Even a bad day camping.......

[Timber Wolf]

.........is better than a good day working.. When we arrived in camp yesterday I had a bit of a stomach ache. Something I ate did not agree with me I suppose. In addition it started to rain, rained all night, and is forecast to rain on into much of tomorrow. That plays hob with our hiking and site-seeing plans. In spite of the rain I stepped out last night to check out and utilize the "comfort station". As I walked I took in a deep breath of clear and clean South Georgia forest air and was rewarded with an instant sense of well being. It just felt good to be in the woods without a real care or worry.

I have a semi-stressful day job. Mostly because I spend all day, every day solving problems of other people's manufacture. My phone is constantly ringing with somebody on the other end who is GOING TO DIE if I don't swoop in and rescue them RIGHT NOW. I do, and it is usually easy if they will do as I tell them to do. It is only a problem when they want to argue about implementing my solution. To which I inevitably respond, "you called me".

At any rate here I sit under the awning of my Scamp, with a damp dog next to me, listening to a Crow and watching it rain. And I don't give a damn because I don't have a care in the world.


Oh, and my daughter locked the keys in the truck last night. But it is OK as I have a spare in my wallet for just such and occasion. Even on vacation I have to solve problems.

[Kai in Seattle]

Hi, Timber Wolf...
You remind me of why we want to camp in the first place. We've been so busy all last year solving all the problems with Peanut (our trailer) that we were just constantly stressed. Only a few times did we sit for even half an hour with no agenda and no problems to solve.


I vow this year we'll take more time to breathe the clean, piny air and be glad we have "nothing" to do!


BEST
Kai

[Darral T.]

Wonderful and funny story Timber. Why? I can relate! I'm an "IT" guy for my day job as well and as you....people always calling "My computer will/wont..." yada yada. REBOOT!!

But when I'm camping, I let all of that drift away into the unknown.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Originally Posted by Timber Wolf

.........is better than a good day working.. When we arrived in camp yesterday I had a bit of a stomach ache. Something I ate did not agree with me I suppose. In addition it started to rain, rained all night, and is forecast to rain on into much of tomorrow. That plays hob with our hiking and site-seeing plans. In spite of the rain I stepped out last night to check out and utilize the "comfort station". As I walked I took in a deep breath of clear and clean South Georgia forest air and was rewarded with an instant sense of well being. It just felt good to be in the woods without a real care or worry.

I have a semi-stressful day job. Mostly because I spend all day, every day solving problems of other people's manufacture. My phone is constantly ringing with somebody on the other end who is GOING TO DIE if I don't swoop in and rescue them RIGHT NOW. I do, and it is usually easy if they will do as I tell them to do. It is only a problem when they want to argue about implementing my solution. To which I inevitably respond, "you called me".

At any rate here I sit under the awning of my Scamp, with a damp dog next to me, listening to a Crow and watching it rain. And I don't give a damn because I don't have a care in the world.


Oh, and my daughter locked the keys in the truck last night. But it is OK as I have a spare in my wallet for just such and occasion. Even on vacation I have to solve problems.

[stude]

Originally Posted by Timber Wolf

.........is better than a good day working.. When we arrived in camp yesterday I had a bit of a stomach ache. Something I ate did not agree with me I suppose. In addition it started to rain, rained all night, and is forecast to rain on into much of tomorrow. That plays hob with our hiking and site-seeing plans. In spite of the rain I stepped out last night to check out and utilize the "comfort station". As I walked I took in a deep breath of clear and clean South Georgia forest air and was rewarded with an instant sense of well being. It just felt good to be in the woods without a real care or worry.

I have a semi-stressful day job. Mostly because I spend all day, every day solving problems of other people's manufacture. My phone is constantly ringing with somebody on the other end who is GOING TO DIE if I don't swoop in and rescue them RIGHT NOW. I do, and it is usually easy if they will do as I tell them to do. It is only a problem when they want to argue about implementing my solution. To which I inevitably respond, "you called me".

At any rate here I sit under the awning of my Scamp, with a damp dog next to me, listening to a Crow and watching it rain. And I don't give a damn because I don't have a care in the world.


Oh, and my daughter locked the keys in the truck last night. But it is OK as I have a spare in my wallet for just such and occasion. Even on vacation I have to solve problems.

:I have not stopped laughing when the "you called me!"
Your lucky you got rain we got another 8" of white stuff but a snow angel showed up with his mega big snow blower at 10AM and finished at 11:30AM, I'm going to owe him my life if this keeps up.
Stude

[Cybercuban]

I can surely relate to your story. My 16' 93 Scamp is still in renovation stage since I bought it. However, meanwhile I still settle for tent camping and it is the ONLY therapeutic way I have found to unplug from the stress of being a city dweller working a high stress job! Nothing else even comes close. I actually love it when it rains and my equipment allows me to truly engage with nature and enjoy the experience no matter what unexpected events come up!

[jerrybob]

Love the story........camping is great. When we camp.....no TV.....no PC.....lots of hikes and enjoying the outdoors with our dogs. It just doesn't get much better!

[Rattlesnake Joe]

I once a long time ago met an old prospector out in the desert. He invited me into his trailer for a cup of coffee and I liked the old geezer right off. I was about 40 years old or so. Anyway I unloaded on this old timer and proceeded to tell him all the woes that I had to endure in my life and mostly I figured none of them was my fault. After I ranted and raved for awhile and trying to catch my breath...He said, "You know what your trouble is young feller"? I looked at him with a deer in the headlights look and said "What"? "Somewhere along the line you got the crazy idea that life is fair. Well its not. Hell if life was fair we'd all be born old and live our lives backwards". Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was truth that smacked me up side the head and I'll never forget them. When ever I start feeling sorry for myself I just have to remember his words. I sometimes get a queer feeling that he might have been an angel? Then I shake my head and get back to what ever I was doing.

[Raspy]

Rattle,

Well said. Interesting to run into one of life's teachers. An occasional adjustment in our thinking is good. And the realization that life is better than we might be thinking, is very important. Teachers come in every form, at just the right moment, and act like stepping stones in a stream (Sandy, in my Avatar, is one of mine for instance). Without them, I'll probably get across the stream, but it'll be harder and I'll be wet.

Interesting that if we care enough to do our best, we get lost in the demands that come with it and forget what else is important. Pretty soon life and time have slipped away. I catch a glimpse of someone for whom it's too late and it not only reminds me, but scares me.

I'm determined to get on with life and stop chasing my tail. Dive into the next chapter. So I've "scheduled" retirement. A little voice keeps saying "one more year would be OK". Not.

Meanwhile, Ollie sits in the garage and I can't commit to trips. Tick, tick, tick. Sheesh. Every once in a while I realize there is no tomorrow and throw the wheel hard over. It always causes a wake, but in the end, I'm too busy looking forward to notice.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Timber Wolf

As I walked I took in a deep breath of clear and clean South Georgia forest air and was rewarded with an instant sense of well being. It just felt good to be in the woods without a real care or worry.

Great story. I recently, in addition to solving constant work problems and managing running a business, finished building our new home in northern rural Nevada and got moved in. Whew! I'm pushing the responsibilities out to arms length and being "too busy" to hurry right over.

Now, I too go out at night just to feel the high desert magic, smell the sage and look at the infinite sky with Milky Way from horizon to horizon. Notice the silence. I go listening, as the coyotes are near and often singing. Fascinating. I come back less interested in "getting away", as well as reminded that all is well.

Had a nice day today. After a big snow, we took off in the Jeep to look around. Stopped at a hot springs near Tahoe to have a drink and chat. Now the fire flickers and the dog is dreaming. Liye reads, as some cool tunes waft through the background. Guess I'll step out again to feel the cool night and form a weather report for myself. I might even nod with a bit of satisfaction.

[Paul O.]

Even this link alone says it all:Here's another reason to move to France: No after-work emails

Why not excercise some self control and turn that stupid phone off for a few hours a day? Nothing against the French, but why should it take a national law to enforce common sense... If I should be on call 24/7, I want a huge raise! Well, thankfully that stage of my life is history. Traveling with the Scamp is wonderful.

[Jon in AZ]

Sadly, that's what many employers are demanding. I know one person who was an hourly maintenance man at a local motel. Then the manager realized he could make him a "supervisor," put him on salary (same annual pay), give him a cell phone, and require him to be on call 24/7. It's an end run around the Fair Labor Standards Act, and it will take legislation to address these abuses.

I recall there was a bill introduced in Congress to extend the FLSA to salaried employees under a certain threshold, but I don't think it went anywhere.

[LyleB]

I can definitely relate. I come from a very extensive long-distance backpacking background. The saying there was: "The WORST day hiking is better than the BEST day working". The sentiment is the same, and just as valid.

Thanks for your story, making me long to get back out there ASAP, either in the Scamp or carrying my ULA pack.

[Joan of Shark]

Originally Posted by LyleB

I can definitely relate. I come from a very extensive long-distance backpacking background. The saying there was: "The WORST day hiking is better than the BEST day working".

Hey Lyle! We've shared a few of those miserable days on the trail and come out smiling. Can't believe we independently became FGRV owners too. Great minds and all that...

[Gerry]

I can relate to the backpacking but also I was a rock climber.
Now in that sport, if you wanna call it that, the only thing that one had to think about was that next move of prehaps 6 inches...and that's the only thing!
As If Your LIFE depended upon it.

Now people will do about anything for thier all important jobs.
Look around or prehaps even at yourselves.
See what you could have done for you..your family or who ever but didn't just because of "THE JOB"

Have fun NOW, you may not have a later.

[LyleB]

Originally Posted by Joan of Shark

Hey Lyle! We've shared a few of those miserable days on the trail and come out smiling. Can't believe we independently became FGRV owners too. Great minds and all that...

Yes we have Joan, rain, sleet, snow and wind backpacking the Boundary Waters in northern MN comes to mind. I'm heading to Florida with my Scamp in a few days. Plan to enjoy that as well.

Take care