Camp Projects.

One thing about camping is that you end up with a lot of free time on your hands.

Some people fill the hours with drinking or playing with their phones or watching TV or any number of activities they could just as easily do at home.

Me? I usually look for things to make "better". That's a matter of opinion, I realize, because my "better" may be someone else's "ruined". Usually I try to limit my efforts to sticking to the original intent of whatever I'm working on, lest I pave over the wilderness. Most often it's a little brush clearing, trash removal, drainage improvement, or other minor thing to improve the site. Make it better for the next guy. Plus, it kills some of the time. I'm good for about four hours on the bike, another four poking at/staring into the fire, a couple eating, and then I get restless.

When we camp at certain campgrounds with a lake, we drag the kayaks and canoe along. At South Rolly Lake, we try to grab a campsite on the lake, which involves me going out mid-week while normal humans are at work and claiming the prime real estate. The further from the "premium" sites and the near constant drone of generators and margarita mixers, the better.

The last time we there, we scuffed up the bottoms of the kayaks beaching them on the rock strewn shore. The shallow "port" had numerous large rocks just below the surface, adding to the tapestry of scrapes. So, one mid-week day while the rest of the world was on yet another teleconference, I was in the chilly water digging out boulders. When I freed a big rock from the muddy grip of the lake bottom, I'd roll it into a pile. Smaller rocks filled in the voids. You'd have to feel around with your hands and feet for the next rock, as the water quickly became brown. Pretty soon a large part of my harbor rock-free, with a rock pier for boarding boats. A little work with a saw removed some deadfall branches and opened it up a bit more.

When I was a kid, it was a matter of pride that we dammed up every stream we happened upon. This was kinda like that, My older kids lost interest in the project in short order, but my youngest seemed to understand. That probably says more about me than it does about them.

When my wife arrived the next day from the land of Zoom, I showed her my work. I don't think she got it either, but I noticed she used it every time she boarded a kayak. Some people never really consider the effort that goes into the infrastructure they use every day.

Then again, it isn't about them. It's about finding purpose and feeling useful in a world that no longer seems built for it. It's about killing some time doing something productive instead of opening another beer and killing some brain cells. Even a pile of rocks and a clear channel for small craft is a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon when you consider the alternative.

Next spring when I return, I'll probably find the winter ice or some drunk asshole scattered the rocks. Maybe I'll pile them up again, or maybe I'll improve the project. Maybe I'll just open a beer and stare at the campfire.