I grew up as a country girl, and I feel like I am still a country girl at heart. But I know that living in the city for almost 10 years now has citified me...and sometimes makes me feel like a big weenie! I love the country...the quiet days that can turn into weeks, the lack of dependence on things city people take for granted, he home-cooked meals, and the comfort of being able to hang out in your yard in your skivvies without having to worry about neighbors. Living in the country teaches you how to live simply and resourcefully, and that's hard to maintain when you get use to living in the city. I have grown use to living only a couple miles from work, being 2 minutes from the grocery store, having dozens of restaurants to fall back on if we don't feel like cooking, being near to Blockbuster on a Friday night, and having cell phone service almost anywhere I go. Don't get me wrong -we enjoy taking advantage of the convenience of everything!
Not that camping for a couple of nights is anything near the same as country life, but it does make me miss that lifestyle. Mitch and I have gone camping twice over the past couple of weeks. The first time was at Lake Sommerville. We camped on a campsite with all the other cityfolk. Next to a couple of RVs and a truck full of fisherman, we definitely weren't able to enjoy the "peaceful" outdoors, but we did have a good time. We brought stuff to build a campfire, cook hobo meals and s'mores, and of course our tent. The stars were in full sight (which is not a luxury we get in big Bryan), and the weather was cool and perfect for camping.
The second camping trip was a bit more adventurous. Will, Lindsey, Jeff,
Mitch, and I started our trip in canoes down the Brazos River. Stopping
occasionally for a quick swim, tree swing, or hike, we paddled about 15
miles on the first day. We knew that we would need to make decent time
because the weather reports had said that it was likely to rain that
evening. Will had a map drawn out of where he knew some good camping
spots would be, and we finally came to the spot to settle in for the
evening. We gathered firewood, set up our tents, and got to cooking
before we lost our daylight. Within just 15 minutes or so of finishing
our fajitas, it started raining....and then pouring. It rained hard
several times throughout the night, and the lightening and thunder
seemed to be right on top of us! Lindsey, Mitch, and I were sharing a
tent, and we were sure that our tent was either going to get blown away
by the wind or washed away by all the rain. After what felt like a
night and storm that would never end, the sun finally started coming up,
and the storm moved on...just in time for a big breakfast of bacon and
eggs before hitting the road. The take-out place was only a couple of
miles down the river. It was a short but awesome canoeing and camping
trip...one that made me feel small but real among the great forces of
nature.
Not that camping for a couple of nights is anything near the same as country life, but it does make me miss that lifestyle. Mitch and I have gone camping twice over the past couple of weeks. The first time was at Lake Sommerville. We camped on a campsite with all the other cityfolk. Next to a couple of RVs and a truck full of fisherman, we definitely weren't able to enjoy the "peaceful" outdoors, but we did have a good time. We brought stuff to build a campfire, cook hobo meals and s'mores, and of course our tent. The stars were in full sight (which is not a luxury we get in big Bryan), and the weather was cool and perfect for camping.
The second camping trip was a bit more adventurous. Will, Lindsey, Jeff,
Mitch, and I started our trip in canoes down the Brazos River. Stopping
occasionally for a quick swim, tree swing, or hike, we paddled about 15
miles on the first day. We knew that we would need to make decent time
because the weather reports had said that it was likely to rain that
evening. Will had a map drawn out of where he knew some good camping
spots would be, and we finally came to the spot to settle in for the
evening. We gathered firewood, set up our tents, and got to cooking
before we lost our daylight. Within just 15 minutes or so of finishing
our fajitas, it started raining....and then pouring. It rained hard
several times throughout the night, and the lightening and thunder
seemed to be right on top of us! Lindsey, Mitch, and I were sharing a
tent, and we were sure that our tent was either going to get blown away
by the wind or washed away by all the rain. After what felt like a
night and storm that would never end, the sun finally started coming up,
and the storm moved on...just in time for a big breakfast of bacon and
eggs before hitting the road. The take-out place was only a couple of
miles down the river. It was a short but awesome canoeing and camping
trip...one that made me feel small but real among the great forces of
nature. 
Always a delightful read, Cordia. And apparently you play with cow bones when you live in the country, too! (See the first picture)
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