I left St Louis at noon but not before stopping at the Bread Company for a turkey sandwich, and an iced Café Mocha, decaf, extra shot, and skim milk to eat along the way. That’s my regular and I’m only high maintenance about that – really! I got on Highway 44 (it was called Route 66 when I was growing up) and headed west to Cuba, Cuba Missouri that is! I get a good feeling when I wander right outside my normal grazing range to get on the open road and now I realized how I had waited too long for this moment. I don’t even know why I waited so long – except I wanted to do it with someone, when there was someone “someday.” Only waiting to share it with someone is that good old “someday” conversation, so I let that one go finally and I’m glad. I hadn’t heard back from Jas. Jason is my son and my nickname for him has been Jas since he was little but his friends gave him “Jacka” or “Jacko” from the start. My guess is that he was on his way to the campsite as well since I wasn’t able to reach him at home.
To be able to enjoy camping and being in nature is one of the many pleasures God has given me. I’ve ridden down Highway 66 going west all my life, either on short trips throughout Missouri with dad or longer vacation trips to Las Vegas or California to visit with relatives in both places. Even if it were just a Sunday morning, dad would take us out ’66 to a restaurant halfway between St. Louis and Rolla that had a working windmill. One thing for sure in Misouri, there is always rocks to go through as you ride the highway. "Get ready for those rocks!"
We would eat lunch and then continue onto Rolla for a buffet rib dinner. He would take the time to slow down for the sites along the way. We even took side trips down back roads on the spur of the moment, sometimes not knowing where they would lead. When dinner was finished we would head on back home. I remember watching the sun fade in the background as we headed east toward an already darkened sky. And now, I’m listening to Jazz music and heading west once more! I’m getting a good familiar feeling as well as fond memories to reflect upon in this moment. The road isn’t too crowded yet with the rest of the weekend campers and I’m making good time and admiring the view along the way. The lodge’s website mentions that it’s about an hours drive to their site. It was raining earlier when I left the house but now has stopped and the sun is glowing bright overhead. It’s easy to note the balance in having the rain to appreciate the sunshine.
Along the way I spotted Meramec Caverns and took a side trip to ride on the river. From the start a treasure chest was unfolding new and old sites alike. As we went up the river, overhead in one tree, sat a large brown owl. He was hard to see at first because he blended in so well with the limbs of the tree and camouflaged quite nicely. Turtles of all sizes were everywhere on branches and limbs of trees that were protruding out of the water.
Families of turtles were sunning themselves in each little cove along the way. One very large black snake was warming itself in the sun as well on a fallen tree. We didn’t find any turtles in that area though. Nature balances itself once more! A couple of people in canoes passed by and we all exchanged friendly conversation. Then a turn of the boat, and we headed back down the river towards the dock. It was a restful excursion and I took some pictures for a family of four who were also touring. I stopped a moment in the gift shop and spotted a harmonica for Jas. Then I headed back out to pick up the highway once more heading west. I was more than halfway along so the rest of my ride was downhill and onto the back roads.
As I road the winding roads, their ever-lasting beauty reminded me of traveling with dad at the wheel. He would be so observant and see so much and as he noticed it he would point it out to us and give us some additional information regarding whatever it was we were witnessing at the moment. The trees are many years old and their limbs hang over the roads in a stately manor, sheltering the driver from the rest of the world and leading them down a path of beauty as the sun glistens through their branches filled with leaves to shade us.
I arrived at the campsite and got settled in. It’s quiet right now – no one around the site but us – you can hear the water trickling over the shallow part of the riverbed. On the other side of the river are bluffs and hills and only the tops of trees are visible. Within the campground itself there are thinner trees standing tall and watching over the woods while allowing our intrusion for the short time. They do well at absorbing our sounds. It’s as if they are recording them for a later time when the woods are empty once more. I wonder if our sounds are nurturing as well for them as their presence is nurturing for us. I won’t give you bit-by-bit details of our camping trip because when you go camping you spend a lot of time sitting around the fire talking, laughing, drinking, and eating – lots of socializing and lots of doing nothing – just being. At least we do! In fact, it’s probably where I got my first experiences at “just being.” – around a campfire or while fishing with dad. A truck pulled up to break the spell of our being and it was Melissa and Chris. They set up their tent and then we all sat around just a little longer! You get the picture!
A couple of hours later… it’s dark now and the campfire is reflecting the shadow of the evening. As I look up at the sky’s totally black canvas background, the stars nested within glow from afar. I got lost in the twinkling of the stars for a while and allowed myself to just be in the moment that God had created. All too soon, the conversation brought me back to the campfire. We talked as we watched the fire’s transformation from its modest beginning to an evening roaring masterpiece with its glowing hot coals giving constant warmth from the floor of the fire. I was first to say goodnight and off to my car I went. Although we traveled light for camping in the past, this time I traveled even lighter with two swimming suits, one long sleeve flannel shirt, one short sleeve summer shirt, one pair of slacks, and one pair of shorts. I brought a pillow and blanket for sleeping in the car and enough food to keep me from starving but not enough to get me bloated and sluggish, some water and two small bottles of inexpensive wine. The car was airtight and kept me plenty warm all night. I had taken off my shoes and was quite comfortable sleeping in only a swimming suit.
The next morning… as I woke and opened the car door, it was a little colder now than it was last night so I slipped on my slacks and a flannel shirt. I saw someone walking about the site getting ready for breakfast so I knew it was safe to say good morning. As everyone emerged, one by one, we all ate together and stoked the fire to keep it going. Then I decided to go for a short walk. It was peaceful walking along the trail in the woods. It reminded me once more that it’s all about balance: sometimes in the midst of lots of people and activity, and other times alone with yourself. Each contributes to my well-being, each round out the other. Halfway through my walk I arrived at an unplanned destination – a playground with a swing set nestled in the sand. I take every opportunity I can to let my inner child out to play and here it was – time again for play! I sat down on the rubber swing and kicked off as high as I could. Wee! Up in the air again! Flying free! Fresh air was coming at my face; up and down I went, then back and forth. All worries quickly disappeared for the moment. It doesn’t get any better than this! I sat there for what seemed like forever then jumped off the swing to ground my feet in the sand as I grounded myself. I twisted my toes down deep into the sand as far as I could shove them and it felt great.
So … what seemed like only minutes was probably closer to an hour and now sand time was over for a while. I slipped back into my sandals and started back down the trail toward camp, picking up kindling as my eye caught sight of them. I was taking my time until I heard a car approaching from behind so I eased myself to the side to let it pass. I turned back to see who it was and noticed Jeremy and Amy in the front seat. Just then I heard Amy shout. “Hey! It’s Mamma Long! Well, that brought a smile to my face – someone I knew who knew me! As they parked, Jeremy got out of the car and began razzing me – “I was wondering who this woman was who thought she could hog the road and why she doesn’t get out of the way -- of course it’s you!” We all had a chuckle with that one and the conversation took off from there.
Jeremy and Amy set up their tent and then the girls went for more wood and supplies. I went down by the river to gather more twigs and sticks and put my toes in the water – burr! Was it cold! It’s hard to believe it’s June in St. Louis. By this time summer is usually in full swing with heat and humidity – but no complaining here! I’ll enjoy this cool weather as long as I can and save money on air-conditioning. I’ve been conserving wherever I can while my search for a full time job continues. We all had dinner together and sat a little longer by the fire, talking and laughing. Get the picture!
The day was going quickly and I realized if I was going to get home before dark I would need to leave now so I said my goodbyes, got in the car, and headed home once more. Along the way home I reflected on all the other things that I had been present to this weekend that I didn’t mention as they happened. I’m grateful to God that I can sit and be calm and enjoy my own company as well as my son’s and his friends. I treasure that we had this time together and that I am taking away with me – one more fond memory to savor. I’m blessed and reminded of my sight, hearing, and all my facilities that I might have taken for granted in the past that allowed me to enjoy it all – NOW! There were things that did come up this weekend that would have been a challenge and some might say even be problems, but I didn’t see them as that from where I was sitting. I just sat back and took it all in, and somehow no matter what went wrong in the moment, a smile just kept glowing on my face. I realize it was a smile of contentment, peace, fulfillment, and joy, all together in one! Thank you God!
