August 15, 2005 Sal’s Camp Warba, MI

August 15, 2005
Sal’s Camp
Warba, Minnesota
Sal’s Campground is a great place. The bathrooms ain’t quite perfect but the folks that are here running the place are great as is the peace and quite and the lake. Two small rowboats with electric trolling motors are for rent and the lake and fishing are great.
Lots of shade trees and not many folks at the camp. Also just across the street is the gas station and country store with bait, movies for rent and lots of stuff to eat not to mention the best ice cream!

Sal’s is at
21420 US HWY 2
Warba, MN
12 miles east of Grand Rapids
218-492-4297

As will all perfect things they are not what they seem. The plan is to stay here a few days and process all the film and scan the images shot since our last scanning session. Also to do a little fishing.

We forgot about cold water from the ground. All summer we’ve been getting 75 degree water from campground taps, right out of the ground but now up north and getting into fall the water is 40 degrees. The airstream water heater works great for washing dishes and bodies but not for extended time flow to wash film. Water less that 70 degrees will not guarantee all the gelatin will come off the 4×5 p/n film. We had picked up an electric in line on demand water heater, which also works great for washing dishes and bodies BUT does not have enough gpm heating capacity to wash film. Lusting after that 25 gallon water heater in the bus……
But as Heather reminds me I might not have as much film to process as I’d be working on the bus not shooting.
Last winter we rented hotel rooms once a week or so to run film and it looks like it’s time to start again, at least until we get west and south and find warm water again.

Do have lots of scanning to do and will be able to fill the time here but sure would like to see the new images. Have to rent a hotel room sometime next week. It helps a lot to see the work as it is progressing. Keeps me on the right path so to speak.

Hit the lake around 5pm and headed over to the old dead birch tree across the lake. Had a few good hours and both landed Northerns- okay small Northerns but still Northern. Let them both go and headed home just after dark. Henry is quite the fishing dog. Just sits in the boat and watches. Gets so excited when we pull in a fish.

Working on birch bark painting