Tidbits from my journey

Patos Island, 20 June 2009
It is a funny thing about campsites, people apologize for walking on the trail that goes by the edges of my campsite. It is as if my camp has walls and doors, ones you can see through. My life is on display, as is every camper. It’s a weird irony that people wish to respect the privacy of your camp by not intruding, but are quick to comment on your particular way of camping. For example the guy and his family who came in on a yacht with a gas dinghy, a speedboat, and a kayak. He is quick to point out that I need a generator and power tools and gasoline. I try and say at first that getting gasoline out here is pretty expensive, especially when we can’t afford a boat for transportation (yet). He goes on adding that a little Honda generator wouldn’t use that much gas, my reassurances that I dont need it since I have nothing to power seem to be lost on him. In his mind my 5 gallon jugs of water sitting in the shade, my single burner mini camp stove, and my hand crank lantern are surely a sign that I am poor, or maybe just crazy. To me they are comfortable and simple. A means by which I can more appreciate what surrounds me. He doesn’t know that I did research on and tested out several tents before finding the perfect one that I could live in with the dogs for 4 months straight. He doesn’t know that the best looking and tasting pancake I have ever made in my life was on that little PocketRocket (stove). He doesn’t know the pleasure of working all day with his hands to come back to a hammock with a view and a copy of Thoreau’s The Maine Woods. As he judges me in my campsite, I have judged him from the comforts of it. Him and his doga are overweight, his 3 boys more interested in speeding in and out of the cove on the speedboat then paddling the kayak amongst the Harbor Seals. His barbecue, mounted off the back deck, smells of steak. Probably served with potato salad from the fridge and a cold drink. I on the other hand, have picked five beautiful oysters and a few mussels and they are sitting in a mesh bag in the water for tomorrows supper. I am happy with my dinner of pasta, Curry, Lentils, and carrot.