UpNorthDay1

Yesterday it was 90 degrees and oppressively humid and stuffy. By the time I completed all my packing tasks, I was already drenched with sweat and beet red. But we set off merrily on the highway north, and had a fine trip with nice scenery and not very much traffic. We encountered surprisingly few lunatics. We arrived at our destination shortly after our hosts. We saw GingerBeard moving things from their trailer into the cabin, and he looked as damp and disheveled as I felt. The Sparrowhawk went and helped him for a few minutes. Baharat rolled over in her wheelchair and chatted with me for awhile. Then the guys joined us and and before we could be plunged into the usual torrent of Gingerversation, I interrupted to ask what their dinner plans might be. They didn't really have any--both were tired, and while GingerBeard suggested they might go into town to eat, Baharat thought he was not in good shape to jump back in the car. So I suggested that I could cook for us. This seemed like the fastest route to actually getting something to eat! It was necessary to cook at their house, so everyone could chat while I was doing it, because Baharat cannot get into our cabin. They had her ramp set up at their place. I hauled all my pans and fixings over there and made a big pot of linguini with tomato sauce from a jar, slightly elevated by the addition of peppers, onions, mushrooms, ground beef and Italian sausage. I put together a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, and baby carrots, sprinkled with oil and vinegar because neither of us had packed any salad dressing. This was good, and then the conversation continued until I interrupted again to point out that we were all too tired to go on.

It was hot even with the fan on, but during the night the wind blew, and it rained a little, and in the morning, it was miraculously cool! In the 60s and cloudy, with a stiff breeze blowing. We were tired and didn't do a lot--walked down to the lakeshore and sat and read for awhile, strolled back up and had lunch, had intermittent chats with Ginger while Baharat was resting up from the trip. In the afternoon, the sun came out, and I went swimming, with a dozen little kids in all colors of suits and life jackets popping in and out of the water. This place is a paradise for kids. They run around happily until it gets dark. I had a nap after swimming, and then cooked some hamburgers, broccoli and corn. I was impeded by the lack of proper cookware--don't ever believe cabin owners when they say they are fully equipped--but I had brought a couple of skillets and made do. We were eating out at the picnic table when Ginger and Baharat reappeared, came over and conversed with us until it was dark and we were chilly. They introduced us to batches of friends and acquaintances who dropped by. I'm a little worried that I may be getting a cold, but perhaps a comfy night's sleep will fix it. It's cool enough tonight that we put the blanket on the bed. We brought our own sheets and pillows, which are a great comfort.