May 30, 2000
Brett (on the left) and Me on the ferry to New York
Well it is another Monday morning and unlike the other mornings that we were usually accustom to we woke with the voice of Mr. Peterson. He soon explained to us that a calf had gotten lose and we were asked to help find and catch the baby cow. As soon as we were able to dress we got into the ranger’s truck and started to cover the area of the State Park. We were unable to locate the calf so we decided to give up and return to camp. For breakfast we had the usual dry cereal and powdered milk or oatmeal. Our group seems to prefer the oatmeal over cereal. When breakfast was over and we had cleaned up the campsite and our own personal dishes we set out for the fish hatchery. This is located on Grand Isle, Vermont and the official name is the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station. I thought that getting there would be quite easy, we would get in a bus or van and go. Little did I know that we had to walk to every place that we decided to go. The walk itself seemed to take forever and by the time we arrived at the hatchery I wanted to sit down. We entered the enormous building and were immediately greeted with pictures, videos, and live fish, which inhabit Vermont’s rivers and waterways. Some of these fish included many types of trout (rainbow, brown, and brook), sturgeon, and salmon. They had lots of information on each of the species and we were able to recognize the differences between the fish besides their color. We then were able to get a behind the scenes look what goes on in a fish culture station. We saw all of the different stages that the fish go through before they go into Vermont’s lakes and rivers. After the tour we headed outside and saw some of the biggest lake sturgeon that I had ever seen (keep in mind that this was the first time I had ever seen this type of fish).
Lake Sturgeon
After gawking at them for quite some time the decision was made to ride on of the ferries which travel between Vermont and New York. Before heading on our new adventure we stopped at one of the local restaurants which are usually located near the ferry sights. The meal was quite refreshing from our usual camp food and each of us enjoyed the stop we made. The ferry finally arrived and as we boarded I noticed that this was perhaps the largest ferry that I had ever seen. I have a good sense of these things because I frequently rode on them when I lived in Charlotte, Vermont. I was the only person besides Mr. Peterson who stepped foot on the New York side. It was not a real thrill but I achieved bragging rights. After the Ride we walked back to camp and had our usual camp dinner.
Jenn and I making dinner
We then played some cards and went to sleep.