I didn’t get up until about 1000 today, and then Dad and I went out to that one spot before Darkwater that we keep fishing. We found a real hot spot, too, about twenty yards from shore. We pulled five fish out of it over a two- or three-hour period, I three pike and Dad a pike and a bass. A little later we strayed a bit and Dad found one pike, for a total of six. Toward the end, as per a forecast the dockhands had told us, it started getting really windy, and choppy, setting the scene for the rest of the day. When we pulled back in, the dockhands told us and Grandma and Grandpa (just a little behind us) that they got a call to the effect that the backcountry trail ban is lifted. Ha! Dad got the key to Ritchie right away, but later Dan and Tracy convinced him that with the wind we’ve got Ritchie is a really bad idea. You’d blow right over to the other side and bust your tail getting back. We also didn’t fish Gull today because of the wind.

Micah and Mom and Dad and I went out a bit later to the same place, in two boats (Micah in mine), but we only pulled in two fish in an hour. Micah got one of them, but it was a walleye.

The squirrels are a great source of amusement around here. Sierra and Jazmin and some of the adults were doing what they could to vex this one poor little squirrel who was very energetic and always proclaiming his dominion from his treetop in front of Cabin 4. (BREAK) Micah got caught up in the action too, and jumped and went “RAAH!” He landed on the squirrel. There was a a shock, and then it started twitching, and Micah went “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” and Dad told him to take it away to another place. After he did it got a lot quieter in front of the cabin. The squirrel died. I don’t know what will become of his tree.

Later there was a horseshoe game, or rather several, all of which Dan and Tracy won. Then I fished off the dock and watched Jim and Mike, the two dockhands, clear out boats from day trippers. Then there was dinner. Dinner was the same as last night, so, terrific. Micah had been jonesing to play I Doubt It (BS), so we played that for him right after dinner, and while we were playing, Grandma and Tracy came in with his birthday cake and we all sang to him. I had three slices of his cake, which Tracy made (thank you). We played Pig (Spoons), and then got into poker.

I lost my lead. I think I only took in one good hand all night. No, two. Meanwhile, Grandpa absolutely cleaned up. I think he made $20 on the night. We played some In-Between briefly, but I didn’t get in because it’s too risky. It ended up Dave put in about $10 and everyone else lost a bunch, and Maria took it all on an A-2. There were so many posts. I was about ready to buy in again, but everyone left. So I got out my journal. Now, I bet you’re wondering what that BREAK was back there. That was where some people came and said there were Northern Lights. I went out there. I had already gone, I forgot to mention, with Dan and Ellen, but there was nothing and Aunt Ellen ended up just telling us about whooping cranes. But this time I got to watch an absolutely tremendous display of lights. Now, I am not going to attempt to extemporaneously describe the Northern Lights, but I’ll say that at one point they did quite literally take my breath away. They were mostly green, but they were edged with red sometimes. They were mostly concentrated in one sector of the sky, and we watched them from the Point. I saw some that snaked around up closer to me, and one that split like curtains at a theater, and plenty others. You need to see them.

I understand Dad is taking me to Ritchie early tomorrow, so I need to get to bed. Sheez, it’s 0207.