again, and again, and eventually our luck ran out and our canoe ran up on the rocks. Bruce ended up getting out to lighten the boat and push it through the shallows a few times. After three hours we reached our landing spot & headed back.

We went to town to do laundry and find lunch - we are so lucky to have Jim and Aline with us! We are almost ten miles from town here - it would have been peanut butter & washing clothes in the shower without them.

Or perhaps we'd have had to stay closer to town, and then we would have missed the bear. Our hosts have a big barrel of feed for the local wild turkeys out in the back. Only the bears have figured it out. Now, most mornings & evenings, guests can watch various members of the local ursine crowd lying there like dissipated ancient Romans and stuffing themselves with turkey food. Yes, we do have pictures.

One more miscellaneous observation: I like the way towns in the midwest have water towers with their names written on them. We can generally see the big, round towers from a few miles out which is an encouraging landmark.

No miles today.