(Probably best to read this with a wink ;-) and a smile :-) all the way
through.)
When we drove into the campsite after registration, we 1st saw Cotty & Stef
setting up camp, and I was a little disappointed because I thought Cotty
would be taller. I asked him if he knew the directions to Oxford, and he
surprised me when he asked, "Is that you, Christine?"
We got the tent set up pretty fast, which shocked me--we gave it a go back
home before leaving, and we almost got a divorce, so it was relief that
things went smoothly up on the mountain. We picked a site that presented
our tent as "[suitably] situated and on [slightly] rising ground."* You'd
think I would have thought to take a pic, but it never occurred to me--I was
just so damn glad it got up.
We dashed up the mountain as soon as the tent was pitched and there met
thick, gray fog & high, high winds. Darrel was reluctant to get out of the
car. I had to get some shots because of the contest, so I ventured out, set
up the tripod, and snapped away--at whatever I could see--a slight gap in
the fog presented itself and a tree appeared, so I took about 150 shots of
that--just to be safe.
We thought we might get some grub at the mountain cafe before Friday's
presentation, but it was closed, so we had to settle for trail mix from the
gift shop. Don Nelson told really funny jokes to get everyone in a good mood
(he seems like a really nice man), then Tony Sweet came on and showed us HDR
pics rendered with really expensive software, which kind of killed my mood
and put my husband in sleep mood; I had to nudge him twice. We also had to
take the pledge: "I pledge not to take the contest too seriously." I
thought that was great!
It was back down the mountain to the campsite, and I thought I might give
the little 1 burner camp stove we bought a go, but night fell quick, and I
decided for the sake of our little homestead and all the little homesteads
around us it would be safer not to read the directions by flashlight or
fiddle with knobs and propane gas by flashlight, so we continued on with the
cold pasta salad we'd been eating for two days. Thank the good
kitchen-witch I made tons.
Darrel & I joined PDML Central with a bottle of Glenfiddich in hand. I
poured snorts for the takers. There we met Cotty (I think Stef was
sleeping), Stan, Gonz, Ted, Matt, Cory, Scott, Doug, Mark, and John--all
really, really nice folk. Darrel & I did our best to blend in with the
crowd and campsite conversation, but I must confess I worked a bit harder at
the scotch--I had quite a mellow buzz going, and it felt great! I have no
idea where the conversation meandered to, but Darrel said I giggled at all
the funny bits. . . .
*any Jane Austen fans? See Pride and Prejudice.
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