It has been a few days and now I am feeling slightly refreshed.  I was able to go for my walk for the first time in two days with a light misty sprinkle following along.  The smells were rich and the birds joyously singing.  It is amazing how light rain keeps people inside.    

 

I have finished my class work and final with a satisfactory grade.  A group is in camp and doing well.  I almost cannot believe that the season has begun.  No blood donors yet…the black flies are still at bay.  I have heard rumors that they are out in other places but only swarming, not biting.  In the coming week the little guys will get their fill of SUNY Cortland’s student’s blood. 

 

The group here now is TST Boces.  They arrived yesterday and have been busy every since.  Many of them went swimming, as well as, canoed, kayaked and fished followed by a campfire.  It was a great first day.  Today the group will head over to Camp Huntington to use the challenge course and return later to help with a service project; raking pine needles and leaves.  While it is a small group, the extra 17 pairs of hands will make quick work of it. 

 

Have a great day!

Well I have had a few of those days when you feel like you have been running around and there is nothing to show for it.  One of our summer staff, Michael, has arrived and started work, thank goodness; it is nice to have help pulling camp together.  There are so many things that are time consuming like hanging curtains, changing fire detector batteries (all 30 of them), getting pine needles off of roofs, cleaning out gutters, washing windows, vacuuming, repair work and more…next weekend is the volunteer work weekend.  We will surely get the some jobs done then. 

The biggest problem I have had is the dead animal that I cannot find.  I really hope that it is not the raccoon.  I started to smell it just after I moved back in, then the days got warmer and the smell get stronger…it is somewhere in my house!  I checked all of the furniture and the drop ceiling with nothing but a stronger smell.  It must be in the wall in my living room, eeeewwe.  I hope that is it only a mouse and will dry out soon.  I know, gross to think about. 

I have walked most mornings, but this a.m. my feet need a break.  The last few patches of snow that were tucked away in the woods have melted and the weather has been spectacular.  Yesterday fog rolled in as soon as the sun rose and faded away in an hour or so.  No bugs yet! 

It is nearing the end of  a long day as the sun sets on Antlers and is working its way across the lake.  My shoulders are tight and my neck tense.  Yet, am still elated to be so close to water and mountains on this beautiful day!

I have done a bit of everything today.  Cleaned out some toilet guts, raked and planted grass seed, breathed fresh air, cleaned the summer assistants quaters and removed the nails from all the windows that are used to keep them tight during the winter just to name a few.  The pleasant spring air is blowing winter’s dampness right out of the buildings.  I spent quite a bit of time vacumming cob webs from ceilings and windows.  It is only the beginning…five more buildings to go.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a great day too.  I am sure it will not be long now before the black flies are out…ugh!  Enjoy your night campers. 

On my morning walk I noticed several smells yesterday.  It was cloudy and overcast with temps in the mid 40’s.  On overcast days, you always see things that you may not have before because your eyes are completely open and not squinting.  Scents hang in the air with views of deeper richer hues.  The greens are starting to show as the trees begin to bud.  A piliated woodpecker has done some amazing work on three different trees.  I will share pictures soon. 

The smell of rain first entered my nose as I started towards town.  It quickly changes as I found a pocket of balsam and pine.  I stopped for a moment then moved on.  A light rain started to fall, so light that I could not feel it but heard it in the forest dripping from leaf to leaf.  As I moved closer toward the cedar swamp the chorus of birds singing and calling filled my ears.  It was a very busy place.  Again the air changed, carrying a slight whiff of cedar followed by the natural decomposition of leaves and other matter then more balsam and pine.  

The village was quiet as I passed through and continued to the bridge where the red-winged black birds were very busy.  They were singing and calling from trees and tall grasses.  You can alway find them there.  A few swallows have returned too.  It is fun to watch them swiftly swoop under the bridge and out the other side. 

On my return trip towards camp the rain started to come down much heavier, so I picked up the pace and scurried home.  The rain has stopped for now.  I need to get busy unbuttoning camp and getting one day closer to groups arriving! Enjoy your day…Â

It is May again already and the race is on to get camp opened, cleaned and ready for the students.  I had help this year getting the water turned on.  After a few leaks and burst pipes the water is on.  The guys saved me at least three days worth of work. 

Over the winter there was a fiesty racoon in the kitchen.  It ate four big tubs of peanut butter, lots of oatmeal and garlic powder.  Strange combination, but I guess we all have our favorites.  It was quite a mess.  The strangest part was all of the mud around the diningroom toilets.  I know that racoons like to rinse off their food and I am sure it was thirsty after eating four tubs of peanut butter and several containers of oatmeal.  The strange thing is that the toilets are filled with RV antifreeze so that the bowls do not burst.  I am still kind of wondering if I might find it dead somewhere.  I am sure it stayed warm…  Perhaps it was the racoon that I toted away last year getting revenge! 

More to come in the near future. Stay tuned campers!

I will add to this blog from time to time. The blog will be most active from May - October. I will feature guests of Raquette Lake, animal sightings, weather, funny stories and such. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you.

I visited Camp Huntington earlier this week.  The sun was shining and the weather was beautiful.  The snow started to melt drop by drop creating a lake atop of the lake.  I used a Ranger (covered ATV) to cross the lake on the ice road.  The water was spraying from the tires as though I was in my boat.  Cracks in the ice were everywhere, but were not a concern at the time.  The ice road was still approximately two feet thick.

The College of William and Mary were busy with winter activities as they enjoyed their spring break.  Two weeks ago, SUNY Cortland art students had a sculpting retreat at Camp Huntington.  The group created and eight foot tall snowflake.  It was visible through our Web camera, www.cortland.edu/outdoor/raquette/webcam.htm, especially at night.  After lunch on Monday, the WM students noticed the sculpture melting.  One girl decided that she should have her picture taken next to the art work.  She moved within about two feet of the snowflake as someone said, “Don’t touch it.”  I can bet that you know what happened next.  The girl extended her pointer finger and without even touching the sculpture, it crashed to the ground.  Her face was priceless.  It was as though candid camera was there somewhere.