Some Like it Hot

…. but not this hot!

We arrived at the Petaluma KOA for Labor Day weekend, along with a recorded-breaking heatwave and at least one half of San Francisco. Okay, thats a bit of an exaggeration! There were a few empty sites, but not many. There were more than a few sites with more than their share of people on them. There were kids and dogs everywhere. Parents were partying and kids were running wild on bikes, trikes, scooters and battery powered cars. Walking the dogs was an exercise in self-preservation as we dodged toddlers with popsicles, the bikes, cars and other dogs. Tucker was an emotional wreck. The commotion around him triggered his herding and protection instincts.

On Friday the temps climbed toward 100. That was just a hint of what was to come. On Saturday we were at 109, and Mr. Dreamy saw the car thermometer hit 114 on Sunday. Along with the exceptional heat came exceptional use of electricity in the Bay Area. The campground experienced brown-outs, and the aging transformers at the camp began overheating from the load put on them. Power (and water) came…. and went off. On Sunday the campground shut down power for 30–60 minutes in different areas of the campground, rotating from one area to the next so no one went without for extended periods of time. This area of California is known for its cool nights. Most homes don’t have air conditioning. There was a run on air conditioners and fans and local stores ran out by mid-day Friday.

On Monday the temperature dropped into the high 80’s, the campers packed up their bicycles, coolers, sleeping bags and kids, and began the trek back to their homes. By Monday evening we Dreamers were among the few campers left. We enjoyed sitting outside and listening to the quiet, broken only by the songs of the birds.