Georgette took us on our second camping adventure.  This time we headed to Clinton Lake and spent two nights enjoying nature and our home on wheels.

Nature brought us something we weren’t expecting – Cicadas.  According to my research, this is Brood XXIII, which emerge on a 13 year cycle.  There were so many that we needed to speak a little louder to be heard over all their singing.  They sound would build as it got later into the morning and throughout the afternoon.  By dinnertime, they had quieted down considerably, but were still flying from tree-to-tree, at times seeming to fall from the sky.  Naomi and FS1 were not at all fond of these singing, flying insects.  And when I say not fond of them, I mean one landed on Naomi’s leg while we were eating and she immediately began shaking and screaming for someone to get it off her.  Then she spent the rest of the weekend with her legs up on me or the picnic table bench attempting to avoid having another one attack her leg.  FS1 wasn’t much better, but he did get to the point of flicking them off the picnic table.  However, he could not walk around our campsite without his eyes fixed on the ground to make sure he wasn’t coming into contact with any of them.  FS2 was absolutely fascinated with them and would watch them carefully with a big smile on his face.  Apparently though, cicadas must know that little fingers coming at them is DANGER because as he reached out to touch one, ever to slowly, it flew away.  For the rest of us, they were an interesting annoyance, but they should only be around for a short time and then gone for many years thereafter.  Overall, dealing with them on one camping trip wasn’t that big of a deal and I’m sure we will talk about the cicada camping trip for years to come.

Our dogs, Jada, Jagger and Zoey are becoming quite the camper dogs.  I’ve been very pleasantly pleased with their behavior.  They quietly hang out at the campsite and are pretty well-behaved on walks.  Every once in a while Zoey one of them would begin to bark, but would quickly realize that barking at the campground is against the rules.  Apparently, some dogs didn’t get the campground etiquette memo 🙂  I hope their good manners continue on our future camping trips.

Hubby and the girls were able to do a little fishing on our trip.  They managed to bring in a few keepers and during the couple of hours they were at the lake, it was Naomi – 0, hubby – 1 and Lili – 2.  Lili is turning into quit the little fishergirl.

For me, the highlight of camping was cooking breakfast on my cast iron griddle over an open fire.  Somehow, eggs and bacon taste better while camping 🙂

Getting away, spending time outside, the smell of campfires in the air, and sitting back with my legs propped up under the trees, just relaxing (while occasionally flicking a cicada off my leg) was enough to make me forget that I wasn’t miles and miles and miles away from home.

We packed up and left the campground late morning, a bit worried about the weather forecast.  Fortunately, we didn’t have to deal with any rain until we had been home a couple of hours.  Watching the weather is important, unless you want to be setting up or breaking down camp in the rain.

Our weekend trip brought some new discoveries and we now have more warranty items that need to be taken care of.  Georgette will head back to the shop for another visit.  This is just part of new RV ownership.

We are also beginning to make a list of things we want to change/add.  Like closet organizers to give us better utilization of our limited storage space.  More containers for food storage, which allows for better utilization of limited cupboard space.

I’m sure you see the theme.  We still have unused cabinets, so there is room for more “stuff”, but we’re trying to avoid taking more than we absolutely need and we want to utilize the space we have in the most organized way possible.  A place for everything and everything in its place is the way to go.  Someday we’ll get there.  I hope!!!