As we sat beside our final night campfire on Thursday it felt like we had just arrived, neither of us could believe that 5 wonderful days had flown by in what felt like the blink of an eye. We stayed up late to watch the last of the embers. We'd already realized that we would be winterizing our camper the next day, as the campgrounds either close or go to dry camping only far too soon.
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| a fire and full moon |
As we are early risers we both made sure to be up and bundled for our final campfire yesterday morning. Every last bit of firewood was enjoyed while sipping our coffee and enjoying the moon setting behind the ridge as the sun rose on the other ridge. We were both a bit chilled as the embers finally faded, 46 is a bit chilly when you have been snuggled up to a crackling fire.
The peace of welcoming a full moon and end of the Mercury retrograde while lounging beside our warm campfires filled both of our hearts with a calmness, with joy and happiness. I felt like a kid again. I know that I cannot be an RV person full time, I need my home and space, that brings me a different kind of peace, but it is so very, very hard to leave the campsite.
We didn't go far, only about 90 minutes from home, just far enough. Yet so much happened during those five days.
I was just finishing up one of the Christmas presents I started yesterday while lingering over my coffee, my thoughts swirling like mad, wondering if the weather had lied to us yet again. We were supposed to spend a day outside with friends at their cabin, but the promise of non-stop rain had us changing plans last minute.
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| as Hubs pointed out... me fishing.. |
All week I had my calendar with me and barely managed to write a thing, yet we were busy each day. Expending time like it was going out of style. We haunted antique stores, found fishing holes (definitely not enough), we walked and walked and walked, we explored little towns, we collected black walnuts, spied on baby raccoons playing in the moonlight along the walking trail, we watched the deer playing in the almost vacant campground and we hiked.
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| can you find the raccoon? |
The first couple of days were very uncomfortable for my knee, I was worried that I had made a bad decision, but then by the third morning I realized I wasn't walking stiff, that it was bending and I could easily step over the uneven ground and tree limbs and roots. It almost felt normal. It's still a bit tight and initially I struggle a bit, but I can actually use it almost normal. How do I know? Did you notice that I said I hiked?
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| look who's leading! |
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| so many deer... |
On Thursday, after longingly looking at all the hiking trails - and admittedly being very jealous on my niece that goes hiking and posts amazing pictures - I talked Hubs into trying a hiking trail. All of the trails at Meramec State Park are moderate or rough. So I studied their descriptions of the landscaping and what you would encounter on all of the moderate trails. I was definitely determined.
The trail I really wanted to take unfortunately had a lot of steep inclines and declines, and I knew my knee is not a fan of those at all. Want to mess me up? Send me on a path with a lot of downhills, I can handle uphill fairly well, but downhill... nope not good for me.
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| ready to conquer my fears! |
So I grudgingly settled for path number 2. I even agreed to use my cane (shhh... don't tell Hubs, but the only reason is because I don't currently own a walking stick) to insure that I was able to keep my balance. It was not only breathtakingly beautiful, but the accomplishment!!! I hiked!! So many self limiting ideas vanished in that moment. As I made it to the top of the first small hill, I was fairly certain that I was invincible. I am sure my dear sweet Hubs was losing his ever loving mind as he followed me. I felt stronger and braver with each step. After 12 long weeks of recovery and years of pain, I was finally able to do something that I love more than anything, I was able to hike in the forest.
And this is the perfect time of year for it if you ask me. The temperature was cool (great on several accounts - I don't like to be hot and the snakes are hibernating!), the breezed was swirling the falling leaves all around us and the colors are spectacular. I am definitely an autumn girl. It is my preferred season.
I took my laptop with me. I fully intended to blog each day. Yet something about the stillness of the river, the beauty all around me, the flow of the days. I simply couldn't. I had no desire to connect to the greater world.
I spent hours walking, sitting in the sunshine, knitting and crocheting, playing cards, reading, star gazing and simply enjoying the time with my sweet Hubs. The thought of anything external seemed like an intrusion. The fact that the internet was so spotty as we discovered when Hubs had to do some work only seemed to reinforce that it was definitely something I did not want to engage in.
I was fussy when work intruded for Hubs. I didn't want to be, but dang it felt disrespectful. I remember when I was never able to completely shut off, I didn't realize until it wasn't an issue anymore how deeply damaging it is to never be able to disconnect. At the time you feel needed, you feel valued. From this side of the coin... it's disrespectful. You are not being treated as a human, you are being treated as property. You are not being valued, with an understanding that as a person that gives all the time you occasionally need to recharge, to refill your own bucket... nope you are simply the easy answer. I hate when people treat each other like that.
How did we survive before the advent of electronic leashes? Oh yeah, we used our own brain power to problem solve or we waited...
Okay off my soap box, soon Hubs will retire and that will no longer be a thing.
Back to the forest, river and surrounding beauty. I decided instead of just trying to turn my ankles on all of the black walnuts, I was going to harvest some. I have two bag fulls that have already had the hulls removed that I gathered in lieu of another hike yesterday. I haven't tried harvesting them for years, but decided I was going to go for it. Today I will scrub the shells and store them down in the furnace room for the next few weeks. If everything goes as planned we will be able to enjoy them right around the holidays.
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| Meramec River |
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| card shark... |
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| Hubs got carded buying wine, only in Uranus! |
It sure felt like a hard jolt back to reality yesterday. We'd stayed at the campsite until the last possible moment and if there wasn't someone coming in to take the site we would probably still be sitting there. It felt like such a final end to the season to winterize the camper. I know that we can still go dry camping, but I might be too spoiled to have to walk in the cold to a shower/bathroom. But I am definitely not going to say it will never happen. Hubs and I tend to decide strange things all the time.
Touching back down to home base definitely filled up the to do list a bit. Or maybe it's simply called adulting? Yesterday, we rushed to do most of the yard work before we took the camper back to the storage unit. The promised rain definitely looks like it will arrive, so it is a good thing that we rushed to complete the task, we were almost at the point we needed to consider a grazing animal to keep the lawn under control. I still need to trim back the gardens and put them to bed for the winter. Just the idea makes me sad.
I am so thankful for those five beautiful days and nights, I feel energized and ready to take on the world. Thankfully, my mind and body seem to both be in the same place at the same time... I know this is picture heavy... sorry... nope not sorry... hope you can cherish the beauty with us...
peace and love...
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