The worst of times --- Friday August 9, 2013

Friday started out rainy.  Heavy, damp, ugly rain.  So much so that Ed decides to come with me and spend the day at the Lubec Memorial Library, in Lubec, Maine.   The library is a very active small town library that has a really homey feel to it.

Lubec, itself, is the easternmost town in the contiguous United States and is about 14 miles from our campsite. It is right next to the bridge to Campobello Island. 

Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, would spend his summers on Campobello from the age of one until, as an adult, he acquired a larger property — a 34-room "cottage" — which he used as a summer retreat until 1939. It was here that Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., was born in August 1914. It was at Campobello, in August 1921, that the future president fell ill with a paralytic illness, at the time thought to be polio, which resulted in his total and permanent paralysis from the waist down. Roosevelt did strive for seven years to regain use of his legs but never again walked unassisted. 

The park was sold and then the cottage was donated to the U.S. and Canadian governments in 1963 as an international park. The Roosevelt Campobello International Park is the only one of its kind because it is run by both the Canadian and American governments, the park being located in Canadian territory. The park is now equally staffed by both Americans and Canadians.

So while there is some things of interest in and around Lubec, it is not really a happening place!

Cohill's Pub

We closed the library down at 4 pm and moved on to an early dinner at Cohill's Pub. Comfortable place for an easy dinner with friendly wait staff.

We headed home and continued our Gin Rummy Tournament.  We ended the night at a tie of 9 games each.

I headed off the bed to read and Ed followed within a half hour.  As we were snuggled under the covers the rain began to fall much harder and the wind picked up.  So much so after and hour or so, we decided to brave the elements and go outside to take down the screen house and awning. 

We were too late.  The wind was howling as we got the screen house unattached and dropped to the ground, but we only got the awning half way rolled up when a giant gust ripped the awning off the camper in our hands.  If we were only 10 seconds earlier....!

Viewing damage in the light of day.

We took in everything we could and left everything else outside and hoped it would not blow away.  Remember, there are no lights around this area, only the flashlight in our hand and it was in a torrential rainstorm.  Not fun.

The wind continued shaking the camper for the next 4 hours.  Ed and I were sleeping on either side of the camper in the hopes of stabilizing the unit itself.  We didn't really talk.  Ed tried to continue to read his Kindle while I put my earplugs in and tried to go to sleep.  There was nothing else we could do but wait it out. 

We estimated the winds to be 40 to 50 mph at a SUSTAINED level.  The roof of the camper was shaking side to side and the tenting material was whipping in and out despite being all closed up.  Both of us were on the verge of (silently) thinking it was time to move into the truck when the wind calmed down around 2 am.

It was one of the scariest nights we have ever spent.  It seems that over the last couple years we have had at least one unpleasant event.

I think I'm getting too old for this!