Summer's Close

September 2, 2009

Getting a visit from Bill not being sufficient penance the following weekend Hurricane Danny came a knocking. Since Nova Scotia Parks shut down their entire system for Bill the week in between was quiet. As it happened Danny, though a much weaker storm hit Yarmouth head on with gusty winds and heavy rain. With the soil already saturated from the previous rains Danny and the heavy rains that followed a day after he left served to raise the lake levels nearly half a foot to unheard of levels. Cleaning ones feet after swimming is no longer an issue as one steps off the ramp directly into the water as these before and after shots will show.

Being the only camper in the park last Monday the 24^th of August I settled for making a pancake breakfast for the staff here. I spent most of the last week working on a puzzle I set up in the beach shelter. I've had opportunity for daily swims and lots of reading. I've been busy working my way through the recently released TV Series Battlestar Gallactica. The series makes frequent use of the word 'frak' in substitution for the forbidden 'f' word, but since both obviously refer to fornication I begin to wonder what the frak the difference may be.

Last Saturday I set up shop in the beach house, built a fire, and settled in to read my E-mailed cartoons, online magazines, and the Austin City Chronicle. When people actually showed up to join me I boiled corn as planned and went through 18 cobs. For the rest I played the games I'd bought at Wal-Mart and began work on my puzzle. There could be worse places to ride out a hurricane.

After two weeks of having a large provincial park almost entirely to myself it's a novel idea to think of having to share it with what could easily be over 200 people. With days when there were only 3 sites occupied the idea of 90 sites is a mite over-whelming. We already have 60 reservations for our 87 sites and in a pinch can squeeze in at least 8 more in overflow camping. I'm waiting to see how many people show up for the 8:00 AM nature walk I've offered to lead on Saturday.

As luck would have it just when one thinks nature has thrown its worst at you the area has just suffered a power failure. I can, of course operate my RV for several days on its onboard batteries but the gal in the office is staring at a blank registration screen. As it turned out the break in power was caused by power commission staff bumping the power wires with a maintenance basket while tending to a fallen tree.

Leaving Yarmouth and Ellenwood

It would seem that campers are more interested in partying hearty all night and sleeping in next morning. Two urchins showed up for hot chocolate when I got up early, made fire, and got ready for a morning nature walk.

In the wake of Hurricane Danny on August 29^th and the rain storm that followed dropping 4 inches of precipitation in short order September arrived with two weeks of Sunshine. As expected a flood of campers arrived for the long weekend and I went up to the office to help with their processing. Fortunately the 60-some campers managed to space their arrivals so that no line-ups ensued.

Once again a campground was faced with the incompatible expectations of those who look at camping as a wilderness experience of peace, quiet, and natural sounds and those who run their generators from dawn to dusk, engage in loud campfire parties and conversation, and gather in large groups to consume excessive amounts of alcohol. I must admit that I come down on the side of those who feel that noise from an adjoining campsite that makes it impossible to hear the loons calling is an obscenity.