We went camping this weekend. Not too far away, just up to Wheeler Gorge but it’s up in Ojai & honestly, since you aren’t connected easily to the 101 or 126 it seems like a whole other world up there. You have the 33 but most of the traffic going through there is bikers, both the peddling & leather wearing varieties. But I will have to say, I will only rough it so far. If I can’t read and/or knit while out there I want no part of it.
is it odd that I can’t STOP re-reading this book? I don’t know what it is about this book & her voice but I am just sucked right in.
And after dark this is what the view was from my seat
Honestly, knitting plain lovely knit in the round by campfire is a very soothing experience. Maybe that was the 5-8 beers I had with it (friends don’t let friends knit drunk!)? Either way, the light showing through the back of the knitting was enough to keep me on track even when I split or dropped a stitch. This weekend was very productive knitting wise. I finished the body of Matt’s sweater (god I know why I procrastinated on this! Ladies, my husband is a beast. I married a LARGE man. A man capable of heaving a full conversion van out of a ditch when the battery died all by himself. You know those athletic shirts that say x amount of LBS? Well I didn’t know you got the REAL ones in highschool & college & that they were either to give you pride or shame you into what you did for your sport. I regularly wear Matt’s 350XXL shirt. That was as high as they came though he really leg pressed 375LBS. I married a man who’s job it was in football was to knock you down or not let you get through. He was supposed to be a WALL. That’s a lot of stitches.) and 1/2 of a pair of fingerless mitts.
These are not for me because I needed the jaws of life to get out of them. But aren’t they cute in a very granola & yogurt rustic kind of way?
I have to say, it was still a little cold for camping (at least the first night)
Even though this is California, being in the gorge is completely different, it’s ridiculously hot in the summer & freezing in the winter. Thankfully hand knits are plentiful in this family, even the Mr was wearing a luscious Malabrigo hat 
There were many interesting birdies to see. It was very distracting you see, when I would finally get in the groove of my knitting (round and round and round zoning out & fantasizing of cables & lace) I would hear a call I didn’t recognize & see a flash of bird & immediately have to run off to see what it was (you see I’m addicted to nature & beasties. I get a very odd sense of satisfaction & a great rush pointing them out to other people). The birdies are mating which means many comical dances are to be seen. Keep your eyes open people, those poor boys are working their tails off for their women! (like it should be any other way.)
Saturday my SIL & niece came up for the day. God I love this kid (but you already knew that!). Miss Mi is probably one of the most completely fearless kids I’ve ever come across.
Case & point. Not many kids would just start walking out into a running creek. Especially at 16 months just to see if there might be “fishies” out there. She was disappointed that there were none to be seen.
This kid makes me ridiculously happy. Almost as happy as this random stick she found made her. God, if only we could all be so thrilled at life. “OMFG a stick!!!! This is the best damn day of my life! A STICK PEOPLE!!! A STIIICCCCCKKKKK!!!!!!!!”
Moments like these make me absolutely love my life.
Nothing is better than an uncle ride!
After all that playing in the stream we were a bit wet, so we set the pants & shoes & socks to dry by the fire. Thankfully we are an innovative family and even when there are no extra pants in the diaper bag we can accommodate fairly well
Yes, those are my husband’s socks 
Tell me that didn’t make you chuckle!
One last image because I’m appalled YES APPALLED! by what other campers decide to eat while camping. What’s with the hot dogs? Are we seriously that boring & lazy? The Mr has cooked king crab, steamed salmon, & various fresh veggies on the campfire. There is no need to be this fancy as you can easily do as we did below.
I mean really, is it that hard? Just a thought because life is to short for hot dogs (unless they are Hebrew National & then I will gladly chow down with you).
