Glimpse at life on the camping trail
We’re on the road again. Back in a more traditional outdoors nomadic mode. We’re on our way to Dancing Rabbit Community in Missouri, which was approximately 1400 miles from where we were about two days ago in Flagstaff, AZ. Today we traveled about 450 miles, arriving here at Meade Lake State Park in Kansas.
Our tent was erected 11 feet from the water today at dusk on ground that was so dry my stake when hammered in made a long crack that shot out a foot from the injury. I imagined ants nearby screaming and whaling as the ground opened up and swallowed them whole. We sat for a while to feed our eyes as the moon rose vibrant red (a blood moon I call it) over the lake and slowly went pale and shrunk as it gained momentum and brilliance. The trees gave a slight rustle as the wind began to pick up from the west and the lake gulped occationally with restless fish striking the surface. Our little piece of paradise was temporary. It wasn’t long before neighboring good ol’ boys starting blaring “Sweet home Alabama.” It seemed to me to be the dinner bell, and to Benjamin probably a taste of reality to snap him out of his trance.
We finally finished off the stew I had made at Tami’s house last Tuesday. We both comment on the taste of vinegar and hope we were just in time and not on our way to the sickhouse. I think our stomachs will be tough as rocks when this trip is over. It’s been a constant struggle balancing the lack of money, lack of ice and lack of room with the need to eat. It’s a tough juggle and sometimes we eat tangy stew or fermented rice due to it (fermented rice shouldn’t make us sick we’ve been told, fyi).
Looking through the remains of our food supply from Tucson’s spree we figured out that the Trader Joe’s Truffles had melted again and spilled. This was the beginning of an improntu concoction of chocolate surprise.
Happy Camper Chocolate Surprise:
Melted chocolate truffles mixed with
Peanut butter (crunchy) spread over
The last two pieces of wheat bread sprinkled with
Granola (donated by friend, Laura) and
Dried blueberries (also donated by Laura)
Mmmmmm…
Now we have to shower off the layer of desert sun and dirt left on our skins, and lay down to the view from inside our tent. This will be the first clear night we sleep without the rainfly on. I’m looking forward to watching the sky change as I nuzzle in and out of sleep. This is one thing I have waited very patiently to enjoy, and one thing I know I’ll never have as a settled American inside constricting walls.