Last weekend I was supposed to go camping in Maine with my brother and his wife. I wanted to go and had been looking forward to it. But somehow I ran out of steam. I knew a whole week beforehand that I just didn't have the resources to undertake the trip, but I held off telling my brother, hoping I would magically get reinvigorated. Didn't happen. I finally let him know that I just couldn't swing it. I felt badly deserting him at the last minute, but he understood. I moped a bit during the weekend, but couldn't even manage to go to the end of the season library picnic. Just didn't have it in me. I sat home and rested.
My brother's wife called me to tell me what I had missed out on. At first, I thought she was going to go on and on about how wonderful it had been and how I really should have been there. But the tale she told had me laughing hysterically and thanking my lucky stars I had reneged. Turns out the weather forecast was for balmy weather, no rain. So they pitched their tent sans cover tarp, meaning there was just netting between them and the stars.
Along about midnight, they were awakened by a clap of thunder and decided maybe it might be advisable for them to get up and put the tarp over their tent. They no sooner gotten up and started digging for the tarp than the skies opened up and the deluge began. Within seconds they were both totally soaked. They fumbled for the tarp anyway, first finding the wrong one, then the right one, and amidst lightning flashes, managed to get the tarp in place.
Meanwhile, the tent, with its 2 feet of canvas siding, had filled with water and everything inside including their clothes was floating in water. Bummer. Not a dry stitch in the tent. They took refuge in their car, assuming that the rain would peter out in a few minutes. They spent a good half hour laughing and strategizing about how to proceed when it occurred to them that the rain was not letting up and would probably continue for the rest of the night.
They decided to surrender and find a hotel room for the night, but there was nothing available. They called every hotel in the area only to be told there was no vacancy. Finally, they did find one room, but it was $200 for the night. Desperate and weary, they agreed to the cost and took the room. Fortunately, the clerk took one look at their bedraggled state and only charged them $100.
They spent the next day at a laundromat drying everything out and debating about the wisdom of staying or just packing it in and heading home. Upshot of it was, they went shopping at the LL Bean Outlet Store, then went home. I am SOOOO glad I didn't end up pushing to go when I was so tired, then having to deal with the deluge and the flood and the added cost without any of the benefit of enjoying a campfire (!) and nature in its gentle form.
The best benefit I got from the whole experience was an hour of hysterical laughter as I was hearing of their exploits. I could just picture the scene and the frantic racing about in the midst of sheets of water rolling down on them. And a very grateful heart that I had paid attention to reality and called it quits before I got soaked. Literally.
My brother's wife called me to tell me what I had missed out on. At first, I thought she was going to go on and on about how wonderful it had been and how I really should have been there. But the tale she told had me laughing hysterically and thanking my lucky stars I had reneged. Turns out the weather forecast was for balmy weather, no rain. So they pitched their tent sans cover tarp, meaning there was just netting between them and the stars.
Along about midnight, they were awakened by a clap of thunder and decided maybe it might be advisable for them to get up and put the tarp over their tent. They no sooner gotten up and started digging for the tarp than the skies opened up and the deluge began. Within seconds they were both totally soaked. They fumbled for the tarp anyway, first finding the wrong one, then the right one, and amidst lightning flashes, managed to get the tarp in place.
Meanwhile, the tent, with its 2 feet of canvas siding, had filled with water and everything inside including their clothes was floating in water. Bummer. Not a dry stitch in the tent. They took refuge in their car, assuming that the rain would peter out in a few minutes. They spent a good half hour laughing and strategizing about how to proceed when it occurred to them that the rain was not letting up and would probably continue for the rest of the night.
They decided to surrender and find a hotel room for the night, but there was nothing available. They called every hotel in the area only to be told there was no vacancy. Finally, they did find one room, but it was $200 for the night. Desperate and weary, they agreed to the cost and took the room. Fortunately, the clerk took one look at their bedraggled state and only charged them $100.
They spent the next day at a laundromat drying everything out and debating about the wisdom of staying or just packing it in and heading home. Upshot of it was, they went shopping at the LL Bean Outlet Store, then went home. I am SOOOO glad I didn't end up pushing to go when I was so tired, then having to deal with the deluge and the flood and the added cost without any of the benefit of enjoying a campfire (!) and nature in its gentle form.
The best benefit I got from the whole experience was an hour of hysterical laughter as I was hearing of their exploits. I could just picture the scene and the frantic racing about in the midst of sheets of water rolling down on them. And a very grateful heart that I had paid attention to reality and called it quits before I got soaked. Literally.
No comments:
Post a Comment