Bions and Tigers and more Bions - oh my

Last night Bud and I went camping for the first time with our new tent. We held off going until Saturday to avoid the rain Friday night and we also went closer than we were planning just in case the weather failed us. Which it did anyway. After setting up the tent, digging and making a fire ring and collecting the driest sticks we could find, we just sat. Had a beer and sat and remarked on how little just sitting anyone does anymore. It wasn’t so much a judgment – I think we both like constant stimulation as much as the next person – but just sitting and talking when you feel like it was surprising in how good it felt.

We made dinner – hamburgers, Doritos and corn – on my little cast iron grill Bud got me for Christmas. Around 8 we started to feel the first raindrops and heard something I’d never heard before – the rain coming. As in, we could hear it on one side of the woods getting closer and closer. It has an ominous feel to it when it comes in that way. Since I had Sadie in my lap, I shoveled her into the tent and then dove in after her right as the storm hit. Bud stayed outside covering our stuff with a tarp, stoking the fire and trying to wait it out. When he realized it might stick around a while, he came in too. I was happy for the storm. Sitting inside a tent warm and cozy while the rain hit the roof was fun. Once the rain let up we stood around the fire a while more but then a fresh wave started to pour down and we got in the tent for the night.

I woke up somewhere in the witching-est hour of the night and had to use the bathroom. I crawled out of the tent, allowing just enough room to squeeze through the opening so as to not let in extra water, and stumbled around blearily trying to find a suitable spot. It was hard because one part of me was terrified to go too far from our tent, the other part of me was disgusted to go too near. I ended up about 20 feet away and started to squat when I heard this SCREECH! I think if you look up the definition of hauling-ass you will find a picture of me stumbling towards the tent and diving in head first, heart pounding. It was a moment of pure instinct and I must’ve crossed that ground and thrown myself through the small opening faster than it takes me to tear open a bag of Doritos. Bud thought it was a screech-owl, I thought I wasn’t taking any chances. The problem was, I still had to pee. I resolved to wait until morning – daylight feels so much safer, even if some bear/mountain lion hybrid is still lurking right near your campsite – so I tried settling down. I must’ve not done a very good job because a few minutes later Bud insisted I go out and he would go with me. Thank goodness Bud is not afraid of Bions. Here are some pictures from our trip: