Tami Reynolds
Raining Mosquitoes
Mike and I decided to camp overnight for Canada Day at St. Ambroise Provincial Park on Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba on the edge of Delta Marsh – warning sign number one.
As we were nearing the campsite, we should have paid more attention to the flocks of blackbirds diving through swirling black miniature tornadoes just above the shrubs – warning sign number two.
Once at the site, we went to the shore to do some sunset photography. As soon as the sun sank, the hungry hordes of mosquitoes descended. They covered our exposed hands and face and were biting us through our clothes. We are not cowards, but we turned tail and ran to the vehicle. In desperation, we searched for the Muskol without success. We realized that the Muskol was sitting at home by the door.
We looked outside at the swarming mosquitoes, listened to the hum and decided that we were NOT going out into the dark to set up the tent. We started to drive for home.
And this is when the truly amazing occurred. It sounded like it was raining. It was not rain, but mosquitoes hitting the vehicle. There were so many that Mike had to use the windshield wipers and washer fluid to wash off enough squished bugs so he could see.
Mike switched on his high beams once we left the campground. We stared in disbelief. The mosquitoes were so thick that it looked just like a heavy rain storm with the raindrops being driven towards the windows. He actually had to switch to low beams and slow down even more so that we could see where we were going. This lasted for about another five kilometers from the campground and surrounding marsh area.
We stopped prior to pulling onto the main highway. Suddenly, the stench was terrible. We both looked at each and said in unison, “It is not me.” Once we arrived, we realized that the smell was coming from the thousands of mosquitoes plastered all over the vehicle.
Moral of the Story: Muskol – Don’t Leave Home Without It - Especially When Camping Near A M
Category: Camping