Summer's Twilight

I think I am really blessed to have such good friends in my life. I had planned to go camping on the Sept Long weekend at a lake in central Alberta this past weekend. I knew that we would end up at a cabin and that some folks would be bringing their RV’s and trailers and of course I fully expected to be sleeping in a tent. Well I was pleasantly surprised to be invited to stay in the camper with some friends of mine that I’ve known for a bunch of years. “No problem Jay, you’re staying in the camper with us”. Kewl beans… I was so happy that I wouldn’t have to pack a bunch of extra stuff, when they also said I could get a lift with them too - bonus!! Now I didn’t have to worry about chasing them out there in my car, and I didn’t have to worry about setting up a tent too.

I was fully expecting to sleep on lumpy ground, find creative ways of keeping warm at night, and punching into my bank account for a bunch of money to fuel my little civic as well. Then the last kindness was delivered too… I was chipping in for food and didn’t have to worry about shopping, extra coolers, or kitchen utensils etc. Awesome!!! Basically I just had to bring myself, some clothes, a few wobbly pops and some bucks to chip in for food and fuel. Niiiice. :) There really is something to be said for not having to worry about all that extra junk. It makes the weekend even more enjoyable and stress free.

So to say the least, I had a GREAT weekend! I wish my girlfriend could have made it out too because I was feeling pretty guilty for having so much fun without her. It would have been the icing on the cake had she been there to share all that with me. There were some quiet moments when I was missing her, and ended up sneaking a peak at my blackberry for an email or two from her. Despite what you may think, technology really helps the lonely hearted. lol

So many activities to do and so little time. I had a chance to get out on the lake for a ride in a boat, played on a jet ski, and even did a little tubing. When I wasn’t in or on the water, I was on the beach soaking up the rays just like a good ‘ol sun dog. We had some kewl fires back at the cabin, played some cards and some dice, and ate a beautifully cooked roast. We enjoyed more barbeque and some entertaining and lively conversation. A neighbor out there brought over some fireworks on Sunday night and we had a little mini-pyrotechnic show too! Then to our delight, at about 1:30 am in the morning we were treated to a fantastic display of the Northern Lights – aka the Aurora Borealis. We saw curtains of light and color, gently moving across the sky for well over an hour. There of course was a fire pit in the back yard and we stoked it up to a roaring bonfire as well.

By the end I smelled of smoke, bronzed a little darker (with some deep raccoon eyes), and feeling a lot more relaxed. Being out on the lake reminded me a lot of my youth and the time I spent as a teenager at my grandparent’s farm during the summers. We were always on the lake back then, and this weekend just brought all those memories to the surface. Of course I’ve never really been much of a water baby, so I was - to say the least - a little intimidated by the fun had in skipping across the lake on a tube, or by grabbing some air on the sea-doo over the wakes left by other boats. Me and water are not what you would call close companions. Our relationship is tenuous at best. There was plenty of chop to get dunked into and plenty of opportunity to gulp in some unexpected water. Despite my fear of the water, I still managed to have a great time, even after being spilled off the sea-doo once. :)

My only regret is that this weekend came at the end of the summer. Now I have to wait till next year to enjoy this kind of fun again. *sigh* The summer is truly winding down.