I woke up this morning at Tyler State Park. It is one of my favorite places. It is filled with a lifetime of memories. When Cindy and I first married, we had a tent and a car and not much else and we could camp. I started Seminary and Cindy started teaching in 1984. We were 21 years old. Each spring break we would take off to East Texas to camp at Tyler State Park, hike a little, and then drive over to see some friends that lived in Shreveport. We would go drive the azalea trails. We love East Texas in the spring. We both grew up in the metroplex and there are no seasons there, just concrete and traffic lights. We were meant to be outside in the spring.
Later, we introduced some friends who ended up getting married. We were camping in Tyler State Park and they stopped by on the way back from their honeymoon. It was our first encounter with the Raccoons. Early in the morning they came to our tent and started to scream. They were just outside of the canvas and it was unnerving. It sound so much like a person. We turned on flashlights and they scampered back into the pine trees.
Still, another spring break, we took a couple camping at Tyler State Park. She had never been and we wanted them to be campers so we planned an amazing trip with amazing meals. Cindy and I went early and set up the tent, laid out the beds, and fluffed the pillows. We had steaks cooked outside over the grill and potatoes, baked in the coals. We had hammocks. It was nearly perfect. Our friend could not sleep well. All the noises in the forest bothered her. The sound of bugs bothered her. I think the thought of the raccoons prowling around the tent bothered her. It was her first and only camping trip.
Last night, Cindy and I returned to Tyler State Park. We bought a travel trailer. We had always planned to buy one for retirement, but COVID accelerated our plans. It feels like a safer way to travel. We are still pursuing high points and most of the next ones are in remote areas, so we like the idea of a base camp. We are taking it on vacation in October. It will be our first vacation this late in the season. We have always gone in the summer, but the COVID work flow just would not allow us to be away. So, we thought we needed to go practice in the camper.
I made a reservation. We packed the trailer. We headed out for a 15 hour, over night adventure. As I pulled into my campsite, a large raccoon came lumbering across the field. He went straight to the truck in front of me. He stood up on his back legs and reached for the handle. If he had been any taller he would have tried to open it. He circled around the truck. Then he turned and looked straight at me. It was like being welcomed back home by an old friend.
I woke up in the morning and walked to the lake to see the sunrise. I saw tiny footprints at the waters edge. If you look at the doors of my truck you can see paw prints. It reminded me of how much I need nature, how much I need to be outdoors, how much I need to look up so that I might be filled up with the presence of God.