Thank Heavens I'm Water Proof

So, we took a weekend trip to our Favorite Campground Ever this weekend.  The thought was that the family of one of my college besties was going to join us until we realized - two days out from the trip - that she lives, ummmm, 4.5 hours from the campground.  Not really a reasonable distance for one night of camping.  So, it ended up being just us and Wonder Dog.  I can't tell you how many times we've been to Grayson Highlands, but you can read and see pictures of past trips here and here and here.  Because you know you want to.  Go ahead.  Be a stalker.

So, we get there Friday, and it's overcast, but still, so cool (temperature-wise, but also regular cool-wise, too) that we really don't care.  We slap on some jeans and long-sleeve shirts and fleece jackets.  IN JULY PEOPLE.  We visit Juanita at the little campstore and go up to the awesome Visitor's center for our 304th tour there and then it starts getting a little misty, so we head back to the camper to start the Uno Championship of the World and read a bit of Little House in the Big Woods. My awesome hubbers grocery shopped this time (see how spiffy I was at giving up control of that?), so I allowed him the priviledge of cooking our meals as well.  I'm sweet that way.  We spaghettied it up.

And then The Flood began.

As in, THE FLOOD.

It rained.  And then it rained some more.  And it kept raining.  And then there was rain.  And that stuff falling from the sky?  Yes, it was rain. 

And we went to bed - snug as a bug in the camper - and it kept raining.  Which made it a bit damp, but you know, I go with the flow, and I'm not all about my hair and make-up anymore, and it was all peaceful-like with the rain coming down on the camper roof, and I totally did NOT think about how all our towels and other paraphernalia getting soaked out there, no ma'am!

And then we woke up Saturday morning actually not washed away and still it was raining.  But hubbers fixed us some fantastic Belgian waffles and sausage (I was busy with Uno and obviously too busy to cook), so you know, what's a little rain?  Meanwhile, I am thankful my friend lived 4.5 hours away and was not actually floating down a local river in her tent.  That wouldn't bode well for our friendship.

And Saturday it continued to rain in that misty, yet persistent way.  And honestly?  How many games of Everlasting Uno can you play with your nine-year-old?  Well, no, don't ask him. And The Big Woods?  I don't think it ever rained there. 

Needing a little view outside of the pop-up (and did I mention that this is the campground with incredible hiking?  Perfect views?  Wild ponies?  Yeah - we didn't see any of that), we decided to take a little side-trip down the twisty turny mountain roads to West Jefferson, NC to the Famous Cheese Factory.  The seven-year-old loves him some cheese.   And surprise!  It wasn't raining there!  We bought some Amazing Mountain Cheddar (we're fools for some basic cheddar) and spent the afternoon tooling through an antique (read: junk) store where Alan picked up a (non) antique drill and saw, and I bought a milk-glass creamer and sugar reminiscent of my grandmother's collection. 

Back to the campground and Wonder Dog.  And to the rain.  Really.  And to more Uno. And the non-rainy Big Woods.

That night the rain did taper off a bit and we got to listen to some dude provide some live music at the campground amphitheater. And Juanita did sell us some ice cream.  Ice cream heals all sogginess. 

Now, I'm a good sport and all, but by Sunday morning (and more rain during the night), I'd really kind of had enough.  We decided to just pack up and head on home.  And as the camper got attached to the car, the sky lightened.  The blue came back.  There were individual puffy clouds (and also two garter snakes a couple of campsites down). And as we headed down the mountain, there was bright sunshine and a rise in temperature.

So, our camping trip just was what it was - the wettest, soggiest camping trip we ever had.  Going to Grayson Highlands, though, is a bit like coming home, since we've been there so many times.  Doggone it - we're friends with Juanita at the campstore!  So while, my fingers may need to recover from all the Uno ("Draw 4!" "Skip!" "Reverse!"), we really did have some good family times together.  Now, if I can just de-mildew the children, all will be right again with the world.