Camping With The Masses

I knew what to expect. A campground on a lake brings lots of people -- and kids -- with boats. Especially on the weekends. I arrived mid week from the Elks Lodge which is essentially a 55+ campground. When I arrived here at Boyd Lake State Park, it was a great two days until the crowds started appearing early this morning -- even before I headed off to do my exploring.

The camp fires are already lit early afternoon and the air is filled with the smell of smoke. Making matters worse, to encourage camp fires, a park concession drives through all the loops in the park selling more fire wood. Many people may not have thought of a fire, but now the firewood is delivered (for a price) to the campsite. The campers can't turn that down.

I already know there is no hope of having open windows this evening to enjoy the cool of the evening and the sound of crickets. As those fires die down, the dying embers produce only smoke. That smoke will find any open windows. Mostly mine.

Sitting around a fire, chatting and telling stories is fun. The good part is that as the wind changes, one can move around the camp fire to stay out of the smoke. Sitting inside Wandrin Wagon, it is not so easy to move to avoid the smoke.
 
It was a nice park when I was one of the three in this loop of the campground. Now. Not so good. I will get over it. The camping masses with their boats will all be gone by mid Sunday afternoon.

Here I find myself in the middle of the kiddie and boating world. Wonder if there is a 55+ campground where every one is in bed by RV midnight -- eight or nine. And there are no camp fires.

Okay. So I am a curmudgeon.