Writing this blog in retrospect is not easy, because all of my brilliant thoughts are long gone, despite the few notes that I took. But even if I'd had Internet access, I probably wouldn't have posted anything anyway because there just wasn't enough time; the days flew by.

Sunday was a day of extremes.... a big high and a big low. The high was this: I had stayed in to laze around and start on the two books I had brought along. It was early afternoon, and I heard a shuffling noise on the deck. I glanced up and saw what appeared to be the backend of a large, shaggy brown dog. I got up and went to the window; there ambling slowly across the side deck was a fairly large brown bear!

Wow; I've never been that close to a bear -- not even at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. I quickly grabbed my camera, and as he passed by the front door I lifted the shade and got a photo of him as he was looking into the window. Startled by a human so close by, he made a bee line for the other side of the deck and jumped off.

Confident that he was safe from a distance, he began to explore the grassy area in front of the cabin and didn't seem to mind when I stepped out and took more photos from the deck. He didn't even become frightened when I called out to him -- politely, of course. The entire time I kept an eye on the door of the cabin in case he changed his mind about tolerating my presence. After 15 or 20 minutes he decided he'd seen enough, and paddled into the lake and swam away.

This was my low point: An hour or so later (after I was sure the bear hadn't returned) I headed to the dock to practice casting. But that was a disaster; I seemed to get progressively worse with each cast. I kept getting the line all scrambled; completely disgusted with myself, I gave up for the day.

When the guys returned, they tried to help me, but after a while, we decided that the best plan was to have me use a simpler rod that Dick had brought along. It's the kind that little kids use when they are just learning to fish -- very humbling. But nevermind; I still managed to catch lots of fish throughout the week and had a splendid time. I definitely need more practice on the casting though.