It's hard to believe we're 1/2 way through our 3rd week here at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Most days have been beach days, and I've even had the kayak out in the river a couple more times.
We,ve switched campsites to our favorite, #96, (perfect for guests, with its own cul-de-sac) and so bid adieu to our last neighbor, Dick Laliberte, from Hudson NH, here for a 600 person geocaching event;sort of a scavenger hunt using GPS to find things hidden at co-ordinates that you download from the internet. Fun? I don't know, but hey no judging here.
I almost DID judge the 65 or so Jehovah's Witnesses that took over the campground the weekend before last. (Religiously oriented groups of any denomination tend to give me gas.) But honestly? These folk were a miracle ( if I can use that word) of planning and execution: organized games for the older kids, Disney movies projected outdoors on the side of an RV for the younger ones, and a central food service area encompassing 2 of their 9 or so camp sites. Complete with a real barbeque pit. The smells of the slow cooking was almost enough to make me consider accepting a few pamphlets in exchange for a taste. (almost)
This week we had neighbors across the road from, judging from the accent, Germany. A young couple with a toddler and an oft crying infant, driving an odd Ford Transit based camper that clearly came from Europe. Every time the baby would stop wailing, Gordon would commence barking. Turns out the reason the baby (this is the 7-8 month old, not the toddler) had quieted, and the reason for Gordon's alarm was that the baby had taken to SweetPea-ing himself across the road and up our drive into our site. This happened 3 times, to the utter indifference of the parents, who were closed in their camper leaving the infant to his own devices. It got to the point where anytime our other neighbors heard Gordon barking, they would run out of their camper to scoop up the baby in the road. Good Lord, the toddler probably frolics in the middle of the Autobahn at home. So Gordon:hero dog.
Yesterday I took the kayak a few hours downriver, and had just reached my desired fishing grounds when I got caught in a thunderstorm/tornado/monsoon. By the time I sprinted back, (thank God for healthy knees) the entire campground was afloat, especially the tents. But not this one: www.sylvansport.com/go "Only" $8,495.
Of course the integrity of ANY camping unit is challenged when one (duh!) leaves the window open. YOU be the judge: who's at fault, the one who opened the window over the bed the night before, or the one who sat through the deluge blissfully reading without checking? Solomon says it's a wash. Literally.
However, we COULD be camping in that unit with the Ron Paul for President stickers, (kind of a glorified dog house) so all is good, albeit a bit damp.
Watched some guys at Hobe Sound Beach who were part of a 3 day shark fishing (from the beach,not boats) tournament last weekend. These guys use the same paddle-the-kayak-out-about-200-yds and drop-your-baited/weighted-line technique that we use for stripers at Race point, except on steroids. Instead of a 12 oz. sinker holding down a couple of sluggos (fake sand eels), these guys chunk up sting rays and bonito into 12"x9" pieces, put it on what looks like meat hanging hooks, with leaders a good 1/2" thick, and weigh it down with bricks tied to ropes. And the reels? Size matters; bigger than anything you'll see on "Wicked Tuna".
Of course my very presence on the beach (3 different times over the course of the weekend) meant no action to be seen, but rumor had it they caught a couple of 7 foot lemon sharks in my absence. (Catch,tag,and release, lest ye be judging)
So now you're up to date. Hope you're all good, and remember: keep your fingers out of the snowblower.
