camping

I’ve never been camping before. I have a vague memory of owning an old hand-me-down tent as a child. But I know I never l slept outdoors with it. We were never a camping family, growing up. But mostly it’s because I’m scared. Once when visiting friends I opted to sleep in my car instead of under the stars. It was one of the most uncomfortable (and stuffy) night’s sleep I’ve ever had. At least I avoided any bugs or (gasp!) wild animals.

I guess I just needed the right camping buddy. Susie has been camping loads of times (and in much more primitive settings). And she’s a lot tougher than I am. I knew she’d take care of me (see the above reference to bugs and wild animals). And I always feel more comfortable having the dogs with us.

Susie had a week off from work so we took my birthday and the two days afterward and had ourselves a little camping trip at our favorite place, Lake Jocassee.

I needn’t have worried. Camping was great fun. Sure, the first night was a little rough for both of us; getting used to the sounds and all. But by the second night, slept quite soundly.

The tent we bought is spacious, easy to put up and lets in plenty of light and breeze. Susie’s parent’s bought me an AeroBed air mattress for my birthday and that thing is crazy comfortable. Certainly aided our good night’s sleep.

Of course we did more than just sleep! There were breakfasts and dinners cooked out on the grill. And not boring basics either, real meals like spaghetti and meatballs, pancakes and delicious hamburgers. If camping can be like this every time, I’m in.

The water at Jocassee is unbelievably clear. And we spent most of our days in and around the water. The campsite had a great view of the lake with easy access to the shoreline. The lake levels are incredible this year. We’ve finally moved out of the drought conditions, and I think that’s made a world of difference for the lake. The water level was the highest we’d ever seen. In fact, the only way we could get to our favorite cove was by canoe; the area was no longer accessible by foot because of the level of water.

The canoe scared me the most. There’s something unsettling about a small watercraft on a big open body of water. Even with a lifevest and moderate swimming abilities, I’m still filled with a level of anxiety about being on the water. So I didn’t quite get my money’s worth out of the rental. But I think Susie made up the difference, going for a long trip and investigating parts of the lake we never see; like the dam.

My new camera weathered the trip and I was able to capture some great photographs and even some video. Best of all, at no point during our stay were we locked out of the car.

I’d call this first camping trip a huge success and foresee many more trips to Devils Fork State Park on Lake Jocassee. Maybe even a trip to Myrtle Beach…

slim

I had no inclination to get a new digital camera. My 3.2 Megapixel camera is perfectly acceptable. It works, and takes fine photographs. Even some video. So why did I get a new camera for my birthday?

One part envy, one part tech lust, one part selfishness.

As I mentioned previously, I forgot to bring my camera to my sister’s graduation. My brother and mother took a boat load of pictures. And the quality of their images was way better than anything my camera kicked out. Not so much the megapixel density, but the clarity and color of the photographs were impressive. Their cameras were also smaller and thinner than mine. And the displays were much larger than the postage stamp size on my camera. It didn’t help that at about the same time Cabel Sasser was writing a glowing review of his new Canon SD960 (the bigger brother of my SD780). Envy.

I’d been interested, for some time, in a digital camcorder. Something like a Flip or the new(ish) Zx1 from Kodak. Susie’s tape-driven camcorder has ghastly battery life and besides, collecting and editing tapes is a pain. My new camera shoots 720p hi-def, widescreen video. Lust.

What can I say, it was a birthday present. For my 30th. A milestone. That seemed like reason enough. Selfishness.

I put the new camera through it’s passes with photographs and video of the pets. (What can I say? They’re unbelievably cute and photogenic.) The video capture impressed me immensely, right out of the gate. The kit even came with a micro-USB to RCA cable that let’s me connect the camera directly to the television. {squee!}

The anondized metal casing gives the camera a very sturdy feeling. But the slim size is almost too small. There were several times I found myself gripping the camera extra tight during our camping trip (more on that later). Another compromise of the slim form factor is the special lithium-ion battery. No more AA rechargeables for me.

With all that said, I really do love my new camera. And I thank my mom and my wife for the joint gift.

third

Today marks another anniversary, three years ago today we moved to South Carolina. The weather almost mimics that of 2006; HOT.

Susie and I have been tempted to stray in the past three years, but we’re delighted with our cute little house. We’ve even made a few minor improvements that make life here all the more comfortable.