Naw, this was not part of our campsite....thanks, Oldeupher.Camping out is very unlike childbirth. With childbirth, you've got a painful experience which is replaced by the delight of a new baby. With camping it is the opposite - you've got a great experience, followed by the agony of cleaning, sorting and organizing.
I'm still at it - doing the laundry and hanging it out on the line, cleaning out storage bins, washing off every pot and pan and organizing the foodstuffs for the next trip. This part of camping takes what seems like ages to wade through until everything is back in place.
Of course, this was my first experience camping in the rain and mud of a rain forest.....did I mention that I TOLD George to put up a canopy over our tent on Thursday night? He didn't, and all of the lower portion of our foam mattress and bedding became soggey and wet. When I lifted up the bedding at one corner, I got a paper cup and scooped out the water on the floor. We learned the value of tarps and canopy covers on this trip, which were ultimately put to good use.
This was the first time I had to wear rain-gear for cooking, hiking, and even for sitting around the fire in the morning - because every cloth cover on our chairs held precipatation. We learned to pack the chairs under the table at night - but it was even wet under there. I recall many times, pouring the water out of a chair before I sat down on it. So, odd, that with all that water, the one thing I looked forward to was a hot shower when we got home.
Next day, the first thing I did was to mow the yard and trim the edges, to water my garden, and pick a little spinach. Centering myself in the garden is my way of 'arriving home'.....but now, laundry is piled up everywhere, ready to be put away. I'll be taking our large comforters to the laundry-mat, where I can use big washers and dryers. Surely there is an end in sight, but not for another day or two.
I've discovered that the process is a good one, though. While I'm tidying up, I'm storing memories, so many good ones. Mostly, I'm glad we experienced 'tough camping' and managed to have so much fun in spite of the mud and rain.
But, I'm pretty sure that was my last 7 mile hike - I just do not have enthusiasm for that kind of a workout after I've experienced the serenity of canoe gliding. I've come to enjoy exploring sitting down, and looking up and far away. It is peaceful and rejuvinating - and there is no recovery phase, no fatigue. Just load up the canoe and drive home.
If I were 20 years younger, though, that might be another story.
