It's been HOW long?

We took Graycie out for our inaugural camping trip on Saturday. I did some house stuff - got rid of an old pile of mulch that had been sitting at the entrance to my garage for at least two years, which had been then overlain with rose canes cut from this year's pruning and old wood from Mr W's old sand box - what a mess and now it's outta here. Thanks, lawn waste recycling place, Hageman's I love you! Because of this and getting ready, we didn't get on the road until about 5 pm. We camped at Jack's Gulch, up the Poudre Canyon and in the Roosevelt National Forest.

Above, is Mr W having dessert in the van. Below is Sally the next morning, after I had gotten up and had to start the van for heat because it was pretty chilly (and because I could, I suppose). The best I can say for Sally at this point is that she's got a bit to learn about being a camp dog, namely not barking at each and every person that walks by. Mr W is under the red sleeping bag somewhere. I love darn near everything about this van, but the bed was really uncomfortable for me. I'm hoping that getting my head and shoulders elevated with an extra pillow will help, but my back hurt the next morning.


We bought some firewood from the campground hosts and had a fire. This is exactly where and how I was sitting when the thought occurred to me: "How long has it BEEN since I've been camping?" It was a common and routine thing for me for my teenage years and most of my adult years, but sitting there, I could only remember camping with Mr W and our old dog Ursa back in 2005. Five years?! Really?

And I realized that I didn't camp for the whole time I was in the long distance relationship, and really not for the time between that and the divorce. So strange. This trip was wacky because of getting used to the new van, but the feeling of camping and saying hi to your neighbors and enjoying a fire and the scenery, that was all comfortable and familiar.

So, I'm back. It never ceases to amaze me how our actions eventually come around to how/where our heads are.

Especially when this kind of scenery is a two minute walk from the campsite.