Camping at Blue Mound State Park with a guest appearance from "Little Mexico."

Last weekend was my last camp outing for the year.

....and I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad.

Now don't get me wrong.....I still love camping.  I anticipate many more enjoyable trips in my future-- both at my favorite places as well as new ones....and certainly more that involve horses!

...but I'm still glad that it's over for the year. I'm ready for fall weather and I'm ready to settle down for the colder months and enjoy some bonding time with my animals.

I don't want to sound like a whiner, but  the truth of the matter is that camping this summer has been rough, lackluster, and without much enjoyment.

Except for my first outing with the horses at Wildcat SP with Vickie, all of my trips have included rain, extreme humidity, and hot weather. While I DO expect some of that over the course of a camping season, I don't expect to deal with it every day for every trip. In short--this summer has sucked for camping.

I know that come April of 2017, I will once again be raring to get the tent out and get next season started, so there's that.

....and I'm cool with that.

For now, I'll blog a little about this last trip.

For the reasons I mentioned above, I almost didn't go.

At a week away,  the weather looked absolutely perfect. The prediction had been for partly sunny skies, 70 's temps during the day and high 50 ' s at night. Ideal camp weather in my mind.

Once midweek rolled in, the predictions changed to 40% chance of storms Friday evening into Saturday. Ok--not great, but that still left decent temps and a 60% chance that things would remain dry. I could live with that. I felt I was certainly due a nice weekend for camping.

....then just 2 days away, the rain chance was up to 80% with rain & storms likely overnight and through most of the day Saturday.

Shit.

For us, this was to be a simple weekend outing for 2 nights. We would check in on Friday and leave on Sunday.  With short, weekend trips, that really only leaves Saturday to relax and enjoy the day.

...and they were predicting rain all day on Saturday.

We had made reservations at Blue Mound State Park (Non-electric site #44) for this outing. It's not one of my more common picks, but it's still a very nice park that remains on my short list of enjoyable camping destinations.

My co-worker/friend, Wendy was also camping in the site across from us. We had planned to do this earlier in the summer and Wendy has been collecting camping items all summer long in preparation for this weekend. It would be her first camping experience with her family.

.....and yet, I still wanted to bail.

I just wasn't in the mood for another wet, steamy outing (...and I didn't mention it, but they were also now predicting high humidity with slowly climbing temps as well).

I was on the phone to my mom the moment I saw the weather forecast go down the tubes. I told her my enthusiasm for camping had reached an all time low and at that point, I just wanted to spend the weekend at home with my animals.

I thought my mom would be disappointed if I didn't want to go, but she wasn't.  She understood. She said she was fine with staying home and she was fine with going.

I talked to Wendy the next day and she, too, said it was okay with her if I decided not to go. As for her family, they were still going. It was their first trip and they were determined not to let a bit of rain (or a torrential,  downpour with a side of thunder and lightening) spoil their fun.

I wanted to ask her if she could put that enthusiasm into a drink and share some of that with me.....

So, for the next day and a half -- I struggled with the decision on whether or not I really wanted to go. I told myself that I have never backed out of a camp trip before. Just like Wendy, I had always been determined to make the best of it.

....but one more in  the humidity and rain and heat...

Ugh.

I tried driving through nearby Devil's Lake SP, thinking that seeing the other campers and smelling the familiar campfire smells would get me revved up to go.

Nope.

My brain was screaming that it had had enough.

...So bringing us to the night before,  I was still feeling pretty bad about wanting to pull out. I had taken 2 days off to ease the planning and help me further enjoy the trip. I knew I needed to make those days count and not waste them. I also felt like my mom still wanted to go and most of all, I didn't want to ditch Wendy and her family who had agreed to camp next to us.

Finally, on Friday morning, I phoned my mom and told her I was still fighting with my desire to go.

So my mom says "Let's just go."

So I said "Ok." .....at this point I had over thought everything and my mind was numb.

I even agreed to leaving my car behind and just piling me and all my crap into the truck with my mom and Jerseydog (which is something I normally don't do. I like having my car). Sadly, I was already 100% tuned out at that point.

What ensued made for a rather interesting camping trip....

As is customarily the case with both my mother and I, we pulled into the campground far later than we had hoped.

My mom was a bit intimidated by the narrow roads in this campground as they make maneuvering a trailer into place a little more challenging.  We had to turn around and come at our campsite from the opposite direction we drove in so my mom didn't have to back a corkscrew pattern to get set up.

Did I say how much I am enjoying the fact that I went back to tent camping?  No?
....just thought I'd mention that again...

Once we were facing the correct direction, backing in was a snap. I don't think my mom realizes how good she has mastered backing her trailer.  I've seen a few dudes she could put to shame! (...and when I finally get that horse trailer and must tow again --she's hired!!  *Big Grin*)

Rain had been threatening throughout our setup and we got a few sprinkles, but nothing significant.  It was also comfortably cool outside. I happily told myself that if it stayed this way, I could live with it and be content.

Wendy and her family had set up their camp long before us.

I enjoyed looking over at their big tent across the road from our site.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. My mom and I enjoyed some pizza flavored brats on the portable grill (because we hadn't bought firewood yet) and turned in for an early bedtime since we were both tired.

Considering the weather predictions, I slept reasonably well. While I enjoy rip roaring Thunderstorms  in the safety of my apartment,  I don't enjoy them in a tent. As luck would have it, however, it didn't storm. It rained. Hard.

....but no storms.

There is ONE positive thing that I have come away from this camping season with and that is just how much I love my tent. My tent has done fabulously through all the rainy weather this year keeping both myself and my canine tent mate dry as a bone.

Jersey will hang out in my mom's camper when she has to (for a variety of reasons), but she has made it very clear that she prefers being in the tent with me. She likes being MY camp & hike dog. ♡♡♡♡

My tent has been a great investment and I have been very happy with it as this is my 3rd season since re-homing my old camper.

Getting back on track,  Saturday turned out to be a fair day. Everything was very wet, but everyone managed to stay dry and the ongoing rain was very minimal. 

Wendy got her first initiation as a camper when the resident raccoons broke into her coolers overnight and helped themselves to her yummy vittles.

In classic,  Wendy, style -- she was good natured and laughed about it and resigned herself and the family to a trip to the store for more food.

My mom and I made our own trip to the store on Saturday (the nearest Wal-Mart about 22 minutes away). The sneaky raccoons had snatched the bag of Jersey's food off of our picnic table while we were busy setting up. I'd like to say we should know better,  but these were brave little stinkers! 

I also needed to buy underwear.

Yup. Forgot them. Therein lies the consequences of a numb brain burned out by  previous, bad weather.

...and because my mother loves to shop, I had to convince her that we really do have a Wal-Mart in our home town (Ok, not really, but getting my shopaholic, mother out of a store after we have the essentials isn't always easy).

Upon returning to our campsite, we discovered.....

...that we'd acquired neighbors. 

This was just a casual,  faraway snapshot I took that doesn't really tell the whole story.

For the next evening, the site next to us was home to (at least) a dozen, Hispanic campers from the neighboring state.

Their picnic table had so much food and drinks on it, I don't think it was possible to find the table.

Their site also sported a full - size grille, a screen tent, and 2 small to medium sized tents (how they had room to move around,  I don't know).

We weren't spying on them. It was hard not to notice.

They also treated us?

No. Wait.

Subjected us...

to their selections of music favorites.

My mom noted that some of the songs were American but were being sung in Spanish. The only tune I recognized was "Unchained Melody," from the movie GHOST. That song was the only one they played in  English (I guess they couldn't find the Spanish version).

 

During this time Jersey and I took a few invigorating hikes around the campground. Unfortunately,  I assumed the trails would be too wet.

By Saturday night, I was ready to rip my hair out. No peaceful forest noises for me (...and just for the record, I am not bigoted -- I would have been EQUALLY annoyed had they been English songs. They were quite loud).

Camping etiquette usually dictates that music should not be heard beyond your own campsite.

*sigh*

My mother was a much better sport than I, dubbing our neighbors "Little Mexico," and amusing herself  with texting funny, Mexican word jokes back and forth with my sister.

 

In between texts,  she made us a yummy hamburger dinner on the campfire.

....At least it didn't rain all day as predicted. 

After dinner, Wendy's family joined us for S'mores around the campfire. I mentioned to Wendy that with the state of our neighbor's picnic table that she should, at least, have a raccoon free night. They'd all be wearing sombreros on their little masked heads by morning!

I also experimented with adding Starburst candy to marshmallows for roasting. I'd found the idea online and it was quite yummy.

As dusk turned to dark, mom and I decided to try to distract ourselves from the noise next door by playing several hands of UNO.

My mom seriously kicked my butt.

Grrrrrr.

Thankfully, our neighbors respected quiet time and we were able to have a lovely night for sleeping. 

On Sunday, Wendy and her family headed out to The Good Neighbor Festival in Middleton. They had their site reserved for one more night, so didn't need to pack up.

My mom and I relaxed around a yummy sausage and egg breakfast in the morning and gradually broke camp in increments. It was humid (surprised?) and neither of us was in a huge hurry.

Unbeknownst to me, my mom snapped this lovely photo of me carting stuff out of my tent like a busy little ant with a piece of bread.

I will need to monitor her and her camera in the future *winks*.

All in all, it wasn't as bad of a weekend as I thought it was going to be.

On the bright side, I think Wendy is hooked. She's already trying to plan "one more," yet for this season.

Here's a shot of Wendy and hubby, Walter at their site (#43).

As for me, I'm hoping I fanned that fire just a little bit and I'll see Wendy's family on some future campouts.

....but not until next year as I am done for the season!

Adventure cat in training?

What is it that they say?

"Life happens when you are busy making other plans..?"

I think that should be changed to "Work will always be the biggest pain in the you - know - what when you are trying to make plans.."

I would say that I feel the same way about my job that a lot of other folks do. Some days I can really immerse myself in my duties and actually enjoy them and other days the frustration (for a variety of reasons) makes me want to go home and not come back.

Today was definitely the latter....

If a disagreement in policy with my boss wasn't bad enough, the arthritis in my knee and ankle seemed to be on the fritz today.

I had hoped to spend the evening with Griffin with plans to do a short ride with the bareback pad, a bit of hand grazing, and a long groom session.

......but when I left work, all I wanted to do was to get off my aching legs. Even the stairs leading up to my apartment provided a teeth - gritting, painful, experience.

Most of the time, my job involves a mix of both standing and sitting duties, but this month has me in the rotation that requires the most standing. My body was in full protest at the end of my shift today.

Admittedly,  there are days and times that I feel strong and able to stand and walk all day (and then some), and other times I feel like a 100 yr old lady who should be in a wheelchair (pushed by a sexy young man) instead of on my feet.

....and even though I do like my job for the most part, there are days that resentment grabs me in it's clutches and I find myself wishing that walking/standing time could be spent on the hiking trail or with my horses instead of at work.

Unfortunately,  that won't change anytime soon since it's work that pays the bills.

....but enough of that already.

Since I'm feeling cheated out of an evening with my boy, Griffin,  I thought I'd talk about my adventure cat in training.

You've most likely already read about Simon in earlier posts, but here is a photo of him from our stroll around the block last night.

When I first adopted Si, it wasn't long before I realized he was one of the most outgoing cats I had ever met.

When I introduced him to a harness and leash, he took to it more naturally than most puppies do.

He was eager to follow me just about anywhere.

.....and so our walks around the block began.

Nowadays, if I so much as pick up his harness, he is eagerly waiting by the door in anticipation of a kitty hike.

I still find it amusing when a passer by or a motorist does a double - take at us strolling along the sidewalk.

I was once asked by a teenager on a bike if I was "walking my cat."

I had to resist the urge to say  "Nah, he's a tabby Labrador who prefers to purr instead of bark."

I've always known that people put cats on harnesses to go outside with them or take them a short distance in the car, but never for an actual WALK.

Before Simon came into my life, I probably would have been doing the same sort of double take had I seen someone walking their cat.

 

Out of curiosity,  I started researching harness trained cats and somewhere along the way, I discovered this website.

http://www.adventurecats.org

(once I add photos, I haven't been able to figure out to share the actual link on my phone).

It seems that folks not only walk with their cats, but also hike trails, camp, and go on boats with their cats.

Is this cool or what?

If you enjoy looking at that site, I also urge you to check out this blog!

http://www.boltandkeel.wordpress.com

In short, the blog is about 2 (VERY) adventurous young ladies who take their two young cats on all their outdoor trips with them. They do hiking, camping, kayaking, and snowshoeing....and yes, their feline friends do it all with them.

Amazingly cool!

 Simon has yet to do anything more than walks around the block with me, but he does find some interesting places to hang out during our strolls.

Since I don't boat or even swim that much, I have no current plans to introduce Si to the basics of becoming a water cat, but I DO want to teach him to do short camp outings with me. In the future, we could perhaps do one in the spring and one in the fall.

With summer's high heat and humidity,  I would feel more comfortable avoiding that time of year (especially with the increased threat of fleas and heartworms as well. Yes- cats (and humans too) can get heartworms.  They are not just a dog parasite).

I had hoped to do a maiden voyage with Simon this year with camping, but I just haven't felt quite ready to take that plunge yet.

My mom and sister are planning a short, camp outing around the Labor Day Holiday. I am sitting this one out due to lack of vacation time (their dates are during the week following LD) as well as having to work Labor Day itself for the nice pay it provides.

Even though I won't be camping, I thought this might be the purr-fect  opportunity to introduce Simon to campsite living and a campfire. We may go for a visit one night after work!

In addition,  there are some other things I want to work out before Simon spends his first night in my tent.

I need to create a small, portable litterbox with a cover for transport and easy emptying capabilities (as in being able to empty very frequently as needed).

Si needs to spend some actual time in my tent so that I can be sure he is comfortable and I am not overfacing him with too much strangeness too soon.

I want to develop a way to carry Simon on hikes so I can do long ones with him and I will be able to carry him when he is tired. I've considered both a backpack and a diagonal carrying sling for this purpose. I need to experiment to find what works for us. Simon enjoys rides in cloth bags (and my laundry basket), so, that's not an issue.

I also would like to get Si a new harness set up. The one he has is a bit small for his chubby frame and I want something he can sleep in comfortably if necessary. It also needs to be safe and secure.

The final aspect of all this, and the hardest thing for me to address in all of this is this...

Simon's adopted brother,  Lukus.

While I continue to work on Lukus' s confidence in all things, I highly doubt he'll ever be a camping cat.

For the most part, Luk prefers a life indoors. The world outside just holds too many scary variables.

....and I'm 100% fine with that.

Lukus is my Smitten kitten. He's my sweet cuddler and is playful to the max.

As long as we're inside.

At this point, I have no desire to take Lukus along,  but leaving him home alone without his brother and best friend creates a dilemma that pulls at my heartstrings.

I need to find something special for him so he isn't feeling left out -- and create a situation that works well enough so that he gets something FUN out of the times that Si and I go camping.

This situation is probably the biggie in what is holding me back from taking that first trip with Simon. 

BOTH of my boys are just that special to me.

....and even if our camping trip never quite makes it to fruition,  Simon will still enjoy his walks..

because.....

A worn out, fat, cat is a HAPPY cat! 

(and yes my apartment has ugly, worn out carpeting.  I haven't won the lottery yet to move to a fancy, log cabin in the woods *winks*).

A Little Catch Up...

My family and I just returned from our July camp outing. Saying that makes it sound like we went hours away.....

In reality, it was only another short trip to a nearby state park. This time we stayed at Mirror Lake State Park.

Mirror Lake isn't as popular as Devil's Lake, but it's still a nice state park with decent campsites, easy hike trails, and a small, shallow beach.

We stayed for 3 nights this time, and...unlike last time, it didn't rain the majority of the time. We only had one night in which the storms found us. Unfortunately,  the humidity on this trip was about the same as last time, and just like on that stay, my hiking was only minimal.  *sigh* 

I am hoping my weekend outing at the end of August will be better in terms of weather and will afford me some good hiking.

My sister,  Gayle, bought herself a larger tent and this was her first time using it.  Her sleeping quarters were some of the largest I have seen yet. Her tent is Colossal (with a capital "C"). It has dividers to make 3 rooms and is plenty big enough for herself,  Brendan, Fiona,  and Winston (their Husky Lab X).
.....and I think they'd still have room in there for another 2-3 people and all their STUFF. My sister seems very happy with her tent.

We spent the outing mostly visiting, doing some very small hikes (mostly to the bathroom *giggles*), and goofing off with Fiona. There was silly string, water guns, and giant purple Frisbees involved. Fiona and I also had a rather engaging game of glow-in-the-dark horse shoes.
.....mostly that involved her handing me the horse shoes and telling me how to throw them. Sometimes Fiona is just too smart for her own good! 

On the horse front, I haven't been getting a whole lot of rides in with either horse. We seem to get a handful of nice, comfortable days and then a couple of real hot, humid, and sticky numbers that make me feel like I am a rainforest dweller.

I don't do a lot of riding on days like that, because frankly-- I just don't enjoy it.  With that said, however, I DO love just hanging out with my equine boys and so we spend the scorcher afternoons hand grazing, doing pampered grooming,  getting cool baths, and a lazy walk here and there.

The spring and fall months are my favorite times to ride and that's when I get the most rides in.

My phone is being a bit of a pain at the moment in letting me get all my photos attached, so I just have a few to share today with no real captions added....

Yesterday was my Holiday....

I made a promise to myself yesterday that it was going to be a minimal "chore" day and I was going to spend the day on myself. 

This was going to be my 4th of July Holiday so-to-speak (even though it was only the 3rd).

I usually get a nice paycheck if I opt to work on a holiday, so Monday would be a workday for me anyway. 

Unfortunately,  on Saturday night,  I had one of those sleepless nights that occasionally occurs when I am thinking about too many random things and just cannot. Fall. Asleep.

Nights like that suck.

So while I had hoped to get up and get my day going early in the morning, it didn't really happen that way.  I ended up playing lazy,  bed potato with my cats until about 10:30am.

All in all, that's not a bad thing--but I still didn't sleep (Ugh)....

It was going to be a caffenated, prop my eyelids open with toothpicks sort of day.

Since Griffin had my attention on Saturday,  Sunday was to be Tex's day.

We had our usual long grooming and bond session and then did some arena work with just a short ride out to the road after. 

Because my boarding barn is surrounded by DNR lands, woods and marsh, we get HORRIBLE amounts of bugs during the hottest parts of the summer. Unless you are willing to dunk your horse (and yourself) into a vat of pyrethrin, you can pretty much rule out an enjoyable ride in the woods & fields. From now until about early September,  riding in the arena and areas close to the barn are usually the best bet.

You know things are bad when the deer flies keep pace with your car (just outside the windows) while driving up to the barn.

Some years are worse than others,  and while I wouldn't say things are as bad as I have seen them,  they are annoying enough right now.

So with all that in mind,  Tex and I worked on lateral movements as well as our usual riding patterns in the arena.

Tex knows hindquarter yields fairly well, but his front end gets sticky and he is still figuring out that he can move is front half sideways while keeping the back half still.

I was even able to get him started on a few side pass steps in one direction over a ground pole (Good Boy, Tex)!!

It was a warm day, but there was a breeze and we had a nice ride.

Retrieving Tex from the pasture. He is the black horse half buried in the buffet table (round bale).

Wondering if my hands are hiding a few Nicker Snacks while I attempt to remove the fly mask (My halter doesn't fit well over his mask, so I usually remove it when I put it on).

Groom session in the cool barn with only a minimum of biting insects....Ahhhhh...

The resident ducks came to visit & briefly hung out in Daphne ' s  stall while Kris was out riding.. (Daphne stays inside during the day & goes outside at night).

When the ducks got bored, they headed to the indoor to waddle around before going back outside.

Tex all set for his ride....

Taking a break in the shade between exercises...

After going to barn, I went home for a wee nap before heading over to Christmas Mountain Resort in the Dells to watch fireworks with the family.

My fireworks photos seldom turn out well, so I didn't take any.

Fiona kept me occupied playing with her giant, soft purple frisbee. This was her second year seeing fireworks.

Last year did not go well because the noise scared her.

My sister, Gayle, has since purchased a small pair of child- size ear muffs for her, so she can enjoy loud experiences like this without being afraid of the noise (which she will grow out of with time).

At first she wasn't sure about the huge, sparkly plumes in the sky-- but with reassurance from everyone (Grandma,  Grandpa, mom,  dad and myself were all in attendance), she was enjoying them by the end....even laughing.

She didn't want them to be over!

I wish I had some cute, Fiona pics to add...but as I said I was too busy catching a frisbee beforehand to take any.

Tomorrow its back to full days at work-- but a little camp outing in a week should sweeten that deal!!

THAT pretty hike I've been waiting for.....and "Bear Thoughts"

I've been craving a good, nature hike for some time now. I'd hoped to scratch that itch when I was camping, but the questionable weather made that difficult.

So yesterday, when I got done at work, I raced through my normal, afternoon house chores, donned my sneakers, strapped my phone to my arm, and headed over to the Steinke Basin trail head.

The Steinke Basin Trail Loop is a short, 2.4 mile loop that is part of Devil's Lake State Park. This is one of a few trails that have an access point outside of the park. There is a separate parking lot just up the road from the main exit.

I have several, favorite Devil's Lake trails--and this is one of them. This particular hike is considered easy, but there's still enough uphill grades to get your heart rate elevated (unless, of course, you are much more physically fit than I, which is probably most people). I thought this would be just the right hike to do after a long day at work.....not too difficult.....not too long. The weather was also a perfect, 77 degrees.

Since many of my hikes tend to be last minute,  spur of the moment, deals....I am usually solo.

Most folks who know me - know that I am an incredibly deep thinker (often times, too much for my own good).

As I set off on my hike, I let my mind wander as usual......I wondered what life would be like if I didn't have to work. How nice it would be to just enjoy my animals and hike and camp as much as I'd like.  There are so many places I'd like to visit if only I had the funds & time to get there.

Ahhhhh...that elusive, perfect world!

As my feet left the open, sunny section behind and carried me into the woods, I could hear the breeze rustling through the trees with an odd tree creak every now and then. Just myself and nature. Relaxing.

....that is until I heard a small to medium animal move through the woods on my left.

....and I thought about Wisconsin's Black Bear statistics (now, for the record, I know the sound wasn't a bear).

...as I said before, I'm a deep thinker...

The Wisconsin black bear population has risen from approximately 9,000 bears in 1989 to more than 28,000 animals currently.  Black bears are gradually spreading out to more southern parts of the state. 

I was curious of the chances of seeing a Black Bear on some of these remote, forested trails in Devil's Lake.  

It gave me some piece of mind to know that I had done my research on what actions a hiker should take should they come upon on a bear. Unfortunately,  should a bear decide I was a threat, I had nothing at my disposal except for a set of keys to use to protect myself. 

...and I was alone (groups are safer).

I told myself that because I am still fairly south, my chances of encountering a bear on my hike were pretty minimal.

....and so I kept hiking on and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings and the other wildlife. I saw squirrels, a variety of birds, a couple of small rabbits, and  some mosquitos.

Wait.

Did I just say that?

Mosquitos?

Not exactly the wildlife one appreciates. Unfortunately,  a few spots on the trail had tiny bridge crossings over some tiny creek bed areas. In those spots, I managed to aquire a few bites. 

Next time, bug spray, chica...

Thankfully, most of the trail was fine however.

At one point, I crossed an access road and saw the only other human I passed while on the trail. A young lady was trail running the other way-- coming towards me.   ....and she was FLYING-- like a gazelle on fire. 

I thought to myself how much I wish I could run like that.....feel that runner's high. If only my lower half weren't so broken and I didn't have a bum knee and a bad ankle. *sigh*

Still....I am grateful for being able to hike, ride horses, and camp. 

....and I plan on doing those things for as long as possible!

....unless a black bear eats me. *laughs*

So I finished my hike uneventful and found myself wishing that it were longer. Next time.

When I arrived home, I did indeed look for information on Black Bears at Devil's Lake. I discovered that there have, in fact, been sightings at DL as far back as 2009. Bear scat (poop) has also been found on the south end of the park. Frightening enough, the sightings have mostly occurred in the Steinke Basin Area where I was just hiking. Yikes! (I wish i could post the info link, but my phone is not letting me add it at the moment. Grrrrr...).

I've been wanting a set of Trekking poles to help me hike hills better. Perhaps now is the time to invest in a set. They could also make a convenient defense tool should, God forbid, I ever need it. 

I know that plenty of hikers hike in far more bear populated areas safely (even among Grizzlies, which Thank the good Lord, we don't have around here). I don't plan to stop hiking, so becoming educated about what to do and hiking smart are the alternatives!

Here are a few photos from my hike. Enjoy!

Parking area. Several cars, but I only saw 1 other hiker/runner.

Vacation. Birthday. Camping. (in no particular order)..

My annual birthday, camp outing couldn't have come at a better time this year.  I was feeling quite a bit burned out from work and,  in a sense,  wanted a little break from the horse life.

I am the only horse lover in my family (sadly enough).

....so when we want to spend time together, we camp (the non - horse kind).

My mom and I camp together quite often. As far as camping companions go-- I think we make a great team in that we share a site and work together to have a great time. I am hoping that one day,  we will be able to take some seriously long road trips in each other's company. 

...Unfortunately, in life, there are always obstacles.

I have my animals to care for (I don't trust most boarding establishments and have yet to find a great pet sitter).

...and my mom has my dad.

He loathes camping in the same way that Superman hates kryptonite. In addition to that, he is disabled and has difficulty staying alone over long periods of time.

Thankfully,  we have 3 beautiful state parks within a half hour driving distance of our homes.

We are lucky.

We can camp AND take care of our respective responsibilities.

....but maybe one day circumstances will change and we can have that far away adventure.

Our stay last week was at the very popular,  Devil's Lake State Park. Our site this year was 065 in the Quartzite campground.

As is generally the case, my mom choose the site based on her ability to back her small ( but not tiny) camper into position. My mother, who is a self proclaimed "Glamper." wants just about every amenity she can have (short of air conditioning and the kitchen sink).

I, on the other hand, enjoy a few amenities (i.e A decent airbed and the convenience of electricity when available), but I'm happiest cooking on campfires and sleeping in a tent.

I downgraded from my old Pop Up camper 3 years ago to a high quality, canvas tent. While I would be lying if I said I never miss the camper, I can also say that it's not enough to have the desire to go back. The tent offers me 100X's the flexibility of the camper and is the most doable option for horse camping should I ever get that horse trailer I've been dreaming of having for years (the money gods are taking their own,  sweet time shining that light in my direction).

Our campsite was nice, but less wooded than I would have liked.

The first night of our stay was fairly windy, but nice enough for a fire and a bit of hanging out.

My sister and her husband and my niece, Fiona, also joined us, but they shared site 046 with friends.

I had plans to hike my favorite trails during the day, but since the weather forecast threatened the chance of storms all weekend, I pretty much just used the time to relax. I did a short stroll around the campground here and there, but nothing of any distance (or sadly.....with any sort of pretty view). I mostly busied myself with my nose in a book or working on some crossword puzzles I had brought along.

I think the highlight of my weekend was watching Fiona delight at seeing the live frogs, turtles, and snakes at the nature center. She couldn't get enough of watching them.

....and she can't get enough of camping.

Fiona is not yet 3yrs old and she loves the outdoors with the same level of enthusiasm that my dad has in his hatred of camping.

On the second night, we had a good storm for a few hours.

....as in several INCHES of rain.

My mom and I watched a movie (which we would do the 3rd night as well due to MORE rain).

My sister and her friends hung out in their rather large tent and made silly, Snapchat videos. Little Fiona thought the rain was about as much fun as bouncing on the air mattress in the tent. Thunder & Lightening? No problem....This little girl could care less.

Due to the impending rain (and a few mild leaks), Gayle & company choose to head home a day early. I didn't blame them as I also went home for the 3rd night due to the high incidence of heavy rain, lightning, thunder, and flooding. I needed to go home in the morning anyway to care for my cats-- so it worked out ok.

My mom felt safe in her trailer, so I left at 11 pm (quiet time). We watched an old Lucille Ball movie and ate Nachos up to that point. It goes without saying, that I would have rather enjoyed a campfire on a balmy evening....

.....but only Mother Nature can pick the weather.

In the morning, I was rather thrilled that my tent had undergone a second night of heavy rains and not a drop was to be found inside. I can't say enough for Kodiak Canvas Tents. I. Love. My. Tent.

It wasn't until the following day that I learned that Fiona threw a bit of a tantrum when her mom started taking their tent down. She wasn't ready to go home!!

....even if the big, bad storm wanted to huff and puff and blow their whole campsite down!!

Fiona had already made herself a "professional" camper. On our first day there, she made the observation that my mom's camper has wheels. In talking with her, I then proceeded to show her how the camper must hook up to the truck so it can be pulled to the campsite. I showed her the truck hitch and the coupler on the camper.

After this little show and tell,  Fiona took it upon herself to make sure all friends & family in attendance knew how these things worked.

She's not even 3 years old.

Bright. Little. Girl!!

As luck would have it, our last night gave us perfect weather. My mom and I enjoyed a lovely campfire, super yummy ribs, and banana split marshmallows for dessert.

My only regrets were that the stupid weather chased me home for a night (and that I let it....) and I didn't even get in a single hike on a favorite trail.

.....at least Devil's Lake is super close to my home and there are plenty of day trips to be had yet this summer!

Next month we are all at Mirror Lake SP for 3 nights. I am hoping the weather will be better as I am overdue for that pretty hike!!

Exhausting, but a lot of fun!....

I have a whole, long post in mind to write up on my camp outing with Tex at Wildcat Mountain State Park.

Because it's pretty "book worthy, " in terms of length, I need to find time to sit down and write (which is easier said than done).

Here is a quick share of a few photos from the weekend. Hopefully,  I can make time in the next week or so to do the full write up! :-)

I'm Back. Updates?

It's been awhile.

...but at least this time, I didn't give up, erase my blog, and then "start over" yet again.

I can think of a million excuses why I haven't been blogging.....

For one thing, Facebook is easier to just type a few words and be assured that my closest family and friends will read it (they don't do anything except FB, for the most part).

and yet....

I hate Facebook.

I often find it filled with negativity, drama, people attacking each other in interest groups (over the most INSANELY, stupid things I might ad)....   ...but,  I stick to it because it's easy.

Blogging should be easy, but since I don't own a computer, I find it a bit more challenging to update than Facebook.  When I start to write a post, what  I'd like to be just a short snipet about my day generally turns into a novel.  As a result, that novel ends up taking a LOT more time to write then what I had alotted for time to write in a day.

Well, I need to make more time to write -- because it sincerely is something that I enjoy.

So here goes another effort in redirecting my efforts away from the senseless drama of FB and more towards myself (i.e writing). 

I won't promise posts as interesting as some of the other blogs I enjoy reading (which are quite a few), but I am going to try to share the ups and downs of my life again with anyone with a mind to read.

I will use this post as a brief catch up to where things are in the varies aspects of my world.

Griffin
Ahhh.....my old Standardbred boy....
He's still here and so far, doing well.  His Cushings Disease seems to be under control at the moment and he seems healthy.  He shed his winter coat this spring far faster then he has in probably the last 7 or 8 years (which makes me wonder how long his Cushings went un-diagnosed).  At the moment were are getting in 1 or 2 very small, walking only, rides per week.  We hack around the arena a bit and the barnyard area.  He is still asking to go towards the woods and still showing signs of frustration when we don't.  I handwalk him down there occasionally, but he thinks we should ride there also.

I made a promise to him, that if he does well over the summer (and doesn't hurt himself AGAIN -- see previous posts), we could try a hack into the flatter sections of woods closest to the farm by this fall.  As with everything else that we do, I have learned that everything is a day at a time.  I count my blessings each and every day that he is with me and I don't have any expectations from one day to the next (and believe me that IS HARD to keep in mind).  When it comes to my animal family, he truly is my number one priority. I'd really like to see him enjoy each and every day of his golden years that he has left.  At 28years old, he as already lived a pretty good life and I want to keep giving that to him for as long as I possibly can.  Next year will mark out 20th year together!!

Tex
The situation with my lease horse, Tex, has grown into something far bigger than I ever thought it would.  Originally, I was only supposed to (part) lease Tex until June of this year (next month).  His owner was leasing another horse (that she really wanted to buy), for the year and when his owner was recovered from an injury she'd had -- she would start riding him again, and my friend would take Tex back as her sole, riding horse.

As things started to unfold, the friend's recovery did not go as rapidly as hoped and resulted in her questioning how well she would ever be able to ride again.  In addition to this, other factors in her life made her question just how much involvement she truly wanted to have with horses. Logically, she decided to sell her horse & trailer to MY friend (who wanted to buy him in the first place).

My friend, Vickie, now owns 3 horses.  Dusty (her newest mount), Tex (my lease horse), and Apache (her retired CTR horse).

Vickie knows that I would buy Tex from her in a heartbeat.

If I could afford 2 horses.

...but I can't, and Griffin must come first.

So, Vickie very kindly offered for me to continue the lease as we have been for as long as I wanted (or could). She has stated that she is not interested in selling Tex (although she would offer him for sale to me at a later date, if I was interested....which I am).

At this point and time, I am moving on with what amounts to roughly a 3/4 lease on Tex.  He is boarded at the same farm Griffin lives at and I have a horse to do longer rides and trail with.  Vickie will use him for occasional rides/trips as a backup horse for friends as those situations come up (she already has a 2 week camp trip planned with another friend in October).  I don't mind the sharing part, as I still must also make time for my old man.

I am very happy with this arrangement for a few reasons:
1)- I have a horse who is a SOLID trail horse that I can enjoy riding with friends....and even go out with alone.  Tex is a laid back, more whoa than go sort and he is truly a dream to explore trails with.
While I have lots of experience riding in arenas, showing, and doing arena involved patterns (from my youth working with other people's show horses), I have very little experience as a trail rider. I love trail riding and no longer have even the slightest desire to go to a horse show. Ever.

2.)- Because is not actually my horse on paper, I don't have the anxiety I might have trying to own owning 2 horses and dealing with funds for a major emergency should it come up (and that is not limited to just the two horses, but my personal life as well).  I still plan to have as much involvment as possible and to care for Tex as though he were my own -- but in the back of my mind, I don't have to worry about hanging onto a horse should I not be able to afford it if something major popped up in my life or that of my own animals.

3.)- I have someone to go horse camping with!!
I can't stress enough that if you are ever going to lease a horse, doing so with someone who shares you interests (...and goals) really helps.  Vickie is an incredibly experienced trail rider.  She has done Competitive Trail, Trail Trials, ridden all over the state, and camped in the mountains.

...and she is willling to let this Chicken, Novice trail rider wanna be accompany her.

Not to spoil a future blog post.....BUT
Next weekend we are camping at Wildcat Mountain State Park. It will be a couple of fun filled days of campfires, riding, and more riding!!  I have ALWAYS wanted to do this....and while there is a part of me that is saddened that it's not Griffin who will carry me on the trails -- I am excited to be able to have the opportunity to do it at all.  I have a horse I know I can trust, who I've started to bond just a little, and a friend who has the experience and knows the ropes of it all!!.....

Simon & Lukus
My cats are doing quite well and have become an amazing part of my family at home.  They are my biggest comfort when I am under the weather or feeling sad.  They make me smile.  They make me laugh. Every. Day.  I find it hard to believe I've had them almost 4 years now!!

 Lukus will be coming up on his 4th birthday at the end of the month....and like a crazy cat lady, anthropomorphic, mom, I want to do something special for him. I just dont' know quite what that will be yet.

Simon has turned into quite the lap cat and is nonstop with his purrrs (2 things that were definitely NOT a part of his personality when I got him).  I am also thinking he will make his first camping debut with me possibly next month!  Si loves being outside on his harness and he is certainly ready to be an adventure cat and test the camping waters!! 

Camping
So far, I have 3 confirmed camping outings this summer and I'm currently working on a 4th.  All of them are at nearby state parks with family with the exception of the horse outing with Vickie.

My little niece, Fiona (who is almost 3), has already developed an affinity for the outdoors.  I have a feeling the future will hold MANY camp outings with her and my sister.  She just received a new, made for her (in terms of safety) airbed, that she will be trying out on our June outing.  She has quickly outgrown the Pack N Play and is now ready to take the next step learning to be an experienced camper!

Work
It's the same. Enough said (yes, I just had to include that).

...and that's about it -- I will try to keep updates coming as often as I can....and with the summer I have planned, maybe a good adventure story or two!!

Thanks for reading...  :-)