Summer Dreams, Summer Memories, Camping

Long ago and far away, 

There was a young girl,

who loved the outdoors,

(OK, I still love the outdoors, and it wasn't really THAT long ago)

It is a rainy day today, I am inside cozy with a fire in the fireplace and My Sweet Husband keeping me company. We were talking, about Summer. You see, Summer is coming! I know it will be a while, but it is coming. 

 This is me in the Summer when I was about 19. 

This is how I see myself.

We were on a camping trip in Southern Utah. 

 That brings me to the topic of this post.

Camping!

Old Faithful Inn - Yellowstone 

There are many ways to camp. Some people would consider staying in Yellowstone National Park as camping out. Here you see My Sweet Husband looking down from the balcony inside Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn a few years ago.

Old Faithful Inn Interior

As you can see, he is really roughing it. 

He has taken me to Yellowstone twice, we did not actually camp out on either trip. The first time, we stayed at the Inn but you do not have to be a guest to enjoy the lobby. 

Yellowstone National Park 

Guest Cabins at Canyon

The second time we stayed in one of the cabins at Canyon. Inside they are modern hotel rooms with the usual amenities. Their excellent staff keeps them nice and clean. Still not really camping though.

(Yellowstone does have campgrounds, we just did not take advantage of them) 

 Camping early 1960's

The gentleman on the right is Ed Hile, His wife Frankie is next to him. They were my parents best friends (they introduced them). I believe the lovely lady on the left is my Aunt Bonnie. 

This is how my parents camped. 

Well, we did go for walks with me Dad and of course the adults cooked over the campfire or on the old Coleman Stove.  We slept in the camper (wish I had a picture of that!). It was one of those that went on the back of a pickup truck. The top hung over the cab and I believe the back stuck out past the tailgate too.  My parents also had a huge green tent with three rooms, I don't remember actually camping in it. 

Deer Hunting

Not sure who these guys are this was in with my parents slides. I know it was a deer hunting trip as they are wearing red jackets and red hats. When I was a kid the red was required. Later it went to bright orange. I do not know if that is still the rule in the Rockies, or not, but back then it was.  

 Camping in the pickup

This is another one from my parent's slides. I'm not sure who this is but she looks familiar (hey family, if you know who any of these are, let me know). Note how the tarp is tied over the pickup and the fire has a wire rack up on bricks. Camping with all the amenities.

Jump forward a few decades... 

1969 VW Camper Van with Pop Top up

That is My Sweet Husband standing next to it.  

This was his ride when we met, he picked me up for our first date in it. Here we are at a Rainbow Family Gathering in 1983. We think the conversion was by Westphalia. It was quite cozy. We went all over the country in this thing. Sink with running water, an ice box, two tables and a back seat that folded into a bed. 

1969 VW Camper with top up

Here it is from the side with the door open. We hung curtains for shade and if you look you can see the back door is open. Do you see the little white shelf? That folded up to give him a spot to put the Coleman stove.  

I think the technical term for this is Freak Bus.

That is me standing next to it. It looks like they could sit up on top if they wanted too. Some of these buses are very elaborate inside and some are simple.  

VW Ford Marriage

I have seen several versions of this. Some have VW bugs or other vehicles welded to the top to give then a second story. The drivers really have to know what they are doing. These festival sites are not always on smooth easy roads. 

Now, my heart looks at all the space and comfort, and I think Wow, we should have brought a Double Decker back from Britain. Then my mind takes back over. The drivers not only need to know how to maneuver these rigs, most know how to fix them as well. I wonder how far they have to go out of their way to avoid low bridges. 

Freak Bus!

This one has a great paint job. Looks like it used to be a school bus. Speaking of which, we met a family living in one just a couple of years ago The UnSchool Bus. It is nice to know some are still out there.  

Freak bus with stove

As you can see, this one has a stove pipe coming out the window. Some of their owners live in them year round.  

Bus

There are all sorts of modifications. Not enough head room? Raise the roof. Creativity is the key.  

They Eyes Have it

Hand made

This one is on wheels as well. We have a copy of a great book 

Rolling Homes: Handmade Houses on Wheels 

If you are looking for inspiration.

You can also go to google images and put in Camping vehicles

 Evening on the road

This is My Sweet Husband again, somewhere on this road that is our life together. This is one of my favorite pictures. Have I told you before that I am a very lucky girl. We are still traveling together.

Old VW Van

This one was parked at the grocery store not long ago. When something is on the road this long, it is because people love it. 

1985 Volkswagon Camper Van

This is a Westphalia conversion. As you can see it has a bigger pop top. It has the sink with running water, a refrigerator that runs off propane or electricity while you are driving, sink with running water, two burner propane stove and it sleeps 4 comfortably. This was ours for several years. When we finally let it go, it was to someone else who loves it.

It comes to visit once in a while. 

Digital VW Van 

Remember this? 

Modern VW Euro Van Camper

Not sure what year this is. It was parked in front of the Corolla up on the Blue Ridge. This is the last model. VW stopped making camper vans in 2003. I am sure they are comfortable, and the people who own them, love them. They just are not as cute!

Veggie Dogs on the fire

You don't have to wait for summer to eat camping food. Who says campfires have to be outdoors?

Tasty breakfast, am I spoiled or what?

Speaking of cute

Spontaneous the cat

Spontaneous is not really interested in camping. 

She just wants to make sure we don't forget to feed the cat.

Hope you enjoyed.

Cheers

Kat

& 

Spontaneous

Ten things I like about Summer!

Summer here at Kat's Corner is hot, but this old antebellum was designed for appreciating hot summer days.  Summer won't be here much longer and I like sharing it with you so sit back and have a peak at ten of my summer pleasures.

Walking to the mailbox, early on a summer morning.

Meeting new creatures.

Photographing flowers.

Home grown tomatoes!

Tadpoles and frogs. Watching them and listening to them sing at night.

Roses and Bees!

Dawn at Kat's Corner.

The view from the balcony.

The scent of warm honeysuckle.

Homemade Frosty Frappuchinos.

What are your favorite things about summer?

Kat

Summer pass times and being a kid.

When we were kids, one of our favorite things to do in the summer was to go tubing. Tubing involves floating on the inner tube from an old tire. I have fond memories of slow glides down the river with occasional splashes and little rapids. When I was eleven, we moved into a place on the edge of town that was irrigated. We had the "little ditch" bordering our property on one side and the "big ditch" just a hop or two away. The little ditch was never more than about eighteen inches deep and I could jump across it in most places. The big ditch was another story, It could get quite deep and in places was ten to twelve feet (a little more than four meters) across. We had a shortcut from school that involved using a rope swing to go across the big ditch. you could not use it if you had very much to carry, but it felt like grand adventure when you did. It was fairly easy to talk Mom into letting me go tubing alone in the little ditch. The big ditch required at least one other person and a parent at home.

One summer I got to go to Camp Atoka. It was a church sponsored camp for girls. My friend Shannon and I both got to go. We did the usual camp type crafts and woodsy skills. We sang a lot of silly songs including a slightly warped version of "Camp Atoka Girls" sung to the tune of "California Girls" that I wish I could remember all the words for. We also got to go tubing in the river. Oh, my it was wonderful. Once we all got to talking and floated clear down to where the river flows into the reservoir. We had a long walk back but we did not mind a bit.

Yesterday, my Sweet Hubby took me TUBING!! We went to a spot up in North Carolina where you can rent tubes cheaply and into the river we went. There are long smooth stretches, mini rapids, some places where the rocks will bump your bottom and a few spots that are fairly scary. All together, we walked up and floated back down six times. I laughed more yesterday afternoon than I have in years. We both fell off a time or two and we have a few bangs and bumps, but I am smiling just thinking about it. Yesterday afternoon, I dropped, at least temporarily, thirty-three years and I got to share it with my Wonderful Husband.

Guess what, I forgot about taking pictures, not even the planned ones of us next to our big red modern tubes.

Sometimes, you just have to live life and worry about recording it later.

Hope you have a day as wonderful as mine was very soon.

Cheers,

Kat

Response to Summer Photo Challenge

Last time we met, I offered a challenge. I asked for you to share your favorite spring and or summer photos. So far I have five great responses and they are; (drum roll here) Cat at Corner of Cats Mind was the first to respond to my summer challenge. She posted five Summer Critter photos. Love it! You might also like the post after this one, she has some of the prettiest snow scenes on there.
Marilyn at Our Victorian Cottage thinks a lot like me. She was daydreaming of summer on her post too. Amazing flower shots, I want to wander through her garden.
Alistair from Crivens jings and help ma blog joined in with a hauntingly beautiful photo of Loch Leven.
Brian (one of my favorite cats) from Brians Home offered a picture of three kitties looking out the window at summer. You can’t go wrong with cats.
Andrew from Big Swifty contributed with two atmospheric photos from Essex. He was kind enough to include some historical perspective. Good stuff! His following post goes from a sky scape photo to the purchase of a new iron and made me giggle.

Stop by these wonderful blogs and daydream about things to come.

Today's weather is more typical for winter in our neck of the woods, chilly, rainy, and cloudy. There is mud and muck everywhere (not enough to stop us from going for our walk later). So I thought I would continue the theme. These are, what I consider to be my best shots from last summer. This first photo is an old cabin in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Just look at all that green.
All of today's photos were taken in either National or State parks last summer. This one is also in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Looking at it makes me feel warm and peaceful.
You have seen this one before. This is of the Grand Teton National Park. The sky changed constantly that day.
This vista is one of many in Great Smokey Mountain National Park.
This is one of my all time favorite photos. While we were in Yellowstone last Summer, we got up early enough one morning to catch this. I love the reflections and the ducks in a row. Mom used to tell me I needed to "get my ducks in a row" before starting a project, well Mom, here they are.

No, I am not cheating, that is not snow. This picture was taken last August at Mammoth in Yellowstone. The white is from mineral deposits associated with some of the many hot springs.

Another Yellowstone favorite. This is one of the many places on the side of the road where we pulled over, just because it was beautiful.

I love the light on this one. It was taken in a field full of Buffalo at Yellowstone.

Fishing is not allowed at "Fishing Bridge" in Yellowstone anymore. The native Cutthroat trout are endangered. Photography is allowed and the fishing bridge is a fine spot for it. Look at those little guys.

I saved the best for last. Doesn't this photo just say "summer". This was taken in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

Whew, I feel much warmer now. How about you? Anyone else want to participate? If you do, just post your pictures on your blog then leave me a comment.
Cheers,

Kat

Summer Photo Challenge

It is chilly here and will be again tomorrow. I am enjoying the fact that it is snuggle season and I am enjoying the fireplaces. I am also thinking flowers and green things.

This is one of my favorite photos from last summer.

So here is the challenge, post your favorite spring or summer photo to your blog, that's all. Easy stuff. Come on, show me. There arn't any prizes, I just want to see your favorites.

Kat