Harry S Truman SP

about 1.5hour south and east. I decided to take off late last night and arrived around sunset. Buck Ridge was closed and three doe fled my headlights on the hill leading to the lake-side camping areas. The area had an RV settled in the center (1 RV too many)- I took site 56 on the main road. I set up the tent and any remnants of sunlight drifted west over the horizon when I created a fire. The fire blazed for a few minutes and an armadillo rustled the leaves behind the sight. I tried spotting him with a tiny maglite and succeeded- he camouflaged into the leaf litter about 60ft into the woods. I retrieved the camera from the car and began approaching him as he obliviously ate his way toward me. I got within 3ft to take a picture- It came out well with the exception of the flashlight's glare. The exposure took 1/4th second and Im surprised its not more blurry! I took a step and landed on a small stick that couldn't hold my weight. CRACK- he stopped everything and perked his head up. After the armadillo heard nothing else he slowly made away from the sound. I took a few steps at a time to catch up with him but the ground was too crunchy. He didnt stop to eat after that! He ran faster and faster until I couldnt keep up, and still faster. His shinny shell disappeared into the black behind the nearest trees. Gone.

I returned to the warm fire and through a log on. When the new wood hit the pile of glowing orange coals it let out a spray of a million luminous sparks that floated with the smoke toward the stars. After watching it once more I mounted the camera on my tripod and set it on bulb. I tried to focus on where I expected the sparks would be and started the exposure. Focusing proved to be more difficult than I expected because the slight breeze seemed to shift direction and speed continually. I kicked the hot logs and let out another display of sparks. The wood, witch had almost burned out, suddenly caught flames again and I finished the exposure about 10 seconds after I started it.

A raccoon wondered aimlessly over the leaflitter and brush. Upon hearing the commotion that he created I shown the light in his direction. Sure enough, there were his little glowing eyes- about 40ft from the tent. I watched him for a few minutes and he seemed not to mind the light. I left the camera- a sin, I know- and ventured quietly in his direction. He strolled across the area in different directions behind the campsite and stopped once in a while to investigate a scent. Peeper frogs were going in the background.

He heard me way before I got too close and duplicated the armadillos reaction to the noise- his ears perked and his glowing eyes peered directly at my light.

He bolted.

The stars grew brighter and more numerous every time I spared a second to look up. A satellite traversed the broad sky. Horizon to horizon- many thousands of miles in only a few minutes.

I recognized some common constellations and struggled to remember the names of some not-so well-known ones.

The fire dimmed to a pile of dark coals after all the wood I brought had been burnt. I considered finding more but my eyelids became heavy within minutes and off to the tent I went.

Sometime around 3am I noticed a bout of strong wind gusts and poked my head out of the tent to find that a heavy cloud cover had developed above me. The clouds seemed to move fast and the forest whispered with busy leaves. It had grown very cold, but I took a sec to take a 360*. The bright lights from a far-away RV just about ruined my eyesight for some seconds after I looked away. I can hear his generator-there are two RVs.

I zipped up the tent and quickly retreated, desperately, for the warmth of my sleeping bag. I found it and listened for several minutes to the wind. There was a moment of adrenaline following a heavy gust that evoked a flashback of the tornado that had hit the park an early morning in 2004. I considered leaving after the gusts became more frequent. I had a line of excuses prepared for leaving, but never used any. I woke with the sunrise, though I waited 'til eight to put on my jacket and dare the chilled wind. The birds were incredible! There were so many and so many different kinds. They sang to each other and to whomever would listen. small spots of blue sky hid in openings of the continuous cloud. I was able to id a flicker and some small woodpeckers, a small group of robins and a cardinal.

By the time I had packed up the clouds were starting to break. The sunlight highlighted the eastern edge of every bit and chunk of cloud. I drove toward the lake to see how high it was-heard boat traffic. A meadowlark and phoebe were both at the entrance of the glade trail. Another cardinal-this one more dull- flicked above the road and into the woods again. A few more deer.

The beach-area is smothered in gulls- many cormorants and a few scattered pelicans were in the cove. The white pelicans towered over the small black cormorants when they got close enough to compare. For a few minutes the gulls fought over something- handfuls at a time exploded into the air- some only a foot or so, some flew over the cove, screaming- everyone was screaming that gull scream.

Another dozen or so patrolled the edge of a flooded parking lot on the far end of the SP Marina. The clouds continued to lift until I reached ~Clinton.