A Dark and Stormy Night

As we expected, we had a gusty night. Gary staked down everything he could and stashed the rest away. We thought we were in good shape when the winds and rain started at 4:00 pm.Gary started the generator. With the howling wind, there was no way it could annoy our next door neighbors. If they heard it, they would have been envious, huddled as they were in their heat-less pop-up camper.

We had chili for supper, then spent the evening with books, puzzles and our computers, drank hot chocolate and ate banana bread. We even watched a little television. It's usually not my idea of camping but on a dark, cold, windy, and rainy night we had none of our usual activities. Hiking, birding, canoeing, swimming and fishing were not options.

The wind grew stronger and stronger. The weather forecasters claimed there were gusts up to 45 miles an hour, but that was higher up. Gary figured it was more like 25 mph where we were. It was still enough to shake the camper and threaten the cook tent. Oddly enough, it didn't hurt our television reception.

At 10, we said goodnight. We were comfortable enough and even warm in our beds but the gusts that roared overhead like freight trains going through. Would the trees crash down? Would the cook tent blow away? Would we blow away?

Every so often the wind died down and we slept, then another wind spasm hit. Are we all right? We asked. We always were.

This morning everything was as it should be. The eagles and ravens are grumbling, of course, and flocks of geese are speeding by, honking as if to say, “Let's get the heck outta here!”

Then we took our garbage to the dumpster and found we weren't the only ones seeking shelter from the storm. 

 Gary found a pine branch, stuck it in, and Mrs. Raccoon hurried out and quickly disappeared. 

Though the leaves are falling on this side of the lake, the trees on the other side are holding on to their colors. With frost forecast for the next two nights, the colors will be at their peak over the next week.

Even with the cold, wind and rain, we are camping. Happy? You bet!