Summer 2021: Day 34; Midwest Vacation: Day 3

This jam-packed vacation day started early with wildlife. 

I got out the door at my in-laws' duplex to run on the trail that connects Three Lakes and Eagle River. My plan was to run/walk out for a half-hour or so and return. On the way back, about 100 yards ahead of me on the trail, two midsized, probably juvenile bears popped out of the woods and onto the trail. When I realized what I was seeing, I stopped and began to walk in the other direction, keep my head turned toward the bears. One trotted for two seconds, at which time I thought I was in deep bear s--t. I began to contemplate how to jump through about 10 feet of brush to the highway, but the bears lost interest and returned to the woods.

I called Lori and then saw a runner go through the same spot where the bears were. When he caught up to me, he hadn't seen them running by. I cut over to the highway and returned on the other side of the road. I had stopped maybe a minute to take a picture of some perched eagles -- if I hadn't, I would have been much closer to those bears ...

After returning to the duplex, eating breakfast, taking a nap, and showering, Ben and I went to the Three Lakes Historical Society museum. The museum isn't huge but is interesting, and we found a family history that included Ben's great-great-grandparents. Three Lakes is a small town but it dates back to the 1800s, and knowing my kids have a small connection to it is cool. For lunch, Ben and I picked up sandwiches at Aiello's in Eagle River and brought them back to the duplex.

No bears in this photo

I sat outside for a couple hours in the afternoon -- the weather was gorgeously non-humid and felt great. Later in the afternoon, we met up with Lori's friend Jenny who owns a boat up here, and with her friends, we got to spend a couple hours on some lakes. The excursion was soothing and fun at the same time, a reminder why I love the North Woods in the summer. 

Ben wanted to jump in the lake, so we anchored in a quiet spot and a few of us swam. I needed several minutes to decide if I was going to get in -- I knew the lake was cool but looked inviting, but it also looked so black, and I hate that. Finally, with a lifejacket on, I sort of slid in and stayed in the water for about 10 minutes, just hanging out. I'm glad I did, because I would have been annoyed with myself if I came up north in the summer and didn't get in a lake.

We came home and ate dinner. I tried writing outside but the mosquitos were too thick (even with bug spray on. I'm tired now and am ready to go to sleep. But the lasting memory of this day won't be the nerve-testing quick swim or the nerve-wracking sight of two bears. On the boat, as we were returning to the dock, Ben wanted to click bottles (he had Sprecher root beer) and say "Cheers" because he had such a great day.

I told him, we still have another week of vacation left.