March 8th Journal Entry

up at 6am. Ate some corn chips for breakfast as that was all i had in the tent. Drank the last of my water and began loading. I watched the Blue Devil's racing crew stroke by on their skull. I launched and immediately made for the far side of the river. There was no wind and lots of near water mist.
The lake is 3/4 of a mile wide here. On the far bank the water was covered with a fine yellow pollen that shimmered in the sunlight. No current fought  my progress and I passed cliffs high enough to climb and dive. They were posted with signs saying don't.
By 8am I passed the first State owned boating docks fronting rental cabins. I had come to the State Park. I went ashore and walked over to a Mr. and Mrs. Miner who were fishing from one of the docks. There were other people walking by on groomed  paths. The Miners were staying in one of the rental cabins as a Christmas present from their children.
As they fed the fish worm on hooks, not on plates, Mrs. Minor told me that they farmed up by Bluefield, West Virginia. She told me how to find the marina so off I went. i paddled around a swimming beach, then passed some more housing and turned left into the marina. I parked my boats at an empty slip and began walking toward the boat ramp.
There I spoke with a long skinny policeman, who thinks his job is great.  he told me how to get to the visitors' center so i could check in. I paid for seven nights here and Kelly the office manager ranger told me I could leave my boats in slip B 16. At this time of year each night in the primitive campground costs $21. I paid with my card, expecting to be charged and overdraft fee by my bank.
There was a Yard Master wheelbarrow at the top of the boat ramp. People use it to take their possessions from their cars to their boats down on the docks. I loaded part of my stuff onto it and pulled it uphill, of course, to the campground. It is only 3/4th of a mile, but it is a hard pull up a steep hill. I made three trips and was dreading making more when the thin patrolman was called down to the dock to turn on the gas pump for a stranded boater. He said he would find me some help.
I unloaded the cart in the parking lot and filled it again with the last load. i had just returned to the first pile when two conservation workers pulled up in their pickup truck. We loaded up and in ten minutes unloaded everything at my campsite. We talked for a few minutes about my trip. As they left, I began putting things away. At 3:30pm I had moved in.
Tired, but happy, I found clean clothes, a musty towel and shampoo. Off I went to the showers. There is wonderful hot water, daddy. In less than five seconds, hot water is coming out of the shower head. This is neat.
After, I washed the towel and my dirty clothes in the slop sink in back of the shower house. They are hanging on the bushes and trees drying now. I cooked two cans of oatmeal, wrote this and am ready for bed. I am the only camper in this section of the campground. 8pm, no rain. Good night.