Before I get to writing about last night’s camping adventure, I will fill you all in on the continuing lunch date saga. I really appreciated all the comments and after all, as many said, “It is just lunch.” I drove down to Fat Albert’s for a coffee and sweet roll yesterday morning. Carolyn was there. I asked her if you still wanted to go get lunch and she said she would be delighted. I told her that I got “paid” on Monday and we would ride down to Auburn and have drinks and lunch at one of those firm bars (Applebee’s, Chili’s, etc.). She seemed very excited. I was very, very nervous. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. I haven’t been out on a “date” in over a year I think. I haven’t even been looking for that long as well. I was pretty content living the single bachelor life. It certainly will prove interesting as I can be pretty socially inept most of the time.
Yes, it is time for another of my boring camping posts. I just wish I could express in words how much these moments mean to me. I will try. For me, camping is a time of renewal and a time to regroup. I suffer a lot of social anxiety here at home and when I get into the woods that anxiety disappears. I know no one can reach me or bother me. I am completely alone. I am miles away from the nearest person and it is comforting. No ringing phones. No noisy computers. No televisions. No popular culture. No conventions of society. Nothing but just me, my gear, mother nature, and a good book Only then can I truly relax.
Last night was a pleasant evening. It was kind of chilly and overcast, but nothing that my fleece jacket and sweat pants couldn’t overcome. I drove out towards Waverly in the countryside and set up camp. The dirt roads were very muddy from all that rain from tropical storm Tammy and my all-wheel-drive on my little SUV kicked in several times.
After setting up camp, I was smart enough to bring a large bundle of split oak that I had stored under my basement. Everything out in the woods was too wet to light. Within moments, I got a nice fire going as the sun set.
Next, it was time to get some supper started. I had fixed ahead at home one of my all time favorite camping treats, hoboes. A hobo is a large beef patty smothered with potatoes, carrots, onions, ketchup, and mustard. You place all of this upon extra heavy duty aluminum foil and wrap it up to make a packet. You then place that packet in the coals of your fire and then let it cook for hour to an hour and a half until the vegetables get tender and the ingredients make a tangy sauce.
After I ate supper and cleaned up, I donned my little radio’s headphones and listened in. As the sun sets and as the weather grows cooler, you can start to pick up some pretty far flung stations on the AM dial. I could pick up KMOX out of St. Louis, a station in Chicago, and that station out of New Orleans. It was interesting to notice how much colder it was in St. Louis and Chicago. They are definitely getting a taste of fall. Nothing much interesting is being broadcast on the weekends so I didn’t listen for long and put my little Sony radio away. I pulled out a book and began to read by the fire with my LED headlamp.
At one point, as I was reading, I kept hearing a rustling in the undergrowth nearby. It kept getting closer and closer. My heart rate increased and I grew completely silent and motionless. It was pitch black around me with only the flickering light of fire lighting up my immediate surroundings. During these times your imagination can run wild. In a flash, a large armadillo came running through my camp and scared the living daylights out of me. Usually a large fire will dissuade any animals from coming nearby. The little bugger must have been really hungry to take such a daring jaunt through my camp at night. I cursed to myself and got back to reading.
After reading for a long time, it started to mist lightly so I climbed in my tent, got undressed, and clamored into my sleeping back. I could only read a few more paragraphs before my eyelids grew so heavy I could no longer stay awake. I drifted off to sleep and some very vivid dreams greeted me. I woke up several times in pivotal moments in my dreams and had a hard time going back to sleep. Dawn finally arrived and I packed up and headed home. I feel renewed and refreshed this morning after a long, hot shower and many cups of coffee. What a great start to what I hope will be a great day.
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