Yes, I know.....a bit of a strange topic. However I was driving home last evening and once again found myself commenting on how thick the fog was (where I was at). I am not sure if anyone else has noticed, but on the western side of the Pacific Northwest, there have been a number of thick, foggy days. Perhaps that is because the air has been colder than usual and we haven't had a lot of rain, however the ground is still moist. I have noticed this same thing up and down the I-5 corridor as well as on the Olympic Peninsula. We were at Forks in November staying with some of Ken's relatives and for two nights we had really thick fog. I mentioned it out of passing (forgetting where I was) only to be told, "yeah, yeah.....fog.....vampires. We hear it all the time, blah, blah....." I guess that is true living in the make believe land of Twilight.
In early December we had a significant amount of fog at camp. I have told you before how different camp looks (and feels) when it is snowing or even when it is under siege by a major winter storm. Having the camp engulfed in fog is no different. However on this particular occasion the fog really was thick. How thick? Well, if you stood at the shore end of the pier, you could see the glow of the pier light but you really could not make out its shape. It was just an orb of orange (say that three times fast) in the distance. It wasn't until I was half way down the pier that I could make out the light in more detail. The end of the pier was not visible until you were almost 50 feet away from it. As I walked (and drove) around camp during that evening the same thing played out everywhere. I could be walking up the parade field without anything but a wall of "off" white in front of me, then all of a sudden a large structure would unveil itself in front of me......a very forbidding dining hall. It was one of those nights I didn't think I should be sleeping in there. Through the distance you could hear some wildlife move around but I could not make out exactly what it was or even where it was. It was then I began thinking that I really wasn't aware of anything that was around me so I promptly went back to my cabin. When you are in camp all by yourself, it is interesting how many "tricks" your ears (and imagination) will play on you in that setting.
This, of course, is in stark contrast to the summer when rarely there is a truly dark night, the weather is generally warm and you just can't get rid of the scouts from sight or ear shot. Much like my mini-eulogy to Jim......to every season there is a purpose. Not too sure what the purpose of the fog is, but there you go.
We are beginning to receive staff applications in bulk. I am happy to report that the vast majority are returning staff members. February will soon be upon us, I hope our boys get them in soon.