Camping

I went camping for the first time since moving back to Oregon. It has clearly been way too long since I went camping because I forgot so much stuff!

We went to Odell Lake, the turn off for Trapper Creek Campground is off Hwy 58 just East of Willamette Pass ski resort. I left work a little early on Friday so I could pack and we could arrive before it got too late. It was only about a 2.5 hour drive from Salem however with the puppy we always have to make sure to stop to let him pee :)

We joined M's friend's family who has been going to this lake in the summer annually since about 1965 and now they have a 4th generation there with the grand kids. It's pretty cool to have that kind of tradition. I feel like our family never developed many traditions, and especially once my parents got divorced and married into other families most traditions went out the window. Except Christmas stockings... that's the one thing we've managed to keep and whenever my brother I and I go meet my mom somewhere she always brings them along. Last year I made stockings for everyone that was coming over for Christmas, this year I'll need to make one for the puppy!

I was pretty excited about this camping trip for a few reasons. My first camping trip since moving back, my first camping trip with M, our first camping trip with the puppy, and I got a fishing license for one day and was going to try fishing for the first time! I had fished off a dock once before at camp, and caught some seaweed, but that's about it!

We arrived Friday evening and set up camp, then went over to M's friends' camp to say hi and hang out by the fire. I brought homemade marshamallows but we were too tired to break them out after dinner. Though my chocolate covered grapes were a hit!

Saturday morning we woke up at 5:30, took the puppy over to the friends' camp and loaded up in the boat! He did really well on the boat and it was really funny when he started licking the tail of the fish we caught and had to go past him to put in the live well at the front of the boat! We had 3 poles and there were 4 of us. I learned how to bait the hook using white corn with a little bit of anise liquid on it (apparently licorice corn is a delicasy for Kokanee Salmon!). We took turns reeling them in and catching them with the net to bring into the boat. I reeled in a couple fish, including the biggest one of the trip! I actually really enjoyed grabbing them with the net though. We lost several fish which sucks because sometimes you pull them in most of the way and you can SEE them, RIGHT THERE! And then a few more wriggles and they are gone. It's almost better when you don't see them when they get away cause you don't know what size fish you just lost!

We went back to camp after being out on the water (with a little stop on the shore for me and the puppy to go to the bathroom) and we were crazy tired and went back to the tent where all 3 of us took a 3 hour nap. Howland (puppy) was amazingly good in the tent! I think he liked getting to sleep with us and when it got chilly at night he'd lay between us or curled up in the nook of my bent knees). After our nap we walked up to the train track to put some change down on the rails. We set down our change and then one of those trucks with train wheels came by and knocked it all off! We walked back and replaced what change we could find. When we got back to camp Howland was SO tired. We think we over worked him so we took it easy and took him to bed early. Sunday morning when we woke up M's back was seriously hurting and the puppy was still super tired and didn't even eat all of his breakfast. We took it easy the whole morning, M and his friend went up to go collect the change, the puppy and I stayed at camp where he just wanted to sleep in the tent, poor little guy. Around 1pm we were kinda napping and chilling with the puppy and decided that it would probably be best for M's back and the puppy if we went home that night instead of Monday morning as originally planned. So we packed up and drove home, I slept a good chunk of the way while M drove (Howland slept too).

It was a pretty good trip, it was nice to be up there with some other people though I was looking forward to potential alone time in the forest with M. I'll just have to wait until we can go camping again (which won't be until we pick up some foam mats to sleep on, we're getting old!). Howland felt right at home sleeping in the tent for the first time. He picked up that it was his den and he slept pretty well each night. It was cold so I kept getting up to pee and he'd walk with me not because he wanted to (he wanted sleep) but because I got up. It's pretty cute how he just wants to follow us when we leave, even one of us. When M went to go collect the change from the train tracks, Howland started crying a little. Poor little guy!

Now we are back home, with piles of things to unpack. I took today off because we were planning to return this morning but since we came back early I decided to keep my day off and relax at home with time to put things away and hopefully catch a matinee showing of the new Wolverine movie! Our new-ish philosophy on movies is to just go see what we want, or what's been recommended, without looking up trailers or reviews first. It makes it easier to enjoy a movie when you aren't thinking about what all these other people thought about it. Who cares if critics say it's bad or good!

Feels good to write again, though there is something to be said for writing by hand as well, but I feel like I need to be journaling more, in some sense. It helps to think about projects and things you are doing/making in a way to chronicle. Journaling gives things order, helps create goals and even deadlines. We'll see if I can keep it going, while also trying to keep busy and spend less time on the internet and computer in general. It's already 10:30am and all I've accomplished is taking care of the puppy! There's so much to do and that movie we wanted to see is in 2 hours!