Rondeau in June (3 of 4)

 

Wednesday

It’s been quite a bit warmer today, but that didn’t stop us from being slothful in the extreme again, and not really doing much of anything. The bugs have been particularly bitey during this trip, so we sat in the Pleasure Dome for a while, but the sun was up and it was getting a wee bit warm in there, so we repaired to the Airstream where we had some moving air (Aren’t Fantastic Fans fantastic?).

We spent quite a long time scoping out another trip, not Airstreaming, on our computers before realising how quickly the day had slipped by. Donning shoes and hats, we shuffled slowly through the campground, on the lookout for more turtles, but also checking out the other trailers, their equipment and their occupants. If you’re a people watcher then you’ll appreciate what fun that can be.

We saw another Airstream parked up, bigger than ours and looking quite shiny and new. Their truck had a US license plate, but I couldn’t make out from which state at a distance, so I might have to go and have another look later.

We didn’t see any more turtles, but the Chipmunks, Squirrels and Rabbits were thick on the ground. Coyote food I’d imagine.

We did get to have a little walk along the edge of Rondeau Bay, the smallish lake (comparatively speaking) kept from the main part of Lake Erie by the spit of land that is Rondeau Park. It’s shallow, normally very sheltered from the worst of the wind, and is therefore a haven for all manner of boat-related pastimes. There is a little “yacht club” that only operates in July and August, and loads of kids get out in little dinghies to learn the rudiments of sailing in the relatively safe water of the Bay. This being June, there was no one about, and the club’s portable dock structure was still out of the water. North Americans are not overly excited about dinghy sailing, so they seem happy to limit the club to the summer months only, but I couldn’t help thinking that if this was Europe, the dock would have been in the water as soon as the ice had gone, and the Bay would be filled with dinghies every weekend. Ah well, this isn’t Europe.

We did find a lone turtle, sat quietly in the shade and looking for all the world like he was going to cross the road. He didn’t move, though, so we took it that he was indeed resting and building up the energy to strike for the woods. We kept looking back as we walked away but no, he was definitely having a rest.

I’ll skip over the bit where we bought yet another ice cream from the Park Store and move onto the bit where we had a delightful afternoon nap, baked potatoes for supper and watched the darkness draw in from the bug-free environs of the Pleasure Dome. As the light faded we were treated to the sight of a small Raccoon snuffling around the site, and even trying the edges of the Pleasure Dome, that was until he heard our voices and scuttled off into the undergrowth. It was a reminder for us not to leave anything vaguely edible or drinkable in the gazebo because those cheeky critters will be in and trashing anything that gets in their way when they’re in search of an easy snack.

This fine evening, we broke out the TV and watched a film that I had on my laptop. It was the 1960s classic Georgy Girl, starring Lynn Redgrave, Alan Bates and James Mason. I slept through too much of it to be able to recount the plot, but I was content that I hadn’t seen it before, not even through closed eyes. We rarely watch the TV when we’re camping, which I guess is a good thing. We have a retractable TV antenna built into the Airstream that we can extend should we want to watch broadcast TV, but I can count the times we’ve used it on one hand, although that really speaks to the dreadful quality of broadcast TV as much as to our disinterest in the TV when we’re camping. I was reminded why we don’t have a TV in our bedroom at home as we deployed Airstream’s sofa-bed platform and I watched, or tried to watch, the film from a semi-prone position. Of course, I can sleep standing up, pretty much, but being prone like that made the act of actually nodding off so much easier. A TV in our bedroom would be better than sleeping pills, if I ever needed them.

The morrow would be our last day, and we had a much warmer night to enjoy, but we still didn't turn in until much later than we should have. Again, the pleasures of retirement are many and varied.