The campsite we had just north of Quebec was another one of those 99% permanent residents type and they were amused to have English speaking overnighters and so made room for us at the edge of a playground field. We had power and there was a water tap quite a ways away and young Charles was very helpful in getting us set up by moving a picnic table for us. He even went to the office to get us an extra hose so we could reach the water.
That evening the power kept kicking out and Albert and Jim had to rewire their hokey system to get it going again.
I made coffee in the morning while Jim cooked up a batch of oatmeal. The coffee was really gross and we blamed it on the water source. We managed to get a few gulps down and I said, “Isn’t there some Bailey’s or something to make this drinkable?” I turned my head to see Jim pouring ½ a little sample bottle into his mug – great minds think alike. I added a shot to my coffee and choked back a few more swallows. We just couldn’t do it, and had to face the fact that we just wasted the bottle of Baileys. Barbee filled the kettle with water bottles and we started again.
Jimmy made a wholehearted attempt at eating his porridge, but no can-do.
The water made everything taste like burnt rubber or something. The campers next to us who used water from the same tap said theirs was fine, so we blamed it on the hose that Charles brought; it probably sat out in the sun for 2 years or something.
As we were packing up, a park attendant came along in a golf cart collecting garbage or something. Alb gave him the coiled up hose, thanked him and suggested that they not lend it to anyone else. Oh how I wished I had a camera to capture the look on the guy’s face as his stammered in his very broken English, “Oh, no. The young boy Charles. He make mistake. This hose not for drinking water!” His eyes were searching for a reaction from Albert as he asked, “Are you Okay??” “Yeah, yeah,” was Albert’s reaction. Of course Albert was okay – he slept in and didn’t drink and eat the slop Jim and I had.
That evening the power kept kicking out and Albert and Jim had to rewire their hokey system to get it going again.
I made coffee in the morning while Jim cooked up a batch of oatmeal. The coffee was really gross and we blamed it on the water source. We managed to get a few gulps down and I said, “Isn’t there some Bailey’s or something to make this drinkable?” I turned my head to see Jim pouring ½ a little sample bottle into his mug – great minds think alike. I added a shot to my coffee and choked back a few more swallows. We just couldn’t do it, and had to face the fact that we just wasted the bottle of Baileys. Barbee filled the kettle with water bottles and we started again.
Jimmy made a wholehearted attempt at eating his porridge, but no can-do.
The water made everything taste like burnt rubber or something. The campers next to us who used water from the same tap said theirs was fine, so we blamed it on the hose that Charles brought; it probably sat out in the sun for 2 years or something.
As we were packing up, a park attendant came along in a golf cart collecting garbage or something. Alb gave him the coiled up hose, thanked him and suggested that they not lend it to anyone else. Oh how I wished I had a camera to capture the look on the guy’s face as his stammered in his very broken English, “Oh, no. The young boy Charles. He make mistake. This hose not for drinking water!” His eyes were searching for a reaction from Albert as he asked, “Are you Okay??” “Yeah, yeah,” was Albert’s reaction. Of course Albert was okay – he slept in and didn’t drink and eat the slop Jim and I had.
This started me laughing. Hysterically. It was one of those nervous laughs you do when you don’t have any other idea of how to react to something. A number of times for the rest of the day whenever I thought about it I would just burst out laughing.
I have no idea what that hose was actually used for, and that’s probably a good thing, but all of my coffee for the next few days will be at Tim Horton’s only. I will work hard on creating a mental block to erase that two hour period from my mind.
I have no idea what that hose was actually used for, and that’s probably a good thing, but all of my coffee for the next few days will be at Tim Horton’s only. I will work hard on creating a mental block to erase that two hour period from my mind.
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