Our family has entered our summer full-tilt. Kraig wrapped up semester grading in time for us to celebrate our daughter Ev’s high school graduation. That was a joyful event celebrated with twenty-one other grads from our homeschool community. It’s a big event each year, but the parents are great about coming together and making it happen, and this year was no exception. Then two days after graduation we packed up our minivan and headed west for a few days of camping and almost complete detachment from the world.
Camping has always been our family’s ideal vacation, despite the effort it takes to prepare for it and the unknown—um—adventures that arise. From the time Kraig and I got married, through many of our years in Michigan, we’d finish our summer with a camping trip to Lake Superior in Michigan, and I still view that as the best camping experience ever. But we’ve had other great trips, and this one is now one of those. We aimed our minivan toward Enchanted Rock, a Texas state park half an hour north of the historic German town of Fredericksburg. Enchanted Rock is in Texas’ hill country; it’s a great dome of pink granite flanked by smaller domes and centered in a plain surrounded by ridges—it’s believed to have been formed when lava bubbled to the surface there, and when you stand on the summit and scan the circle of the horizon you can easily imagine you’re in the center of an ancient, vast volcanic crater. In places like that I always think of the earth cracking open during Noah’s deluge, and I wonder if it will again when God makes way for the new heaven and earth. You can’t avoid thinking of cataclysms in some parts of the world!
Thankfully, Final Judgment cataclysms weren’t a part of our week’s itinerary. In fact, because it was the week before Memorial Day and most schools were still in session, the campground was practically empty. It also was still early enough in the season that the temps weren’t too uncomfortable. We had days in the low 90s, but each night dropped into the high 60s and low 70s. The west side of the state is drier, which also helped. It meant that at the hottest point of the day we could rest in the shade, and the breezes felt cool.
Each morning we trekked up one of the trails—the central, highest bulk of Enchanted Rock, and Turkey Peak, and Little Rock, and over to Moss Pond. The exercise was rigorous and I realized how out of shape I am (and that my knees are definitely past 50….). But the resulting views were worth the push. My mind has been so full of so many things this spring, and I’d hoped to have time to read and write during the week to process. That didn’t happen, but I found it was incredibly relaxing to sit on the peaks where the wind blew steadily, and I could just look, and look, and look. We all talked a bit, but mostly we explored, and we were together. We tracked the buzzards and hawks that caught the air currents below us and over us. We watched lizards skitter across the rocks and dark ground squirrels bound here and there. We clambered down back ways where the rocks jumbled together like a giant child had dumped out a box of blocks.
After a few hours we’d descend and head back to the campsite for lunch and rest in the shade. There we waved off the flies, discussed the behavior of the micro ants (great for cleaning up), medium ants (biting), and giant ants (leaf eaters, with highways cut through the grasses). Birdcalls of all kinds surrounded us, including the incessant background song of the white-winged doves (can I just say?—I prefer the coo of mourning doves).
We headed into Fredericksburg later each afternoon, partly to sightsee, but also to find something cool, and one day to get our back tires replaced—a job we’d hoped to put off till home, but after driving five hours with a packed car, Kraig realized we needed something immediately. We found one auto and tire center in town, and were thankful for the swift help we got there. Dairy Queen Blizzards, 7-11 Slurpees, and a couple quiet hours in the lovely downtown library completed our visits.
On our way back to camp for our final night we noted lightning off in the distance, and I pulled up a weather report, only to find the prediction for that night had shifted from clear to storms. Yay. My heart rate immediately ratcheted up and I started to imagine those cataclysms…. We’ve weathered storms while camping before, but one never knows how it will play out. No matter how often I remember that God has us in his hand, a good thunderstorm has me picturing trees falling, winds whirling, lightning striking…and all this while in a tent! Anyway, as soon as we hit the campsite we immediately packed what we could into the car, trying to leave only the bare bones for the night. Jon gave up his personal tent that had no cover, and joined us in the big one. Our tent dates back to Kraig and my early years, and while we’ve sealed the seams, we know it’s nearing its final days. But Kraig secured it as well as he could, and we headed to bed to the sound of thunder rumbling and the constant flicker of lightning off to the south. The storm hit us as predicted in the middle of the night. Thankfully the worst part of the thunder and lightning only lasted about half-an-hour, and there was little wind. The rain, though, came steadily for a couple hours, and the water found its way into two sides of the tent—Kraig and Evie found themselves in puddles! The five of us squashed closer and closer into the center of the tent, and, with some sleep, made it through. Morning dawned clear and dry, so we hauled out all the wet stuff and hung it up to dry as much as possible while we struck camp.
We wrapped up our adventure with a second breakfast at the home of my Habit friend Christina who lives near Fredericksburg, and we found a little Middle Eastern place for dinner on our way home. Home was welcome, and we barely moved the first day back. Nothing like a good vacation to wear you out!
We’re now looking ahead at the future adventures of the summer. The girls and I will head to Habit writing gatherings in the Nashville area, Ev then has a week of theology camp at LeTourneau, Clare is working on campus, Kraig is diving into consulting jobs. We’ll head to Michigan for family time and Mom Warnemuende’s memorial. I’ll be back in Michigan later in the summer to help Bandersnatch Books man a booth at the Realm Makers conference. And maybe—just maybe—we’ll finish one of our bathroom projects…. Perhaps this is our version of a cataclysm!
Check out Daughter of Arden at Bandersnatchbooks.com, along with other great titles.
You can find links to more of my writing at A Shaft of Sun Through the Rain and my old blog, Willing, Wanting, Waiting.
You’re a regular pioneer out there in the tent during the storm! I hear families who camp together are happier. :)
How wonderful to have such amazing family time, especially before the crowds of summer descend on the campgrounds. Though tired, I am sure you are refreshed.