Impromptu Spring Fling

I love it when a no-plan comes together.

First, Miss Mig bought this Aristocrat LoLiner and had to make a 10-hour trip to pick it up. She took Miss Sherry with her. The perfect layover spot, for the trip back, was at the same campground where the three of us each keep a trailer for the winter.

No way could I miss this! I hopped in my truck and 2 hours later, arrived at the campground just minutes after they pulled in with the trailer.

Mig (on the right) set the table, Sherry (on the left) rustled us up some grub, I brought over a bottle of wine, and we inaugurated the 'naked' trailer right then and there.

Miss Anna, who owns the RV park we love so much, got a trailer tour the next morning. This trailer will be for Mig's mom, Dickie, who loves to camp with us.

In her 90s, Dickie reigns as our oldest Girl Camper and possibly the youngest-at-heart. Yes, friends, you are looking at a gal born in the 1920s! This is where Mig gets her spirit!

Here are Mig's trailers, side by side. The huge banner says 'Happy Camper Girl.' Mig is an artist by trade, and probably whipped that banner up in her sleep!

(Tip: Pay close attention to the first photo in this post--it's the one and only time you are going to see this trailer unadorned.)

I took advantage of the beautiful sunshine by pulling out a table and chairs in front of my trailer, The Big Chief. (The Big Chief is a behemoth of a trailer, 31 feet long and weighing in at a tonnage of 5,600 lbs. with nothing in it.)

Sherry set herself up behind the trailers, for a view of the roaring Salmon River.

Sherry's dog Jada had a view, too, but from inside on her cozy bed.

Sherry's trailer, Pistol Pete, has lots of big windows that afford a river view. It always seems light and bright inside, even on cloudy days. Like The Big Chief, Pete makes an excellent semi-permanent camping cabin.

Meanwhile, back outside, we each contributed to a drinks-and-eats bar on a table set up over one of the trailers' hitches. I love this means of providing for a meal between camp breakfast and communal dinner. Everyone can graze on what she likes and no one has to go to a great deal of effort.

We also had campfires, enjoyed visiting with Anna, went for hikes and short local drives, and paid visits to our favorite local emporiums in historic White Bird, Idaho.

All in all, a perfectly lovely time that evolved without a plan. So glad we all acted on the urge to GO, and get hooked up!

First Post of 2013, Last Trailer Sleep of 2012

Happy New Year! We just love that clean-slate factor--don't you?

We have to say, though, that 2012 was a great Girl Camping year. Right down to the very end! For the last weekend of 2012, Mr. Ed and I got in one last trailer sleep by visiting the campsite where we're keeping our Airstream for the winter.

We'd started 2012 with a winter campout, so it only seemed fitting to end it with one.

We'd just come from 2-foot snow country, so it was great to be outside with a campfire, listening to the Salmon River go by.

By nightfall, we were ready to return to our now-warmed-up trailer...pour a glass of wine...and tuck in with some fun reading material. This new hardcover by Phil Noyes was a Christmas gift from Miss Shelley.

Here is a picture from one of its pages. Wow--imagine having that red and white Shasta when it was brand new.

It didn't take long for Mr. Ed's lights to go out. He didn't even bother to pull out the sofa or remove his cap.

The Little Man, G'petto, curled right up into his bed in the trailer's center cabin.

Nestled in with tea and remote control, I watched James Dean strike it rich in 'Giant.' The trailer has a small TV with video player, and I've been collecting classic movies to watch when I'm there. For about 50 cents apiece at garage sales and thrift stores, they make excellent low-cost entertainment.

We woke to a light snowfall that was all the way down to river level. You can see the snow on the rocks lining the Salmon, outside the Airstream's rear window.

It also collected a bit on trailers that belong to some of our fellow Sisters on the Fly members. We have yet to all be at the RV park at the same time, but we do look in on one another's trailers to be sure they are OK.

Note my tracks on the way to the shower! There also are some very nice modern RVs spending the winter at the same park as our vintage trailers.

I always sleep like a baby in the ol' Airstream, and the last trailer sleep of 2012 was no exception.

Now here it is, the first day of 2013, and I already have a recent trip to keep me going until the next one.

Life is good!