Trip 2, Day 12, Leg 9
Trip Day - Monday, October 4
0400-Alarm went off. 57F/50F. Definitely feeling like October, a lot colder! Packed up bedding and moved bags from the fridge bunk to gain access. Making coffee.
Chubby woke me twice knocking stuff off galley shelves at one point, so sleep was fitful. Since I had set a trap for him the night before, he set one for me! I woke up and turned the light on ready to jump on the floor but looked down and saw this huge water bug about 3 1/2" long, a nasty looking beast! I stopped almost in mid-air and stared at it. I then picked up a boot to throw at it, but it just bounced into the air, it was already dead, and had been for some while. Chubby had dragged the ugly beast out of the bilge and placed it right in the middle of the floor where I step down out of the bunk. I could almost hear him chuckling in the bilge! Got ya!
I had seen one of these carcasses under the fridge a few days back and wondered where on earth it came from since there are nothing like that in this area this time of year. They had to have gotten into the bilge when the boat was previously based on the Mississippi River, before my purchase. I had been hearing awful crunching at night and evidently this is what Chubby had resorted to for food! No wonder he made so much noise eating! The carcasses were nothing but dry shells and ugly as could be. No wonder he started going mental! So needless to say, my sleep was very fitful.
0600-Had coffee with cookies while I did my morning study routine. Next is breakfast of PB Chex with strawberries, and PB toast, then I'll wash dishes and get ready to go. The fire ring is still on shore, so I have to retrieve and stow that. It got too late and dark last night to accomplish it then.
0712-Starting to pull the shore lines. Weather is clear and calm, a beautiful last day!
0800-Arrived at the VNP Rainy Lake launch ramp.
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| Voyageurs National Park - Rainy Lake Visitors Center (Click to Enlarge) |
0949-About ready to drive away and get on the highway. Always a lot of work both launching and loading. It takes me consistently about two hours to do everything that needs doing. I'm finally off and away on a beautiful sunny fall day! A great finish to the boating season.
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| Area of Operations - Day 12, Leg 9 (Click to Enlarge) |
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| Nav Chart - Leg 9 (Click to Enlarge) |
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| Avenza Map - Day 12, Leg 9 (Click to Enlarge) |
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| Forest Lake, MN - Trip Staging - Home Of Stowaway "Chubby" (Click to Enlarge) |
Epilogue-I returned to Forest Lake, my staging point, and parked the rig planning to return the next day to clear out the fridge and retrieve food and gear. But, more importantly, my intention was to make a full frontal attack on Chubby, to bring about his demise. I brought a phalanx of six traps with bait and planned on capturing the little terror, no matter what it took! I set traps everywhere in the cabin and returned the next day to check them. I was so confident of the miscreant's demise, that I made up a small cross with the rather unchristian words "May Chubby Never Rest In Peace." I had the intention of having a quick burial, photographing it for posterity, serving as a warning to field mice everywhere! But Chubby got the best of me once again, he jumped ship at his old home, and not one of my traps was even tripped. He was never seen again!
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