Lewd and Disorderly

Hi!  I had a short post about our weekend plans all ready to go, and blogger flipped out and didn't post it, and by then I was out of time.  Sorry for disappearing without notice :-)  Here's what I wrote while we were camping.

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They finally left about an hour ago. The “neighbors” who kept us up until 1 am with their loud party, foul language, and disgusting manners are gone. Relief. It's not like this hasn't happened before, though. Many times our camping trips have been soured by rude people. People who care nothing for others, and only think of their own pleasure.

We had been enjoying a great camping spot. We've never been here before, but with the procrastination about whether we were going or not, this was one of the only choices we had left when I made reservations a scant seven days before the 4^th Of July weekend. We'll definitely be back. It's only about an hour and a half from home (if you don't miss your turn and go 45 minutes out of your way, and end up having to ask for directions at a liquor store, and so many people have been lost before that he automatically reaches for the map he has printed out and ready...granted, the map was for a shooting range, but it was just up the road from our campground. Yes, we can hear it. But not many people have been shooting this weekend.) The campground is pleasantly wooded, the sites are huge with lots of available shade, and the bugs aren't too bad. The campground host even gave us some of his charcoal when we realized our container was empty. Those were yummy steaks.

I started to get a bit apprehensive as car after car after car kept arriving in the campsite right next to ours. (The rules clearly state one vehicle per site, and a max of eight people.) They didn't seem to care. Over twenty 20-somethings set up camp, began drinking, swearing, screaming, and urinating on the trees. It was really horrid. Their dog kept wandering over to us while we were eating those steaks, so I finally picked up the squirrel, er little dog, and carried him over. One of the girls came to meet me as she saw me coming, and yells over her shoulder, “I TOLD you we need to tie him up!” “Thanks.” “No problem, but could I ask a favor? Would you mind toning down your language? I've got young kids right over there and they can hear every word you say.” “I'll try.” I'm walking back over to our site and behind me I'm hearing, “She asked us to stop cussing. She's got kids. We need to do this.” “'Forget'  that!” (Only he used a very different word starting with F) “She asked really nicely guys, please.” Sigh.

There were fewer R-rated words, but there were still plenty. And the volume of their party increased as the volume of alcohol consumed also increased. I knew we were in for a long night. And I wasn't wrong. You'd think people who drink that much and stay up that late would at least sleep in, but NO. They were up again and loud at 6 am.

It was with some satisfaction that we saw the campground host giving them a talking to first thing in the morning. It was with even more of a sense of justice when we saw him come back, and with the sheriff. Don't know what really happened, but what we could see was wallets being pulled out and what I assume were ID's being handed over for inspection. Then they started yelling at each other. Trying to pass the blame, I'm guessing. Soon after the sheriff leaves, we see two of the five cars pull away. But everyone else is staying. And sitting around the campfire. And NOT taking down tents and leaving. What??? But luckily about five to noon, they're packed up and leaving. Perhaps they stayed until the very last minute before check-out time to spite us all. Who knows. At least they're gone.

And I'm sitting here all alone at the campsite, those in the family not possessing “post-infectious, chronic reactive airway disease” are hiking. A chipmunk scurries around looking for dropped food. I hear thunder in the far distance. And birds chirping. The wind in the trees. And not a rude person in sight. This is more like it.