OOPS and YUCK Three days without a home
& bugs we have known
Failing to check
exactly where we could clear back into our own country, we spent several days
on the hook until we could get to a “proper” check in location. We spent the
first night in Harbor Beach on the hook and another night in Harrisville where
the harbor master came out to see if we needed anything. Such friendliness is
not uncommon in the world of cruisers even those who fail to check all the dots
and cross the Ts.
So since we can’t share
shots of the Presque Isle lighthouse which we didn’t get to see up close, or
the cute cottages in Harbor Beach, or our impressions of the free concert in
Harrisville, it seems a good time to discuss the insect life of the Great
Lakes. The lakes are not the only thing
BIG up here. Not only are the bugs big, they come in gigantic numbers and
endless variety. Through most of the Erie Canal we were bug free – never really
needing our screens or bug spray, probably due to the cool temperatures? Arriving
on Lake Erie we experienced invasions of fish food midges and mayfly like
creatures which fortunately did not eat us.
They did coat the boat and everything on shore leaving behind corpse
piles to litter our decks. Gnats also somehow find us. Even 20 miles off shore our level surfaces
quickly collect carcasses of the tiny creatures which seem to come onboard only
to die. Just when we had gotten used to the non-biting critters, we have been
invaded by the biting flies and, of course, the familiar pesky mosquitoes.
Steve has found a new form of entertainment – aggressive fly hunting adding to
the piles of deceased insects decorating our boat and smearing the
windows. But, it does seem to keep him
awake. The cats also are finding the buzzing visitors entertaining since they
make every effort to engage – catch – the unsuspecting pests. Sadly the cats have very short attention
spans and are not making a dent in the insect population. Even the occasional
wasp or hornet wanders through presumably looking for a place to build a nest –
it is amazing that such creatures would find a moving boat a desirable place to
lay eggs – but they do have a long history of survival. Then there are the
ubiquitous spiders. I knew we were in for it when I saw several brands of spider
removal/suppression products in an Erie PA boat store. It should have been an item we purchased. The
marinas also daily fight the industrious critters who manufacture their nets in
a flash. We do admire their artistic designs, but faster than we can clean them
up they are back and full of dead winged creatures. So, if you were wondering what we do in our
“free time” wonder no more – bug removal is high on the list both inside and
outside – it is a daily or even twice daily battle. Oh, yes, we have been
spared from the Mydas fly that is a tidy 2 inches long – things could always be
worse!
Lighthouse at Harbor Beach
Here we met our personal CBP officer who checked us in with Michigan friendliness.
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