Update mailed on June 29, received July 5th

Greetings from the Rainy River. I must say the river is aptly named. Everyday now has either started or ended with a shower. Been pretty soggy lately.

This river is also the border between Minnesota and Ontario. I've been staying on the Canadian side just to avoid the hassle of border crossing. Believe me, it is quite a hassle for a stinky, hippie-lookin' dude to cross international borders.

The river is fairly populated on both sides of the border, which has definitely caused a decrease in wildlife. On the Winnipeg River and Lake of the Woods I could expect a loon lullaby every night. Quite a contrast on the Rainy to hear cars buzzing by.

It's also quite a change to go from paddling big lakes to cruising this river. On Lake of the Woods there are plenty of islands and bays to explore. The Rainy is more or less a straight shot from Rainy Lake to Lake of the Woods. Plus I had forgotten how fun it is to paddle a river.

I was interviewed by a newspaper. I was told it will be available online for anyone who's interested. It was the Rainy River Record in Rainy River, Ontario. I met some very nice people in Rainy River.

I've got some pretty exciting country to cover here. After I leave Fort Francis there is a span of 30 miles of wilderness. I'll cross through the BWCA and the Quetico. I hope to see lots of moose. After the bush jump I top it all off with a 9 mile portage to Lake Superior. Not looking forward to that, but at least it will give my legs a much needed workout.

I figure it'll take me about 2 weeks to get to the lake. My menu for those two weeks is going to be:

Breakfast - oatmeal (brown sugar and raisins)
Lunch - peanut butter sandwiches
Dinner - macaroni and cheese

Pretty standard. I don't think I'll be able to look at mac and cheese without feeling sick after this summer. I'm already fairly tired of it and I got quite a bit more time to go. However, I can still gobble down the peanut butter. There've been times, when out of laziness, I just eat spoonfuls of it. It's an amazing camping food. Something like 100 calories per tablespoon!

I would also like to say think you very much for following me on this adventure. Every time I have gotten to a computer and checked the blog there is always tons of encouraging comments. I can't express how good it makes me feel. It's easy to think I've been forgotten about. I sure do appreciate all the support.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but I'll do my best.

Cheers, Rutherford