Happy Birthday, Cold snuggling and more....

Okay, we've gotten very slack and we apologize (this is Stacey by the way) but we seem to have developed blogger's block lately. Well, I'm officially the big 2-8 now! Thanks to everyone who called and/or sent cards! We turned my girl's night out into a mini-celebration and ended up at Macs' on South Blvd that not only serves my favorite beer (Rogue Hazelnut!) and has the best darn hushpuppies ever. I celebrated with my folks when I was home but they had to UPS my gifts and they arrived on my bday which was cool - got some new hiking boots and new bedding! And the boots came in handy because Justin and I took our first camping trip together EVER! I was a little worried as I haven't packed out in quite a while but Justin was patient and it was fun.
Friday we left (after leaving poor Oscar at the vet) and headed towards Gorges State Park in Brevard County, taking the scenic route (I'll let Justin explain) and arrived around one. After a mostly downhill hike to the campsite (about 2.7 miles), we arrived to total solitude. There was no one around us and we set up camp next to a little creek. And I used a saw! Justin looks better when he does it but for the first time in my life, I used a saw properly (I was cutting firewood). Kinda made me feel all tough and outdoorsy! :-) There was a pond nearby with two benches and a little waterfall. Justin spent most of the night taking pictures while I polished off a bag of lasagna. I love him taking pictures - he gets so excited and he's so talented at it. I keep telling him we need to open a studio. But he's very practical......
Anyways, we slept great with a great view of the stars (you forget how many there are sometimes) and a little fella wandering around the brush outside. I kept trying to catch it with the headlamp but it was a quick little guy.
In the morning, we enjoyed some quiet time by the glassy pond - Justin meditated and I read. Then we ate some oatmeal and made the long journey uphill. It wasn't quite as horrible as I thought it would be but I was more short of breath than I thought my smoke-free lungs would be.
We headed next to Pisgah National Forest where we learned that they have the best marketing plan for map buying. We picked up the free one (hand-drawn) and proceeded to spend most of the day lost. We found the Looking Glass Falls and saw some beautiful scenery but when it came to finding the campsite, well, we ended up at the groupsite where they're kind enough to give you a gravel pad to sleep on??? Seriously, gravel? I'm sure it makes more sense in the long run but God put grass there for a reason people!!! It makes for a better natural mattress.
The shiny lining of that uncomfortable cloud is that camping in the park meant we got to the Looking Glass falls early when there was no crowd and good light for Justin to take pictures. It was extremely peaceful and beautiful. I almost meditated and lord knows it takes a lot to slow my mind down.
After a hike up the Sycamore Cove trail, we decided to get home and enjoy a lazy Sunday evening. On the way home, I read Annie Dillard's "A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" to Justin - it's a very interesting non-fiction essay book that won the Pulitzer years ago. Dillard is a beautiful writer (on par with Joan Didion) and the entire book is based on what she sees at the creeks by her house - it's an acknowledgement of nature and a lesson on truly "seeing." Her brain works in wierd ways though and if you hear Justin and I talking about "exploding endoplasms", blame her!
Oh, and we finally broke down and bought a map and you know what I found - FRYING PAN LOOKOUT! How funny is that! It's our next trip so we can get a picture of us ducking and photoshop a frying pan in later! Yep, we're nerds. :-)
It was a great weekend and an excellent birthday and Justin and I continue to grow closer and closer so things are good and happy!
Another thing I've noticed since dating my JJ is that I don't mind him taking my photo. I used to literally duck and hide at the sight of a camera but I can look straight at Justin's camera and smile. He makes me feel beautiful.
And enough mushy....we're just getting ready for Justin's friend David to visit this weekend and plan out our floor demolishing and then to Tennesse for Thanksgiving with Justin's family. I'll post some pics and we'll get better about writing. Hope all is well with everyone!!