Experimental Camping

Let’s see. What have I been up to? Neglecting my blog for one; doing a lot of backyard camping for another.

Sunday, I set up my nice Kelty tent in the backyard to check for leaks and to seam seal it. I knew we had a lot of rain and stormy weather on the way; a good opportunity to do this task. I ended up spending several days outside to see how my winter gear was working. I would come in from time to time to eat, bathe, and check the internet.

There is nothing more comforting to me than to be wrapped up in my warm sleeping bag reading a book by the flickering light of my candle lantern as the rain softly patters on the fabric of my tent. My neighbor’s dog, Rosie, spent several nights with me in the tent as well and was a good companion. She got an ample supply of sardines for her devotion. It was damn cold though and I had to experiment with different clothing to stay warm as I couldn’t build a fire in my backyard.

I doing this just drives my parents crazy. They think I am off my rocker or in other words getting mentally ill again. My father can’t understand why I would rather sleep in a tent rather than in my own warm bed. Dad went so far as to call the doctor’s office to see if I got my last injection! It also doesn’t help that I am trying to grow a beard and it is at the scruffy looking and scraggly point. Dad sees this as another sign that something is not quite right. I just have to keep reassuring them that I am okay and stay low key about my activities. I guess I am being selfish by doing this stuff and worrying them. I then tell myself that I am grown man and should be able to do some things that I enjoy.

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I managed to get down to the Piggly Wiggly around lunch time today. There is always something going on down there it seems. I did see one quite interesting if not sad event.

There was a police cruiser sitting in front of the dollar store. This causes the groupies to flee like turning on a light in a cheap motel room and watching the roaches scatter.

A young lady was walking to the dollar store dragging a young kid behind her who was screaming and hollering. Apparently, he wasn’t interested in the bargains the store offered. I guess the young lady didn’t see the police cruiser and back handed the little kid behind the head like John McEnroe. It shocked me when I saw it.

Well, this didn’t sit well with the policeman and he got out of his patrol car and walked over. He gave the lady a stern lecture about not hitting children. I was expecting her to get taken away on a child endangerment charge or other. He let her go with just a warning.