In the Forest

I'm spending a few days out in the woods for a much needed break from responsibilities. You may wonder how I can be visiting with you while I'm out here in the forest. Well, there is a lodge at Unicoi State Park with free wireless Internet access. My husband and I are taking advantage of the lodge for a bit of relaxing television and playing on the computer.

I've found this short trip to be very relaxing. Things have been overly chaotic in my world over the past few months. Being out in the woods helps me reconnect with my own inner peace.

We love camping in a tent out in the woods with few people around. I would be okay with camping out in the middle of nowhere if my physical abilities would allow me to hike more than a few feet. As it is, we do what is called "walk-in camping" where we park relatively close to the campsite and walk from the car to the site. We're also relatively close to the comfort stations. The showers here provide hot water and a clean spot to get clean.

We have camped in various places, but I find that the State Parks are often the best options for camping. The facilities are typically in good shape and clean. The staff is friendly. The campsites are well maintained. There really is little chance of being disappointed when you choose to camp at one of Georgia's State Parks. (The same is not always true for other states. We've camped at State Parks in a nearby state and found the facilities to be sorely lacking.)

Yesterday we visited nearby Helen, Ga for a bit of wandering and sight seeing. I always enjoy walking through the various shops that can be found in Helen. There are so many different things to see here. I no longer feel the need to buy the wares, though, because we've visited so many times that there is little that is new to me. My husband is very grateful for this shift in attitude because his wallet gets to stay in his pocket for the majority of the trip. The only thing I ever really want in Helen is a luscious chocolate covered strawberry or four.

Well, while we were in town yesterday, we decided to take a trip down the river on a tube. There's a company here called Cool River Tubing. I've traveled down the river more than once on an inner tube. This wasn't really a new experience for me. It's an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours, though. Unfortunately, less than halfway through our trip down the river I began to feel nauseated. The heat was not terribly oppressive, so I'm still at a loss as to what caused my ill feelings. When we reached the bridge in Helen, we made our way to the shore and up to the main road. My husband left me in town to go get the car. While I waited for him to return, I had an opportunity to observe a wasp sitting on some nearby flowers. I guess I never stopped to consider just how beautiful wasps can be. This particular wasp was busy preening and cleaning his wings. It was a fascinating process to observe.

Even though I began to feel ill yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed my day out. Today has been even better because I've done little more than laze around doing crossword puzzles and reading some of the documents that I collected at the home school convention. I've managed to reduce my collection significantly, which is definitely saying something. I've been spending time just letting my mind go instead of trying to dictate my thought processes. It's nice to have that luxury even if it is only for a few days. Perhaps when I return to reality tomorrow I will be able to contain some of this calmness that has enveloped me. I sure hope so.