By Gale Schmidt
Eastman’s “ladies of the night” Renee Gustafson, Amy Hoffman, Maureen Connelly, Jackie Atherly, Toni Taylor, Leslie Moses and Gale Schmidt are drawn to the full moon.
They enjoy combining social interaction with physical activity and experiencing the out-of-doors by camping out overnight under the stars and the full moon.
The initial event took place in mid-summer on Eastman’s Heron Island.* Six of us gathered our gear and paddled our heavily laden kayaks to the Island. We chose sites and set up tents. Jackie, an eager first-time camper, had borrowed her tent and mattress, became an instant convert and signed up for the following Eastman kayak/camping trip. We enjoyed our pot-luck cookout and mesmerizing campfire after which we paddled around the lake in awe of the still and quiet water, the full moon, a sky full of stars and a clear 180-degree span of the Milky Way.
After breakfast we paddled the lake, catching sight of six-plus elegant painted turtles “sunning” themselves on rocks and interacted for a considerable while with a beaver in his new lodge near East Cove.
What began on a warm summer evening evolved later into a memorable expedition by Renee, Amy and Maureen. On their chosen moonlit night, it was quite cool, with a breeze and the temperature in the tent around 12 degrees, meaning it was too brisk to enjoy the wine with dinner.
Out of concern for the eggs intended for breakfast, they tucked them into the bottom of a sleeping bag. In the morning, they were not frozen, but they were “a little slushy,” causing some difficulty cooking them while wearing mittens.
Moonlighting: comradery, physical activity and enjoying the out-of-doors. The spirit of Eastman’s founders lives on!
*Note: camping on the island entails securing permission from Eastman’s Recreation Department, a permit from the Grantham Fire Department to have a wood fire, permission from Eastman Security to park cars overnight and a call to the Hanover Fire Department immediately before lighting the fire!
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