A "Duh" Moment and the camp outing that wasn't. ..

My back felt a little better today.

Unfortunately,  It still wasn't good enough for me to risk doing something I would enjoy (like taking one of my equine charges for a ride).

I had also hoped I'd get done with work to split a little early and use a vacation hour or two.

...that didn't happen either. *sigh*

Because I was having a "duh" moment on Wednesday when I was at the barn, I had to drive out and take some more grain out to put in Griffin's feed bin (Griffin eats senior feed which I provide). On that Wednesday,  I had stopped at Tractor Supply to pick up some horse treats that we were out of.  For some crazy reason,  it never occurred to me that Griffin's feed receptacle needed refilling also..

So here I am, 2 days later,driving out to the farm (35 min, one way) for the expressed purpose of ensuring my old man has his grain (which is also necessary if I intend to get  ANY of his medicine into him).

Because my back still wasn't up to par for riding, I only stayed long enough to refill grain, Griffin's single dose, medicine cups, and give some treats and rubs.

On my way home, I got to thinking how I had almost planned an impromptu,  camp outing for this weekend. 

One of my dad's hobbies is showing his 68' Ford Pick up at car shows.  It just so happens that he and my mom are attending a car show this weekend. 

Car shows generally mean Jerseydog spends a lot of time with me (so she isn't crossing her legs all day waiting for someone to let her out).

What a perfect weekend for a solo, camp outing with my Jerseydog. 

Or not.

Visions of the winter blanket I have yet to buy Griffin worked their way passed the "duh" triggers in my brain and reminded me that I needed to save my pennies instead of spending them on a camping reservation. 

....Enter in my stupid back issue

...and a Noah ' s Ark sort of weather forecast for tonight (flood warning and rain by the bucketfuls).

...and my camp outing wouldn't have happened.

With nothing much to do and  a recovering, bum, back muscle, I decided it might be nice to just take a drive through my closest state park and just have a gander at how many folks ARE braving the impending rain to camp (not to mention taking in a nice whiff of a campfire or two)...

I stopped at a gas station and grabbed an iced coffee and then headed over to Devil's Lake SP,  which is practically in my backyard.

Hanging out by the beach for a spell,  I savored my coffee and enjoyed the feel of nature around me. The first two photos below are shots looking out over the water. Those bluffs on either side have spectacular views if you have the stamina to hike them (serious uphill trails not for the faint of heart). Speaking from personal experience, however, the view is 100% worth it!

Before I left, I took a little cruise through 2 of the 3 campgrounds.  Somewhat surprising, they were pretty full.

Even though Devil's Lake was not my intended camp spot for this weekend,  I thought about which site I would choose if I WAS camping there.

Hands down, one of my most coveted sites is in the Ice Age Campground which is farthest from the beach. It tends to be the least popular because it doesn't really accommodate anything larger then a Pop Up camper. The majority in this campground are tent campers. It's all in the woods...and I LOVE it.

Site 428 is on my list of favorite possibilities for  a solo outing.

...and it just so happens that it wasn't occupied (yet), so I stopped and snatched a photo (bottom 2 photos). Sadly the pictures don't do this pretty site justice...

One of these days, though, site 428 will be mine for a short time. All mine. :-)