Friday, February 10, 2017

Melting Basket 86


Wax tarts from the last basket I would buy again are CFTKR Balance and Glow, Ultimate Sugar Cookie and Serendipity Marshmallow Delight, SMT Marshmallow Noel and Peppermint Coconut Filled Cake, and VCS Cookie Baking at Mom's/Edelweiss.

CFTKR- Fresh Picked Strawberries
CFTKR- Pink Sugared Strawberries
CFTKR- Strawberry Musk
CFTKR- Rosy Strawberry
CFTKR- Strawberry Birthday Cake Fluff
CFTKR- White Cedar Forest
CFTKR- Full Moon
SMT- Frost Bite/Candy Cane/Enchanted Forest
SMT- Cinnamon Sticks/Dragon's Blood/Butter Brickle
TDC- Rosewood & Amber

This is my strawberry woods basket. I am craving sweet for Valentine's and woodsy scents for winter (not that is is really winter around here). As usual, if you would like me to review any of these scents please let me know!


For about a year now I have had the hankering to take the girls primitive camping. You know... the kind in a tent, with a campfire and no outlets. Roughin' it. 


So this past Saturday my sister, Darby, and I loaded up the girls and I borrowed a tent and we set out to a local county park. Even though we felt like we brought the bare essentials, the very long hike out to the campsite had us huffing and puffing. Thankfully, our dad came out and helped us haul the rest to the site when we were about half way there. He was coming to hang out for a little while anyway, but we got lucky he arrived post haste.


After setting up the campsite, we explored some of the park and the streams that trickled all about.


Everything was all sunshine and roses up until dark set in. There was an issue once the sun set about us not filling out a certain form so the park ranger took me back up to the office and when I returned I realized I forgot my cell phone back in the Jeep when I returned my purse to it after giving him my additional information. That would not have been so bad, but Darby's cell was down to 7%. And it was only 7pm. And we are just two chicks and two chicklettes camping.


Dad had left long ago and it was dark as pitch. It was a good mile through woods to get back to my Jeep. In the dark. Did I mention it was dark? Did I mention there was only one more campsite with people it in way on back in the woods? Did I bring up the fact there is a ton of wildlife dwelling in this park? Did I fail to mention Florida has panthers and bears and alligators the size of a juvenile Stegosaurs? Savanna really wanted me to have my phone and I knew Adam would too. I wanted my phone. I put on my big girl panties, grabbed the nearest flashlight and some protection and I strutted my stuff in the direction of the Jeep. 


About 100 yards from the campsite I heard a pig squealing for its life. No lie. About half a mile in a heard and saw the palmetto bushes rustling to my left. If I was not as hearty, I think my old life muscle would have burst wide open right there inside of my chest. Finally, I made it to the Jeep. Got my phone and immediately texted Adam. I power walked back to the campsite fast enough to make Oprah proud, trailing the acrid tangy sweat of fear and squeaking Nikes. Maniacally turning to glance behind, making sure a panther wasn't stalking me or a vagrant from the local highway. By the time I made it back to camp my legs were cramping.


And I naively thought that was the worst of it. 


Little did I know that Darby and I, and pretty much Savanna too, would not sleep a wink that night. About an hour into laying down for slumber more pigs began shrieking. Have you ever heard a pig yell? Terrifying. About two hours later, slow and deliberate footsteps outside the tent. Darby poking me, "did you hear that?" Savanna fidgeting between us. At about midnight Darby and Savanna and I give up the ghost of sleep and go outside to re-stoke the fire... our safety net and peace of mind. We hang out about an hour. The campers in the other site start loudly copulating. Savanna asks "what is that?" Instead of lying I just tell her. (We have had "the talk" in the past). She looks right at me and asks "You don't do that noise do you?" No baby. It is getting cold. We go back in the tent and two hours later a band of coyotes are howling RIGHT OUTSIDE THE FREAKING TENT! Darby, Savanna and I shoot straight up and listen. Quiet. Eyes wide. Hearts hammering. Google coyotes howling and see how petrifying it is!!!! Finally, roaming rabid coyotes wander on to other victims in the night and we are left with something huge falling on the tent, more creepers stealthily stalking our flimsy habitat and freezing cold temps that have us shaking in hypothermia. But 5am we get out and stoke the fire until the sky turns from black to grey and the song birds start singing. 


Then we pack and get the hell outta Dodge. 

I asked the girls if they had fun. "Yeah, but let's not do that anytime soon." I agreed. We had fun. We will remember it always. And now I know what fear feels like as an adult. Scarlette slept like the dead and I have never been more envious of that ability.

Have you ever primitive camped? I think Disney's Fort Wilderness will be our next tenting adventure. What could be more safe?

15 comments:

  1. HAHAH I am laughing, but that is terrifying! Honestly, when I saw you were camping in Florida, I was like, "OUTSIDE? WITH THE GATORS AND THE BUGS?" LOL I just figured you are Floridian and you guys are used to it. lol

    When I lived in FL, my mom came to visit one year and we went down to Everglades NP. This was before Katrina, and they had simple cabins you could rent at Flamingo. We got one - it was close to the beach, but the walk from cabin to beach was through some Everglades-y scrub. We went to a really cool sunset presentation on the beach with the rangers, but then walking back in the dark to the cabin, we heard some animal being brutally killed by another animal - we were terrified!! The next day, we got stuck between our car and gators behind us on a trail by a massive gator blocking the exit at the trail head. I'm ashamed to say I ran zigzaggedy and left my poor, elderly mother behind! LOL :D Fortunately, we both survived.

    I might be convinced to beach camp in florida is it was 1) winter, 2) far from scrub, 3) i was being paid. Otherwise - no! LOL :D

    I am glad you made it out alive! Sorry about the other campers :( that's awkward, ugh.

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    1. Those cabins at EVerglades got wrecked by Katrina :( I don't know if they have new ones now (last i checked, they didn't), but if they do get new ones, that's a good option for going to the park but being inside at night!

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    2. LOL! I am used to it in daylight, with the ability to go indoors and escape the creatures of the night. Isn't that sound simply awful?! I am sure your mom forgives you and would sacrifice herself to allow her progeny to survive LOL!! I know you would never abandon your mama <3

      Beach camping is great. Especially at Anastasia State Park right outside of St. Augustine. You know. I have lived in Florida all my life and i have never visited the Everglades. I have been to Miami and the Keys (love Big Pine Key) but never the actual Everglades. We will remedy that. I think the girls would enjoy that.

      So sad about Katrina. I remember going to the Miami Metro Zoo when I was a kid and a year later Andrew tore through and destroyed it. I bet there are other cool places to stay though around there. I will look into it. Drive along Alligator Alley again. I hope you have a great weekend, hot stuff.

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  2. While terrifying as it was, it goes down as one of my favorite memories! I loved reading about our adventure again, and I would not change a thing! I love you and my sweet neices! I am truly blessed to experience as you perfectly put it, "fear as an adult" and how to put on a brave face for the girls! Haha!

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    1. I agree. It was definitely memorable and something I will never forget. We love you too and I am so glad you came with us! I could not have made it through the night without you.

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  3. Ooh, ooh! Pick me, Pick me! Could I get a review on CFTKR Pink Sugared Strawberries, White Cedar Amber, and TDC Rosewood & Amber?

    Oh, my. The dreaded pig cries while out camping. The dreaded cries of... *shudder* copulation. Savanna's question, though! LOL! The first time I went camping was our freshman year of college. In Texas, there are some ginormous wild hogs, and they're incredibly loud at night and supremely dangerous at all times. We couldn't swim or fish because it was alligator gar mating season. Let me tell you, they don't let ANYTHING get in the way of their mating season. I saw things I wish I could strike from my memories. I did not sleep very well for the two (yes, two!) nights we were there. That first shower back in civilization remains the best shower I have ever had.

    At least through all this you all will get to say "I can't believe we did that!! That was crazy!" instead of "I wonder/I wish..."

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    1. Always!!! I would love to review those!

      Animals and their mating being deadly to the rest of us. Camping in Texas sounds just about like camping in Florida. And two nights?! Good, Lord. No thank you. That shower upon returning was pretty sublime.

      Yes! We indeed are saying we can believe!! And I agree, much better than not at all. <3

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  4. I love this episode too much, will you please adopt me? Just think of the stories you're giving your girls, not to mention that they'll be camping pros someday.
    I didn't get to go tent camping till I was 30! (My parents are not outdoorsy) thankfully, my husband was happy to share his camping love and lore. We go to a sweet clearing in the winding hills. You know the only wildlife I've seen have been owls and deer, ok maybe a pair of blinking blue eyes once or twice, but they, and we kept our distance. Building a fire and cooking with camping hacks now exist in my repertoire, still hopeless with a tent though. Florida camping however? I think I'll pass!! So brave of you gorgeous ladies;)

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    1. Yes! Come hang out with us. <3 I hope they will be comfortable out and about in the wild like that. They have always loved nature and the outdoors, but living out there is something entirely different than just playing outside.
      Owls and deer are much more welcome to me than anything with overly sharp teeth or tusks. Your clearing sounds enchanting. I love that you are enjoying camping as an adult. Sounds like a wonderful date night. I may need to pick your brain for camping fare. We ended up eating walking tacos (mini Doritos bag filled with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and taco meat). It was yummy but the meat got cold by the time we ate.

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  5. Sweet merciful lord, Julie, I'm laughing because you've described it so well and with so much humour, but that is a bloody nightmare right there. Camping is the work of the devil. I remember trying to stifle a laugh when I went camping with my parents as a kid and my dad's air mattress leaked out in the night, and he woke up grumpily yelping about sleeping with a rock up his ass.

    But dude, that was a ROCK, not some pig getting murdered in the bushes while you crawl through the Floridian darkness. And panthers?! How did I not know you had flippin' PANTHERS? That's it, your wilderness bests mine in terms of nightmare death fuel. Sure, we've got the occasional eight-foot-tall Kodiak bear, but no prehistoric lizards or their dinners. Okay, wolves. We've got loads of wolves. Also groundhogs, and they're total dicks (joke.)

    You are seriously so brave. I loved this story, but please never camp again.

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    1. It was the stuff of nightmares. But still good for a laugh.... now. And can be looked back on fondly from the warmth and fluff of my bed and blankets and suburban bubble. LOL! I would have laughed if that had been me, but my stepdad wakes up like a bear so maybe I would have tried to stifle it on second thought.

      Your bears beat our bears by miles. And wolves are beautiful but not if I have to fight them off from taking a juicy bite out of my rump roast. Poor groundhogs! I actually saw my first one this summer in Ohio. But I could see how they would be a nuisance. Digging around in peoples' yards and being pains in the arse.

      I won't. At least not like that.

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  6. Oh my word what a nightmare! I am sitting here laughing because you are hilarious with describing it and seeing the positive in it but I cant even imagine. I have had my horror stories as a child with the many years of tent camping my family has put me through but this just takes the cake. So glad you didn't get attacked by gators,bears or wolves oh my! Super brave Julie.

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    1. I can see how tent camping could become dangerously traumatic if ghost stories and scaring children on purpose is involved. My stepdad used to scare me in my bedroom when I was a kid: hiding under the bed and grabbing the sides of the mattress from underneath and shimmying it about or hiding a walkie talkie in my closet and making spooky sounds and stuff. I cannot count how many times I came running out of my room screaming.

      I am glad too!! Hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day!! <3

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  7. Wow!! That all sounds so much more eventful than my nights camping here in Wisconsin. I couldn't help but laugh. I think my worst experience was a nasty thunderstorm... and I was much less brave than you were! I'm glad you all stayed safe. Better luck next time, lol!
    -Angela Kay

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    1. I need to camp in Wisconsin then. But not in the winter. Or during a thunderstorm. Hope you have been doing well!!

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