Camping

A day out in the wild is always good for one's soul. It was hard to get away at first as I am also getting ready to go to California for a  week but we did it! It is still a bit muggy here in Houston but still there was a lot to enjoy.
First, a complaint. I absolutely hate air mattresses. It is hard enough for me to bend down and crawl into a little tent but then ti be jostled around and have my balanced threatened. It is a bit too much. I found if I settle in and lay absolutely still, it is endurable. I really do have to find something else however.
The grilled dinner was fantastic, excluding the one chicken leg that fell into the fire. Kiona took an unannounced shortcut and got lost for 15 minutes. That was a bit of excitement as it was dark. The Hoot (Screech) owls kept me awake quite a bit and basically I lay awake listen to all the wonderful night sounds, thinking of how alive the forest was all around. I began to feel smaller and smaller. I WAS SURROUNDED!
The next day, we woke early on for a bike ride to Lake Isabel. It was a 3 mile trip, made a LOT more exciting by a wild boar dashing across our path. She either didn't like us or she was in a big hurry to get someplace. The only time I have ever seen a boar up close was Kochi. We were traveling the mountain road between Kochi and Matsuyama and stopped at a Sport Shop for food. They had cages of wild boars that men could come and buy. Then the boar would be turned loose and they would hunt them. I thought that was terrible sportsmanship but Japanese are always in such a hurry and so efficient.
The lake itself was small. It is actually a bog lake, surrounded by  Bald Cypress trees. It was actually the most beautiful lake I have ever seen and so clean. We laid on the dock and watched the fish. I am sure there was lots of wildlife there but they were hiding, all except the swamp rabbit. which wouldn't go away.

We took a walk around and I was surprised as the area had suffered a firs and the trees had burn marks around the bottom. They all still lived though. There were also woodedn troughs discarded which looked remarkably like the gold sluices I would run across on the Yuba river. I am sure there wasn't gold in the bog. Anyway it was a mystery. I am sure it has a history.
Since I had the small city bike, I barely made it back. I felt every bump. I am thinking I need a Mountain Bike- granny style.
Anyone up for camping? I have a year's membership at the Wilderness park and can take 3 extra people!