We’re back! We just got back a few hours ago from camping – our first trip of the season! We were blessed with a gorgeous weekend, which is good because it’s pretty cold out there today! (What is this??)

This campground was only two hours from Atlanta, which was nice. However, we didn’t leave Atlanta until 6pm on Saturday. :-( So we got their right at dark. It was okay – our tent is pretty simple to set up. We also were able to pick out and “lay claim” to a site before it got completely dark. We had already eaten dinner so we didn’t have to worry about getting the stove set up and working.

This wasn’t our favorite place we’ve camped, but it wasn’t the worst it could have been either. We were right on the shore of Lake Hartwell (which is on the Georgia/South Carolina border – we were on the Georgia side). The views were pretty, and we got a nice breeze from the lake. We think it’s probably really pleasant in the summer. The breeze likely keeps the bugs away, too. As it was, it was slightly chilly, but not unbearable (until today).

The campgrounds were nice – not very private, but that’s the beauty of camping Saturday to Monday – most everyone leaves early Sunday morning. :-) We spent Sunday relaxing, walking around the area, and then driving to see what else was around. I was absolutely exhausted for no good reason (except, you know, the baby growing inside of me) so I didn’t feel like doing our normal routine of hiking. All I really wanted to do was sit overlooking the water and reading my book. Paul finally convinced me to get up and do something, so we took a drive. We wound up passing by the dam that divides the lake (really, a reservoir) from the Savannah River. We got out and walked along the top of the dam for a little while, and then we found a road that ran along the Savannah River. Because of the low river levels, there were lots of rocks exposed and Paul thought that was pure joy. He jumped from rock to rock for a good part of an hour while I stayed on a rock near the shore and enjoyed the breeze.

It was in all a nice day. We returned to our campsite, I finished my book, we made dinner. We watched ducks on the shore, met the guy who was camping next to us. He had gotten laid off a few months before, and so decided to make a cross-country road trip this month and see what there is to see. He was headed to Atlanta the next day. We thought that was cool, and wished him luck.

Last night, it was supposed to rain so we went ahead and packed the car before we went to bed – everything except the tent and the things inside. We were glad we did because it did rain! It was actually really cool I thought to lay there and hear the rain patting the sides of the tent. We were nice and dry the entire night, and as long as we stayed in our sleeping bags we were toasty warm too! In the morning the winds came, giving us a new appreciation for the word “blustery”. (I half expected to see Pooh floating by!) The good thing was the wind dried our tent. The bad thing was trying to take down the tent with really heavy winds. :-) (All coming in from the lake.) We woke up early due to the winds, and when it looked like it wasn’t going to let up we decided to go ahead and pack our stuff and leave. Let me tell you, it’s not easy to try and fold up a tent when the wind would rather send it to the next county.

We got back to Atlanta shortly before 11am – that’s really early for us! We took a nap, enjoyed a hot shower, and ran a few errands. I really enjoyed the weekend though! Already we’re planning our next camping trip. I am not sure how long I’ll be able to camp; I think the lack of a bathroom is the most annoying. I’m uncomfortable when I sleep, but I’m uncomfortable now in my own bed so it’s not anything different. (I’m a tummy sleeper. I am not a side sleeper. Having to sleep on my side is so uncomfortable to me! The worst part is I know that what I’m getting now is going to seem like gobs of sleep compared to life with a newborn!)

Anyways, we didn’t take one picture the whole weekend! I know, that’s really unusual. I completely forgot about the camera, and then left it at the campsite while we were out on Sunday. Oh well.