It’s Spring Break this week, and I’m writing my blog from a picnic table, my dog on a pillow by my feet, my husband rocking gently in a hammock in the sun. We’re at the lake, camping, and enjoying some exceptional spring weather, along with a snowstorm of yellow pollen from the pine trees around us.

Those aren’t my feet.

I love camping and the outdoors, and this has been one of the best gifts of losing weight — the ability to get out and do some of the things I thought might be completely lost to me.

Yesterday, we walked down a short trail, through the pine and blooming dogwoods behind our campsite, down across from the water’s edge. We’ve sat out in the sunshine, just enjoying the weather.

There’s also a bit of working to camping. We own a popup camper. The bottom is metal, but the top is mostly canvas and has to be erected/broken down at the beginning and end of camp. It takes some muscle and patience, including cranking up the top, pulling out the bed slides, pushing up the metal bracing, unpacking, and going about the business of setting up camp the way we like it. That includes erecting the connected awning and screen room, a free-standing canopy, the hammock my husband is now enjoying, tables, cooking gear, leveling, stabilizing, cooking, cleaning… you get the idea. It’s a vacation, but it’s also a bit of work.

Last year, when we bought the camper, it was almost entirely up to my husband to set it up; I stood back, took care of the dog, and waited until he gave me a task I was capable of doing. This year, I can crank up the top, pull out and anchor the slides, and more. It makes for quicker set up, breakdown, and hopefully, fewer cuss words.

The terrain itself can be a challenge. Last year, this campsite would have been too difficult for me to navigate, since it’s hilly and has steps from one section down to the next. This year, it’s not a problem, as long as I’m careful.

Bonus: I had to run to the store the other day for some needed camp supplies, and among them, a $3 belt to keep up the capris I thought fit.

Unlike most weeks, I’m leaving off the video; I’m in the woods and enjoying the warm breeze and the quiet, and I’d just rather not dig through YouTube to find something that applies. So, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna go kick hubby out of the hammock and enjoy it, myself.