Camping Season Has Officially Started

I love the fact that we were camping by mid-May.  Our first weekend getaway wasn't too far from home, which was a true blessing because we had a funeral to attend. As the funeral was in the next town over from where we live, we had to make the hour and a half drive four times.  Ah, well.  You do what you've got to do, right?  When a friend loses a parent, you can't blithely say, "oh, sorry, we're too busy lounging in lawn chairs to come console you during your time of need." Nope. You can't say that. Instead, you pack a nice skirt and blouse and a pair of heels and you drive the distance necessary.

Strangely enough, my packing for the our second weekend of camping will also involve a dress and matching shoes.   Only this time, we'll need to leave the campground for a few hours in order to attend a co-worker's wedding.  Thank goodness our camper is equipped with running water and electricity because a ponytail won't cut it!  

I'm not sure the kids will enjoy our next destination as much as they enjoyed this one, though.  Our first trip of the year will be hard to beat.  The campground was beautiful and equipped with things like heated pools and hot tubs. What really made it something special for the kids, though,was the river.  I don't know if you can see it or not, but if you look beyond the picnic table, the puppy's playpen, and the nearest trees, you can see the river.  Our site, as well as my Dad's and Ronnie and Troy's sites, were right on the river.  

Before we even had the camper set up, the kids had poles in the water.  This sucker was the first catch, but definitely not the last.

As the weekend heated up, temperatures soaring into the high 80s, the kids decided that wading into the water to look for crayfish would be just as much fun as fishing from the banks. Despite how swift the current appeared to be from shore, the water never went much above their knees.

Fishing, prowling for crayfish, swimming in the pool, and playing basketball against their Dad and Uncle Troy kept the kids well entertained. My spare time was spent with this adorable little fellow...

Meet Dexter.  He was just a little over 9 weeks old at the time this picture was taken.  His mild and meek mannerisms didn't last very long.  Within a day or two, he was showing his true colors...if stubborn is a color.  If it isn't, it should be.

Exactly one week after we had picked him up, we were introducing him to our favorite summertime recreation.  Trying to honor the breeder's wishes to keep him collar free, I thought the doggy play pen would be sufficient.  I was wrong.  Less than 24 hours into our weekend found me in a Super K-Mart looking at harness systems.  This little fella needed to be on the move and that darn playpen was just not going to cut it for an entire weekend!