April 3, 2015

Slept in and lounged, looking through VW catalogs. There are
so many possibilities and I was so excited to DO something! Unable to decide on where to go, Ethan and I set up the awning to see if it was really “EZ.”  I did it the IKEA way and tried reading the instructions (Slide B over A, conjoining C with…”) while Ethan watched a YouTube video on it. It wasn’t really until Ethan said he was excited to camp in the bus that I started planning our camping excursion for tonight.  Although it probably wouldn’t be that much warmer, surely it would be better in the bus, if only for the fact that we were finally in the bus!!!

There were a lot of little things to do before we left on our camping trip, most importantly, get this year’s fire permit, which had completely escaped my mind until Carol had mentioned it(HOW could I forget this considering I’d been helping at fire camp for both Sand and King fires?!?).  The ranger’s station closed at 4:30, it was already two and I still needed to get Mags, pack up the gear, and  hit the store for ice and bacon (how can you not have bacon when you are camping??). Again, so much to do in such little time I wondered if we should postpone it until the next day but then I remembered I live for this kind of energy: that last minute "gotta-get-it-down-now"...it makes it better since then a lot of that over-hyped anticipation is gone.  Grabbed Mags, dropped her at home with a to-do list while I got the permit and hit the store.  We threw everything in the bus and… 

We headed up!  My attitude in this bus is soooo different, even Ethan noticed it: "You're so much happier when you're driving the bus...you don't care if people cut you off or are driving slow."  He's right.  It's a State of Mind <though I hafta chuckle when I have to pull into the left lane to pass someone-usually a Honda>. I noticed the gas gauge was faaar below empty now, which couldn't be right since I had just filled it up, but I stopped for 3 gallons at Fresh  Pond before we headed up Ice House.  It was good driving.  Ethan teased me about my fear of it tipping over and leaning the shift my weight every time I came upon a curve. And Mags slept in the back. The dogs?  Mabi was nice and quiet and Annie was whining with excitement, perching on my shoulder and being flung onto the floor with every curve or brake.  Sigh…that dog never learns.

Finally we found our area.  In an act of rebelliousness..or stupidity, (or, more than likely, just not thinking), I pushed Lizzie forward so we could head to an untouched area in the back of the clearing. Simultaneously, Maggie yelled "Nooo!" and the car did a few bucking-bronco bounces and stopped. The car was stuck. I got out to check it out; rear tires were in some very soft dirt, so Mags &  I grabbed small branches and twigs so the tires could get some grip.   This had happen to us before in the Mazda with ice and snow on the other side of the freeway near Capps Crossing.  If anything, we do adventure!  Ethan came upon us (I had dropped him off a hundred feet back because he wanted to walk) and shouted "So you got the car stuck?" then  came over to help us. It wasn’t long  before we got Lizzie out, I patted her then  turned her around and we put her in her camping spot. Just like the other night, everybody got busy doing what they were supposed to do:  Maggie set up the hammock,  Ethan dug the fire pit and I worked on the awning which Ethan and I had down a few hours before.  There was so much laughter and joy in doing everything together.  Both kids, when I asked them their favorite memory said it was of being together and setting everything up.  It really was a beautiful time.  Ethan created a little grilling stand from tree branches and grilled some hamburgers.  We sat by the toasty fire, talking and hanging out for a bit, but the kids were really excited to go sleep in the law so I sat by the  fire and enjoyed the moment.

It was surreal:  I sat in the chilly air by the crackling fire, listening to those kids talking then bursting into laughter and I realized that this was pretty much my dream:, right then and there.  I’m not sure how many people are able to be as fortunate as I am.  Sure, absolutely, there are plenty of moments when life is pretty shitty, but there are even more when life is pretty damn amazing and this was one of those times.  Eventually,  I got into the bus , too.  My initial plan was hell no,  the dogs can’t sleep with me, but it wasn’t long before I called them up.  The night was damn cold and I didn't sleep well, if at all, even with the dogs by me.

Pictures: My co-driver, Annie, makes sure I am using proper turn indicators; Maggie chillaxes; Ethan digging/prepping the fire pit;  Oops.  It's a bit soft here; A  heavenly place to camp.