The campground itself is creepy quiet. There aren't even crickets making noise that my ears can hear. I never had a problem being out by myself before, but there was always a dog at my side. The dogs were my eyes and ears.
There was one night when I was out having a cigarette. I was standing by my porch light looking out into the distance scanning for movement or eyes. I had only the companionship of the dull sound of cicadas that is my hearing now. It's a constant reminder of one too many industrial jobs whose only concern for the well-being of their employees is a thin facade hiding the concern for their own liabilities.
I stood outside for a good 5 minutes. The light of my camper had drawn in some mosquitoes. Apparently the temptation was too great, and a nearby bat came down to feast. 5 minutes of silence interrupted by the fluttering of a bat a foot away from my head was pretty unsettling. I jumped, the hair stood up on my neck, I put my cigarette out and went to bed.
Thursday night around 10pm, the power went out. I was watching a movie on my phone, and I caught it out of the corner of my eye. The lights on the nearby bath house went out. The power loss was confirmed by a text message to my phone from my Marcell monitor.
There's nobody to call. The office was closed, and cell service is spotty. I had seen a utility truck with an emergency flashing beacon drive by half an hour earlier. I wasn't sure what was going on, but it seemed like a not-so-subtle clue that they were telling me to leave.
The irony is that with all the street lamps out, I was more comfortable. The streetlamps let you see the ground immediately around them, but you're blinded to anything beyond the light. I woke in the morning and fired the generator.
Once the offices opened, I started making phone calls. I was told that there was an underground power blowout. The woman on the phone told me that this would not be a quick fix. She didn't care if I stayed but I wouldn't have power. I brought along all the equipment I needed to stay off grid, but it wasn't hooked up yet.
I decided that my house had wheels and it was time to move down the road. The campground that I'm at now is nicer but there's more people. I preferred my solitude over concrete pads and well kempt grass. I could have dealt with a lack of power, but hot showers are non-negotiable.
