Why is it that winter seems to drag on endlessly, while summer tends to fly by at a break-neck pace? This certainly seems to be the consensus this summer among those of us in the office of The Houlton Pioneer Times.
February may well be the shortest month of the year, but it certainly feels the opposite because of all the snow and cold. July and August seem to pass by in the blink of an eye. It is most likely because everyone is so darn busy in the summer months trying to make the most of the warm weather.
Last weekend, the family and I escaped for a getaway to Greenland Cove campgrounds down in Danforth. My wife and daughters have been there before for a “girls only” weekend of camping so this was my first time making the trip.
My ambivalence toward camping has been pretty well documented in this column. Some people thoroughly enjoy pitching a tent and curling up in a sleeping bag to commune with nature. I have never been one of those people.
The entire concept of stuffing a vehicle full of all the items from your home that are needed to provide comfort and sustenance for a couple of days has always been a head-scratcher for me. I mean, don’t we all work to get our homes exactly the way we want them for a reason? If so, why would you want to leave that home on a weekend when you don’t have to work? Shouldn’t you want to enjoy the time spent at your home?
I suppose if we had a camper or camp to go to, I might feel otherwise. But, to keep family harmony, I have learned to tolerate the hassle of lugging a tent, four sleeping bags, inflatable mattress and what seems like countless bags of food to a destination.
I must say I was impressed with Greenland Cove and East Grand Lake. It was far nicer than I expected and offered many amenities to keep both myself and the children entertained over the weekend. It almost made up for the fact that not one, but both inflatable air mattress we brought with us failed to hold air. Waking up in the middle of the night to find oneself lying on the cold hard ground is not the most comforting experience, but the children certainly didn’t seem to mind.
One of the highlights of the weekend was roasting hot dogs over an open fire, with a twist. My wife saw a post somewhere on the Internet showing crescent rolls wrapped around a hot dog and cooked on a campfire. I have to admit, it was something so simple, and yet so tasty. Gathered around the campfire, with the stars shining and the sound of loons off in the distance got me to thinking that perhaps this camping thing wasn’t so bad after all. I’d gladly go again, if we can just figure out how to keep air in the mattresses.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect that of the newspaper. He can be reached at pioneertimes@nepublish.com or 532-2281
