Blazing the Trail in Wisconsin

by Donna Sattley
(St. Louis, Missouri)

Growing up I spent every summer in Wisconsin until I was twenty and married life took me to other states. One of my funniest memories happened while I attended a girl's camp on Lake Tomahawk when I was 12 years old. It was my first year as a camper and I was determined to be the very best! A highlight of camp was to take an overnight canoe trip, working our way through lakes and portaging where needed. We would sleep in the old smelly canvas tents and wash in the lake with our floating bars of Ivory soap.

As we set out paddling that first day I realized my canoe was the very last one in line. The older campers blazed the way for us greenies. That night as we had our campfire I told the leader I wanted to be the first canoe the next day. I would blaze the way! I assured her I could do it. With raised eyebrows she said she would consider the offer.

The next morning we awoke to a brilliant orange sunrise filtering through huge pines. The smell of the pines is still one of my favorite scents. I was ready to go! We finished our breakfast of freshly caught bluegill, bacon and eggs. We gathered for the day's travel plan. Our leader announced that she was going to break tradition and let a canoe with two younger campers lead the way. That was my canoe! I would be the very first, in the front of all the canoes!

After a few instructions, we were off. I think we had about eight canoes. I remember we had paddled around a lake and then we headed through a shallow area with reeds and tall brush. There was a nice clear waterway I could follow that meandered through the reeds and rice plants. I was thinking how great it was to be the first canoe. As the first canoe I wouldn't miss seeing the wildlife that was often startled and gone before my canoe arrived.

Suddenly, I saw a large bluish gray blur heading toward me on my left side and I heard flapping wings. A Great Blue Heron had been quietly sitting in the reeds and at the sight of our canoe, quickly took off. At the same time I felt something wet all across my body. Laughter rang out. The campers behind me knew exactly what had happened before I did. As the heron had lifted off and flew over my head he had pooped all over me! I never heard the end of my wish to be the first canoe! That's just one of many great memories of the time I spent in Wisconsin.