Is Camping All That Relaxing?

I'm a camper, it's in my blood. Almost everyone I used to camp with has either moved away or died, sad but true. But none the less, I spent 8 days in the woods alone last September and will be doing it again this year. I had reservations to go last Saturday night, and stay up the coast.

It seems more people are going camping these days and I am having a harder time getting reservations when I would like them. So six months in advance, you need to make your reservations. I have 5 reservations this year, 4 for 1 nighters and 1 for 8 days seven nights. My sister and nephew went with me last weekend for just Saturday night, up the coast. The weekend before was in the 95-100 degree range and this weekend about 65-70 degrees. That part is okay, I expected that but what I didn't expect was my family showing up 5 hours late for our departure and in my mood swing, waiting so long, I neglected to bring vital tools to the site. We did succeed in getting the tent pitched and my family left me in charge of setting the rest up as they made a list of supplies we needed.



First, there was the gale wind forces that made holding the tent in place a challenge. But I managed and was just working on the inside as my family went off to buy our food for dinner and more wood. There is a store about 10 miles away. Meanwhile even after I had a full double air mattress, sleeping bags and our bags of clothes, the tent was taking off for three campsites down. I quickly grab my handy box that contains everything needed for camping. What's this.. No tent stakes? You got to be kidding me. Okay, I remember I just bought a huge gigantic bungee cord and put it in my car just for emergencies. Well, this qualified so I let go of the tent and head off to my car. Waaaalaaa, a 1,000,000 foot bungee cord. The tree was huge I had to attach it to so I felt sort of silly hold one of the bungee with my arms out spread reaching for the tent pole, that's moving with the wind. Once I had the pole in one hand and the bungee in another, the challenge to make two ends meet. In the process, the already stressed and bent pole stick came out of the hole and smacked me hard vertically up my leg, not just once but TWICE!! But after a few choice words, I was able to WIN THE BATTLE.


That will work now time to relax and make a nice dinner. My sis and nephew return with some wonderful looking thick juicy steaks to grill up. The steaks are pretty thick so we better cut them in half so they will cook thoroughly. Now, where did I put that knife? It must be in hear somewhere with the camping silverware. If I could only find the camping silverware. You have to be kidding, no bag of silverware, no knife? Can this get any better? And we have mashed potatoes for a side dish, pre-made just heat them up. Hey we're camping right? I do have that spatula I just bought at the 99 Cent Store to add to my box of supplies.

I am grateful that I bought a spatula and bungee cord at the 99 Cent Store and the tent pole whacking didn't draw red (blood) only black and blue. So, we were good sports, all thought it would be part of the primitive experience as we muttered....

IT IS WHAT IT IS

I have to say I have never eaten mashed potatoes with two fingers before and never filleted a steak with an exacto knife, but the meal was a success. Yes those are mashed potatoes.


Not a bad job done for an exacto knife!


The men in a nice warm trailer next door felt sorry for us when we asked him to open our can of beans we had for our Mexican breakfast and he even gave us plastic place settings for 3 so the GOOD NEWS IS, breakfast was also a success.