Our troop had a campout at Spirit Lake to give the scouts another night of camping as well experience pitching tents. The lake was amazingly clear, and a cool breeze helped to dissipate the otherwise hot (by our standards here) day. Connor was upset that he did not being a swimsuit, as he said the water was warm, but then decided to swim anyway as he had another change of clothes.
Wildlife was also appreciating the area. Soon after dinner, the boys said they saw a couple of moose swimming in the lake. When I went down, I saw a large shape that was not moving like a moose. It took me a little bit to realize that it was a brown bear ... and the reason the moose were in the lake.
Now, this is the second bear that I have seen in little over a week, but this one was heading our way. It prowled back and forth on the far shore for a while before heading back inland. I think our group of boys were a bit too loud for it. Thankfully, it did not visit us during the night.
I slept fairly well once I could get myself to ignore the continual buzzing that was coming for insects outside of the tent. In the morning I realized that we must have pitched our tent with a beehive nearby. I could hear the hum from it and saw over a dozen bees on the clover near our tent.
The boys spent most of their time on the lake. There was a float which they could all fit on, and they delighted figuring out different ways to push each other off into the lake. Only a couple of the boys brought swimsuits, so most of them were out in their wet jeans.
The lake itself was astoundingly clear. Not only could I see the bottom, but I even watched as a fish swam out from under the dock, jumped out of the water to attack a swarm of insects, and retreated back to its hiding spot. A couple of the boys brought poles and tried their hands at fishing, but watched helplessly as the fish they could see just swam around their lures.
Most frustratingly, there was no cell service in camp. I could walk out onto the dock and get a partial bar of weak signal, but not enough to do much more than send and receive texts. Instead I had to [shudder] sit quietly in nature or talk with the people around me. Thankfully, I had a book.
Wildlife was also appreciating the area. Soon after dinner, the boys said they saw a couple of moose swimming in the lake. When I went down, I saw a large shape that was not moving like a moose. It took me a little bit to realize that it was a brown bear ... and the reason the moose were in the lake.
Now, this is the second bear that I have seen in little over a week, but this one was heading our way. It prowled back and forth on the far shore for a while before heading back inland. I think our group of boys were a bit too loud for it. Thankfully, it did not visit us during the night.
I slept fairly well once I could get myself to ignore the continual buzzing that was coming for insects outside of the tent. In the morning I realized that we must have pitched our tent with a beehive nearby. I could hear the hum from it and saw over a dozen bees on the clover near our tent.
The boys spent most of their time on the lake. There was a float which they could all fit on, and they delighted figuring out different ways to push each other off into the lake. Only a couple of the boys brought swimsuits, so most of them were out in their wet jeans.
The lake itself was astoundingly clear. Not only could I see the bottom, but I even watched as a fish swam out from under the dock, jumped out of the water to attack a swarm of insects, and retreated back to its hiding spot. A couple of the boys brought poles and tried their hands at fishing, but watched helplessly as the fish they could see just swam around their lures.
Most frustratingly, there was no cell service in camp. I could walk out onto the dock and get a partial bar of weak signal, but not enough to do much more than send and receive texts. Instead I had to [shudder] sit quietly in nature or talk with the people around me. Thankfully, I had a book.
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