I miss the smell of woodsmoke...

[moominmuppet]

I was thinking about that last night -- one of the dramatic shifts in social events since I moved up to Cleveland is that they don't generally happen around bonfires anymore.

Woodsmoke is a deeply evocative scent for me; as a kid, I went camping with my family pretty often, and went to a traditional summer camp every year as well. In college, and the years following it when I was still living in rural Ohio, bonfires were often central elements of social events.

I inherited all the family camping gear last year, and I've been thinking about that. I always expected that I'd continue camping well into my forties, at least, same as Dad. It's one of the places where I definitely feel the limitations of the fibro in my life, and that's something I'd like to minimize. Right now, when I think about camping, or the other outdoors physical activities I used to enjoy, one of my first thoughts is of pain and flares. That makes me thoroughly sad.

Maybe it's partially that I'm simply less willing to 'break' myself for a good time than I used to be. It's not like I wasn't having the fibro problems ten years ago; I remember many nights wandering about in the woods when that was a significant problem for me, and using various canes and walking sticks and painkillers to make it through, and often feeling "stuck" when friends wanted to keep wandering, and I needed to stay in one place for a while. In the more recent years before I moved away, I wasn't even making it through all the "wandering" events that mattered so much to me; I'd often be back home in bed before final festivities. *sigh* *hates fibro*

In terms of camping, though, it seems like I could make some reasonable accomodations, and maybe consider doing it again. Folding camp chairs, air mattresses, selecting times based on good weather that's likely to give me the fewest problems. Doing shorter canoe trips and the like, rather than long push-my-limits ones.

But in general, I very much miss the "running about in the woods" side of myself, and I'd like to get some of that back, if possible.

This ramble brought to you by "Thoughts on tomorrow's rheumatologist appt".

Comments

[cjdoyle.livejournal.com]

I've never been one for camping - but woodsmoke still has some great triggers for me. Jen and I got to spend some time way up North in Canada a while ago, and a group of us sat around a huge firepit just talking late into the night. We were on a lake, and far from any sort of town/city. A very clear/crisp night. I don't remember much of what we talked about, but the sense of time is pretty much locked in.

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

*nod* Some of what I loved about living in the middle of nowhere for so long is that "hanging out in the woods around a fire" was a dominant social activity. I have beautiful memories of everything from just a few of us, and late night conversations, to huge, raging, "what new and interesting things can Namo and Fido do with fire today" social events, with dozens of friends and acquaintances gathered about. Oh, and the "Fire, Whiskey, and Haiku Rescue Crew". Pig-roasts with the maintenance guys, drunken stumbling by the river, skinnydipping in the middle of the night, and all of us standing naked around the fire after. Wandering in the woods, certain I've lost my way, until I spot the flicker of the fire through the trees.

The other thing I miss (sometimes) is the very different nature of socializing in a small town. Parties were pretty much always friends, and acquaintances, and friends of friends, and such, just because it was too damn small a place for real strangers to exist. I love large events like that, but that fondness, I've discovered, rarely extends to similarly-sized gatherings of random strangers (like bars and clubs). On the other hand, I don't really miss the drama that such an incestuous group can create.

[cjdoyle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that trade-off between "drama" and "non-connected" is a hard line to walk. That's why Jen and I like out-of-state conventions. We end up in small groups with the friends we've made, but we've got a huge pile of "mostly-like-minded" folks outside in the hall should we desire new faces.

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

*nod* I love conventions for much the same reason. It's also what appeals to me about big hippie festivals and the like, for the other side of my brain (actually in the process of writing about that right now).

[firinel.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't it be possible to go camping, and go less things like canoeing, so as to save yourself from quite so much fibro problems?

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

The 'being outdoors' part itself, especially sleeping outdoors, tends to be triggery all by itself, because of cool, and damp, and less than ideal sleeping surfaces and such.

[firinel.livejournal.com]

*nods* :/ seems like you could make accomidations for at least some of that, like you'd said.

[calebbullen.livejournal.com]

go camping in the desert! not in the winter.

If you're planning on a warm climate camping field trip, count me in!

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

I've been camping in the desert. The temp changes are brutal.

[calebbullen.livejournal.com]

past a certain temp, that doesn't bother me. Going from 100 to 80 is fine for me in exactly the way that 80 to 60 isn't.

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

What I recall was 80 to 40. And that was when daytime temps were at the hottest I'd want to deal with (mid-March in southern AZ)

[calebbullen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it plateaus nicely (for me anyway) once you get hotter days.

You might like camping in central texas in the early summer. the temp extremes aren't wide and there's enough moisture that the evening cool is just lovely but it's not so damp like here.

Anyway, the point is, if you ever want to do warm weather camping, I'm totally game. But I've been frozen enough by cold weather camping to never want to do that again.

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

It's within the realm of possibility, but given that there's really no overlap in our prefered temperatures, it doesn't seem all that likely.

"warm weather" to me, is 65-75. I'm generally somewhat unhappy above that.

[calebbullen.livejournal.com]

brr...

As I think back on it, except for the first time, I was way too cold every time I went camping camping. And the second time was in a blizzard.

But non camping camping like sleeping on the beach or rambling in the woods or camp have been nice and toasty.

that's funny, I think I like camping but my actual specific memories of it, are not good. I like monkeying around in the woods with fire.

[bec76.livejournal.com]

Oh, I want to go camping so badly. I miss it quite a lot. And for a lot of the same reasons as you, too.

However, zodarzone has NEVER been camping, and would require a lot of concessions to his newbie-ness. So, if we all go camping together, there'll be a low level of effort involved. Ideally, he wants a cabin with running water and electricity, but he has been informed that may not be a possibility. *snert* "Baby steps, sir, baby steps."

Oh, and we have to find a dog-friendly campground. I ain't goin' without mah dawg.

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

Mohican, outside of Mt. Vernon, has cabins and such -- that's where we held the infamous Bi Organizers' Retreat. Not sure about the pet policy, but we could find out. It's also got a canoe livery across the street, if we wanted to go canoing.

[bec76.livejournal.com]

I am ALWAYS up for a canoe trip. Especially along Mohican, that was my family's campground for years.

Woodsmoke!

[motordyke.livejournal.com]

I hear rumors and sighs of a Chicago vacation for you, Jen and the lovely little Miss V. and may I assure that if you decide to head our way-- We can provide a nice fire in the back yard pit + much grilling by my Main Man. Not quite camping to be sure-- more like an urban yard party-- but what with a comfy bed just 15 yards away maybe this could be considered a fine compromise, yes?

Re: Woodsmoke!

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

Current plans are for May 13th -- we're figuring on Chicago if that works for both of you, and NYC if not...

more like an urban yard party-- but what with a comfy bed just 15 yards away maybe this could be considered a fine compromise, yes?

Amen to that!

Re: Woodsmoke!

[(Anonymous)]

Must confer with the Main Man while I am home this weekend-- I will be done with the rocket by then--- we just have to sort out when we are going to squeeze our own vacation in before the big show from Egypt opens at the Museum I'm not supposed to name. We'll give a call and sort through details this weekend, yes?

Re: Woodsmoke!

[moominmuppet.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes!

Woot!

I think at least at the time that forestfire and I talked about it, one of the two weekends around the 13th was also a possibility (I think that it was the 6th, but I'd have to double-check with her). So if the 13th is definitely a no-go, there might still be a fall-back possibility...