Posted by Kath on June 28, 2000, at 16:18:47
In reply to HEY KATH!!!!!!!!!********, posted by Tina1 on June 24, 2000, at 20:47:32
Hey Tina - Thanks for remembering me!! I haven't even gone back over the postings during the time I was away, but the day I left I quickly checked and it felt SOOO NICE to read the messages from people with good wishes about my holiday. It's Wednesday - I got back Sunday at suppertime. I had a wonderful, one-derful, 1-derful time. It was simply superb, or to use a word I particularly enjoy (I'm a word-person) it was GRAND. I missed my friends here - truly - was thinking about you-all a lot for the first few days then NATURE took over & I wasn't thinking much about anything. I was calm, content, and "be-here-now"-ing! No worrying, no anxiousness, no wondering how things were at home, no wondering about my son. No worrying, anxiousness, or wondering about anything. Miracle!
I did develop a small-itchy-blisters rash on my fingers, hands & wrists. It started 2 days before I left & I had it checked out on the day I was leaving. The doc didn't really know what it was. It became VERY itchy a few days into the holiday & of course I thought "Is this a reaction to my Celexa?" I'd been on it about 3 weeks. Phoned Parry Sound med clinic & made an appointment; drove in (1/2 hour pleasant drive) & they ALSO didn't know what it was; gave me cream, suggested Benadryl. Anyway, basically I used an anti-itching cream from my first-aid kit & it worked pretty well. I mainly wanted to rule out the allergic reaction part. It's since cleared up quite a bit.
Re: my holiday - I arrived about 9 p.m. after a VERY quick drive up there. It only took me about 2 1/2 hours because there was very little traffic. It has been known to take over 3 hours so that was a nice treat. It's a pretty, pretty drive. I'd reserved my favourite campsite - big, private, backing onto rocks, pines, rocks, moss, nooks, and down to the rock-lined shore. I set up my tent & the next day & set up my "decoy-tent" (extra tent on the site so it wouldn't be so obvious I was on my own)and tarp over my tent & big tarp over the picnic table. ALL-BY-MYSELF. Guess what - when I arrived, as I drove in past the various campsites (dozens & dozens) they were ALL EMPTY!!! It was getting to be evening & I was thinking "Oh my GOD - maybe everybody is right & I AM brave!! I don't want there to be many people here, because I like the solitude but I don't want to be the ONLY person here! I want there to be at least SOMEONE so that if I need help & yell loud someone will be there to hear me!" Eventually there were 2 campsites occupied; quite far away from mine, but if I needed to and really screamed they'd have heard. Partly it was a bit unnerving, but partly I was tremendously excited (or as my kids used to say "besited"). As it got darker, it was 'just me and the fireflies'!! oh ya, and some mosquitoes - they weren't a bother until it was dark. The fireflies - or lightningbugs, as I call them - were so beautiful & that first nite there was one flashing it's light at my tent door all night; it felt very welcoming. In the morning I realized it was caught between the screen & door & when I rescued it, it crawled on my hand for awhile & that was special (I guess it wouldn't be for you, bugs not being your favorite things!) It's a really bad year up there for tent-caterpillars. There were tons, especially in the oak trees & by the end of the first day there were tons on my TENT! I was thinking "Hey, guys, the word TENT in your name refers to your making a tent-nest in the trees - NOT crawling all over MY TENT." It was pretty gross & I was somewhat agitatedly flicking them off with a stick. Over the next day or so I developed a pretty chilled-out attitude to them & realized that the best way to get them off my tent was to go inside; it's a light colour, so I could see them; I'd just flick them with my finger & they'd go flying off my tent! I was thinking "Boy, I wonder if caterpillars classify as bugs! If so, & if Tina was here she'd probably turn right around & go home." The weather was nice. I'd wake up whenever I did, make a leisurely toast & tea on my Coleman stove & take it (on my tea-tray, which I took with me including cup & saucer, teapot & tea-cosy) down over the rocks to a beautiful place. Often I'd set my lawnchair up next to a flat rock where I'd put my tray. It was fantabulous. I'd sit & munch my breakfast & sip my tea & SOAK IN the whispering of the wind in the trees, the clean splash of the clear blue waves, the occasional droning buzz of flies; SOAK IN the warm sun on my skin & the gentle caressing breeze; SOAK IN the refreshing green of the trees, the sparkle of the sun glowing off the pine-needles, the glittering liquid-silver of the sunlight dancing on the waves, the golden sun all around me, the delicate grasses swaying in the wind. I'd spend time reading, sitting in various places reading or just soaking in everything. There were so many pretty places, & I saw some beautiful pink "lady's slipper" flowers that I'd never seen in my life. I saw a dark grey watersnake that I named "slateskin" & saw it every day down among a bunch of loose rocks. One day I saw a 5 foot long golden & black splotched water snake (I visually checked the tail very carefully to make sure it wasn't a rattlesnake). I followed it as it slowly meandered through the rocks & bushes. I followed it & watched it for about 45 minutes. At one point it was basking on a rock & yawned twice. I named it "goldie" & it slowly made its way over to the same rocks where slateskin lived. When I checked there goldie was there 4 different days! I took numerous photos. One in which goldie was sprawled over slateskin.
I saw raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, & one evening drove to the dump & watched from inside my car, from the other side of a fence, as a large black (or brown - looked black) BEAR tried to get into the dumpster quite far away on the other side of the fence. It decided it wasn't worth it & turned, looked at my car & then ambled away down a hill & out of sight.
Most days, I would see a maximum of 6 people all day. I loved that because it seemed like I was all alone out in the wilderness. I thoroughly enjoyed spending all that time by myself. I saw pretty golden sunsets, sparkly blue & silvery whitecapped waves, sat with my feet propped up on the rocks as the waves lapped at the rocky shore. I had an outdoor on-the-rocks-near-the-shore lawnchair nap & woke up to someone further down the shore on the rocks behind some trees playing bagpipes. It was amazing in that setting.
I finished reading Snow Falling on Cedars & started & finished a historical romance, which I liked alot. I did crossword puzzles, which I enjoy. I took beautiful photos. I sent postcards to family & friends.I really think the Celexa kicked in because even the couple of days when it rained I was "cool" with it - normally I'd get upset.
WOW. I warned you that this was LONG.
My campsite turned out to be available for an extra nite so I stayed 'til Sunday. I called my husband late afternoon to let him know I was leaving & he said he wanted to prepare me that he'd dropped our son of at his day program in Toronto on Friday and hadn't seen or heard from him since. He'd been in touch with the police & filed a missing persons. (He's okay & safe, but we didn't know that til Monday morning.) On the way home, I was pretty calm & didn't really think he was in danger. Just though he was either being rebellious or just not thinking of calling home (one of our big requirements so we don't have to worry).
Got home around 6:30 p.m., had supper, my husband & I watched a video to keep occupied. We were about 80 percent not worried but partly very worried, partly mad but not wanting to be mad in case our son was NOT okay. Didn't sleep too well Sunday nite, I can tell you. Monday morning called his school, (in Toronto, about an hour away from our town) talked to his worker & when she talked to the kids, our son had gone home with one of them Friday to Oakville, which is near Toronto, over an hour away from our town, couldn't sleep over so slept at the other boy's friends' house. He'd seen him on Sunday & he was going to get a drive when this boy's Dad drove him to school Monday. We didn't get a phonecall from our son 'til Tuesday a.m. He was at his school for his "graduation" and wondered if we were coming! Wow - right back into stress city, but I actually dealt with it pretty well. It didn't ruin the calmness that I gained from my holiday. I went to his graduation & said we'd have to talk about the whole situation. He stayed at a friend's house in Toronto after the graduation with my okay & he phoned today & arranged to come home later. My husband & I have decided that he really needs to make a decision if he wishes to live here, because we can't be dragged through this. (It's not the first time he's done this.) He said that he called his friend Saturday & asked him to tell us he was in Oakville with no money to get home. When I said why didn't he phone home, he said he was afraid he'd get yelled at for going down there. SOOOOO, as it turns out, he'll have to get a visit from the police when he arrives home, so they can see he's safe to remove the missing persons case from active file!! WHEW
Anyway, even with all that, I am still feeling pretty high. I think the Celexa is working for sure & am pretty "besited" about that.
I hope you are well, as I said I haven't read to update myself. I send ya hugs & hope you are well!!
Love, Kath
> Are ya back from your foray into the wilderness? How did it go? I'm dying to here about your trip, bears and all. Do tell.... Really missed ya. Hugs-Tina
poster:Kath
thread:38292
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000619/msgs/38585.html