Work has been crazy and shows no signs of letting up. I figured I needed a dose of the primeval wilderness, even if it was for a weekend. Two of my boys were able to make it this past weekend. The Queen of Hearts (otherwise known as my wife) packed up some food for us and we left Friday morning and drove, paddled, and portaged into the wilderness. With just one canoe and packing light, we were able to move fast, but it was late when we arrived. My boys cooked up supper while I set up and anchored the tent against come what may. We built a decent sized fire and sat around it talking and remembering other trips into the wilderness, stretching back 20 years, going as a family. Here's a shot of the Old Geezer, staring into the fire, remembering all the good times we had in the past, and hoping for more in the future. He's packing an original Colt SAA artillery, chambered in 45 Schofield, made in 1882, completely rebuilt and restored, holstered in a Mernickle cross draw holster http://www.mernickleholsters.com/ca/ca12.html
After the boy had gone to bed, I spent a long time watching the half moon over the lake, admiring the stars, and reminiscing, while the coals of the fire behind me slowing faded into darkness.
Well, we had a good time, cracking jokes, fishing, and enjoying lots of coffee. Both boys that came with me are connoisseurs of coffee, with one of them just becoming an assistant manager for a Starbucks. He brought a nifty little espresso machine that works over the fire or over a camp stove, and the other brought a French Press. I was up each day before sunrise and, with the temperature around the freezing mark, started a toasty, crackling fire. The two lads would then resurrect themselves our of bed and get to work on the coffee. Men, there is nothing like sipping a hot, French Press coffee beside a crackling early morning fire, looking out over a wilderness lake that we have entirely to ourselves blanketed in mist. Here's a shot of the boys fishing ...
The second morning, I mixed up a batch of pancake batter and we ate pancakes with Maple syrup until we didn't want to see or smell another pancake. Here's a video of our surroundings, one of my boys enjoying an Espresso, and culminating in the Old Geezer himself flipping one of his pancakes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llb01NPYNW8
