06-20-11 - Didn’t it rain, children, rain all night long?

06-20-11
Didn’t it rain, children, rain all night long?
Didn’t it, didn’t it, Oh, my lord, didn’t it Rain?
124.7 miles (and a tow)
Barnesville - Fergus Falls - Sauk Center - Melrose
The day began gray and overcast. A distinct contrast to the prior day.
The radio forecast had been for heavy rains and flash flood warnings for the west and south central parts of the state.
Hey, that’s where I am and where I’m going!
I had planned to go to Brainerd (bloody woodchoppers and all!) but the route to Detroit Lakes from Barnesville seemed long and I knew I could make Sauk Center today and it was along the faster and closer freeway. So I took the 94 south to Fergus Falls, by passing Detroit Lakes. Steinbeck only gave passing notice to Detroit lakes and I think I have mentioned them more than he did. (Although, to his credit, he at least drove through Detroit Lakes, and I will not - perhaps on my part because they are in Minnesota and not Michigan as their name might imply.)
I stop in Fergus Falls to get some internet connection. I try three separate places and they all are barely connecting. (I have to park at three separate places in the McInternet parking lot just to finally get a signal!
I stop at a gas station to get a refill of Pepsi and to use the restrooms. The women behind the counter are talkative, funny and sharp. They talk me into buying “2 for one candy bars”. (Tough sale.) As I am about to leave I ask “Who’s Fergus and why did he, or where are his falls? They know wher the
Falls are alright, but I stumped them on Fergus. “I’ll have to google it” says one of them.
I did. Turns out the town was Founded by a Scottish explorer who named the town after his boss! (Who never saw the place. And the explorer never got his place in the sun because he was dad within a year from an Indian raid. A claims clerk bought up the abandoned claim and started a trading company. And that was the beginnings of the town .
I get back on the road and pass by Alexandria and go into Sauk Center following my Garmin. My Garmin had 4 year old shit for brains. It leads me to a industrial yard that is supposed to be Sinclair Lewis Park. Maybe at one time…but not anymore. I drive a couple of blocks around this place thinking a road usage may have changed/been repurposed at some point in the past. I find the park and the campgrounds I’d been considering staying at. AAA is antiquated again. And it’s the 1011 edition! You’d think that they’d either 1) check to verify the rates, or 2) have a covenant with these park not to change their rates anytime within the calendar year that their posting is listed. It’s bad for AAA’s reputation and bad to the campground as well.
At the pricing they have, though it’s in a very picturesque location on a lake with a park across the street, I think I’ll pass. I found a cheaper site for the night just down then road in Melrose. The Melrose City Park (or Sauk River Park - it seems to go by two names!) is only $8/night for tent camping. Garmin of course doesn’t list it under either name…so I try to route my self to the place by finding a business a block or so away. I get to town - find the bowling alley on 6th, but am not finding the park. I find the Lake Woebegone Trail, but am still searching for the park when…my stick shifter goes loose in my hand. (I know, sounds like a personal problem…and it is!)
I am dead. I try to push the car against the curb, but It seems I only got to about 3 feet from it.
What to do? I’m seeing a desperate end to my travels. I’m already under $100 and I have storage, car insurance and …my AAA card is expired.
I call them and “You’re in the grace period. We’ll come out without a commercial charge applying”.
Blessings.
The Tow person, Tom gets to me and is kind enough to show me where he’s going to leave the car in town (It’s now after 5pm) and then take me to the campsite, let me unload the things I’ll need and then take it back to the Tire Shop (They do repairs as well) for them to get in the morning.)
After putting the tent up and plugging into the electric, I realize the power cord to my computer is still in my car. So Mischa and I take a walk the 3 or so blocks to the back of the shop to get the things from my car. I discover at least 5 other things to bring back, not least is the air pump for my mattress that requires a cigarette lighter socket to run. And my car is in the shop. I am an optimist!
We get back lugging things from the car and I ask a family nearby if they would use their igniter to inflate my mattress. They say yes! (Saved from rough sleep and hyperventilation!)
I have some firestarter and matches and get a grill going with found pieces of wood and pager products lft in the fire rings so I can cook a packaged meal of cheese broccoli rice for dinner.
It takes 2-3 times as long as the listed instructions (fire won’t get hot enough and the winds for the coming storm are beginning to blow.)
Mischa is sacked out from the long walk and shows little interest in my food or even hers. But she is nuzzling up beside me, which is bit unusual. Perhaps she is sensing my feelings of depression, desperation and concern.
I decide to trust Scarlett O’Hara and Tom Hanks in Castaway. “Tomorrow is another day” and “See what the tide brings in.”
The storm starts. We’re in the tent and relatively safe (as far as we know.) We are the only people left at the campgrounds and the Sauk River is raging downstream just 15 feet from me tent. And there’s a flash flood warning thru Wednesday. What could go wrong?
Around 11pm the storm announces it self formally with a looooog booming continuous thunderclap that was at least 2 ½ minutes in duration. Quite impressive. But as I was already in a twilight sleep mode all it did was to make me think to turn off the computer.
I would wake several more times that night - wind pressing the tent into me; rain pummeling the tent tring and succeeding to get my attention; and birds at 4:55am. Birds. (One incessant bird in particular.)
Good morning “Summertime”! (Where the hell are you?!)