Unhappy Campers at Anastasia State Park

Florida’s weather changes right along with whatever storms affect the Atlantic seaboard. This was evident at Anastasia State Park last week. While camping at the park I met a couple who were almost ready to literally throw in the (wet) towel and go home.

Donna and Geren set up camp on Monday with plans to stay for the rest of the week. At that time the sun was shining. By nightfall a steady rain began pelting against their tent. They huddled under their blankets, hoping it might let up. It didn’t. In the middle of the night they were disturbed by the sound of wild animals rummaging through their camp. When they peeked outside they saw fat furry bodies scampering into the underbrush.  Sleeping was impossible. Both the tent and air mattress leaked. By morning, they were laying on the hard ground under wet blankets, and it was still raining.

Desperate for coffee, Donna opened the tent and looked around. Through the pouring rain, she noticed the ground was littered with wrappers. During the night raccoons invaded their camp. These masked bandits were so experienced they opened sealed Tupperware containers and gorged themselves on the contents. They ate a brand new box of Granola Bites which had never been opened.

Donna and Geren worked together to clean up the mess left by the raccoons. To add insult to injury their coffee maker didn’t work. No hot coffee. Geren stumbled off to the shower house where he learned (a little too late) that there was no hot water in the men’s shower and he forgot to bring a towel.

Upon Geren’s return the couple got in their car and drove to the nearest McDonald’s in St. Augustine. Over breakfast they assessed their present situation, and made plans for what to do next. They made a trip to Walmart where they purchased cots, a new coffee maker, and another awning. By the time they returned to Anastasia to reestablish their territory, the rain was letting up some.  That afternoon they dried their bedding at the campground laundry, and put their food in the car, except for their cooler. After visiting some friends for dinner, (who by the way camp in a trailer), Donna and Geren returned to their tent just after dark.

They were shocked to discover the raccoons had struck again! This time the little rascals opened the cooler. Once inside they got their paws on an egg carton and opened it, too. The thieves sucked out the liquid and threw the shells on the ground. The raccoons made off with a whole package of ham and a loaf of bread. For some unknown reason they weren’t interested in the gluten free English muffins. At this point Donna and Geren were so tired they could have slept standing up. They managed to put the dirty cooler in the car before collapsing on their new cots. The raccoons must have finally filled their bellies because they didn’t return.

For the rest of the week the couple experienced restful sleep and beautiful weather. They enjoyed all the natural beauty Anastasia has to offer. Donna and Geren haven’t given upon tent camping. In the future they’ll be upgrading to a new waterproof tent.

Author: debbieburton.blog

Debbie Burton is a children's author and award winning poet. Her books, "Buddy the Beagle on Blueberry Street," "Return to Blueberry Street," and "Truckload of Trouble." (Elk Lake) are available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. View all posts by debbieburton.blog