Cave Diving
Ok so we didn't get to go due to a mix-up in weekends with my brother's friend Joel and his organizational skills. oh well - another time. I ended up driving up to Cumming that Saturday ( I am two weeks behind) and Robi and I went over to his friend Chad's house and partied there. I hung out with the guys, they are like younger brothers to me as I have known them for some time. The new kid Chris has been around but I don't know him like I do the others. We sat around drinking beer and talking, the movie Hostel was on and we were watching it, let me say that is one movie I do wnat to see fully. The cutting of the eye was horendous. That grossed me out. Chad has this bird, although friendly, it bites or rather likes to sit on your shoulder and peck at your shirt. It was fun until I raised my hand to gently guide it back to Chad that it took a chunk out of my right index finger. that hurt. no worries, I doctered that up and bandaged it up I was all set. It was so good to see my brother, I wish it hadn't been around so many other people but to be there with him and his friends was good enough. I found out that night that Robi will be going to Iraq as early as August and of course that sent me in a tizzy. I was really upset. We ended that night passing out... on to the next day. Sunday. we woke up and started planning the day. Chad fired up his Harley and we rode up to the Chinese buffet that we like to go to and met my Mom there. the four of us sat down to eat and it was cool. Nothing like being hungover around your mom.. lol So then Chad rode back to his house and Robi, who had driven my car, and I rode over his friend Boon's house and when we got there, he wasn't. We ended up riding down a dirt road, more for off-roading then my car but it was all good. Saw Joel and Boon and then headed back to my Mom's house. I dropped Joel off first at his home and beleive me, this day was spent driving everyone else around. So anyway we finally got moving and arranged to met up at Chad's to head out from there to the campsite. We drove to Kroger to food supplies, water and some snacks, but first we headed to Applebee's to drink as the boys had not thought ahead on beer since it was Sunday and you can't buy it. There was a stash that would hold us over from the night before, but anyhow, we met up there. I rode out with Chad and Chris to the came site as Robi drovehis car with Joel and his dog Vandel. We turned down many lonely roads, passed the Kanagroo santuary and from there turned down a dirt road. We crossed over the same creek about 4 times, had several tense moments in the vehicle where it was sideways but we made it to the site. Now I had been there beofre when Robi had driven me out there to see it, but not yet camped on it. We started setting up, it was by now about 7pm and there was still light but we needed firewood to get the fire going. We hiked into the woods and several of the guys choped down some dead trees and I helped haul them back the campsite. It was fun being all PaulBunion(spelling) for a night. God it was sooo hot but once the day turned to night it started to cool off. We walked along the creek, in the woods, shot Chris's .22 gun and drank. We had lots of fun. Robi had brought his hammock and we all tooks turns hanging in it. I swear that whole weekend was so busy that I can't even put the details all in. We drank, ate and roasted marshmellows. Honestly, Robi surprised me with those. We had been at the resturant and I had forgotten while we were at Kroger to pick up a bag and was bummed about it, but Robi pulled it off. He had gotten some for me and that made me happy. It had been so long since I had camped and marshmellows were just the thing to make ti perfect. We each made our camp sites homey. Chad pitched his tent, I helped him. Joel did his own. chris campedout in the back of the Blazer and Robi slept in his hammock. I on the other hand used Robi's sleeping bag, and camped beside the creek out in the open. I loved it. It was flat and no little pebbles underneath me. the whole time was surreal for me. I jsut enjoyed hanging and being around my brother. I miss him and I miss not having taken more camping trips wiht him prior to him joining the Marines. so we all fall asleep with the fire dying, the quiet woods, hearing the creek bubble and it was so peaceful. I mean no noise of the outside world, we heard owls, movement in the woods of animals but all in all it was the best night to camp. I woke up at 4 exactly, I looked at my watch, and at first I was surprised at where I was, yes I had drank that much, and out the corner of my right eye I saw soemthing move and I turned my head and there was a rabbit, a white rabbit in the pitch of darkness hopping along and then out of nowhere, Joel's dog Vandel started to run after it. I was shocked but what was funny was that as I could only hear what was going on, the growling, the tussling and the movement of the two animals fighting, I was aware that this is where in many ways it all began. People living in the woods, eating by the fire, washing in the water beds and it was so basic. We have stepped away from noises in the woods to be afraid of them now. I was surprised that I was startled but once I realized that this is natural, I was fine. I enjoyed hearing the noises again. Oh Vandel didn't hurt the bunny, it made it's escape.. but ti was funny. I was up for an hour before I could return back to sleep. I heard Chad farting which was hilarious but it was like he and Joel were competeing while there were sleeping. It was beautiful when we woke up, the daylight shinning down through the trees was so pretty. There was this one area that was open, like a really small little field, and the the wya the sun cast it's rays down on the tall grass was magnificent. I mean Robi and I both saw and it and commented on it. It was perfect and you wanted to walk right into it, but then you didn't want to disturb it either. I didn't go in, but that is now my new happy place. ;-) That is where I will go. We left the campsite after cleaning and picking up as ot leave it way we found it. What was crazy is that in one of the trees that someone other previous camper had tied a cable on there was a huge, palm sized spider, and a hornet sharing a hole halfway up the tree. Both were so huge. the hornet seemed ot like Chad who kept messing with it, but that spider, to hear Chad tell it, it was after him. He happened to be standing hear and just looked up casually and there it was splayed out not no more then 1 foot from his face. It made him jump back! But it was funny. We left and headed back to Chad's were we had a BBQ. We roasted soem steaks, and drank a few beers. What I forgot to mention is that Joel had a orange mowhock(spelling) and the day before when Robi, Joel and I had gone to Kroger, the three of us being very tall in a still realitvely rural Dawsonville, all eyes were on us. Mainly at Joel, but that made it even greater. I can't even begin to explain the changes that had taken place up there off 400, I am serious. I moved up there in 89' and even still with all the changes that have happened, they are still the same. Maybe a little more relaxed as people have adjusted more but I still find it crazy. I am so laid back and go with the flow and admire those that are 'different' and to me they seem like the normal ones. They are real and are not hiding behind a fascade. so anyway off that tangent. I had arranged for a friend ot help me pet-sit a last minite petsitting job for that weekend and I needed to meet back up wiht her to get the key and finish that job so I headed down to the inside of 285 after stopping by my moms to go through some stuff that they are getting rid of. Whole nother story. later on that. but I met up with Lisa at 6-7 ish and then I got home around 8 and crashed. that was last tuesday and I still have more to go but fo rnow I am tired of typing and plan on chilling. later.