August 21, Thursday- Canada Revisited

It was GO time. After seven days in Niagara Falls with the departure of Melanie and the exploration of the area, it was time to move west as a solo person. Up at dawn, hauled in the anchor, set sails and move on out across the big river into Ontario and straight across – forget rush hour traffic in the shoreline cities – to Port Huron of the state of Michigan. Re-entry into the US of A at the Michigan side of the Great Lakes took 45 minutes. Heading for Flint I was hesitant at Interstate 75; an hour and a half to the south was Joan’s family in Ann Arbor. What to do? I looked south then turned north at Flint. I wanted to move after being solid for a week. Up the state instead of down the state into big cities. Into rural Michigan. Oh, my god!! Are those fall colors on those maples??? Night time temperatures are now dipping into the lower 40’s with the highs in the mid 70’s..

Finally I got off the interstate to pursue the South Higgins Lake State Park campground. It was a shock all the way around. First it was $14 to get the RV and the Jetta into the park then another $27 to spend the night among a line of wall-to-wall campers. I was setting up camp among the masses when a set of dogs across the lane set up a chorus. Whoa, is this going to be the setting of the stage? After a few bark set, I had to deal with this so I walked across the lane to a man sitting in his canvas lounge chair just finishing up a cell phone call. “Hi. I wanted to check in with you about your dogs. Is this just an unusual barking or is the way they are going to be?” “They are just pups and they do yap.” “Well, I think both you and I would be better off if I moved.” So I did; to another quieter part of the full campground.
After setting up camp, I walked down to the lake. Anchored out were speedboats of every description plus beat up boats with outboards. I wondered how they got to them from the beach. The answer soon came as a boat came in among the anchored boats. The boat slowed then a young girl slid over the side and to my amazement stood in water waist deep two hundred feet from shore. She set the anchor and the rest of the folks in the boat loaded up their gear and also plunged into the water and waded the long distance to the shore. Taking heart I waded out for several hundred feet in the shallow water out past the anchored boats. I wondered if the entire lake was this shallow