What a wonderful week! We had some very special visitors. A Canadian Lynx has been wandering around the resort this week... several of our guests have seen him! As one surprised guest reported "That's the biggest, most beautiful cat I've ever seen!" I haven't managed to see any more than something rather large disappearing into the woods, but two guests, two canoeists and our grandson have all seen that long-legged, short tailed, crazy earred creature either walking on the resort road or sitting on a rock next to the road! It's very exciting to see a lynx, we see their tracks quite often in winter snow, but this is the first we've seen in daylight.
Our other special visitors were our son, daughter, and two grandsons - they even brought Mother along for the week! We had a great time exploring and canoeing and just being together. A highlight of the visit was a trip to Grand Portage National Monument. One of the guides was kind enough to take the time to demonstrate a flint-lock rifle for us and explain all about "gunflints". Now we know why the "Gunflint" area was so exciting to the Voyageurs - at the trading post a flintlock rifle only cost 10 beaver pelts, while the English flint to make it work cost a whole beaver pelt all by itself! Finding a source for free flint must have been like finding a whole bunch of beaver they didn't have to trap!
When the guide found out we came from the Gunflint, he got out his tinder box, pulled out one of "our" red jasper flints, his firecloth and his steel striker, and, with the help of the boys blowing on the spark, started a fire with our flint! It was exciting, and really brought the history of the Gunflint Trail home!
Nice story, glad you had time to visit with families! Did you ever find a location that contains flint?
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