Mississippi Back woods

Pretty little lake

Monday was spent on the internet, looking at things trying to decide what I wanted to do, where to go, all that kind of thing and a bit of the annoying pay bills, get annoyed by Verizon again, fix my internet on the go box (working again, unfortunately Mississippi has almost no coverage unless I’m within about ten feet of a major freeway).  I had made no decision by the time Starbucks closed so I meandered down to the nearest rest area.  Tuesday morning I got up and looked at the information available to me and a decision was had.  The light bulb flashed on again and I decided to go spend some time in the woods with myself, finish a couple unfinished projects and just relax.  There was a free campground (small, but with running water) not too far and some cheap ones not far from there (one even had a shower).  I decided to stock up on some supplies and headed to the free one first.  There were only a couple other people at it and it is a pretty little place next to a lake (fisherman, mostly safe, don’t need to worry as much about hunters), so I found myself a flat spot to park and I was set up (have I mentioned how great it is to have set up be so easy.) Then WAR PLAGUE hit.  Every war has one, it goes around, people go home sick and this war was no different but this war plague was worse than most.  I thought I had gotten clear but no, just when I thought I was safe, boom.  It was all I could do to crawl into bed and sleep.  I slept for the next 28 hours, only waking long enough to drag myself to the restroom, make sure I still had water and go back to sleep.  I was definitely running a fever.   Wednesday afternoon I awoke to feeling slightly better and my temperature had gone back to normal and I wanted a shower.  So I decided to go try the campground nearby with a shower.  Everything about the place creeped me out, from the completely deserted campground to the controlled burn happening just across the main road (at the only road in or out).  Reading the signage it appeared no fee for day use, so I took a shower and got out of there again.  I went back to my cute little lake that was free.  Wednesday night had me running a temperature again so I went to bed early.

By Thursday I was mentally ready to be up and about but my body laughed at me.  So I sat by the lake and read a book.  It was quiet, the only invasion being by the ducks.  But I relaxed and basically now only felt like I had a really bad head cold.  Thursday night I slept ok, but my body was really not happy with the distinct lack of movement that I had had since leaving war, and my internal thermometer could not decide what it wanted to be at.  Friday, I awoke a bit after the sun, and really wanting a shower again, but I was not going to go back to the creepy campground, so I had a wonderful COLD sponge bath in the bathroom sink (there was a drain in the floor)  and even succeeded in washing my hair in a sink that is smaller than most.  Once I was feeling like one of the living again, I did go into town to get a few more supplies (really for ice), and then returned to the lake to read a book.  I had heard a rumor that on weekends the camp gets inundated with boy scouts, and it is true.  My little flat spot at the top of the hill is fairly far from them so I can just sit back and watch and laugh.  If there is anyone that can rival us SCAdians with shear amount of stuff being brought to a weekend event than it is the boy scouts.  If my left over war plague (now just a head cold) didn’t make me so short of breath I probably would have fallen out of my chair giggling as they unloaded the trailer.  Less than a dozen people most of them half sized, and yet 8 large tents, 2 large day shades, 3 large things of propane, 4 extra tables and all your usually accruements including fishing poles and a boat (the lake, if I can call it that, is small, it took me 15 minutes to walk around only because I was going slowly because dude sick), and then the flag, yes they too brought a flag this one being a US flag but it made me want to pull mine out and put it back up.  I didn't but mostly because I didn't have the energy.  Then a family showed up, who believes that to use the car powered air mattress pump you need to get the car next to the tent, and not that you take the mattress to the car fill it up and then take it back.  I’m too much a people watcher. Another group of adult boys showed up Saturday morning, and since they camped much nearer to me I could listen to them make fun of the boy scout group all day.  I spent it wondering and how are you guys any better.  Saturday also had a couple backpackers head down the trail and some just day hikers.  A car of Californians that give us such a bad name also came in; they had dreadlocks even, asking people for food as soon as they arrived.  Only about half the normal weekday fisherman stopped by.

Cute man made lake in the woods, with ducks

If I knew what was next for me, I would have vacated myself on Saturday.  But I didn’t have the energy for it (the vacating is easy, the where to go instead not so).  Really all I had the energy for was reading my book (I finished all the light pleasure reading I brought with me and I don’t have my sister’s library to read, whatever should I do?)  My symptoms are down to nose cold, annoying but my box of Kleenex and I have become frienemies.  Plus I came out to the woods to enjoy some alone time and hopefully learn to smock.  The first has definitely happened but the second is still in the just theory state, maybe Sunday?  It’s not like I have to go to church.

Sunday I awoke to a sprinkle, and most the other campers trying to vacate quickly, So I opened up the back and started making coffee under the overhang.  Over hang is not water tight when the rain turned into a downpour, but coffee was had and everything put back in before the lightning started, I enjoyed it inside and stayed mostly dry.  Only lasted maybe 30 minutes and then it was gone as quick as it had come.  I dried off the little bit of wet, did dishes and started learning to smock.  I am currently taking a break from the smocking to go into town and buy a few supplies (bread and ice, always the freaking ice, I need to figure out a better way of having a fridge).  Anyway, I'm feeling better and am now looking forward to some more quiet time in the woods.