Remember this backpack? The one I received as a gift quite some time ago...almost a year ago? (Have I really been able to put off the inevevitable for this long??) This weekend, Wife Whisperer did some quick talking and convinced me to drag it out, dust it off and use it. Yep, I'm a real backpacker now! I loaded it up, made all the appropriate adjustments so it wouldn't flip me to the ground every time I tried to move, and away we went...into the wilderness.
Ok...it wasn't overly wild but we did pack in several miles and we did sleep in the woods. My pack wasn't nearly as heavy as Wife Whisperer's. He carried his own gear plus the tent, stove, cooking kit, hammock (yes! we had a hammock!), ground tarp and extra water but I managed my own essentials...really important things...things like hand sanitizer, Pop Tarts and my new copy of Artful Blogging magazine. I love my pack. It's a really great pack with tons of pockets for all those necessaries. I highly recommend it. By the way, I may have neglected my legs lately but not that badly! Those are WW's legs in the photo above.
In the interest of keeping some small part of my sanity, and on the off chance that we might see some wildlife, this one didn't get to tag along. She begged and pleaded but, I stood firm on the "no pups" rule. The mini men chose to stay behind as well. I think this backpacking thing is WW's idea of a romantic escape.
So, this was my view for most of the hike. But I also got to see some other great things like a Boy Scout troop and some pretty scenery like this:
Someone forgot to pack out their bucket but I saw it as a good photo op...
After several grueling pleasant miles of hiking, I was feeling quite sweaty and exhausted exhilarated and we decided to call it a day and make camp. Of course, WW could have gone on for at least 10 more miles but, I thought it best to save some of the fun for the trip out.
This was the little part of the woods we claimed for our new home. And this was our actual home for the evening...complete with front porch and patio furniture...
Since I have an extreme spider phobia, I searched high and low but our spot seemed blissfully spider-free. That's good because my phobia is so severe that one small, nasty spider has the power to reduce me to a quivering mass of fear. If one had inadvertently landed on me, Wife Whisperer would have had to pack me out.
Back to the interesting items in my pack... These are my camp shoes. Most of you probably know these are Crocs. Now, I know a lot of people love these shoes but I have to admit, I think they're really ugly. But, they are genius for backpacking! Once you've hiked in and set up camp, you really don't want to be trudging around in your hiking boots. Crocs are the perfect camp shoe and they're light as a feather so you don't even know you've just packed them for miles! They're waterproof and they slip on and off in a wink for getting in and out of the tent. Genius!
Lucky me, Wife Whisperer did all the cooking. He treated me to a gourmet dinner: jambalaya (excellent), tropical fruit (suprisingly good) and fresh french bread (carried in my pack). Not too bad! We dined together on our front porch, under a million twinkling stars and for dessert, WW whipped out a package of chocolate raspberry Milanos. Things were definitely looking up at this point! This trip was shaping up to be very nice indeed until...bedtime. Don't get me wrong, our tent was cozy, the temperature perfect for sleeping, maybe a little chilly but, my hundred dollar, soft and fluffy, "Cat's Meow" mummy bag was doing it's job. I just have one bone to pick with the "Meow" folks...once I got zipped in, I realized, there would be no thrashing around in this bag. This is a bag meant for those who sleep in one position, on their backs, with no tossing, turning or thrashing happening during the night. The bag is only about a foot and a half wide at the knees. Let me tell you, that will stop a serious tosser right in her tracks. I spent the night wildly spinning like a whirling dervish! Other than that...it was all good. Until...
...morning. After my wild night of fighting the "Cat's Meow", I emerged from the our tiny tent, with my hair standing on end, to see many, many spider webs. During the night, the otherwise invisible webs had gathered dew and become quite visible. Spider webs mean spiders are near so, I tried not to ponder it and focused instead on taming the wild beast that my hair had become.
See? They were everywhere!
There were even spider condos in the trees.
To take my mind off what was developing into an obsession, Wife Whisperer made us a lovely breakfast with real coffee and cinammon toast. Yes, toast...not bread...and real butter. He toasted it in a pan! I know, I know, he spoils me, even in the wilderness. This is what he has to say about it: "Any little thing I can do to impress you, I'll do". That's my man. That's how he earned his nickname.
Next on the agenda...we packed it up and moved it out. Despite the fact that it's winter, there are some really beautiful things to photograph in the wilds of Texas.
So, that's the way I spent my weekend. The hike out was as terrific as the hike in. I think I'm hooked. Next stop, Lone Star Trail. After all, any little thing I can do...I should.
