Magic in the Canoe

Three fit quite nicely into this 16-foot canoe, even when one of the non-paddlers is a husky. Magic is the pet of Aggie and Terry, who also have a team of huskies they use to pull a sled in the winter. Magic, however, is the canoe husky. She tends to shift around a lot, and, as you can see, we had a bonding moment when I turned around for Aggie to take my photo.

We set out from Back Bay, which is sheltered and calm, then headed over to an island in Great Slave Lake. Terry went solo in a chestnut canoe they'd bought for $2 and refurbished.

This island is a popular spot for campers and partiers because it's so close to Yellowknife. You can see the city in the distance here. We had it to ourselves, but Terry was upset to find someone had recently chopped down some birch trees for no apparent reason.

We enjoyed a lunch of brie, french bread, veggies and cherries, after sunning on the rock. It was a perfect day with just enough breeze to keep the bugs away, and the bugs that did come hovered around Magic, the black bug magnet. Dark clouds in the distance motivated us to pack up and head back. Afternoon winds can make the lake quite choppy, not to mention waves created by power boats and float planes.

Those white dots in the distance are sailboats--there was a fund-raising race for the Council of Persons with Disabilities. Sailing has become a popular activity here, growing from one sailboat to two sailing clubs over the last 30 years. That island you can see is Hideaway, the location for a wedding I'm going to next Saturday.