There's a reason many of our TAPC members joined the club, and that was to be out on the water without crowds, contemplating nature and sharing good times with a few friends. Today we found that solitude on the Manistee. Doing a longer section than most rental folks are willing to tackle, we encountered turtles, one large downed white pine tree, a family of twenty(!) mergansers, a garter snake, the biggest dragonfly I've ever seen, and a couple of fly fishermen.
John took our drivers back to the put-in in the morning, and Harold & Pam returned us and our tandem canoe after the trip was over. Jack was out in front (obviously in training for the Gut Puller), but as always, remained at CCC so he could help haul boats and people back to the cars. Tracie did some lumberjack work, though without a chain saw, we still had to gingerly pass through the slot between the branches. It was great to have Marv & Marlene back in town after their western trip. Kati kept track of our distance, and our new membership chair Dan shared lots of stories as we cruised downstream. Marvin realized that a camouflage dry bag is sometimes hard to see in the grass.
The day was summed up by one comment: We are all so very lucky to live here, and we don't have to travel anywhere to enjoy Labor Day weekend in gorgeous peaceful surroundings!
Written by Lois