Hum: It's Beginning to Feel a lot Like Christmas!

We got back last night from a week of camping in New Brunswick... and it felt like Christmas. No, it didn't snow, although it was in the high 40s a couple nights. We had so much new gear it was like opening Christmas presents all week!

First there's the 2005 Aliner, the cutest, hard-side, origami lotus, pop-up camper you've ever seen! One person can have it set up and ready to rock in less than 1 minute - I kid you not. Once we got up to Kent Junction, within minutes of being on the camp road we saw a bear. We've seen quite a few over the last five years and lemme tellya - having a chomp resistant sleeping space is a wonderful thing! Not that a determined bear couldn't bust into the camper - but at least we'd have a little bit of warning and a fighting chance. Mmmmm... Aliners... crunchy on the outside, meaty on the inside!

Then there was Michael's truck. He sold the Ranger and bought a used F-150 and it's perfect for towing the Aliner. Since it doesn't have a cap, he got a new tool box to keep his chain saws dry and secure. We had a variety of camping gear from Charlie and the previous owner of the Aliner that was new to us as well. Different cookware, storage totes, extra lanterns, a folding kitchen table/rack... luxuries that made it feel like Sky Mall camping!

It was Christmas in June out there in the woods. Grateful, peaceful, vigilant. Thank you notes for our gifts were sung by the swaying leaves and carried star bound by the camp fire's smoke.

Here's the trailhead of our camp on St. Joseph Road,

with the truck and camper tucked into the trees.

I'm standing across the road from the trailhead looking north...

and here's the south view. It's heavenly out there in the woods!

This is the Aliner parked in the driveway at home, and Michael posing nicely for some reference of scale. I think it needs a "Hershey's Kiss" pennant flapping from the peak!