Claire had a difficult time settling into vacation the first two days in the cabin. Here she is expressing her dissatisfaction with the temperature of the lakewater from her toes. Megan swam to the beach from our cabin and Claire's hug was awfully chilly too. She could not figure out the water thing, just not like the bath. She cried a lot, and I was afraid the neighbors would vote us off, but they were very nice about it.

Claire did not like the lake water, but really enjoyed playing in the sand and with rocks on the beach. As a protective father I did not want her to eat it, as she sticks everything in her mouth. She did stop eating it after the first bite though... problem solved.

Dad forgot Claire's hat on this little day hike, so she used the hanky as a dew rag. She looks pretty darn cute I must say, and it kept most of the bugs off (with a little bug spray) . We picked fresh raspberries to eat on this hike on the Taconite Trail south of Ely (near our cabin).

We enjoyed going into town periodically, and here we enjoyed the farmer's market (and its little treats--lots of baked goods this time of year) and a nice concert in the park by the Ely Municipal Band/Orchestra. It was a bit like a picnic for Claire.

Here Claire is modelling her lifejacket and showing me what you do with bugs. We were swatting them in the screen porch of the cabin. Yes that is actually her holding the fly swatter.

Here is a nice picture of Claire enjoying the dock outside our cabin on the lake. The picture makes it look smaller than it is. She's safe. Promise.

Here is a preview of what next year's vacation might entail for Claire. She was impressed with the kayak. What a great family trip!