Time-motion study

I run the Harrison portage out to the big lake. 1/2 way there, I run into G, who I've not seen for several months. G and his wife headed up a really fine restoration of a piece of public land that runs out to the Big Lodge. We talk for a good half hour. A 1/4 mile later, I meet D, who passed by us earlier and wondered what I was doing with a canoe. We have a delightful little chat about canoes and marshes and stuff like that. I have not even reached the water and it is a wonderful day.

Finally in my canoe, I paddle 75 yards and spot it...a loon. It's not rare, but not a common sighting either. As I grab my camera, it dives, coming up a hundred yards south, then diving again and repeating. A wonderful bird, a wonderful day. A pessimist would go home, right now.

The gap in front of the bow is new...today.

As I round Potlatch Point, I find the 10 ft. sq. cattail morsel up against the shoreline. It is a good 1/4 mile from its origin. I stop to write at the Big Lodge. A call from inside the beaver forest needs to be explained. So still it was, I did not see it until I began to dip my paddle. There is a new Canada goose nest on the SW side of the Big Lodge, a good spot for a nest.



I move west to locate the floating cattail island. It is clear that it has completely reconfigured itself in the last 3 days. It appears to be breaking up. A piece is already over by Potlatch Point, a new "berg", maybe 20x40 ft is now east of the main. The south "berg" is back to being 35 ft south of the main. There are new fissures and nooks all around.

I fasten myself to the new "berg" and sit. It is moving. For the next hour I drift with the berg, watching it rub through branches, watching it drift east, watching it rotate clockwise. I end up 200 ft east of where I started and on the north side instead of the southwest. Wonderful stuff, wonderful day.


I head through the south lagoon, letting my original planned purpose drift away. There is another new goose nest, this one on the Workbench Lodge. I wave to my homeless friend as I pass at a distance on my way to the east end of the ancient portage. And, I meet two more people as I portage home. A most wonderful day.