Manning Up

     Hadn't heard the above phrase till a lady from Iowa laid it on me a few years back. When I use the the words they flow over an ironic tongue in my cheek. Though I've done a lot of stuff real Men do, I can't say I've ever thought of myself as a Man. When I think of someone who was a Man I think of the John Wayne types who never walked the walk; all ego and mouth but no action. My fictitious Uncle Emil would've laughed at the notion. He fought in the good war, worked from one end of his life to the other, stayed happily married to one woman, built his own cabin and generally treated everyone with respect. But think of himself as a Man? He'd of said, "Nope I'm just a booger who likes the feel of a hammer or paddle in my hand while surrounded by nature's quiet."

     Anyhow, one of the upsides of Voyageur's National Park is the opportunity to hit the backcountry with the idea of scaring a few bass and pike. In an effort to keep invasive species out of the few lakes off the main drag, the Park Service requires that you reserve and only use the canoes they have stashed back there. A good idea and not a problem. At the moment there's nothing open on Shoepack Lake with its muskies so we're heading up the Locator chain. Seeing as how I fear missing out on a good thing I've already pulled the trigger on a single day even though the weather's a total mystery. I guess it's a case of life in the big city spawning fears of crowds in the wilderness.