"Camping..." aka "exiting civilization."

I personally see camping much different from Darrell; therefore, I will make this entry. Camping is fun with a motorhome, flush toilets, showers, stoves, refrigerator and of course... electrical outlets for the all american DVD player. That is how I spent my growing - up years camping... So, when Darrell asked (back when we were dating) if I liked camping, naturally... it was "Yes!" What I should have said was " Yes, Darrell... I love my version of camping... and if you EVER take me to do your version of camping...we would cease to exist." Well, naturally when he posed the idea of camping to me, I thought it sounded like a great idea. I thought, okay...cool " we will take the boat out on a nice memorial day weekend..." I had visions of sunshine, sun reflecting into my eyes, visions of aloe vera gel being applied after a long day of sunburn. ...blah, blah, blah. Well, lets just say...my first clue should have been when he took the credit card points and bought a tent (a summer tent- at that)... other things that should have clued me in..."a hatchet," "a camping stove," "tarp" and "mosquito repellent" that says something to the effect of repelling against "chiggers. " What the heck are "chiggers" and how far out in the boondocks does one have to got to be exploited to "chiggers?" I am sure they are related to amoebas ( the other fearful element often found in lake water- which I also hate :)) So, my next clue to the surmounting evidence that this camping trip was going to be a large deviation from my " comfort camping trips... of my childhood" was the 1 hour (11 mile dirt road) that took us up the mountain. My first question, is whoever heard of 11 miles taking an hour!! The second question I should have asked myself was " Why didn't I bring more blankets?" and the third question I should have asked myself was " What did I get myself in to....?" So, needless to say the harsh reality of this camping experience came to me when I was in the pit toilet wondering if the big- burly, black spider that was at least the size of my hand on the wall had jumped onto my head to give me my initiation bite into the "true camping" experience. You know, "it is not like it isn't hard enough to fight off the man eating spider while dangling over the ( what appears to be a gaping hole that surely has something living in it) man-eating hole that smells of something dead and causes your body to quack if you were to take a sudden peak down it. Surely, any place that calls itself a "RESORT" should have flush toilets. That was my awakening into what was going to be a 2nd initiation into the camping experience. Besides the man-eating mosquito's and the hidden and not - to - be forced with nature....of "chiggers..." I had to battle the elements. This initiation took place around 1230 am when Jazz suddenly woke - up screaming....needless to say, I spent the rest of the time in the car going between the passenger seat, driver's seat and back seat trying to establish some element of computability amid the frigid air- showing mercy to none. I may have been spared against the elements ( 2nd initiation) had I had more than a baby blanket. Jazz spent 1230 am on ...sleeping like a baby... I on the other hand, spent the rest of the evening into the morning awake starring outside the car windows wondering what strange animal was going to eat me through the glass window or if Bigfoot would make an appearance. Had any of those thing happened, I would have wet my pants because there was no way I was going to walk to the forbidden port- o- dungeon to be eaten by those man - eating spiders or swallowed by that gaping black hole. Well, lets just say the dawn proved to show more amazing elements such a rain, wind and wet ground. (So much for being able to set jazz on the ground). I could go on...but, to save audience attention. The morning was spared when the rain stopped and the boat worked! The highlight was leaving.
Jazz arrived home to throw-up and have a fever- I am still checking for "chiggers" and darrell is tolerating us both :). Thank you for all that were involved in my camping initiation. No thanks to the elements, spiders, mosquitoes or whatever virus got jazz. Thank you to Becca, Jeremy, Kaiyah, Laney, Marta, Curtis and Russell ( for sacrificing your truck) to this great adventure and for all your hard work. This great camper will see you next year....in a motorhome.
Thank heavens for flush toilets.

Jazzlyn likes food - The stove in the background was a heater

Huddled under the canopy during rain

Does this jacket look like Russell's style? No it doesn't, somebody must have forgotten something...

Conditions at Lake Pillsbury - cloudy with rain yet still beautiful

Freezing while driving boat

Working on the boat.....again!