Pass the Gwaltneys !

Fall is around the corner and the camping season has officially begun. Friday evening Tom and I set out for "The Land", an 80 acre tract near the town of Columbiana, Alabama, to meet up with our friends Pony and Dave for a much needed night of camping. Getting a late start, the much anticipated trip got off to a slow start. While traffic into the afore mentioned metropolis is usually lite, we ran across the aftermath of the meeting of a compact sedan and a train. Needless to say, it was not pretty. After passing the clearing scene and realizing that there was a body under the white tarp near the car, we swiftly proceeded to the nearest Taco Bell for the lamest camping meal ever. We reached the campsite just before dark hauling our gear with a trailer and Tom's 4wheeler and cleared a couple of plots for our tents. Pony was the first accomplice to arrive with his mammoth tent in one hand and a book in the other. After camp was set we settled around the fire with two burritos, four soft tacos, and four hard tacos which were now soft. Soon after Dave arrived and quickly fashioned a tent out of a blue tarp and two bungie cords. We thought this a little funny but hey you don't really want to question the efforts of a man who can list completing Ranger school with the US Army on his resume. After chatting around the fire and waiting for Dave to consume no less than six Gwaltney 100% chicken dogs with 40% less fat, we decided to take a stroll along the trail we have been clearing just experience it at night. Be thankful for LED's and Energizers because it is pretty dark in the woods at midnight. We finally settled to sleep around 1:30 am and I quickly realized how much better I would sleep if I had my own tent. Anyway the next day we awoke around 8:30 am and the fun ended around 10:30 am with Pony and Dave making an early departure. Tom and I hung out for a while before returning home as well. While I can't rank this trip one of my favorites, it was fun while it lasted. We are hoping our next camping adventure takes us a little farther from home with a larger cast of friends and perhaps another pack of Gwaltneys.