NOTE – Please note there are no photos to go with the post. I choose to use internet privacy with photos of people I do not know or those that do not know me.
Pulled in the campground late Friday afternoon on what should have been a short, couple of hours, trip. Instead, it ended up being about six hours. Whew! Were we ever SO glad to be able to park, set up and relax.
I have to say I do have the most awesome of travel buddies. Hershey, the WonderDog is pretty much game for anything, everything and nothing. He tells me about his 'I need this or that, doggie mama' and other than those basic needs, it's game on for him. He's a true traveler, to the core, and I doubt I'd find another companion that would or could acclimate himself to the what if's and wonders of traveling the open road as a passenger and a friend. I may be his protector but I think he's the better of us. Nothing that could possibly be dangerous will get by him (except the smoke alarm when I'm cooking. Golly, he sounds pitiful!). Big shout out for the best doggie ever and the best doggie mama he could ever ask for. (Well, I just had to say that, ya know….. big smile).
After setting up and taking care of some unforeseen obstacles that needed to be taken care of immediately, I opted for Vegetable Chow Mein for supper that night. It didn't help that I had been thinking about my favorite Chinese restaurant all day and already knew I was going to splurge a little for someone else's cooking. After all, one meal for me is really three so I can justify an 'eat out one night' a time or two a week. I keep the frig and freezer full (of popsicles!) and food and now, since it's summer and there's all this fresh produce around, I'm getting it here and there so I'll never run out. Once again, I cook enough for three meals and it works out wonderfully. Add that to making my own homemade greek yogurt and I'm pretty well set in the food department. Hershey is the same way; he'll never run out of food because I always have plenty of food and treats and little 'surprises' along the way for him.
Since Friday was such a long and busy day and we fell asleep before darkness fell, we woke up to a full campground. I mean FULL! I mean kids all over the place! Big kids, little kids, grown-up kids, kids galore – and they all had bikes, from the biggest to the tiniest. Let me tell you something about being in a FULL campground with lots of kiddos – you can be scared to death that you're going to run over one of them because they sure don't look where they're going! At all! Period! No problem though. We weren't going anywhere, just going to enjoy what we had right here with us.
I think every 'camper' gravitated to our side of the campground. Being we were in the very first lot, we had the perfect view of the fun going on. Games, games and more games. Smoke from campfires, even in the middle of the day, throwing sandbags from one area to another, trying to make it in a certain square. And, of course, kiddos on bicycles, ALL over the place.
Couldn't see the pool well but didn't need to because everybody was right in front of us or else down the hill a ways jumping on the air mat, playing basketball or volleyball. And, of course, more kiddos on bikes.
Just in case you didn't get it the first, second or third time, there were LOTS of kiddos on bikes all over the place! So interesting to sit in the shade beside a small campfire watching the goings on around us. Soft conversations, loud conversations, laughter, happy yelling at each other and so forth and so on. Quite an enjoyable way to spend the day.
About suppertime though, it didn't take long for everybody to relieve their post and find some food. No people, no kiddos on bikes, nothing, nobody but there was still the smell of new campfires and the familiar smell of charcoal burning to ash. Speaking of which, the whole afternoon had flown by and it was time for us to eat, too.
As I cooked some fresh veggies for me and opened Hershey his favorite of the favorites in doggie food, I couldn't help but look out the window before me and smile at the memories made from all those unknown to me having a blast in the afternoon sun and shade. All the kiddos were safe on their bikes because it's our job to look out for them.
After a while, it was dark and I checked to make sure the campfire was not burning any longer. Quiet conversations could be heard around the campground. Kiddos were staying near home and not running around the park having fun. It was getting time to settle in for the evening, put the kiddos to bed and parents enjoy some quality time.
When the goal for the day is not to go anywhere but enjoy what you have, it's amazing that you do exactly that; enjoy what you have.
Maybe the good thing is knowing that tomorrow might be much of the same; a little different but the same, nonetheless.