Virginia A. Spiegel

Just back yesterday from the Boundary Waters on the Canadian/Minnesota Borders after another inspiration canoe wilderness camping trip with my sister, Nancy. We both thought this trip would be an easy paddle in, a set up on our favorite campsite on a small lake, and a week spent day tripping here and there.

But Mother Nature knows how to keep you humble and on your toes.  About two minutes after launching the canoe, I took this photo:

And then it really started to be interesting.  It was honestly the biggest and nastiest water I have ever paddled in for so long.  So finally we said, “That’s it” and beat back to a campsite we had visited before.  We were one lake short of where we hoped to be, but very happy to be safely ashore.

Engineer Nancy set up with this tarp wind break that was a great place to cook and be out of the roaring wind and rain:

And so we spent the week on that one campsite with plenty of time for naps, lovely meals, sketching and a daily photography challenge. And in every kind of weather we had coffee break in the afternoon; you know that made me happy:

We also had two sunny days that let us survey our big lake and see mink, eagles, beavers, loons, and more.  Sometimes life gives you just what you need.

My August e-newsletter will be coming out before the end of the month with more exclusive photos and stories from the Boundary Waters .  Not a subscriber? Just send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE as the header.

These maple seeds just turning pink were very interesting to me.  I photographed them again and again at different times of day and in different light:

My sister and I dubbed our latest Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness adventure “Lucky #15.”  Everything we needed came our way or we avoided potential trouble with seconds to spare.

Nancy portaging in the rain.

A beautiful trip despite some rain, wind, and cold.  Nancy and I shared so many moments of laughter, beauty, and adventure together.

Can you believe wool hat and gloves in June?  I’m treating our water with a UV SteriPen.

Some of the highlights included sharing our campsite overnight with a group of Boy Scouts and their Dads who were caught in a storm, seeing a bear on shore from our canoe, an up-close encounter with a mama moose and her calf, paddling nine miles in rain so hard that Nancy couldn’t see me in the front of the boat, and coming out on a power paddle ahead of big water and rain for which my paddling cadence was, One cup of coffee, two cups of coffee, … fifteen cups of coffee, switch.

I’m a foodie even in the Boundary Waters.  Real eggs scrambled with peppers, onions, and cheese with whole grain toast on the side. The view makes all BW food taste even better.

Cloudy evenings make for gorgeous sunsets reflecting in the water.

Of course, photos are always the best way to share the beauty and excitement of the Boundary Waters with you.  If you receive my e-newsletter, there will be more photos and news in the July issue being released soon.

I invite you to join the community of Patrons and Art Friends who receive my free e-newsletter. Send an e-mail today to Virginia(at)VirginiaSpiegel.com with the subject line: SUBSCRIBE.

As you know, summer is my time for inspirational living rather than spending too much time in the studio.  I focus on two things in June:  my landscape gardens and the Boundary Waters.  I’ll be reporting on the Boundary Waters as well as some upcoming exhibits in July.  For now, here are a few things I’m enjoying in the garden:

I have a new little camera for in camp in the Boundary Waters (Nikon L100).  So I’m out giving it a whirl now.  This is Mary Rose rose from David Austin.  It survived my ill-advised burn-off of the big front bed.

Nigella or love-in-a-mist.  These, as most of my flowering plants, are almost done already. The seed pods of these plants are fantastic.

I have walking onions only because they are so very weird and architectural.

You know me and milkweed.  I’m still interested in their shape in every stage.

I wouldn’t want Maggi (thanks to you and Melanie for the comments) to think my last post was all that I appreciated about England.  Every day out walking brought new delights:

The joys of being a little bit lost.

A fine place to stop for lunch.

The beautiful stone walls (Andy Goldsworthy explained)

And now my thoughts (and efforts) turn to Trip #15 to the Boundary Waters.

Dry Wall Top and Sky

Travel is always good for the mind, body, and soul.  Just back from a glorious trip from England.  I was captivated, as always, by the textured, the accumulated, the graphic, and the quirky.  To wit:

Unbelievable layers of paint gone pale.

Ancient and new juxtaposed without care.

One of my favorite phrases.

Curbside self-service egg delivery.