Gone Camping: Moose, Mesa Falls, Dog Antics, and Lots of Rain

Instead of the usual Not Quite a Confession, this week I'll be regaling you all with my vacation photos and captions, as I was gone much of this past week and I'm feeling like a Lazy Vacationer again.

We took That 80's Motorhome for her refurbished 'maiden voyage'. Although I was feeling especially crappy due to torrents of rain falling during our stay at the campground, I did manage to take some neat pictures of moose out for a stroll about twenty feet from our motorhome window. Most of the pictures were crappy, due to the fact it was raining when the mama moose and her calf were booking it toward the hills, but one did turn out pretty well considering:

This one was through our back window, which had no tree coverage, hence the rain effect:

Torrie and Keisha also enjoyed the respite from their pesky little brother's presence- Keisha mostly celebrating by dragging her rope around whatever she could find:

This one proves Torrie deserves one of those dumb "I'm with Stupid --->" tshirts:

Torrie likes showing off her brains... by not wrapping herself around a tree.

They also showed great appreciation when I swaddled them in their oversized Christmas sweaters in the cold mornings:

We also took a trip to see Mesa Falls, the Upper of which was much more impressive than the lower:

See the rainbow?

Camping Tips (From the Soul Who Has Camped A LOT):

1. No selfie-ing or approaching wild animals for pictures. A fellow camper almost approached the moose and her calf, which would have likely been the death of him. If you want to selfie with a wild animal, go to the zoo. Life's not a Disney movie, people.

2. Never forget your basics: matches, food (make sure to have ready-made food, as sometimes it's too rainy out to cook), sleeping bag, bug spray, sunscreen (especially if you're as bone white as I am), and always read the weather report before you set your camping date. Also, reservations are sadly a must anymore for camping- unless you don't plan on using an actual campsite. In that case, you'll need more advanced tips than I can readily sum up here.

3. If you come upon a moose while walking, get some trees between you and the animal and walk slowly away. I can't tell you how many times my brother (or my friend) and I would come across moose while camping, but of course all the camping I've ever done has been very near or in Montana. If you plan on hiking in bear-frequented areas, get some bear spray and wear noise-makers (bells, chains, etc.) on your person.

4. Put out your campfires if you don't plan on watching them. Smokey Bear will come for your soul otherwise. And Smokey Bear gives no bear hugs to wildfire starters.

5. Your kids and dogs must be supervised at all times- even the savvy, camp-friendly kids can make a fatal mistake. Dogs must be leashed at all times while camping (unless in a trailer/car), and always remember to pick up after your dog. The wilderness/campground is not a dog park. If you plan on bringing dogs, bring long leashes so they can be tethered- and don't tether them near the campfire.

6. If you don't know the area or have any questions, ask the camp host. If the camp host is unavailable, go to the nearest gas station/cafe/bar and ask questions- after buying something, of course.

Bookish Bits

Although I was pretty much out of commission during our camping adventure, I did manage to read the rest of the available Night Prince series by Jeaniene Frost, which I enjoyed much more than the series she spun it off of, the Night Huntress series. I've been neglecting my readalong and review books, but I did manage to color most of one bug in my shiny, new Animal Kingdom adult coloring book. Yeah, perfectionism does have its drawbacks...

                          Until (hopefully) Tuesday,