Cold Nights Fun Days
This weekend we went on a camping trip here:
http://www.floridastateparks.org/stjoseph/
It was so great. Friday night was so cold though. We didnt have fire wood with us, expecting we would buy some once we got there. Except that once we got there and set up the tent (in the dark) all the local places that sell fire wood were closed. I guess 8 on a friday night is a little too much to ask of St Joesephs Peninsula in the off season. So James "borrowed" some from the local store and promised me that we'd go pay them in the morning. So we had a small fire to warm us and to cook up the bacon we were afraid was going to go off without ice in the cooler. Friday nights dinner was hotdogs and bacon... mmmm healthy. We rounded out the meal with roasted marshmallows. :-) Racoons came right up to us and were so fearless as to ignore the flaming stick that James waved in their direction. Finally he stood up and stomped in their direction and they took off. In the night I could hear them outisde the tent, talking to eachother and rummaging for food scraps. The little bandits.
After a long cold night (was about 35 on friday night) we got up with the sun and went for a walk down the white sand beaches of the gulf shore. Rayna loved it. Then we went back and cooked breakfast on the camp stove. After a few cups of tea (for me) and hot cocoa (for them) we spread out the coals in the fire pit and decided to run to the store and pay for our pilfered firewood and pick up some other supplies while we were at it. While at the store I over heard some locals talking about a lighthouse that was being painted. So on the way back to the campsite we stopped at the ranger station and got directions to this lighthouse. After lunch we headed back out with camera in hand to go take some pics of the beach and the lighthouse etc. Well much to our suprise the lighthouse and surrounding beach is property of the USAF Tyndall AFB. The road is open to the public but you cant go on the beach and since the lighthouse itself was being painted we couldnt actually go up to it, however I got some pictures of it from afar. We did do a little trespassing onto the beach and though I was trepadatious of doing so, I am glad we did now because there were two dolphins playing in the surf about 20 feet from shore and I managed to get one good shot of them. We watched them play for about 10 minutes and then they swam off to deeper waters.
Knowing it was going to be another long cold night we decided to cheat it and go into town 30 miles up the road to the nearest KMart to buy a space heater for the tent. Im so glad we did eventhough it was slightly warmer saturday night than it had been on Friday due to some overcast clouds, it would still have been another long cold night. While in town we also picked up a NICE steak, an onion, some summer squash and something to drink. When we got back we started a nice big fire and i made tinfoil pouches of squash, onion, and cubed red potatos - put a pat of butter in each of them and some seasonings, tossed them on the grill with the steak and oh my did we have a feast. James cooked the steak perfectly. Everything was wonderful. After dinner we made smores and chatted. The racoons came back and were about a foot away from snatching the smore right out of Rayna's hand before I saw them and scared them off. It was a great night in the tent, with the heater going.
Sunday morning was eggs and leftover squash and potatos with grits all made on the trusty camp stove. James even found single serve coffee bags (like teabags) at the store and so I was able to have hot coffee... mmmmm coffee good. Then we packed up camp and by 11:30 we were out walking on the beach one last time. Rayna stripped off her pants and panties and was playing in the surf before we could stop her. She had such a great time. We even collected a few beautiful shells to remember the trip, though to be honest I had such a great time I dont think I will forget it.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/stjoseph/
It was so great. Friday night was so cold though. We didnt have fire wood with us, expecting we would buy some once we got there. Except that once we got there and set up the tent (in the dark) all the local places that sell fire wood were closed. I guess 8 on a friday night is a little too much to ask of St Joesephs Peninsula in the off season. So James "borrowed" some from the local store and promised me that we'd go pay them in the morning. So we had a small fire to warm us and to cook up the bacon we were afraid was going to go off without ice in the cooler. Friday nights dinner was hotdogs and bacon... mmmm healthy. We rounded out the meal with roasted marshmallows. :-) Racoons came right up to us and were so fearless as to ignore the flaming stick that James waved in their direction. Finally he stood up and stomped in their direction and they took off. In the night I could hear them outisde the tent, talking to eachother and rummaging for food scraps. The little bandits.
After a long cold night (was about 35 on friday night) we got up with the sun and went for a walk down the white sand beaches of the gulf shore. Rayna loved it. Then we went back and cooked breakfast on the camp stove. After a few cups of tea (for me) and hot cocoa (for them) we spread out the coals in the fire pit and decided to run to the store and pay for our pilfered firewood and pick up some other supplies while we were at it. While at the store I over heard some locals talking about a lighthouse that was being painted. So on the way back to the campsite we stopped at the ranger station and got directions to this lighthouse. After lunch we headed back out with camera in hand to go take some pics of the beach and the lighthouse etc. Well much to our suprise the lighthouse and surrounding beach is property of the USAF Tyndall AFB. The road is open to the public but you cant go on the beach and since the lighthouse itself was being painted we couldnt actually go up to it, however I got some pictures of it from afar. We did do a little trespassing onto the beach and though I was trepadatious of doing so, I am glad we did now because there were two dolphins playing in the surf about 20 feet from shore and I managed to get one good shot of them. We watched them play for about 10 minutes and then they swam off to deeper waters.
Knowing it was going to be another long cold night we decided to cheat it and go into town 30 miles up the road to the nearest KMart to buy a space heater for the tent. Im so glad we did eventhough it was slightly warmer saturday night than it had been on Friday due to some overcast clouds, it would still have been another long cold night. While in town we also picked up a NICE steak, an onion, some summer squash and something to drink. When we got back we started a nice big fire and i made tinfoil pouches of squash, onion, and cubed red potatos - put a pat of butter in each of them and some seasonings, tossed them on the grill with the steak and oh my did we have a feast. James cooked the steak perfectly. Everything was wonderful. After dinner we made smores and chatted. The racoons came back and were about a foot away from snatching the smore right out of Rayna's hand before I saw them and scared them off. It was a great night in the tent, with the heater going.
Sunday morning was eggs and leftover squash and potatos with grits all made on the trusty camp stove. James even found single serve coffee bags (like teabags) at the store and so I was able to have hot coffee... mmmmm coffee good. Then we packed up camp and by 11:30 we were out walking on the beach one last time. Rayna stripped off her pants and panties and was playing in the surf before we could stop her. She had such a great time. We even collected a few beautiful shells to remember the trip, though to be honest I had such a great time I dont think I will forget it.