Day 8-10: Respite on Star Island with Gretchen and Tom

Sunrise over Cass Lake, Photo by Gretchen Durkot

I’ve been so, SO blessed with this first river angel stopover! Gretchen and Tom are both retired teachers, and they’re super generous and caring people.  Plus, they're animal people, which gives us a lot in common.  Here, I have a comfortable bed, private space in which to work and rest, excellent company, delicious food, gorgeous location, sweet dogs, a local raccoon to watch at night, and I enjoyed a lovely 4th of July gathering with Star Island inhabitants. Star Island is the only island in a lake in the Northern Hemisphere that has its own lake completely contained within the island.  So, Windigo Lake in Star Island is in Cass Lake.  Neat.

Mostly, my overworked body has had a chance to quietly, safely, and comfortably catch up a bit.  Healing bug bites, reducing lactic acid build-up, recharging with nourishing meals, enjoying an indoor toilet (still composting! They’re great environmentalists, these guys!), and doing laundry have been the orders of the days.  I had a chance to spread out all the maps I have in order to estimate where I’ll be for the next month or so (I assume it’ll take me about a month to reach the twin cities from here).

Gretchen is taking some of the trash I’ve collected and bringing it to the twin cities for me so I don’t have to travel with it for weeks (stuff I’ll be either sending to Lindsey Wohlman, the artist I’m collaborating with, or making jewelry with for sponsors). 

I was able to miss being on the water on 4th of July with all the other crazy boaters.  I was able to miss hunkering down in my tent during a massive thunderstorm.  I was able to stay put while the waves were in whitecaps today because the wind was too high.  

Lake within an island within a lake.

Rocky, the local raccoon who comes by each night for dinner.

Starr Ann, one of the islanders, wears a necklace in the shape of the island, complete with Lake Windigo in blue!

Gretchen and Tom and I walking to the 4th of July soiree

Gretchen is quite the gardener

Cocktails and appetizers, and a rousing group rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, Day 8.

Cass Lake, Just before the storm, Day 9.

Clouds over Lake Windigo (inside Star Island), Day 10.