Camping
I(Paul) can't believe I have never made a page describing our love of camping. Both of our family's loved to camp while we were growing up. We were able to do some camping togather before our heath coupled with economics got in the way. I started this page rather late in the game but I wanted to say somthing about this love of ours.
When I went camping with parents of Mom did the all the cooking. But when I went camping with the guys when I was single we took turns cooking, often stew, pork & beans , chilly and the like, but we also had a meals of hot dogs or hamburgers. The rest of the guys loved sleeping in, but I liked to get up early, guess who made breakfast, me, and I enjoyed it. Depending on the morning and the supplies we were able to bring on a trip, I made pancakes, bacon, eggs, and perhaps coffee even though I at the time was not a coffee drinker. Usually we camped in the woods. And usually car and tent camping.
Two of our group trips with the guys when us boys and friends were around 18 and the other when we were in our 20's was by bicycle rides to the coast(60 miles), the first was an an overnight camp next to the beach and the second was a day trip and we hauled our bikes back. I have always felt funny not riding back but that was the group we were with.
Although Kathy and have enjoyed some trips together it has gotten fairly difficult to camp anymore. Our last trip was in a Yurt along the Willamette.
In the latter part of 2020 we made a backyard camp site on the cheap that I have enjoyed setting up and hanging out in. Each of us boys have contributed 1-3/8 tent poles and tarps to construct it. I have been using it mostly as a day and evening hobby camp through June-Oct of 2021 when it started cooling off for the winter.
In August 2021 the wife of a husband(Bush Radical) and wife(Girl in the Woods) camping team I follow on YouTube stated a challenge to her followers to spend 30 days doing somthing outside for 30 days. It was stated preferably with some sort of fire but she understood that this was not always possible since many had fire restrictions during thew summer of 2020. I accepted that challenge and below you will find my log of my day spent outside either on our porch or at our campsite. She requested the address of those successful to send their address to get a completion sticker. See my "Girl in the Woods" challenge log below:
Jan. 5, 2022 - I just got a reminder from "Girl in the woods" to send her our address so she can send out stickers for successful completion of the "Thirty Days Fire and Sky Challenge" so I did so. I also now have a cot in the tent for easier sleeping and as sleeping on the floor is uncomfortable and so has happened only once when Kathy was in the hospital overnight. I also hope to get the stove vent installed so we can have more use of the tent in colder weather. I added a propane burner to the stove so there will be no sparks for summer safety and simplicity.
Some time back I added a second cot, got the vent installed. add a half picnic table that folds to a bench. But I do not have many good days anymore where I feel like getting to the back yard, I am doing good to get out and on the porch these days. 8/6/23 Update