Vacation's end

Today we drive back to Des Moines.  We've spent two nights in Duluth at a hotel in Canal Park to ease our way back into civilization after a rustic break at a rented lake cottage near Grand Marais.  The cottage wasn't too rustic - it had hot water, a shower and a kitchen, after all - but it didn't have internet or much in the way of cell phone coverage.

The cell phone coverage became theoretical for me one evening.  I had been fishing with the boys on the pier by the cottage.  They went in, and I was about to, but I had a snag.  I was trying to unhook the snag when I stepped back one step too far, and there was no pier to hold me.  I grabbed a post holding the pier with my left arm (the post with the shirt draped over it in this picture) and swung around, but I couldn't do a full 360 back on the pier, and off I went. 

 I was back up in a moment - because I never let go I only went in up to my chest - but my phone was in my pocket, and it was moistened - fatally I fear.  Six days later there is still water in the screen, and I don't want to try the battery again while there is visible water in the thing.  Maybe this is my excuse to get one of fancy new cell phones.

I think the prognosis for my back is better than for the phone. I pulled something in my side when I yanked the stupid pole, and I was pretty useless for a day or two. Thank goodness I packed more books than I thought I'd need.  I never did get back onto the canoe or the kayak, and it still hurts to sneeze or to laugh hard, but I can walk and get around fine now. We did go into town to get a new heat pad and ibuprofen, which helped much.

I felt good enough to climb back on the rock where I proposed to Vickie 21 years ago:



Well, it's time (6:30 am) to start packing and to drive back to Iowa. We have many pictures left to share when we get home!