A Camping We Did Go

We finally got to take our new pop-up camper on our first official camping trip.  We did get to use it a few weeks ago for a weekend visit to my parents too.  That was the perfect test run for the first time using the camper.  A cool night, rain, hail, breezy, a warmer night…  The weekend gave us the whole gamut (is that how you spell that word????) of weather conditions, and the camper and occupants all faired just fine.  Good to go.

We intended to camp another weekend in but weather just did not cooperate.  So we decided this was the weekend.  Packed up and ready to go, we headed to Ferne Clyffe State Park near Goreville, IL (just 10 minutes or so from I-57 and I-24).  This is one of our favorite spots to go camping or even just take a day trip to.  If you are ever passing through that area and need a break, check it out!!!!  We love it for the awesome trails, exploring opportunities, great playground areas, and nice quiet campground.  It is close to home too.  We can be there in  about an hour.

Despite some torrential heavy rains, lots of thunder, and light up the skies lightening through the middle of the night, the trip went just fine!  Riley would even argue with you whether it really rained that much let alone stormed like it did.  He and TanMan slept like rocks.  Braden, Ross, and I waited out the storm together and all finally got to doze back off when things calmed down.

 

Once we got our campsite picked out, everyone got busy helping set up camp.  Riley and Braden started looking for sticks and wood for a fire, Tanner and Ross started setting up the camper, and I started taking pictures of everyone’s progress.  (Ha Ha!) 

Had to stop for a snack too. 

   

Rileyis Dorkus making silly faces, Braden the Cicada hunter, and sweet TanMan lovin’ every bit of the camping trip.

Along with the actual camping, we hiked a couple of trails.  One the first evening that was short little hike along the bluffs near the campsite.  I didn’t even take the big camera and haven’t downloaded the pics from the other camera yet.  We came back and played at the playground with our camping neighbors and their two kiddos.  They were nice folks, and the boys kind of liked having some other kids to hang out with.  Kept them all five busy when we were cooking and tearing down camp.  =)  The next morning was our big fun hiking adventure.

The Waterfall Trail…

 

A nice short little trail…  Water was running in the waterfall after the previous night’s rainfall. Not many people were out yet.  Quiet (well as quiet as a hike with three young guys can be!)  Serene.  Peaceful.

While the boys played in the water and explored, I played with my camera.  I have been trying to get more familiar with the manual settings for our SLR camera.  so I practiced a little with the waterfall to get more of the blur effect.  I think this one turned out great! 

Then we discovered…

…a box turtle hanging out in the water at the edge of the waterfall.  I took him to safety and took some pictures while I was at it.  After I got my pictures, I tucked him up in the rocks off the beaten path a little ways.  Hoping that someone else didn’t find him and try to take him home.  They just don’t make good pets and are best left where they are found.

The boys played in the water…

 

  building dams and channeling the water…

then destroying the dams and letting the water go…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nobody was in a hurry to go.  Several other families came and went.  Looked at the waterfall for a few brief moments and then moved on.  I love how we get our guys to stop and look around.  There is so much more to see than what is obvious!  It is good to take time and explore a little deeper.  That is how we discovered the box turtle, the millipede, the frog way up under the rock…

  

 

TanMan and Braden climbed, moved rocks, threw rocks into the water, sat together helping each other, and walked up and down the creek.  When it was time to go, TanMan was the most reluctant.  He kept pointing back and saying “water”.  He did not want to leave. 

 

Nova was a patient girl while we were playing around in the water.  She enjoyed watching everyone that came and went.  Even got quite a few pets from various folks.  That social lab that gets no attention from us!  =)

On the way back to the van, we made a few more stops…  Braden and Riley led the way…

We checked out some stepping stones leading to a trail across the creek…

TanMan, Ross, and Nova patiently waited while the other two boys got soaked discovered how quickly they could make it across the stepping stones and back again.

 

Then the boys discovered a GIANT earthworm as we walked to the van.  Everyone had to take a turn to hold it and check it out.

  

Finally we got everyone back in the van and went back to camp to pack up and head for home.  The boys are so ready for a longer trip!  Hopefully soon we can take a few days to go explore somewhere else!  Now that we have air conditioning, I can handle summer camping!  There will be many more trips to come!

Winter Wonderland

Last week we woke to an incredible wintery scene.  After the snow on Thursday, a fog settled in for the evening leaving the world blanketed in thick frost.  It looked like it had snowed again.  I was able to get out for a few (hundred) photos before Ross had to leave for work.  Here are some of my top picks for you to be mesmerized by.

 

 

 

 

What an incredible morning!  Despite the cold (it was around 10 degrees), I could have spent soooo much longer enjoying the peace and tranquility.  I am just grateful that we have this little spot of our own, otherwise there would have been no way that I could have taken a brief time out from the daily grind to go snap some photos.  Hope you enjoy looking as well.

Escape from Reality: Foggy Dawn

WOW!!!! What a beautiful sight. The past two mornings we were greeted with an awesome winter scene. Hoarfrost. Feathery frost crystals formed on everything! Once again on Sunday, I took advantage of a weekend morning with Ross home to watch the boys and bundled up to head outside and enjoy the peacefulness of the morning. Camera in hand and Willow at my heals we set off. You can see above the sight that awaited right outside the door.


Ambling around our little patch of trees showed that beauty can be seen everywhere. This "weed" took on a new appearance covered in frost. It looked like a beautiful crystal covered jewel. Pine trees wore coats of white fur. The starkness of a typical winter morning had disappeared for a few hours.



The morning was quiet... Pristine... Tranquil... Although I don't make it out for too many sunrises, It certainly is refreshing every now and then. This was a day that would have been wonderful to have a life remote with a pause button. =)

Color in the Sky

I love rainbows! They brighten up the grayest of days. They add a pop of color to a winter scene. Today a brilliant rainbow crossed our backyard for a few minutes as the sun peeked out during a steady rain. What a nice way to end a rainy, gray weekend.