Beach Day
Juno in the canoe - Lake Superior - 2024
Happy to wake up and not have to be anywhere important; it felt like my vacation had finally started and I could put the school year behind me. I only had a few commitments for the day:
Coffee
Find bug spray for Juno
Get some groceries since I’ll be in town anyway
Go to the beach
Do hammie time (hammock)
Got up around 7 a.m. and had a cup of coffee. Number 1 on the list accomplished. I was worried about the bugs and man they were happy to see us so I immediately put on the Thermacell. It definitely helped but there were some intrepid little bugs who held their breaths so they could have a bite. Jubs had breakfast and we went back to bed to read for a bit. We both fell asleep again and woke up around 9:30.
Got dressed and headed into town. Got a tea at Tim’s and headed to the pet store. No luck - no bug spray. People out here are super friendly but the person working in the store acted very put out when I asked if they carried bug spray. I bought Jubs a bone and they eyed me like I was going to steal something. Not sure what was happening there so I was happy to leave.
Hit up Canadian Tire to get some unplanned stuff. I actually love Canadian Tire so much. I wasn’t ever really in my radar until Covid and then something happened and I fell in love. They always have what I’m looking for. Oh and they let you bring your dogs in. So I went in and lo and behold - dog bug spray. Got a couple other things too like measuring spoons and face cloths which I forgot to pack. Canadian Tire for the win. Item number 2 on the list accomplished.
Headed over to the grocery store and got a couple of things. Number 3 - check. Productivity!
Headed to the beach and put up my beach umbrella, turned on my music, opened my book and Jubs got to work digging holes and swimming. It’s icy cold but she had a blast. Chatted with a couple from Ottawa who had planned to drive to BC but got to the border of Ontario/Manitoba and ran out of time so they headed back.
The weather was stunning. Clear blue sky and a gentle breeze. The lake was like glass. I’d never seen it that way and considered getting the canoe out, but the thing about Lake Superior is that the wind can come out of nowhere, and the water is ice cold, so it would make for a bad day if things went south. I decided to just stick it out on the beach.
Stayed a few hours, then got bored and needed a change of scenery. Went back to the site for a bite of lunch. And then we got in the hammock for a nap. Woke up a couple of hours later and heard waves crashing on the shore (my site is next to the lake, only separated by some greenery), so I was feeling justified in the decision I made earlier not to paddle.
By this point, it was about 5pm so I decided to get up and putter. The problem with living out of a small car is no matter how well you get organized, it always comes completely undone the minute you start doing something. I geared myself up to leave the bug net. When we got back from the beach, the bugs had gone, but I figured they’d return late afternoon. I steeled myself and stepped outside. Nothing other than the normal mosquitoes here and there. Huh?
I sprayed Juno with the stuff I got earlier just to be safe, thinking they’d come out later. Nope. I puttered, cooked dinner, puttered, made a fire. Nothing.
So like—what the hell happened yesterday? There were people walking around with bug nets on their heads the day before, and now nothing? Someone explain this to me.
*Arg I can’t seem to change the captions for the photos!
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