Well, yesterday was a nice day. Checked the forecast: no lightning predicted, light winds, and light rain early morning (about 6am). That's OK.
I decide I'll take the new pup on her first semi-wild camp: a trip to Muirshiel visitor centre then very short walk to a nice spot located on a previous visit. Should be ideal.
First off I turn up at visitor centre: five other cars, all empty. Hmmm, that's a lot but it has been a nice day. Before I leave the occupants of at least two cars turn up and begin to pack up & head off. That's normal.
Off I go. No wind. Totally still and the clouds are hiding the sun. Midges will be a problem. Also horseflies.
I pitch the tent and head off with Kelp to a warmish burn where I throw sticks for her into some deepish pools. About 9.20pm two people turn up with a German Shepherd just as I was heading off. A bit odd, a bit late.
I go back to the tent, get a can of special Beavertown Bloody Notorious brew and, fleeing the midges, head off on a slow walk up a track. We turn back around at 10pm. I see the full moon appear. Approaching the spot where the two people turned up, there are now four. Strange. Anyway they start heading back down the track to the visitor centre. I let them get ahead and I make my way back to the tent.
Back at the tent, the midges drive me into it. I settle down to sleep. So warm I don't even unpack my sleeping bag.
Kelp wakes me barking at about 1am. I sit up and see a flash. My first confused sleepy thought is 'someone with a camera??'. Then a rumble. Another flash. Wait and a few more. God damn, a thunder storm!
I pack up and exit the tent into a dense cloud of midges. I hate the things. I really do. Do they wait outside tents? I take the tent down in shoddy fashion and just stuff it into my pack and head back to the car.
There's still two other cars there. Lights on in one. They start up and head off as I near.
Two 330ml cans of ale. Can I drive? I decide to head a small way down the road home: that visitor centre has too many visitors for the late night. I pull into a layby off the single track road. I arrange the back of the car (Honda Jazz, with the back seats permanently down) to get some rest as I think I need another possible hour before I should drive. Its cramped, with Kelp's crate. You can't stretch out fully.
Soon the other car drives by. Another fleeing camper?
At about 1.45am I decide its time for home. I head off. On the dual carriage way back, I watch two red cars playing stupid games ahead of me. I hang back until they exit. I get home at 2.20am.
So Kelp's first camping trip: a dogging site, thunder & lightning (she coped well: her first time), middle of the night fleeing, sharing the back of the car... Hope the next trip is better.
Post edited at 11:03
