Saturday morning, I took a walk around the campground loops we were near and down a trail back toward our campsite. The campground had filled up overnight and there were very few open sites. It was a bit cold to me, but not foggy. People were out getting ready for the day. I didn't take photos, it seemed intrusive, but got to indulge in people watching. I like that Tippy wants to mark where I want to watch. Everyone in the campground was doing the same thing...camping, waking up, getting ready for the day. But, each person was doing it differently. Some were inside big recreational vehicles, with windows and curtains shut, relaxing in their own cocoons. Others were in smaller campers with doors open and kids playing outside. There was a group of tiny tear drop campers whose people were all at a picnic table drinking coffee and cooking breakfast on Coleman stoves. There were tent campers with all sizes of tents, many of whom already had campfires going. There were people walking dogs, playing ball, gearing up for hikes, riding bikes. One family with kids was checking out the fishing dock. Someone had slept in a hammock between two trees right over the lake. I wasn't sure how they would get up without wet feet, but what an amazing view they had. There was a boy scout group. The boys were still in their tents, but the leaders were hustling getting breakfast set up on the picnic tables. When I ducked into the trail, I could see no people. They all vanished behind the trees and I was able to focus on the birds. I heard and saw lots of birds. I need to learn their names. Tippy found some squirrels. And Peanut found some rabbit fur stuck on a weed. When we got back to our campsite, I ate, got some more coffee, and set up the extra table for family. Family came. Our site got noisy, everyone was busy doing different things, but it was fun. Tammy and Joshua set up tents by the lake. Tippy kept barking at Steve, the goldendoodle. Heidi, the dashund, barked when her people got too far away. We enjoyed talking to each other and being. Well, mostly. One relaxed in her tent with her phone, and one was sick, but came to try to be with us for a while. He took a nap in the car. We heated up and ate the barbecue for lunch we had bought at MacKenzie's the night before. It was delicious again. Mom had bought the 5-7 people sampler pack and it fed us with leftovers to take home for another meal for 2. After we ate, all but mom crowded into one of the cars to drive to the trail head for a hike. We had 6 people and 4 dogs. We took a great hike along the lake, over many boardwalks and through the woods. I liked that trail, although if you didn't watch your feet, the roots would grab you. The trail was very busy. A lot of people were enjoying the fabulous day by spending it out in the woods. After our hike, mom, Kiki, and Tammy took the sick college student home and bought chairs, which were forgotten. Josh and Miranda set up and lit the fire and played with their dog. I crocheted by the fire and enjoyed hanging out with Josh and Miranda. Josh was warned by his dad that rain was coming. So when Tammy and mom got back, Josh and Tammy moved the tents away from the lake and up where it would be drier and tried to secure them against rain. We played with the bikes and set up a bean bag toss game, but didn't actually play it. As it was getting dark, we roasted hot dogs and marshmellos on the fire. We ate smores and enjoyed cooking dinner together. After dark, we sat around the fire and talked. No phones. Just people (and dogs). Mom suggested we each make up a line of a story. That was fun. Personalities come out when making up stories. It was interesting to see the story change with each teller. We also tried making up sentences with each person contributing one word. I liked that as much as the stories we made up. As the last of the wood was burning, the clouds started to warn with rain sprinkles that it was time for bed. Mom and I retired to the camper, the rest to their tents. It rained off and on all night. Kiki and Miranda slept in vehicles, Tammy put the dogs in the van, Josh and Tammy tried to sleep in their tents, but wound up soaked. Camper camping works much better than tent camping. On our short walk before breakfast and breaking camp, there were few people out. Most were trying to stay warm and dry inside whatever shelter they had. We ate a nice hot breakfast overlooking the sodden lake and got all our equipment stowed and ready to go home. After I hitched up and was ready to pull out of the site, I really wanted my second cup of coffee. But the camper was locked and unplugged. Next time, I will make coffee for my travel mug, before we unplug. The drive home was relaxed. I didn't get anxious. Maybe in a couple more trips, I will be comfortable enough pulling the camper that I will enjoy the drive as well as the destination.
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