Our first “off the grid” as well as our first festival camping experience.

We put the first 336 miles behind us so we could take a more leisurely pace and work on our camp craft on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Swamp Fox campground was adequate for our quick stay and the spectacular 59degree weather was great for sleeping. We had the Outdoor Eats quick supper (Bacon Ranch Chicken), hearty, tasty! Great to have Sarge and Jane together again for an adventure!

Another great Overland Expo East, lots of great classes, learned a lot, amazing people, looking forward to next year!

Thanks for a beautiful, renewing birthday adventure, Mike! We spent the holiday weekend enjoying the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge with the other brave souls who didn’t mind (or fear) the cold. It actually was the perfect time to visit because, as the weather warmed today, the swamp mosquitoes were thick enough to carry away a small child, biting us profusely through our clothes! The boat ride through the waterways was spectacularly beautiful and abundant with wildlife yesterday. We saw a lot of alligators and birds and we knew the rest of the food chain was there, albeit unobserved.

One theme this year has been to visit Texas. From the beautiful western mountain range to the prairie, from the oil fields to the wind farms, the state has continued to surprise me. The people have been very friendly, the state parks have been lovely. One night, I broke my own rule and decided to camp even though temperatures were in the 100s. The overnight temperature was predicted in the 60s so I decided to take the risk. I was rewarded with a gorgeous harvest moon crossing the sky and coyote songs awakening me to enjoy it. It was totally worth the sweat and I thank God for my battery-powered fans (thanks Mike and Helen). I got to enjoy snow for my birthday in February even though it was a huge problem for Texans. I also got to see the bluebonnets throughout the hill country in April, Magnolia culture in Waco and the beautiful Riverwalk in San Antonio. It’s been a nice blend of enjoying the great outdoors and doing doing tourist stuff. I loved Hueco Tanks, Abilene and Tyler State Parks, all very unique in their own ways. At this point, I’m happy to be headed home.