'Rustic' j00

[j00licious]

The Slav and I spent the weekend with some friends of his at Raccoon Creek State Park. I'm not usually one for camping, because there are spiders out there (and that's the only reason. I am such a dork)... but I was told that there would not only be a cabin, but an actual indoor toilet. That plus my increasing need to get away was plenty of incentive to get me out in the woods. (The fact that there was a lake very nearby didn't hurt, either.)

I was a teeny bit disappointed: In addition to the roof and toilets, we had a full kitchen, laundry room, patio with gas grill and fire pit, wood stove, and central air. This was an all-out lodge, not a cabin. My Eagle Scout father would have doubled over laughing.
On the other hand- this place is open year-round. I bet it's really cozy in January.

So this weekend I...

• taught a six-year-old how to knit*
• lounged in the universe's most awesome hammock
• met a giant spider and DID NOT SOIL MYSELF**
• watched some young frogs play in a pond
• learned how to skip stones
• made my first-ever s'more
• knitted a scarf for a teddy bear
• sat in front of a camp fire holding hands with the Slav and stared at the stars for a few hours

We would have gone hiking, but the Slav cut the bottom of his foot open while swimming Saturday morning, so we went in search of first aid supplies instead. There was no TV, not radio, no internet, and next-to no cell reception. I would do it again in a heartbeat- and I'd be willing to forfeit most of the "luxuries" (not the toilet, though. Still have a long way to go before I squat over a freshly-dug hole.) Added bonus? We were not in State College during move-in weekend.

* This back-fired. At least once an hour she would tug at my sleeve and say "We should get back to knitting!"

** HUGE Wolf spider by the lake. About 6cm long. She was carrying eggs, which I suppose was kind of cool. Was told that Wolf spiders are threatened, which is the only reason I did not shriek something about setting her on fire and sending her back to Hell. Well, that and the egg sack. Sort of. My G-d that was a big spider.