Bobcat?

I may have seen a bobcat last night in the woods.  I was driving back towards my camp after visiting some potential permanent housing options.

It had shiny eyes.

Lobster

The past three Friday mornings have been hectic.  My preferred campground has been solidly booked on the weekends, so, every Friday morning I’ve had to pack up my car, and move my tent somewhere else.

Yesterday was no different.  Even though I tried to get up earlier than usual, to give myself time to take down the tent and pack up my car, I was running late.  It must have been something about that air mattress, I did not want to get out of bed.  Fortunately, I did manage to throw everything in my car, put on my seersucker suit (last day to wear it before labor day!) and get to work just in time.  I just hope people at work think I camp only on the weekends.  Because, well, it is partly true.  But my car at this point looks like a wreck on the inside — full of stuff.

I guess my car is a wreck on the outside, as well.  After work, and after a happy hour with my coworkers, while driving to my weekend campsite, I got pulled over.   The police officer asked me if I had a muffler.  “umm, yes I have a muffler?”  Turns out, my car is violating the noise ordinance.  Great.  This would not have happened in my former Southern town, where loud cars are a source of pride.  Did the police officer think I, too, had tried to make my car this loud?

Fortunately the cop let me off without having to pay the $50.00 fine.  He was confused about the random assortment of dress suits and camping gear in my backseat, but I explained I was camping over the labor day weekend and from (Southern state).  The police officer looked at my seersucker suit, out of state tag, camping geer, and p.o.s. car, and nodded knowingly.  “Have a nice evening, sir.”

Instead of making it to the weekend campground, I went to plan B.  The car.  I stayed at a Wal-mart parking lot (same Wal-mart parking lot I was at last weekend).  Before settling down in my seat, I needed to get some food.  My cooler full of camp food did not seem appetizing to me, and my leftover kung pow chicken from yesterday’s work meeting needed to be heated up (I didn’t feel like pulling out my propane stove in the parking lot).  So I roamed the town’s grocery stores.  I found a sweet deal for fresh steamed lobster.  At week’s end, I was parked in a parking lot, eating wonderful lobster, and talking to my wife on the phone.   Ready for fishing and hiking tomorrow.  Pretty sweet.

Oh and the Hurricane?  Overrated.   Looking forward to a nice storm-free weekend.

Hurricane Earl

So I move from the south, the land of hurricanes and tornadoes, only to find that one has chased me up here.

Fortunately, the Hurricane will not arrive until tomorrow night.  And, hopefully, it will be just a strong rain by the time it arrives here.  (Knock on tree).  That will give me time to get off work, and drive to an inland campground for the labor day weekend.  I’m looking forward to going to a new place, a more primitive/rural camp with less people.  Hopefully, I can do some fishing.

Plan B is to sleep in my car if it is raining/storming too hard.  It seems that Plan B is always the car.

My home

After a week of camping, I upgraded tents.  My parents are letting me use their mega- three room tent.  I’m a fan, because with this tent I can stand up straight without bending over.  Not generally necessary if you are camping for fun, but when you are camping while working, this tent makes putting on dress pants easier.

Note the yellow inflatable kayak on the ground.  Tomorrow’s entertainment.

Introduction

So here is how it all began. . .

My wife, lets call her “R”, and I got married in May, a week after I graduated law school.  I was fortunate to have a job lined up with the federal government.  The catch is that this job is over a thousand miles away from our old home.  And, R has a job at the old home, and can’t leave that job until October.  My job starts in August.  So, we do what many people do nowadays, try out a long distance marriage (fortunately, only temporary).

R and I get ready to move.  I will be bringing all of our wordly possessions up to the new city, and put them in a storage shed.  R will live with friends in the old town.  We have a yard sale.  We pack.  We organize.  We pack in an organized fashion.  We have a very planned out move.  But only for the leaving part of it.  We didn’t plan much on the arriving side.

I arrive in New City about 3 days before the new job begins.  That arrival date is about 3 days behind schedule.  I planned on finding a temporary sublet via Craigslist to do until October.  That way, I would have a chance to investigate New City and make sure we sign a year long lease in a location that is convenient for the commute, the dogs, and all else.

Except, by the time I arrive in New City, I have had an idea.  Why go through the trouble of finding a sublet or extended stay hotel when I can just camp out?  I like camping.  I like to fish.  And I am no longer in a state that has 100+ degree heat and flying cockroaches that live naturally in the wild.   This could be enjoyable.

So, I begin my two month (ish) stint as a nomadic tent dweller.  My wife says that most people call this homelessness.  But I disagree.  This is an adventure.