Another fun day at Camp Hidey Ho.
I got up early to get ready for everyone to arrive and, most importantly, got the electric motor mounted on the rowboat and ready for its first real outing.
Everyone arrived around 10:00, and we had a late breakfast before heading down to the lake.
For the first voyage, I went out with Caroline and Ella for a tour of Patten Pond.
We headed over toward the neighbors across the lake because we’d been watching them fish. Just before dusk last night, we’d seen them hook a big fish that was jumping out of the water. We only saw them catch that one, but when we talked to them today, they said they’d actually caught five bass last night.
Then this morning, we watched them catch another one right off their dock.
So apparently there really are fish in Patten Pond.
It actually makes sense. In all the time I’ve spent here, I almost never see anyone fishing the lake. If the bass have been living here largely undisturbed all these years, there could be some pretty good fishing.
Add that to next year’s Camp Hidey Ho list.
While we were making our way around the lake, someone spotted something else I’d been hoping to see all month.
A loon.
I’ve heard the loons several times during this stay and have even carried on a few conversations with them in my heavily accented loon language, but until today I hadn’t actually seen one.
And there it was.
So I can finally check see a loon off this year’s list.
But the wildlife show wasn’t finished.
As we continued around the lake, we noticed another bird watching us from high in a tree on the Camp Hidey Ho property.
A bald eagle.
He was just sitting there, keeping an eye on everything happening below.
We took the boat fairly close to his tree, and he seemed completely unconcerned by us. He stayed put long enough for us to take some good pictures.
Eventually we headed back to camp, and then it was time for the next boating crew.
Austin went out with the girls, with Caroline taking her turn as captain. They made a quick trip around the lake and saw the eagle too.
Then Austin took over as captain, and Jen and Ella went out for another tour. And finally Ella took her turn as captain. I think it is impressive that both girls felt confident enough to want to drive the boat.
Through all the trips the eagle was still there.
Apparently he’d decided to spend the day at Camp Hidey Ho along with the rest of us.
Meanwhile, something else had happened while I was out on my first boat ride.
I had a pile of scrap lumber by the cabin that eventually needed to be brought across. The bog to be taken to the dump. I’d mentioned that as everyone walked back and forth, maybe each person could grab a board and bring it along.
I figured we’d gradually whittle down the pile.
When I returned from the boat ride, I looked over and…
The entire pile was gone.
Apparently Jen and Austin had decided that carrying one board at a time wasn’t ambitious enough and moved the whole pile across the bog for me.
That was a very welcome surprise.
It also means I’m now in good shape for my Tuesday dump run. I can take the scrap lumber along with the remains of the old wood stove and get all of it out of here before I leave.
Eventually, around 1:30, it was time for everyone to head home. The girls have school tomorrow, and Jen and Austin wanted to get them back at a reasonable hour.
I was sorry to see them go.
It was only a day and a half, but I really enjoyed having them here. After spending almost the entire month alone, it was wonderful to share Camp Hidey Ho with family—and especially nice to see the girls enjoying the place so much.
Once they left, though, reality returned.
I’m leaving Wednesday.
The end is nigh.
I spent part of the afternoon going through the shed, trying to decide what needs to stay, what can go to the dump and what should come home with me.
I found a large galvanized tub that Trudy had noticed last year and thought we might be able to use at home, so I’ll take that with me. I also gathered up a number of tools I’d brought here last year that really don’t need to remain at camp, so those will be making the trip home with me.
At least I’ve managed to clean out the shed a little.
And now I have one major project left.
The battery closet.
I’ve been talking about building an insulated closet in what is now the bathroom, and tomorrow is pretty much do-or-die time.
The plan is for that closet to become the permanent home for the big batteries so I don’t have to haul them back and forth across the bog every year.
After getting that 136-pound battery across once, I’ve decided that was an experience worth having exactly one time.
So tomorrow needs to be a productive day.
Today, though, was another day to actually enjoy Camp Hidey Ho instead of just working on it.
We took the boat around the lake.
We discovered there really are bass in Patten Pond.
I finally saw my loon.
A bald eagle spent much of the day watching over the camp.
And I got to spend another wonderful day with Jen, Austin, Caroline and Ella.
Not a bad way to spend one of my last Sundays here.
Now it’s time to finish that closet, start packing and somehow get Camp Hidey Ho ready for another long Maine winter.
I’m a little sad that the end of this year’s adventure is getting so close.
But I’m not gone yet.
Talk to you tomorrow.
