Thursday, August 7, 2008

My first-ever camping trip!

I just got back from my first-ever camping trip! Yesterday dad took mom and me to a state park not too far from here that is on a huge reservoir. Dad had camped there many times. He knew the best campsites and had one picked out for us that had a big grassy area and a mowed path down to the lake. It was perfect for us! The first thing we did was to pitch our tent. After we had set up camp, we walked a very short distance to a little beach in the campground. No one was there but us! I love running at the water's edge and chasing sticks. But dad also tried to teach me how to swim. He carried me out into the water - and then helped me to get going. It took a few tries, but then I was sort of doing it! I was swimming! I'll tell you what, though, I am not sure about the swimming part. I just wanted to get back on dry land and moved my legs as fast as I could to get there.
After swimming we went on a short hike on a nature trail in the campground. We saw lots of giant swallowtails - they are really beautiful butterflies - and ate lots of wild blackberries - yum! Then we came back to the campsite and took chairs down by the water's edge. We saw green herons and lots of dragonflies and damselflies.

Before dinner we went swimming again - I tried swimming some more and also got a major case of the zoomies on the shoreline. We also walked through the campground to the boat ramp and checked out the floating dock. For dinner I had my usual great food and mom and dad grilled some veggies and sandwiches. When it got close to sunset, we put the kayak in (right from our site) and dad paddled us around awesome coves and then finally way out into the big lake so we could see the sunset. Wouldn't you know it, but an enormous cloud covered the sun just as it was setting - oh well - still looks pretty though.
When we got back dad built a fire. I was soooooo tired - I couldn't believe we were still out in the wilderness and not home in our comfy house! I got up in mom's lap (something I never do - shows you just how exhausted I was) and fell asleep.

Camping was fun - hopefully we'll do it again some time. I am so tired - I can hardly keep my eyes open as I write this.

Gotta nap (then zoom)!

Ricky

3 comments:

Cowspotdog said...

Hey little zoom zoom buddie, it looks like you a a fantastic time too. That park looks as good as my lake. We can go camping at the lake as well but mom would find that a bit difficult. I think we are two pretty lucky pups.....we get to go all sorts of neat places. I have some buddies who are left on their own from 6 in the morning until 6 at night and their mom and dads only take them for a short walk on the weekend. They don't even have a garden. Mom thinks that is very sad....I do too. I haven't tried that swimming thing yet...I like being on the edge of the lake but not in it.....and I would be worried about those mean old CATfish things mom told me about yesterday - they might grab my tail!!!!

Johann The Dog said...

Envious! I'm envious!!!!!! Sounds like just the best day ever! I'd love to really get out there and swim, you are lucky.

Kim Gail said...

You have got lovely experience from your first ever camping trip.