Bites, Bugs and Bellowing

This past week my spouse and I returned from a five night camping trip to Laura Lake. We have camped at this destination more than any other. Arriving late morning on a Wednesday, I thought for sure we would find a non-claimed lake site, but that was not meant to be. Just two weeks earlier few of the reserve-able sites had been claimed, so I thought oh, no problem.  In talking with the Ranger on Thursday, he said most reservations so far this year were made Friday and Saturday for the following week. You have to reserve a site at least four days before you first reserved date.  He thinks people wait to see the long-range forecast.

Upon our first visit to Laura Lake fifteen years ago this
bench was probably about 25' from the water edge.

I think most campers come from the Fox River valley area of Wisconsin and hence are closer than those of us from the Madison area. Last year we were at the campground during the same week in July (although arrived Thursday) and the loop we were on filled up quickly on Sunday as persons vacated a site, but this past Sunday nary a camper moved in to that loop. Obviously no pattern emerges as to when good non reserve-able sites can be claimed.   Fortunate to find a nice non-lake site that had few neighbors, the unique adventure of each camping trip started to become obvious. The state of Wisconsin has received significant rainfall this spring and summer, and this is also true of that campground. If I thought the water was high last year, it was even higher this year, and our favorite lake site, at which we have camped a few times, had significant ponding to each side of the site. Mosquito breading havens abounded.

Long pants do not necessarily deter mosquitoes

Of course, standing water was not just present at that site, but was common throughout the campground. The lake trail had so much flooding and backwaters created by an overflowing lake that has no  discernible inlet or outlet.   Two major detours on the lake trail were required, one almost taking you into a campsite. Past trips had very few problems with bugs, other than some black flies, but this trip had a great many mosquitoes. Even during mid-day as we set camp up during the noon hour, and in sun, they were a bother. My unfortunate wife had the bugs bite her through socks and pants. Bundled up in long pants and sweatshirt to keep the bugs off, one would think the temperature was in the 50's. After a hike on the lake trail her legs looked like she had climbed through a large patch of poison ivy. 

Marker on the Lake Trail

The trend in wearing low ankle (or no ankle) height socks must have been created by an urbanite in a dry non-mosquito climate. After all the naked ankles are vulnerable to mosquito bites.  You can more easily slap a mosquito away from your arm, neck, or calf than the ankle. It has been a several years since my spouse and kids got me away from my white ankle socks, but after this trip, I feel like they should be a mainstay in the camping wardrobe.  As many may know, I take pride in being a trend setter, by being so far behind the times, I am the precursor to the next fashion trend.   Styles repeat themselves, except for perhaps leisure suits and Nehru jackets, but wearing socks above the ankle will come back in style in some time in the future.  Bug bites on an ankle are annoying and low socks and mosquitoes are not a good combination.  

While bug bites are annoying, so too is the buzzing of the mosquito and fly by the head and ears.  A slap seemingly doing little to rid oneself of the insipid sound of a mosquito producing a noise well above the size of their stature.  Yet, even worse was the bull frog.  Starting its bellowing in a low drone at dusk and continuing to dawn, the adept amphibian, located in a backwater of the lake seemingly only took about four seconds between its noise making on our first night.  Three thoughts crossed my mind.  First, was the sound reminded me of a woman smoker at the beach that day and made me wonder who had the more annoying voice.  Knowing that in the animal kingdom shows are put on to attract mates or partners, the second thought appeared as a plea: "will another bull frog please come and have sex with this bellowerer so it will stop making its noise."  Alas, that was not to be the case, since the bellowing continued until daylight began to appear about 5 am, and the bull frog would then have to compete with the more melodious sounds of the birds, and the occasional loon.  The third thought was of the T-Mobile commercial where the camping millennials play city noise so they are able to fall asleep in their tent.  

Watch your head!

The bellowing continued, but by the third night the amphibian had become hoarse, and its bellowing grew increasingly intermittent.  Perhaps being sexually satisfied by Sunday night,  but more likely having lost its voice, few belches were heard on our last night. Having been kept up all night Wednesday due to its persistent peal two tired campers got up early Thursday to begin the next day, to be beset by bugs in the wilderness of the Laura Lake hiking trail. What was worse, the bug bites or the bellow of the bull frog, I will let the reader come to their own conclusion.