Hot, humid days....and a bit of a scare!

Tex and I had a ride today that was mostly walking and lasted all of about 30 minutes, give or take. I think if he'd had his way, he wouldn't have left his place in front of that fan. The look on his face is saying "Do we have to?" (...just a short one, my man)

I gave Griffin the option of coming with me into the barn for a groom and possibly a light bath, but he wasn't interested when I went out with his halter and called for him. He wasn't overly sweaty and seemed content to eat in the sun with his buddy, Mort(*gasp* he DOES have access to shade). He knows on hot days, he only gets groomed (or a bath) so if he didn't want to come with me, I wasn't going to make him.

The temperature outside today was about 88 degrees with the heat index in the mid to upper 90's. I don't recall the exact percentage of humidity, but it was high enough to make me constantly feel like I'd just stepped out of the shower (while completely lacking the refreshing feel of a shower).

....and today was the coolest of the last 3 days.

Ugh...

Dangerous heat warnings kept me from doing much these last few days which is probably just as well since my Dad gave everyone a good scare on Friday.

Without getting into too much personal detail, my father has been struggling with some electrolyte/dietary/mineral imbalances for quite some time.

Last November he had a seizure that put him in the hospital for over a week. It took that long to get things regulated again.

Since then, he has been eating better AND doing better....but obviously it wasn't good enough, because on Friday he had another seizure that caused a pretty serious fall and knocked him unconscious. 

Thankfully (and somewhat surprisingly), the end result of that fall was only a significant goose egg to the back of his head. We've all been joking that we need to check the floor for cracks!

This seizure resulted in another 3-day stay at the hospital including bloodwork, a cat scan, and an MRI. All were normal except for the dietary deficiencies I noted above.

As I write this, he is back home,  and with some additional dietary changes and mineral supplements (and a few other changes that are too private to mention)we are hoping not to see another seizure.

Both my mom and I are skeptical that the real root of the problem has yet to rear it's ugly head. We are "trying" to trust in his doctors..

....and to complicate matters, my dad -- shall we say -- isn't always the best patient when it comes to listening to his doctors. In his working life, he'd always been a manager-- the one in charge. Listening to others does not come easy to him and he has a stubborn streak a mile wide (of which he  has dutifully passed to his oldest daughter--me. *Grins sheepishly*).

Still, with all that said-- we all love him dearly, even when he thinks we aren't taking his side (as if there are sides to be taken when it comes to the health and well being of a loved one). ♡♡

We are all praying that the recommended changes will prevent any (near)future hospital stays and that we can help dad stick to the necessary changes that need to be made.

******

On a lighter note, I did get myself out for a hike earlier in the week. 

Last Wednesday brought warm temperatures and humidity, but not quite severe enough to be dangerous (OR to discourage me from getting outside for some after work enjoyment).

So after my house chores were done, I stuffed myself into my coolest tank and capris and headed over to Devil's Lake for a hike.

There was a very mild threat of rain, so I chose an easy hike I have done many times before. I plodded along the Tumbled Rocks trail over to the south shore beach and back again (because plodding is all I do when it's sticky humid outside). 

The photos below are from my hike...

This is the North Shore beach. It's the more popular of the 2 beaches and is one of 2 ways one can take to the start of the Tumbled Rocks Trail.

This is the start of the trail. It is 2 miles from here to the South Shore beach. Going out and back, I did an uncomplicated,  4 mile hike.

While parts of the trail are sunny, there are some nice, shady sections as well. This was a wonderful reprieve in the humidity.

The Tumbled Rocks trail runs alongside the lake, so the views are pretty and listening to the waters lap the rocks is soothing to the ears.

Recent storm damage (we've had a lot of storms lately) created an unexpected obstacle. It's a good thing no one was sitting on that bench at the wrong time!

A view of the downed tree from the other side.

I snapped a photo of a person using a paddleboard out on the lake. This is on my "bucket list" to try one day!

Despite the slimy temperatures, there was actually quite a few folks out hiking.  I passed a few couples simply enjoying a hike as I was. 

In addition, another 3-4 folks passed me doing some trail running.

One gentleman was watching wildlife at one of the benches with his binoculars. 

Another gentleman approached me from behind on the trail and inquired if I lived here and if I had ever swam in the lake.

..."Yes and yes, I have..."

He then wanted to know if it was clear water and therefore suitable for scuba diving. 

I told him I have never Scuba dived, but I thought the lake fairly clear and it might be worth a try if he had the equipment and expertise to do so.....

On the South side of the lake I talked to a few other people who were fishing, but unfortunately-- the fish were not too interested in biting...

Sometimes on these more commonly used trails, it's nice to chat with people and see how they are enjoying their day.

As for now-- I am silently praying to Mother Nature to give us a break from the heat and humidity so I can try to have an enjoyable week this week. 

We shall see.....  

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!!

A day not exactly as planned....but with an enjoyable ending!

My day today didn't exactly turn out as I had hoped.

With my mom and dad attending a car show, I was hoping that I could take Jerseydog and do a nice hike at Mirror Lake State Park (which is nearest to my parents' place).

My back seems to definitely be on the mend and it would have been nice to do something fun.

....but I had told my parents that I would mow their lawn for them.

Last week.

My intention was to do it on Thursday, but hurting my back spoiled that.  It also rained.  (OH Puddlesticks)!!

So, unfortunately, the lawn got put off until today.  My parents own just under 5 acres (although not all of it is mowed).  With that said, however, it is not a 20 minute job.  The first 2 photos below illustrate just a partial bit of my handiwork.

With the lawn work job done, I had every intention of relaxing a little bit in front of an actual computer (my parents have 2) and reading some blogs and writing on THIS blog (I don't own a computer.  Most of my blogging is done on my cell phone).

That didn't happen either, as the wireless router at my folk's place decided that IT was going to go haywire as well....hence, NO wifi, NO internet. **sigh**  Since I was unaware of how to fix it, I watched a little TV instead.  I tuned in to a few episodes of Forensic Files and an episode of  Hoarders: Buried Alive.  I don't watch regular TV at home, so it was a nice treat to watch a few programs I enjoy.  Every time I watch  Hoarders, it makes me glad that I am a Minimalist.  I will never have such a problem with my chosen lifestyle.  While I can't say I understand what causes people to hoard things, I do understand that it is a serious, psychological condition and I feel badly for those (and their family members) that struggle with it.

My mom and dad walked in the door around 5pm, which surprised me as I didn't think they would be home until at least 7.  My mom was still restless from her busy day (selling T-shirts at the car show) and she wanted to know if I wanted to take Jerseydog to the dog park with her.

We didn't get the hike I had hoped for earlier, so why not?  (Well sort of, anyway.  I DID take J for a little stroll up to the nearby cemetery when I first arrived at the house, but since that only takes about 20 minutes, it wasn't much of a hike).

Upon arriving at the dog park, we encountered a pleasant surprise.  My sister, Gayle, was there with  her dog, Winston, and little Fiona!!!!  (Seeing my little niece is ALWAYS a treat to me).

I got a lot of great photos (also below) of the dogs playing and little Fiona at the dog park.  It certainly was a busy place tonight as there were around 5-7 dogs total playing (it's late, and the count is fuzzy in my head).  Everyone got along beautifully (which is sometimes a concern at busy dog parks) and had  a lot of fun.

Jerseydog came home happily worn out.

I came home with some fun doggie park (and Fiona) photos!!!

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. :-)

What is my camping style?...

In short, the answer to that question would be to have my horse along...

Since that is not possible with Griffin anymore, and I lack suitable, reliable transportation for Tex, that will have to wait.

.....and I am waiting rather patiently for that  dice to roll in my favor so-to-speak.

In the meantime,  I do non - horse camping with my family (and sometimes even go solo). I enjoy being outdoors immensly. I love nature and there are other activities I like to do that fit nicely with camping.

Reading, hiking,  cooking, and swimming are just a few. I also would like to try Geocaching one of these days.

At the moment, because I have my cats at home (and my mom has my handicapped father to care for) neither of us venture very far.

It helps a great deal that there are half a dozen, nice state parks within reasonable driving distance to where we both live. Even when you are close to home, it doesn't feel that way when you are out in the woods!

Since I've had a bit of a boring past few days, I thought I'd just touch on the type of camping I enjoy.

I am a tent camper, plain and simple. I did have an old Pop-up camper for a number of years which I enjoyed, but it eventually needed repairs that I wasn't skilled enough to do. It also costed more in terms of gas and maintenence to use. The most obvious drawback, however, is that if I ever hoped to horse camp in the future, it wouldn't be practical (I can only pull one trailer).

In addition to all of that, the Pop-up didn't really have much that I couldn't make work with a good, quality tent, so the camper found a new home with a co - worker's son a few years ago.

Shortly thereafter,  I returned to camping with a tent.

I am a bare bones, primitive camper in that I rarely need or use electric. I cook everything over a campfire, and I don't hang out "inside" unless I'm sleeping.

There is one item, though, that I don't do "basic" with.
.....and that is sleep comfort. I currently use an old, twin, air mattress (which I hope to upgrade to a taller model next year), a memory foam topper, sheets, fuzzy blankets, and good pillows from home. I like to be comfortable when I sleep. .....

I am just as comfortable in my tent bed as I ever was in my camper....perhaps even more so because I can stretch out (I am quite tall and my camper beds were small because my camper was an old model).

My tent is a Kodiak Canvas Flex Bow.

I. Love. This .Tent.

Next year will be my 3rd season camping with it. I purchased it as an investment to last many years and to be compatible for future horse campouts when I am able to do them.

It is the sturdiest tent I have ever set foot in and it's very well made. I won't lie and say that it was cheap. It certainly wasnt....but like I said, I see it as a good investment.

The only other drawback (other than price) is that it is heavy. Very heavy. I don't mind the weight since I only car camp as opposed to back packing, but it can be a work out to move around (especially if it's wet). The trade off for me in this area is that I have a tent that will withstand (very) high winds and heavy downpours. When you enjoy being outside as much as I do, there is just no putting a price on that kind of security. The effort to move and set it up is worth it.

The picture below is my tent. I also attached one of my dad's dog, Jersey, who is my constant hiking & camping companion.  ♡♡