Roughing It

I remember the feeling vividly; that sense you get when pulling into a patch of dirt for the first time knowing full well that this would be home for a day or two. I did it all the time as a scout growing up. We live such pampered lives nowadays, central heating, prepackaged manufactured foods, and anything we couldn't make ourselves could easily be purchased.

But I suppose some vestigial senses still remain from when man lived a more feral, nomadic lifestyle, living off the earth. I'd venture that these innate senses, instinct if you will, are probably the reason why so many still hunt, fish, camp or go hiking. Regardless of how technologically advanced we become, some part of us will always want to return to those days when man didn't hunt for leisure, but because life depended on it.

Campsite No. 5, Lake Juliette at Dames Ferry
Juliette, GA

But seriously though, aside from all the "getting back to nature" rhetoric, who wouldn't want to wake up to this? What you're looking at is Lake Juliette, near Macon, GA. What you're not seeing in this pic, is the ten young, fun-loving individuals totally not giving a shit.

(and no, ten of us didn't sleep in these two tents, we had two campsites side-by-side with five tents altogether)

I used to think I knew what relaxation meant. I used to think it came in the form of a Playstation controller, a couch and a six pack. Far from it, true relaxation comes with a fishing pole, a cup of worms and a CASE (2 or 3 really) of beer.

And this is basically how the weekend went from start to finish: wake in the morning, start the grill, stick a worm on a hook and crack open a beer. And if that doesn't sound like fun, just try to deny the allure of sitting around a roaring campfire making smores.

Don't let me fool you though, this business isn't all fun and games, especially being so near to a large body of water, you could imagine the mosquitoes were out of control. They weren't much of a problem as I think we all came prepared (as long as you don't mind smelling like OFF all day). But mosquitoes though annoying, would likely be the least worry, with spiders, ticks, flies and ants running around and trust me, the first time you roll on a pine cone under your tent at night...........O_O

I'm glad to have been introduced to this group of folks as they seem to go camping often. It's my intent to go every chance I get it, I'm already hooked. Now if I could just find some people to take me hunting.

DTJ

What bills?

Bush Whackin......sorta

As an adult, there are few things I miss more than being out in the bush. Having been raised in Maracas Valley, a river, waterfall or mango tree, were never hard to find and as such, the boys were always out hiking or bubbling pot or raiding somebody cocoa.

Hunting season was always a fun time as our neighbour was a hunter. The weeks prior to hunting season each October always found us youngsters tasked with "running the dogs," basically letting them loose in the bush (plenty to go round in Maracas) to run down gouti and manicou, get their scent. The dogs don't eat during hunting season unless they corner something so we had to make sure they were fit and familiar with the scent of their quarry.

Interestingly enough, once we boys were old enough to wield a knife without injuring anyone, the neighbour stopped gutting and skinning his own kills, preferring instead to call over "dem Johnson boys" to do the dirty work. I still can't skin reliably so deer is out but trust and believe I'll gut and quarter a manicou so fast, you'd swear it was chicken.

It certainly didn't help things when I started going to Fatima in the mid-nineties, quickly joining the scout troop there........1st Fatima Sea Scouts......the memories. Fatima was an active troop, feeding my outdoors addiction, always out hiking or kayaking. For a time we spent nearly every Saturday "down the islands" on Monos, and hiked often to Maracas Bay and Las Cuevas, but my most enduring memories always come from the frequent camping trips.

I've camped Caura river, twice in Toco, twice in Matelot, spent a week on Monos Island, a weekend in Paxvale Santa Cruz (which most will now recognize as a subdivision) and even camped Maracas Valley a few times. Fun times that I'd somehow managed to miss out on through the entirety of my twenties. Not anymore though, I've managed to locate a group of individuals in the Atlanta area that enjoy camping as much as I do. I've already been on one trip with them having spent the last weekend at a campsite on Lake Juliette 75 miles south of downtown Atlanta, GA.

Now that I've gotten my feet wet, you can bet your last dollar that I'll be out under the stars every chance I get going forward. Sometime in the coming days I'll talk all about the Lake Juliette trip but until then, peace.

Laters.........

DTJ