Chapter 1

I was bored, bored with work, bored with social connections, and just plain bored with life in general. I needed a change, something that would invigorate my soul. I had been working hard on several projects for over a year. At work, it had been one new assignment after another. At home, I had built a deck and then had proceeded to redo the lower level. I had been so busy working, that there had been no time for me to just sit and smell the roses. In fact, I hadn’t even fertilized my roses, and it was very evident to see, to anyone who might pass by.

I live alone. For the most part, it’s my choice. It’s not like I’m a hermit or anything like that. I just haven’t found the right person to share my life with. I want someone who will be my best friend. But more than that, I want a soul mate.

I think most people would say that I have a somewhat decent looking face. I owe that to my father’s side of the family. I have never seen a family tree that includes so many good looking guys. When the looks genes were handed out, my ancestors must have been the first in line. Unfortunately for me, I was probably the last one in that line.

I have worked out for most of my life. When I was 15, I did some gardening for my divorced neighbor, in order to buy my first barbell set. I had an inkling that she was watching me, as I labored under the blazing sun, but I was too shy to do anything about it. I recall that she would come out to give me some lemonade, wearing some very reveling tops. Once again, I was too young and naïve to pick up on any signals that might be thrown my way.

I took that hard earned cash and bought my first weight set. My father thought it was a waste of money. He told me that if I didn’t keep exercising, that my muscles would turn to flab. Well, I decided that would not happen to me. I worked out regularly. I would mainly work on my upper body. It seemed that no matter how hard I worked, or how long, my muscles would not show that much definition beneath my thick layer of skin. On the other hand, I could see my shoulders broadening and my strength improving.

A close friend of mine, inspired by my enthusiasm, got the bug, and decided to lift weights too. In fact, he came over to my house and we lifted together. In only two weeks, he had muscles that I could only dream of. I guess I just hadn’t received all the best genes in the specific pool.

In recent years, my exercise routine had fallen by the wayside, due to the projects that used up most of my time. I no longer had that energized feeling that a good workout would bring. I had also begun to get soft in various portions of my body. Something in my life had to change.

About a week after my time of soul searching, I received a call on my cell.

“Hey Chase, its Bob, how’s everything going?”

“I’m busy at work and at home, but things are fine,” I replied.

“Well, I’ve been having this itch to get outdoors and explore the beauty of the northern wilderness. I’m looking for a partner. I called to see if you would be interested in going with me.”

“When are you planning on going?” I asked.

“Well, I need to get out soon. I’m ready to climb the walls. September is the only month that I can free up some time. If we are lucky, we might be able to enjoy some nice fall weather and see the leaves change also.”

I quickly ran the proposal through my mind. The first week of September might work. My work project would be slowing down, and I would just need to put my home project on hold.

“The first week in September might work,” I replied. “Is that when you were thinking of?”

“Pretty much,” was the response. “Maybe we could leave near the end of the week, after the kids start back to school. We’ll divide the duties as we always do. I’ll bring my Kevlar, canoe in order to make the portages a bit easier.”

I owned a 16 foot Alumacraft canoe. It had belonged to my father, who had bought it for our first trip up to the BWCA. I was 15, and it turned out to be a trip that I would never forget. Despite the wet sleeping bags, the mosquitos, and several days of rain, I had become hopelessly hooked on life in the wild. While I was up there, on that first trip, I couldn’t wait to get home. After several weeks, I couldn’t wait to go back. That old canoe had been the tool for so many wonderful experiences. I would often bear the extra weight, simply because of the memories that it fostered.

“Sounds like a plan,” I replied. “I’ll firm up the time and get back to you.”

I listened as the dial tone came on. My wish had been granted. We were going to go into one of the most beautiful sections of the globe, and it couldn’t come at a better time. I placed my phone back in my pocket and pondered over this new development. I would need to begin planning. Food menus were needed, packs would have to be dug out, and a route chosen. Excitement and purpose had once more entered my life, and I was raring to go.

I put in for the time off, and it was begrudgingly granted. I had definitely earned the vacation leave, but my colleagues knew that my trip would put more of a burden on them. Then there was the problem of contacting me if a problem should arise. But that is exactly what I needed, a chance to get away from it all. Fortunately for me, they could see how much it meant to me, so I was allowed to put the trip on my calendar.

As is always the case, I began to look for a new gadget to try out on our trip. While going through an old catalogue, I came across a solar lantern. It was about four inches square, and about a half inch thick. It was made out of plastic, and you were instructed to blow it up into a four inch cube. You then hung it up in the sun to charge. It was supposed to provide several hours of LED light during the evening hours. I have always tried to bring along one new gadget, just for fun, so I went ahead and ordered it.

Bob and I met at a Mexican restaurant about a week later. I brought along several of my waterproof McKenzie maps of the area, and we began to lay out a route. We were both a little out of shape, so we decided to try to minimize the portaging. Before the food came, we had mapped out a route that would require more paddling, take us through some beautiful scenery, and avoid some of the longer portages.

My food arrived in a bowl that looked like a hollowed out chunk of lava.

“Be careful,” said the waitress, “it’s very hot.”

And indeed it was. I believe the bowl was still simmering when we finally left the restaurant. Having reaffirmed who was doing what, we parted, with a promise to keep in touch over the next few weeks. I headed to my Jeep Wrangler, but stopped, when I heard someone calling out to me.

“Excuse me sir, but you forgot your hat.”

I turned around to see a woman, holding my hat out to me.

“Thank you very much,” I responded. “I have a habit of doing that.”

“It’s no problem,” she responded, “It happens quite often.”

I wonder if she noticed that I was staring. She was incredibly beautiful. She had the most amazing brown eyes that I had ever seen. She also had a figure that could cause sailors to mutiny.

I took the hat and tried to think of something to say, but she had already turned, and was walking back to the restaurant. I made a mental note to return to that establishment, and see whether there might be a possibility of pursuing a more meaningful relationship.

I dug out some old menus and made up a list of food items I would need. I went to my camping locker, pulled out some items, and hung up the packs so that they could air out. I checked out my tent, to make sure everything was as I had left it. I had traveled all the way up north once, only to discover that the tent poles were missing. Bob and I would be sleeping in separate tents. Neither one of us could suffer the other’s snoring; although Bob always said it was me who snored.

At the grocery store, I found a few new items that would work nicely into our menu. I also discovered a carton of whipped cream that did not require refrigeration. Just because a person is camping, it doesn’t mean that they have to suffer, I have always said. I also stopped by an outdoor store to pick up some freeze dried food. I had learned, long ago, that it might come in very handy in an emergency situation.

A mouse had eaten a hole in one of my Duluth bags. Evidently, he had found a few scraps of food left over from a previous trip. It bothered me, to find damage to my equipment, as I have always tried to keep my supplies in the best of condition. I suppose I was partly to blame. In my desire to feed the birds, I had set a large bag of corn near the locker. Upon further inspection, I found a tiny hole in the back of the bag, near the wall. Kernels of corn were scattered on the floor. Traps would definitely need to be set and the corn placed in a sealed plastic container.

I took the bag into the living room and dug out my sewing kit. The weatherman was projecting the conditions for the next month, and it didn’t look good. It seemed that a cold front would be moving in, right about the time we planned to head up north. From previous trips, I had learned that the area developed its own weather patterns, but still, it dampened my spirits somewhat. I finished repairing the hole, and then placed the duffle with the other supplies.

I returned to the restaurant about a week later, but the brown eyed wonder was nowhere to be found. I ordered some tacos and enjoyed my meal. The chips were warm and the salsa had just the right amount of heat. I finally decided to ask my waitress about the woman I had encountered on my previous visit.