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… 

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.