Camping

Das Behr loves camping. Real camping. As opposed to "gay" camping. The idea of pitching a tent and sleeping in a bag is the appeal. Gay camping is the tent experience but just too many creature comforts for my taste. For some, camping without an air mattress- would scrub the whole thing. When camping, I prefer sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag within a tent (I'd rather camp with another and zip the two sleeping bags together, but that's another blog post). Roughing it. It's an escape and it's always an adventure. I don't think that I would've felt the last big temblor that struck under Napa, the same way if I was asleep atop a cushy temblor-isolating air mattress. Like many whom went camping with their families when they were growing up, I didn't get that opportunity. So, I guess I'm making up for lost time by adopting this form of recreation. During the last 19.75 years, I've been camping four times and each camp-out was special.

Life @ Fife's
Eighteen dollars and a temporary surrendering of your CID/CDL will get you one canoe, two paddles and as many life vests as needed, when you lease said canoe at Johnson's Beach. Huh? Why rent a canoe at a beach? This beach isn't on the ocean, it's on the Russian River located in Guerneville, California. Johnson's Beach is the place to go on the 3rd of July for the Guerneville Town Independence Day Fireworks Display. And it's the place to go to rent a canoe.

I'd never canoed before that time in July. I thought how difficult would it be? Oh, man! It's a great work out for the upper body. Ottah and I paddled upstream, which is NO easy task! Yet, Ottah didn't seem to mind too much that our trek was traversed in zig-zags. We brought along a cooler full of 'pic-a-nic' goodies and low-slung beach chairs. We found a small island just after the first bend opposite the Korbel vineyards and hung out for a couple of hours. Then it was back onto the river for the just as difficult downstream voyage.

Another camping trip was with the "Renegades North" gang. Three days of alcohol induced mayhem. Das Behr was sportin' a completely shaven dome on that trip. I don't recall all the details. For some reason there was multiple trips to Safeway and "hiking" in the woods, it was a great time hanging with friends. Ottah and I checked out Armstrong Woods.
Man, was it quiet! Peacefully surreal. Highly recommended for ALL tree-huggers. You know who you are!

Oxnard.
A central coast city. Ottah and I camped overnight in Oxnard during our trek down to San Diego one summer. We had arrived at night. Pitched our tent by the light of the Santa Fe's headlamps. It was kinda scary. I could hear the ocean. That was a sound that I knew all to well. But I couldn't place the "whirl ka-chunk, whirl ka-chunk" sound. By daylight, I could then see through the fog- Ocean and oil derricks everywhere. Eew!

My most recent camping trip was one for survival rather than recreation. I found myself without a home after I'd recovered from surgery five years ago. Luckily, I had unemployment checks keeping me afloat with food. I had tried the sleeping under a bridge thing- way too cold, no blanket, just me and a leather jacket. I tried the EHC thing, sleeping on a bed mat on the floor with a moth-holed wool blanket. Way to much foot traffic around me at all times during the 'lights out' period. Whilst some were guarding their footware from thieves, I was guarding my telecommunications device.

I was not about to sleep in the elements. It was going to start raining soon when I decided to camp-out. Tom suggested that I check out a place along the Guadalupe River in Santa Clara. He could see the levee each time he made his pass along Tasman near Cisco. I investigated the site. There was enough trees and void of people. My criteria was a place that had low to no foot traffic, enough trees to camoflage my aqua blue tent and at least one sturdy tree to lock my bike to. I packed out whatever I packed in. In addition to my tent, sleeping bag and blankets- I had my battery operated lamp, hand-powered radio, non-perishable food, water, toiletries and determination that I'd get through this 'adventure' relatively un-scathed.

Only in the Silicon Valley would a homeless bear be actually smarter than the average bear! Here I was in my own tent with my own equipment and keeping updated with the world with a FM radio and an internet enabled cellular phone. I lived like that for three months. I spent alot of time reading, hanging out at various light rail stations where I'd plug-in and recharge my phone. Looking for work when I could. If I really need to do a repeat of 'survival camp', no problem. Been there, done that!

Although, the next time I go camping it'll be for recreational purposes- That's a def. With someone? Perhaps rabbit, perhaps.

So sayeth Das Behr