Home away from home

     I really wanted someone, anyone, to camp on the river bank with me so that we could dig for 2 days without all the travel time, but no one's schedule ever coincided with mine.  I briefly considered and quickly rejected the idea of camping by myself on the river.  I don't honestly think anything bad would happen but there are laborers and homeless men and backwoods types with crossbows hanging around and I wouldn't sleep well thinking about them.
   

(glyptodon scute necklace)

     I stayed at 3 different campgrounds along highway 17, which were great in regards to proximity but absolutely sucked in all other ways.  They were expensive,  $50 for an afterthought patch of weeds to put my tent on, and noisy: either mere feet from the highway or stuck half a mile back in the brush with all the partying rednecks.

     Eventually, I widened my search area and came up with Highland Hammocks State Park in Sebring, FL, my new home away from home when I'm fossiling.  It's a bit of a haul, 20-30 minutes from my launch sites, and the first time I visited I was put off by all the RV's but it's so well-managed and peaceful, I quickly settled in.  I always get the same couple of campsites and the surrounding wall of RV's creates a pleasant white noise, devoid of humans, as they never leave their rolling apartments.

     The rangers and campground hosts got to know me but the first time I went into the office for my site assignment, the ranger looked me over and said, "Quiet time is 11 pm but I don't think we'll have to worry about that with you."  I kept my mouth shut but in my head I was replaying the gin-soaked kayak camping trip only weeks before when, by 9 pm, the other campers had to ask us middle-aged folk to please settle down.  I'd be lying if I said I don't mix a big G&T to enjoy after a long day in the river, but fossiling takes all the rowdiness out of me so the other campers at Highlands are safe.  In fact, I had a very nice lady come to my tent and offer me the fixings for s'mores but I was too tired to make them.

(turtle scute necklace)

     On my second visit, the campground hostess came over and announced, "My husband is jealous of your campfire; he says you must have been a Girl Scout," while pointing behind her where I saw a glum man seated in front a small pile of smoldering logs.

     "No," I called over to him, "I cheat and use fire starting cubes from WalMart."

     "So did I," he said, defeated.

     "Use more!"  His fires improved dramatically after that.

     

(turtle scute necklace)

     One time when I was checking in, I waited in line behind 3 young orthodox Jewish men wearing white shirts with tzitzit and yamulkes.  It was Friday evening, Shabbat, and they were asking if there was a grocery store within walking distance.  There was not.  Highlands has a "middle of nowhere" feel to it which made the presence of these men seem all the more surreal, but then, I was really, really tired.

     Another time, rising in the predawn gloom to head back to the river, an elderly campground host greeted me, "Good morning, young lady!"  It's good to be home.