First camping trip of the season! Yay!

 We had a nice wooded spot for Lily.  It was almost too short but we were clear of the road, just barely.  I should have taken more pictures but we had no cell service so I wasn't carrying my phone around with me to snap pictures.  I have become very bad about taking pictures.  I used to be the one with the camera all the time and was always taking pictures.  One day I just ran out of juice to take all those pictures and I just stopped.  I need to find a bit of my picture taking mojo again. Dale is the one who takes the most pictures now.
 We had a really nice weekend of camping with friends.  They had 4 cub scouts plus their own son with them.  So we had 5 boys around 10 years old.  To be fair to them they were all pretty well behaved.  If you told them to do or not to do something you usually only had to tell them once, maybe twice, but that is good.  I was accused of being the "cookie stealer" until the boy found out that I was the one who had baked them and brought them up. lol  He changed his tune then.
 We were unable to have a camp fire as the fire rings were WAY down over the hill from our site. It was so cold that a fire would have been really nice.  As it was I ran the furnace and fireplace in my camper all weekend.  I knew it was going to be cold and I didn't pack enough heavy clothes.  I packed for warm weather and I paid the price.  On Saturday night I was so cold I was shaking.  I finally told Dale that I was going in and take a hot shower to try to warm up.  It helped some, but in a camper you don't take a long shower.  Oh, well.  Live and learn (I hope).
On Saturday  Dale and L had a meeting over in town and T took the boys fishing so I just pottered around the camper and had a relaxing time.  I am not into fishing.  I don't like to sit still that long,  I end up casting and then reeling in constantly and that annoys Dale so I tend to not go.  If I go with him I'll take my knitting and just do that while he fishes.  Luckily he is not into fishing all that much either.
 Betsie and I took a nice walk while everyone was out and about.  She is such a good dog on the leash, but that is because we took her to obedience training and she learned to walk at heel.  A good thing as she is a big dog, 85 pounds.  She is a mix of Saint Bernard and German Shepherd.  She isn't as big as my full blooded Saint was but she is big.  Dale took her for several walks and we took her together a few times.  Have to walk them and let them go potty.  We are responsible pet owners in that we carry doodoo bags with us.  
 I had packed our camper full of food for us for the weekend and enough to also feed our friends but T had already planned out what we were having and the Cub Scouts had brought food so they fed us all weekend.  On Sunday after the boys had gone we had brunch and I supplied and fixed that.  We ate inside as it was still cold outside.

 I've heard it said that if a Cardinal comes to see you it is a departed loved one.  Well this past weekend we had 2 cardinals come to visit.  They were trying to get into the camper it seemed.  Actually they probably saw their reflection in the black windows and thought it was another pair of birds and were trying to run them off.  I told Dale that it was his Mom and Dad coming to see our camper and telling us that they were glad for us. (I don't really believe this, but it is a comforting thought.)
 They were there beating at our window for at least and hour and a half if not longer.  Luckily we were so close to the tree that they could not get a good run(fly) at the window so did not hurt themselves. That would have upset me.  I went out and tried to run them off so they wouldn't hurt themselves but they were persistent.  Dale also went out and tried but they just would not go.  I think I saw them still flying around when we were pulling out.
 If you look close in the above picture you can see the female slightly down from the male.  Her coloring makes her blend in with the tree.  

  In the above picture you can see her sitting just in front of him.  They were always close to one another.  I looked for a nest close by but never did find one.

 You can see her a little better here.
 All in all it was a lovely weekend.  We stayed until Monday afternoon and had a great time.  We relaxed Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.  It was just the 2 of us and our dog Betsie by this time.  Betsie is an excellent camper.  I don't think she barked even one time the whole weekend.  Unlike some of the dogs in the campground that seemed to yap constantly.  Even when the birds were dive bombing the camper Betsie just lay there and slept.  My other two would have been barking up a storm.
Home now and ready to go out again.  Hoping it is soon.  I do so love to go camping.  :)

 This tulip actually bloomed on April 16 and here it is May 1 and it is still there.  I have never had a tulip last that long.  They usually bloom one day and pretty much die the next.  I am loving this solitary little bloom.

 My Christmas cactus has a new bloom on it.  I noticed it last evening when we came in from camping.  Just the one, but it is a Christmas cactus.  Also my indoor Mum is blooming again.  I had never seen an indoor Mum before so we got this one.  About a week after we got it all the blooms died on it.  I thought at first that the plant had died, but when I looked at it I noticed that it was only the blooms that were dead and the rest of the plant was still green.  So I cut off the blooms and it looked fine so I kept it watered and before long it began to bloom again.  It blooms about every other month I guess.  It is pretty and doing fine so I will let it go and see how it does. Betsie had to photo bomb me. lol.  She is sniffing the cactus.

Edited to add: I wrote this yesterday (May 1) and thought I published it, but I guess I ddin't.  So I will do so today,