Camping 2000

Cedar Hill State Park

(Lake Joel Pool and Penn Farm)

 

Well, we seem to be making a spring camping trip in the Dallas are a tradition with this group, and still - we find a way to have lots of fun together! This year, I must say - was the chilliest trip I have been on in a long time; overnight lows were in the low 40s, but the windchill took it to the 30s, and the daytime highs were probably in the mid 60s. This year's participants were: Jay and myself, Daun, Mark H., Dave and Susan, Mark F. (CC) and his kids - Josh, Alaina, and Ti.

 Daun and I drove up on Friday to get most of the campsite set up, and we drank a LITTLE wine to celebrate getting a fire going in the wind. Then, we waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. The caravan showed up around 11, and we sat around the campfire shivering, until we decided it would be warmer to crawl into our beds for the night.

 Saturday morning, we got up and the gentlemen in the group started the fire. Meanwhile, Daun and Susan and I worked on breakfast foods. The kitchen was amuck with syrup, butter, and lots of hungry folks looking for nourishment. Daun was the most hi-tech of all of us - with her pop tarts. Susan and Dave were brave enough to cook over the campfire - which was roaring at this point, while Jay and Mark and I took the safe/boring route by cooking on the campstove.

 

Daun mugs for the camera

Susan shows off her tongue - who knows why?

Jay, Jennifer, and Mark's tent

The guys inspect the rice-crispies effect of rain on the road, after breakfast

Our kitchen, away from home

Alaina takes a break by the campfire

Dam!

Lake Joe Pool, from the day-picknicking area.

A second view of the lake from same.

Jay and Mark saw a roadrunner, while getting more ice.

View 2 of the Roadrunner

Roadrunner, taking leave of Mark and Jay

CC shows his kids how to fish

Pose for us, Susan!

Looking from the pier over toward the Day Picnicing area

Dave takes a snooze on the fishing pier

Daun, stop and grin for the camera!

Sue helps Ti fly cast

Mark shows us he can fly cast too - with a stick, some string, and a branch!

Susan musta worn poor Dave out! :)

Mark uses his ring to think deeply ...

Mark teases Susan about throwing her off the pier for the umteenth time that day!

Awww, ain't they cute?

Mark, are you trying to say Dave and Susan are angels?

Mark brings Daun a flower

We got a close-up of the flower because it was purty

Jay and CC show us their butts, while Alaina gets confused by fishing line

Josh makes a perfect fly cast

Jay and I compete for cute couple of the day!

Alaina fly casts, just like Josh

Ok, so the four of us are darned cute - what are you going to do about it?

Mark and the kids, take 3

Daun took this pic of Jay n me

Daun takes a second shot, facing away from the sun

Sunset falls on the Hog Wallow Campground

Lake Joe Pool at sunset

I peeked through the trees to "capture" the lake.

Daun, are you ever NOT perky?

Susan gets chilly, and goes for her coat

Dave and Sue pose - again

... and again!

Dave makes a face

CC breaks up more firewood, while Alaina stokes the fire

I believe myself to be an amateur photographer - what do you think?

Our "village" as Josh would say.

a second view of same

a third view - just trying to document it all (I'm weird that way.)

Another view of the sunset

Ti and Alaina pose for fun.

My attempt to get a photo after dark - I've lightened it some, but not very well.

Josh, Alaina, and Ti pose - and get blinded by the flash!

Ti was SOOO tired, and so was Daddy

Susan complained that we didn't need plates - so Dave wouldn't let her use his.

Susan decides we should mix toasted marshmallows with French Toast

Daun decidely disagrees with Susan

Too sweet, Daun cries!

Susan tastes her own recipe

Sue doesn't like the recipe, but Dave insists

Susan packs up her little car to head home on Sunday

Viewing the campsite from the road

Jennifer and Daun do the dishes, before packing up the kitchen

Just to remind us, we were in campsite 257

Mark and the guys found this sinkhole on the other side of the road

View 2 of the same sinkhole