GREAT CAMPING TRIP

Our extended family had a great time on the camping trip. Who knows when the next time the group will get together for such an outing? With the college age kids beginning to cut, or at least loosen, ties it may be a while before they regard it as being cool to get together with the older members of the family and have "fun".

One of the things that made the camping trip great was a virtual lack of insects. I attract mosquitos like a magnet. Others like to have me around because I keep the "skeeters" off of them. I received only two mosquito bites and both of those on the last day. Nobody else was attacked. There were some flies around who were annoying but did not bite. I guess that when August rolls around most insects have already done their thing for the year.

My wife and I are currently planning another trip up the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota, northwest of Grand Marais, right after Labor Day. We were there last year and totally enjoyed it. Friends of ours who live in Washburn would like to see the area. There were extensive forest fires in the region in spring, so it might not look as pristine as last year. The Gunflint has a tremendous history. It ends in Ely, which is the jumping off place for most expeditions into the Boundry Waters canoe area. This could be our final camping trip of the year considering that most places shut down after the Labor Day weekend. Bummer!