So, let's see where did I leave off? LOL

We got away so late on Friday because I was busy finishing making our food to bring. I had marinated the steaks Monday and left them in the fridge, where they were half-frozen when I was foiling them Friday afternoon. The potatoes had to be scrubbed, sliced, buttered & seasoned, and foiled. I had cooked the bierocks stuffing (hamburger, cole slaw mix, onions & mushrooms) in my crockpot on Monday, then had only been able to make one batch (homemade bread dough & then stuff, pinch tight, and bake) on Thursday evening (BUSY WEEK last week - EVERY single day), so had to make some more Friday. (And this was AFTER the field trip! Glenn let us stop at a travel trailer/motorhome dealership outside Granbury and at a Tuff Shed place on the way home, so we didn't get home until 3pm. I enjoyed the stops, but have decided we need to be heading out of the house towards the campgrounds at 3 or 4pm next time! LOL)

Here's Glenn looking over our lunch/dinner on Saturday...

Here's what he was looking over (bierocks being warmed up and steak & potatoes in foil).

The weather was nippy at night - coat weather. I bought a new coat on Monday before the camping weekend, and left it at an alteration place that evening, to shorten the sleeves. I bought a men's small rancher coat adn the sleevees were beyond long for me. I was able to pick my coat up Thursday afternoon. Wish I had added an inch or two more than where I told her, but spilled milk at this point in time, but it works. (Just not so well when I stretch my arms out.) On Friday, we had 70s during the day. I wore a tshirt with a flannel long-sleeved blouse over it WITH my rancher coat Friday night. Saturday morning I put on my denim short-sleeved blouse with a Big Dogs sweatshirt over it, and about noontime I took the sweatshirt off. I got a bit chilled now and again, but by-and-large was comfortable. DEFINITELY comfortable in the afternoon with the short sleeves. When we left, I had planned on putting the sweatshirt back on, but we were too busy packing up, but with the rancher coat over, it was fine for me, especially since I was packing things up. And it was warm in the car on the little over an hour drive home. We went for just Friday night. Arrived 9pm Friday, left Saturday night about 9pm.

We visited at the other campsites; went down to the "beach" and watched the sand castle contest - of course, I couldn't be on the beach (because of having the dog), so I walked the dog around the park area around the beach. Visited the park store. (And saw my artwork which I'm selling there - well, displaying right now... LOL no sales, but they were closed for about 2 months because of flooding this summer.)

Mike hung with the youth and we practically never saw him. They hiked, visited several campsites, sat around the campfire & told stories, etc. There were probably at least 20 youth, I think. He did have an accident, riding on the pegs of someone's bicycle. Flew (sorta) for about 8 feet, landing on his left hand, elbow, hip, and knee (only slightly) -- major wounds but superficial. (Doc looked at them for me when he had his 3rd doctor visit, which was his 2nd recheck for the bronchitis, and his wounds were doing ok.)

It really wasn't long enough and we ended tending the fire too much on Saturday to warm & cook our food. I think going with sandwich or snack type stuff would have been better, then only have the fire (which we did both Friday night & Saturday day & night) for gazing & poking (love that activity) and for marshmallow roasting. Did have some roasted marshmallows on Saturday night while Glenn packed up. We'd lost Mike, or rather he didn't come back to the campsite when we'd asked him to for dinner - he got caught up with the youth. When he did, he helped with the packing up. Glenn's not into marshmallows; Mike got his fill elsewhere; and I hadn't had any and had even bought some from the Park Store, so was bound and determined to have some myself. When I had my fill, then I helped pack up the things that Glenn wasn't sure of.

Even though I'm not a great fan of tent camping, I can see that this was a good first try, but because it was only one night, it really wasn't long enough to get a good taste. So I told Glenn I was willing to go again -- I want a air mattress though. Also, it'd be nice to have a portable space heater - one of the families had one in their tent--it was downright toasty in their tent. I think that's why I didn't sleep well; I couldn't get warm most of the night. We forgot towels & such (other than my washcloth, handtowel, and hair towel) and I didn't know they don't provide soap in the public bathrooms, so that'd be good to have too. So I want to make a list of "niceities" and "necessaries" for next time. I also told Glenn that next time, we leave at 3 or 4pm from home; we stay for TWO nights (too much work for just one night!); and that we pack up camp about 3 or 4pm the day we leave, whether we leave at that point or later.

So how'd the dog do? She only barked when other dogs passed, and when we had visitors (and not with all of them, just a few). So no excessive barking at all. She hushed fairly quick enough. Probably needs a bit more practice. Of course, she came with us at all times, as you're not supposed to tie a dog out and leave the site. (I'm assuming if you had a trailer or motorhome, you'd be alright in doing so.) She really enjoyed herself, though... all the smells of nature. Mike & I both saw rabbits on the sidewalk (in the woods) between the bathrooms & various sites, so I know she smelled them. At one point we had her with us and I think she saw one, too.

The campsite:

Close-up on Lucia and the tent...

Mike was never around when I was taking photos... LOL So none of him...

So, I guess that's the final installment of our re-introduction to tent camping... or more of an INTROduction.

Hmm, so this *COULD* be fun...

Camping, that is... My mentality has always gone more towards the idea of "roughing it means no room service" so this past weekend was a bit of a paradigm shift for me...

I've gone camping before, but for the most part, it's been in travel trailers. Before children, we belonged to Thousand Trails and they had trailers set up permanently on their properties. That was definitely do-able for me. I don't like dirt and bugs. I like air conditioning and heat (as needed). I like my own personal bathroom. If I could go camping w/air conditioning & heat, a toilet, etc., well, I'd definitely be going a lot more often! LOL Which is why I really want a Class B (minivan/van size) motorhome! We don't have a tow vehicle and I have always liked the idea of being able to get up from the passenger front seat to go get something to eat or use the bathroom. The smaller size would fit our family (sleeping 2 or 3) and would even make going to co-op classes a breeze. (Go out to my home-on-wheels to work on something or take a nap, or whatever--all outside of meeting place, in the parking lot.) Plus a Class B makes parking easier and if it were one of the newer models, one could even use it as a secondary car, getting at least 20 mpg (not like the older versions where they got 8 to 11 mpg). Right now, it's still just a dream, but one never knows if the Lord would see fit to bless in that area... so I dream.

Anyhow, our family of three plus the dog went camping this past weekend. Only one night, I'm afraid, but it was a very good introduction, or re-introduction, to camping. My 18 year old son's last "family camping experience" was when he was a toddler in a Thousand Trails travel trailer, so this was a bit of an introduction for him, also.

Friday, my homeschool group had a field trip tour of the Dublin Dr Pepper bottling plant, in Dublin, Texas; the only U.S. plant that uses granulated sugar instead of corn syrup. Oh, what a smooth taste that gives a carbonated soda! Sadly, they are not bottling Orange soda any more with the cane sugar, only Dr Pepper and a few other flavors. I'm not a fan of Dr Pepper, although I can tolerate it much more when it's from Dublin, but my favorite soda is orange-flavored. Anyhow, we had the tour, had lunch there, and then headed home to finish packing. I exhibited interest and curiosity, so Glenn let us stop at a travel trailer/motorhome dealership outside Granbury and at a Tuff Shed place on the way home, so we didn't get home until 3pm. It was neat to actually look at travel trailers themselves. My favorite was an Airstream Bambi - 19 foot, but if I could look at the 16' one, that might be the "one" instead. My favorite of the motorhomes, though, has been and continues to be the Gulf Stream BT Cruiser (model 5211 - 22'1" in length), but I'm still looking and dreaming.

I'm looking at all that I want to write about, and think I will make this a several parter, so I can post the first part and keep working on the rest...

So we got home around 3:30pm from our morning field trip. I still had to make some bread dough (let it rise) and put the bierocks together & bake them, plus foil the steak and potatoes, and pack. We ended up leaving the house around 8pm Friday night, so set up in the dark (not completely at least, thanks to the full moon) and packed up Saturday night about 7:30pm, so it was dark then too (and the moon rose over the trees after we'd finished packing the car).

Thanks to a friend at the field trip Friday morning who offered their air mattress to us. That was definitely a deal-maker, I think, on the whole camping picture. We had planned to take our tent, but to put all the stuff we brought into it and sleep in the car. Our son would take the passenger front seat, recline it all the way and use his sleeping bag. Glenn and I would take the back - our back seat folds down and opens up into the trunk. So our heads wouldn't be under Mike's seat, we would have our feet towards the front of the car and our head towards the trunk. The dog would sleep at our feet, most likely under Mike's seat, but wherever she wanted to be. With the addition of the air mattress, my husband didn't think there'd be room for us in the car, so when I got back to the campsite (after visiting others in the group at their own campsites), I was surprised that we'd be sleeping in the tent. The idea was for all three of us to sleep in the tent with the dog. Once the air mattress was in, it became apparent that Mike would either be half-on & half-off the mattress or completely on the hard ground. He chose to not even try and so headed for the car. The dog started with her dog bed on top of my sleeping bag, but I found that I couldn't stretch out comfortably, so I moved her dog bed (big pillow-type) over to the ground next to the air mattress, in the back corner. I think she joined me (behind my knees) sometime during the night (which is typical at home too), but I wasn't cramped at least. The air mattress DEFINITELY was a winner and if/when we ever do this again - that is on the "to buy" list as far as I'm concerned!

Our old tent died some time ago and I'm not sure when Glenn bought this on. This was the first time to even use it...It's a Winnebago brand, 7'x7' speed-clip dome tent (model 7218), and from looking at the box (as I write), I think it's perfect for 2, although it says it sleeps 3. I don't see ANY extra space if you get three into it! It worked fine for 2 on an air mattress and a dog, with a bit of room where I could have put my "carry-on" suitcase in the side area.

Mike must have slept well, since it took the group of youth some time to wake him up Sat. morning at 8am. He said he thought he could do that for 2 nights, if/when we do this again. I couldn't get warm until in the wee hours, and when Mike & the youth woke me up, I just knew I hadn't gotten enough sleep. I woke up with a headache, but once I got some food in me, that helped a lot. Speaking of, here's the first picture. I had just woken up and gotten dressed. I hadn't even put one foot outside of the tent at all, and was eating a cold homemade cinnamon roll.

So it's time for bed, so this is part one of the Camping Adventure... stay tuned! More pictures coming.