Camping
We went camping this weekend, and it was glorious. We went for walks along the crunchy trails, read a ton, played games and just enjoyed the forced relaxation imposed on us. No responsibilities, no human interaction, no reason to shower since the need to spray on a thin veneer of Repel becomes apparent after you discover 942 red welts on your bare feet.
On Saturday, I finished my book and raided the campground library for another one, which I read while lying on the hammock. At one point, I just listened to the birds (the ominous forest sounds from last year were nonexistent this time, thank god) and watched a thin swatch of clouds float by, dissipating before they reached the end of my vision. I took lots of deep, piney breaths and remembered how much I love to be outside. I went for a walk to gather kindling and saw a startled wild turkey land awkwardly in a neighboring camp site, where it wandered wildly in circles, its head bobbing furiously. It flew away, crashing into tree branches as it left.
On Saturday night, right as we were listening to the Twins on the radio going into extra innings, it started raining. We packed away our non-essentials and moved our chairs under some trees. It was nice, I proclaimed, listening to the rain.
Then the wind came in, grabbing the tree limbs and shaking them hard, while cold gusts blew the campfire menancingly. And I got a bad feeling. Jason asked if I wanted to leave and while I didn’t, I didn’t like what I felt in the air, either.
I decided we should bail, and Jason started making room in the car while I packed up the things inside the tent. The rain was coming fast and furious, and I was mentally counting “1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi” between the lightning strikes and thunder.
Lightning flashed and before I could mumble “1-,” thunder crashed and the ground shook. I heard something in the forest crack and splinter, and for a brief second, thought a tree might be heading my way to crush me inside the tent, leaving my legs twitching underneath the leafy rubble.
A few minutes later, I heard another giant, simultaneous lightning/thunder combo, followed by Jason screaming, “OW!” I called out his name. No answer. I called again, more loudly. Nothing.
Turned out he slipped on some mud while carrying our heavy cooler and fell flat on his back, knocking the wind out of him.
I honestly thought he got struck by lightning.
We shoved our half-rolled tent into the trunk and collapsed sopping wet into the car to drive home. Tree limbs were down on our street, but we didn’t have any damage. A pine tree further down the block was completely uprooted, and another tree looked like it was struck by lightning.
I’m glad we came home early.
Highlights:
It was already wet throughout the campground when we arrived. This was the area right next to our site. The mosquitoes…um…thrived here.
It looks like it here, but we are definitely NOT low-maintenance campers, even though we only use a tent. We have a ceiling fan for our tent, for god’s sake. And a hammock.
Also, we’re the kind of people who make their bed even while they’re camping:
Want one? Too bad, this one’s mine. And I ate it…on the hammock.
I also ate one of these. I don’t really believe in cooking them; they’re much better raw:
Jason was horrified, and demanded that I learn the proper way to make a s’more:
Fine, this looks pretty tasty too, I GUESS:
I am still down by 34 games. Shameful. Please note our high-class playing cards. They scream “fancy,” don’t you think?
Wow. I think I could go camping with you guys. A hammock, nice bed, and a ceiling fan? That sounds pretty sweet. Although, I do have to ask – how exactly do you affix a ceiling fan to the ceiling of a *tent*?
Comment by Shelly — June 16, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
Aww. So much fun. Ugg, I can FEEL the mosquitoes just LOOKING at that picture. The Minnesota State Bird. SIGH.
Comment by Tessie — June 16, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
Shelly, the ceiling fan has a metal plate that attaches to a magnet, which you affix to the top of the tent (under the rain flap). It works really well.
Comment by Shauna — June 16, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
We always played cribbage and backgammon while camping when I was a kid – I didn’t play either of those games any other time of year. For me and Homer, it’s Travel Scrabble and Gin Rummy. Good times.
Comment by LoriD — June 16, 2008 @ 12:21 pm
You make your bed when you’re camping?? Awwwww…..
Comment by Shelly — June 16, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
SO JEALOUS! i have been craaaaving a good camping trip for a few weeks, now. and HOLY EFF, a ceiling fan? i am… astounded. and impressed.
Comment by Alice — June 16, 2008 @ 1:22 pm
I love camping stories even if they end in torrential rain and wind. I would have left too! We have only been may be 2 of about a dozen camping trips where we did not get soaked to the bone or scared out of our wits by a storm!
I too am craving a camping trip but ah 8 months pregnant with a 3 yr. equals little sleep and low patience plus no desire to have my baby in the “wild” or get West Nile prior to giving birth
I am enjoying hearing about other people’s camping trips and looking forward to next year when we can go on a trip ourselves again!
Finally, I make my “bed” when I am camp too!
Comment by Christina — June 16, 2008 @ 1:35 pm
I want your tent. And your hammock. And an air mattress. Looks like such a great setup… We still just have my old backpacking tent, which made sense for backpacking in Cali but is less than spacious for the car camping of the midwest…
Comment by pseudostoops — June 16, 2008 @ 1:35 pm
A. S’mores are better raw, but also acceptable cooked. B. I love your playing cards. C. But not as much as I love your photos. D. I would have thought he’d been struck by lightning, too. And I’d probably still be shaking, days later.
Comment by Jess — June 16, 2008 @ 1:46 pm
Looks like a great camping spot! Your set-up is cool…and a ceiling fan in your tent? Sweet! I have to agree with Jason about the s’mores, though. Cooked is better.
Comment by Julie — June 16, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
Okay, somehow I missed the reference in yesterday’s post to the fact that you were camping. So now it makes sense.
Comment by slynnro — June 16, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
This makes me want to go camping Right Now. But without the scary thunderstorm.
And maybe with a candy bar.
Comment by Penny — June 16, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
You guys are my kind of campers. S’mores, cribbage and beer cards (although there was a definite lack of actual beer in your photos
). Ryan and I went hiking and played cribbage on our honeymoon last week, although we did stay in a hotel instead of a tent. But your tent sounds fancier than our hotel! 
Comment by Becky — June 16, 2008 @ 3:48 pm
What is wrong with me that it made me laugh that you thought Jason got hit by lightening? I mean it’s not at all funny but the idea of it made me laugh. Straight to hell. That’s where I’m going. I suppose it will be really easy to cook smores in hell. So that’s a bonus.
Comment by Emily — June 16, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
Sheesh, we don’t even make our bed at home.
I was just telling Hub yesterday that I couldn’t wait to take the kids camping. His response was “why so they can get in to everything, get too close to the fire, and be miserable for a week?”
Um I didn’t mean like, tomorrow!
In any case, I’m jealous of your trip, no matter how short.
Comment by Saly — June 16, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
I don’t even care if this makes me sound stupid, I HAVE to know: How do you even put a ceiling fan in a tent??
Comment by amber — June 17, 2008 @ 1:43 am
Oh… SO NOT FAIR to show those smores pictures… just when I am trying to be good! Yum.
Comment by Manager Mom — June 17, 2008 @ 4:28 am
Great pictures! Shauna, you and your nephews would get along great making s’mores. They were camping with us a few weeks ago. The adults were all sitting at the fire roasting marshmallows for s’mores and the boys were playing on the deck. They were being pretty quiet. Actually they were assembling s’mores and eating them raw. Adorable, but all that sugar before bedtime could explain why it took them 2 hours to fall asleep!
My mouth is watering for a Watchamacallit!
Comment by Becky — June 17, 2008 @ 6:53 am
LOVE Whatchamacallits. Also s’mores. Also hammocks and reading in them. Mosquitoes not so much.
And a TENT ceiling fan? AWESOME!
Comment by JMC — June 17, 2008 @ 9:21 am
A tent ceiling fan? That is too cool.
Comment by My Buddy Mimi — June 17, 2008 @ 10:56 am
We just bought a “new and improved” tent in preparation for our upcoming annual family camping trip. We’re one of the few families going who actually tent it. We have a portable A/C unit that goes in our tent (after all, this is Texas in the middle of the summer!) but I’m dying to know more about this ceiling fan……….
Comment by Carri — June 17, 2008 @ 11:01 pm
Awesome looking trip. And? What did you bring to read?
http://meandyouandellie.blogspot.com/2008/06/summer-loving-reading.html
Comment by Ellie — June 18, 2008 @ 2:31 pm