The Joys and Fears of Camping

Two glorious nights at Linville Falls -- bath house just up the hill (no showers, mind you -- just toilets and sinks. . . ) Creek down the hill -- lots of fireflies; delicious food! sleeping in, full moon, someone playing guitar across the way, nature journaling, relaxing, wrote a song, chilled out, very cool, but damp Beautiful weather

Two long nights at Pisgah -- nice shady campsite, closed bath house for our section. . . port-a-johns. . . .VERY FULL, extremely nasty port-a-johns. . .no thanks! Alternative? Either a very long walk around the campground to the other bath house or a very short drive (my husband will get his wings in heaven, let me assure you:~) On the way to test out the port-a-johns, I met a very interesting Eastern Screech Owl (which is an absolute misnomer, BTW-- he purrs, as opposed to screeching -- go figure!) Putting up the tent in the dark -- cooking hamburgers in the dark (they ended up extra crispy! -- I never claimed to be a grill chef. . . . . :~\ A terrible storm, complete with tremendous thunder booms and huge lightning crashes! A tree down in one campsite -- so thankful it wasn't ours. Singing "Our God is an Awesome God" and other inspirational songs in the middle of the chaotic storm, snuggled up on one side of the picnic table underneath a very flimsy canopy, waiting to grill hot dogs until it slacks off, very damp in the tent, not as cool. . . .waking up to birds singing (which was very nice; however the "prior-to-7:00-in-the-morning-thing" I could do without -- it was my vacation!)

All-in-all, it really was a beautiful trip -- full of natural wonders that made me face my Creator head-on, pause in quiet reflection of its beauty, scream at the insanity of teenagers:~), thrill with music, and view the world from many different angles (including the middle of the "Mile High Swinging Bridge", a bald outcrop on Grandfather Mt., the rooftop of the Biltmore, standing before Linville Falls and staring down into the gorge, praying and gripping as Shane drove the mt. roads faster than my heart liked, looking down the mt. from Amicalola Falls into the valleys below, the unending vista of mts as we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway, and so many more.) It really is a big world, and as Carrie Underwood so aptly puts it, "It sure makes everything seem so small."

Thank you, God, for reminding me, that I am small, but you are not. Your creation is amazing and your power created it all. For getting me across the swinging bridge and across all the mtns without a heart attack. For making me lean on you in the midst of the storm. For showing me the joys and the frustrations of living with a teenager for a week. For the joys of family and nature and time together. For safety and home and wonderful memories, Thank you , Father!