Saturday night (at apparently 11:04) we made the decision to drive on down to Rachel's homeland. It has been a haven for us, in times when life gets too hectic. Most would think it's crazy to leave for a long drive at such an hour, and it's certainly not in my nature to do such things. However, I appreciate spontaneity, and so we set off. We made a road trip music compilation, grabbed the few things we'd need (pajamas, dog food and leash, bedding, caffiene.)
While the ride is beautiful, there's not much to see but darkness driving at night. That's part of the charm though. There are few places where there isn't any light pollution, and to be able to see the stars whizzing by from the car is soothing.
When we got there, we parked out at one of our favorite spots on the lake. There happens to be a big parking lot, so that's where we made our camp. Now, we've learned a few things since the last (only other) time we tried to sleep in the car. Our creation was fairly comfortable, although cramped. Maybe that's why we only slept for about three hours. Poor Hazel didn't sleep much either. Either way, here it is:
We took the head rests off the front seats, and reclined them as far as they would go, while moving the seat part up as far as it would go. We draped our legs over the front seat, and it was the best sleep in a car I've ever had!
We left the windows open, and it was a perfect evening for such a thing. And not a bug bite to speak of!
We rose early, to this beautiful scene:
It's a large lake, but this is the first glimpse you get coming down the hill from the parking lot.
We came down here at night once, and sitting on the dock, under the full moon, it was not hard to imagine there were strange creatures just under the surface of the water, waiting for the right moment to attack!
Did I mention I have an overactive imagination?
This is the view from the dock. Serene doesn't begin to describe it.
After a quick stop at the local grocery for some world-class hot dog sauce (that makes it so even I can eat one), we headed back home. Rachel spotted this guy on the road as we drove by, so I told her to turn around, and we'd help him out. Thankfully there's not a lot of traffic at 6 am on Sunday morning on this stretch of road.
He might have been scared, but it was better than squished! This was the first time I have ever seen an orange turtle!
We were confident that he was trying to get to the pond, so we set him down here. It's funny how good a simple thing like that can make you feel.
And so, though it was a brief visit, we got ourselves re-attuned to nature, and returned feeling much more centered, and recharged, and very, very sleepy. Poor Hazel was so happy to be home that she started HOWLING when we pulled into the apartment complex. I love my family, and our little adventures.
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