We spent the past four days up in Algonquin, canoe camping in some wonderful scenery. Aside from a few rain showers shortly after our arrival on Thursday, the weather was sunny, warm and dry, ideal camping conditions. We camped on the shores of St. Andrew’s Lake, where I had been 2 years before with others. Saturday was spent at High Falls, a sort of natural water playground with numerous deep pools, waterfalls, rapids, chutes, whirlpools and multiple jump-off points. There were clear skies and stars at night, cool evenings, great campfires, few bugs and good food. What more could one want camping?
Above: Grand Lake, our canoe starting point, on Friday morning. It got much windier when we set out.
Above and below: St. Andrew’s Lake, on Saturday morning. Very peaceful and serene.
Above: High Falls, a natural waterpark. Lots of people enjoying themselves - all having canoed in.
Above: Sam and Marti out on their first canoe trip alone.
Above and below: Some of the flora and fauna we saw along our way.
600 pounds of rock (supposedly - that’s what the store said although it didn’t look like it to me) and a sore back (definitely) later, the stone steps are in place. It even doesn't look too bad. Now I can get back to building the deck again.
And now the stringers for all the steps are in place. Now I feel like I’m getting somewhere.
To put the corner stringers for the steps in place, I first had to build a level spot for them to go. That required pulling the old stone steps out and relaying them. I thought I'd make the steps wider at the same time as I shifted everything over but, unforntunately, I am now close to running out of useable stone. Most of what is left is of an odd shape, too small or too uneven. So, before deck work can progress, I have to finish this. Another weekend’s activities.
Above: Grand Lake, our canoe starting point, on Friday morning. It got much windier when we set out.
Above and below: St. Andrew’s Lake, on Saturday morning. Very peaceful and serene.
Above: High Falls, a natural waterpark. Lots of people enjoying themselves - all having canoed in.
Above: Sam and Marti out on their first canoe trip alone.
Above and below: Some of the flora and fauna we saw along our way.
Some of the stairs are now finished (except for the addition of a UV coat)!
Well, the wood elves have been somewhat busy over the past few days. The photo above might not look too different from the one in my last report, but some changes have been made: the post for the railing has been added, the kick plates and some of the stairs have been nailed down, and the top part of the deck has been coated, making it look darker. Slowly but surely it is coming 
together. A little more work tomorrow and hopefully the corner stairs will be completed. Then it’s time to get ready for camping in Algonquin.
