This narrow lake reminded Scott and I from the scene in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" in which the fellowship takes canoes from Lothlorien to the land of Gondor. They end up a breath-taking gorge that ends with the river flowing between two enormous statues of kings of Gondor. (And I do mean enormous -- the people are only as tall as the statues' toes.)
We spent two hours on the lake, soaking up the quiet and the lack of human changes to the area. Scott tried fishing here and there, but got nary a nibble. Neither of us cared -- it was a beautiful day and we were together where no-one else could find us. We floated, we paddled, we got blown around by the breeze. We had fun. And it was SO cheap -- 2 hours on the canoe cost a total of $6, life-jackets included. And they loaned us the fishing poles and bobbers! A more friendly, hospitable area I've never seen.
They don't allow swimming in this lake, nor can boats go any faster than idle speed. The entire lake sits inside the state park, so no-one has built along the coast. Apparently Lewis and Clark trekked through here on their way across the country, and we loved that we might be enjoying the area exactly the same way they did!
(Ok, maybe they didn't knit on socks while crossing the lake. But maybe they did!)While the weather wasn't exactly fall-like, it was one of the few days this fall that have felt even remotely cool. I've always been a recycler, pro-efficiency, and pro-alternative fuels. (I keep telling Scott I'll be first in line for a fuel-cell minivan since you can't put a wheelchair or lift in anything but a van.) But I'll admit it -- I've had my doubts about global warming. Weather patterns are cyclical. You can't jump to conclusions after just a few years.
Lately, though, I'm becoming a believer, especially since they changed the label to "climate change." It's October 8 and it's 90 degrees here! Fall is my favorite season, and I'm totally missing it! I just know that we're going to skip fall altogether, going from 90 degrees to 40 degrees in a few days' time... and then everyone is going to be sick. I wonder -- is winter going to be as cold as the summer was hot?
