Vacation - Day 4 – morning: What Would a Voyageur Do?

Is it ever hot when the sun streams in the windows in the morning. At night, it’s so cold I have to close all the windows and wear a sweatshirt and cover myself with a comforter and two bedspreads.

Kitty has disappeared upstairs again. Probably to snooze for the day.

I was reading a book last night about the history of the Northwoods. It made me appreciate the absolute luxury of my cabin, considering the voyageurs and missionaries slept on boughs next to a bonfire in the dead of winter. In the summertime, the missionaries said the mosquitoes were so thick you couldn’t help but inhale them, and the biting flies so abundant that a young child’s head and bonnet was caked with blood! It makes me wonder if Gaia was pulling out all the stops to keep them out.

I am intrigued by stamina and strength of the voyageurs.

The book outlined the recipe for their meals – eaten at 3 a.m. and then again at 10 p.m.:  1 quart lyed corn or peas, 1 gallon water, 2 spoons melted suet or bacon fat, boil for two hours until the consistency of pudding.

The voyageurs were around 5’6” and pure muscle. They had to be able to haul hundreds of pounds through the woods on their head (and did) and canoe 15 hours a day. And they achieved this on that awful recipe. They probably didn’t have an ounce of fat on them; I would have loved to have seen a photograph.  I am sure they were the most amazing human specimens ever. So strong yet slight.

I would not be able to survive a day if you threw me back 300 years.  Perhaps the luxuries we have today are the results of their thoughts and wishes for far more comfort. I am sure they could not even begin to fathom my little cabin.

The book discussed the war between the Lakota and Ojibway. They fought for 100 years. So much so that Northern Minnesota was considered no-man’s land! They were busy killing each other when they should have been fighting the white man instead of trading with them. Especially the English; the French treated Native Americans as equals, the British considered them less than. But the white man, even back in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, was filling them full of rum, which left the missionaries at a loss.

There were so few people then – only 20,000 in the entire state of Minnesota, if it had been a state, in the 18^th century. I cannot imagine. They are trying to bring the earth’s population down to those levels again so she can restore herself. Although, whoever is doing this is not doing it to save humanity. I am convinced their making this place inhabitable for a reptilian species to manifest itself physically as opposed to spiritually – Reptilians have been among us in spirit for decades, maybe centuries.

Back to our regular programming: One of the explorers and fur-trading magnates –Fort Frances is named after his wife – used to cruise through the water ways with the biggest canoe, a contingent of the fastest rowers, and – get this – a bagpiper! It’s the early 1800s version of the souped-up stud mobile with music blaring cruising down Lake St.  Oh, how I wish I could time travel and witness the bag-piping spectacle! I love bagpipes, but I don’t know if I would want to listen to them nonstop for days on end.
But if you wanted music, you had to hire someone and bring them with you! Imagine!

Cuddly Pets on a Hunger Strike

Such a beautiful day. It’s about 10 a.m., I awoke at 8 a.m. with kitty at my right shoulder and Loverboy at my left. I haven’t done my morning meditations yet. I felt compelling to write instead. And make breakfast – a grilled potato and a bite of grilled chicken. The rest went into Loverboy’s bowl. He’s ignoring it. He’s not a morning eater. Kitty downed a tiny bit and left the rest. I am so generous with food but I have pets who are so not interested in it.

I am definitely feeling my hula hooping session from yesterday, right in my obliques.

Goals for the day: Take Loverboy for a stroll up the road. The long hikes are out for him. It’s too stressful on his precious little body. Head into town to use the internet. Hike the Superior Hiking Trail, Section 13, by myself. Return home to make a steak and grill a bunch of onions and peppers. Loverboy will get most of the steak, the onions and peppers are for me. Here’s to weight watchers.  

Tomorrow I want to hit Tettagouche State Park and maybe go for a swim, the day after Loverboy and I are going to trek up to Grand Marais. Maybe. We’ll see.