A Cold Morning Dawns

I go through periods like this where I get really into something. I have been kind of obsessed with camping this week. The weather has just been perfect for it.

Yesterday, I didn’t have to work very long and headed out pretty early to the woods. The workers erecting the chain link fence in my back yard have been getting on my nerves with their noise and banter and it is right outside my windows.

With a sigh of relief, my tent was once again where I had left it and was still set up. I need to break out of this lazy habit once hunting season starts. I had gambled once again and the gamble had paid off.

Where I like to camp on our land is a beautiful spot. It is a large meadow of broom sedge surround by tall pine forests. At the top edge of the sloping meadow is a nice clearing amid the trees with the forest floor covered with pine straw so it makes for a soft place to pitch the tent and to sleep upon. The meadow is on one of the highest hill tops around so the view to the west clears the treetops so I can get astounding views of a broad horizon and the setting sun. There are also old logging roads leading right up to it so I can drive my car right up to where I am camping so I don’t have to hike in from a distance carrying all my gear.

Yesterday was a beautiful day with the highs in the low eighties. The dogwood trees are the only trees starting to show hints of fall color so everything is still green as if it were summer. There was a slight warm breeze that made things all the more comfortable.

I once again got a fire ready, but waited till closer to dark to light it. The temperatures were forecast to get really cool under clear skies and with enhanced radiational cooling. I had come prepared with plenty of warm clothes and my winter sleeping bag just in case.

For meals, I had brought some different freeze dried meals to try out. MREs are much tastier to me, but freeze dried meals are so light weight and less bulky. For supper, I had beef stroganoff with noodles. It tasted okay. Freeze dried technology has definitely come a long way. For dessert, I had something called apple brown betty with a streusel topping. They both were very filling.

The sun was growing ever lower on the horizon so I got my fire started. Already, the chill of the air began to make me uncomfortable. I took off my shorts and then put on some long pants and a sweater. I sat cross-legged by the fire and started reading Mark Childress’ Crazy in Alabama for a second time. What a delightful book and easy to read. It was a far cry from Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim. Now that book was hard to read and I almost didn’t finish it. I would also occasionally take a drink and a smoke. What a delightful little liquor that Southern Comfort is and when imbibed with that rich, aromatic smoke of Sir Walter from my pipe made for a very pleasurable duo.

I finally had drank so much that I was pretty drunk and could no longer concentrate on the words on the pages. I put my book back into my backpack and pulled out my radio. I never listen to country music unless I am pretty drunk and sat for the longest time listening. Occasionally, the wood of my fire would settle sending thousand of firefly-like embers wafting up into the air. The sky above me was filled with thousands of diamond-like twinkling stars. On these times, I can get so lost in the moment.

The fire had finally died down and I was out of wood to bolster it. The increasing chill of the air also grew more uncomfortable despite my heavy sweater and think pants. I finished off that bottle and had one last pipe and climbed into my sleeping bag. I was so sloshed I fell to sleep almost immediately and didn’t wake up until seven am. The first pale blue light of dawn was in the sky.

What a chilly morning! I had a hard time making myself get out of that sleeping bag. I slept in only my underwear and when I crawled out I immediately began to shiver. Brrrrrr! I quickly put on some warm clothes and got some breakfast started. I boiled some water with my camp stove and prepared a pouch of hash brown casserole and then fixed a pot of coffee. That hot food and the coffee immediately warmed me up.

I piddled around for quite awhile longer mainly just enjoying the quiet solitude of the woods and a beautiful but chilly morning. I was being so lazy today. I finally got off my ass and loaded up my gear into my car. Once again I left my tent in the woods. I cranked up my car, navigated those old logging roads, and drove home.