Last month I turned 31. In some regards, it seems like I can’t possibly :already: be in my 30’s. In other ways, it seems just right. I feel blessed to have had this many trips around the sun, and pray that it is just the beginning of many more.
I requested going camping for my birthday, and my husband Davy was happy to oblige. We went to Council Bluff lake and camped at Wild Boar Ridge Camp Ground.
It was nice and sunny when we got there on the morning of the 14th, but this was the few days that we had nearly 60mph winds, and the temp was predicted to drop into the teens again that night.
I was determined to camp despite the impending weather. So we planned ahead with lots of warm clothes and blankets for the night in the tent.
It was beautiful! And very windy!
We started on making lunch right away. I requested bacon, so Davy made us BLT’s that were amazing! After chowing down on the entire pound of bacon (yum!) we went hiking down by the lake.
After an hour or two of hiking we made it back to our camp site and chilled out for a few hours, all the while the wind was picking up. We saw and heard so many trees falling in the woods… kinda scary!
Then we started cooking supper. The fire was tricky to keep going. Once we got it hot enough to cook our food, the wind would blow it hotter and then burn it up and out. It was tough, but fun.
I picked beef stroganoff and it was our first time cooking something like that on an open fire. We cooked the thinly sliced beef through, then added the seasoning packet, and water, then sour cream and (pre-cooked!) egg noodles. It turned out much better than I expected.
We made some french press (decaf) coffee after dinner and there might have been some devils food chocolate donuts that were enjoyed. And I used a very appropriate mug while sipping fire side.
If you can’t tell from the photos, the sun went behind thick blankets of clouds and the wind was relentless. The temp had been dropping all day, just like they predicted.
Undaunted, we set the tent up after finishing our early dinner and while we would have liked to enjoy a nice evening around the campfire, it was too much of a chore to keep the fire going. We ended up turning in early for a little reprieve from the wind in the protection of our tent.
We had planned to have coffee and donuts for breakfast over the fire, but when we woke and the wind was still howling through camp, we decided to pack up and head home a tad early and enjoy a shower and cozy breakfast at home.
but… I can’t wait to go back.
