Sunday, February 9, 2014

Clun Valley.........

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For some reason Laura and I were talking about a camping experience Gerry and I had in England. Two friends of ours, Angie and Jim went on a road trip in our old car. Gerry and Jim were still in the USAF stationed in England. We were newly married and this was a nice getaway for us all. I happened to be about 8 months pregnant but was pretty comfortable with the idea of camping. We selected a tent, quite small but big enough for 2 large sleeping bags. Yeah, we were young we got naked and slept together in the bags. Well we arrived in the Clun valley. We got permission from a farmer to camp in his field. He told us to watch out for the crazy donkey who lived in the field. I think he was pulling our legs. Well.........this tent was supposedly good enough to camp on Mt Everest. I am sure glad we didn't test that theory.
We crossed this lovely little stream by stepping stones and set up camp on the side of the stream. It curved gently around the field and so we found a nice spot by the trees on the banks of the stream.
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I am pretty sure that is the field (above).........we got the tent set up and comfortable. We had a small cook stove, just a gas burner so we could sort of cook. When we got settled in for the night it began to rain.....and rain......and rain. It came through the tent, puddled on the ground sheet. We got soaked. Our sleeping bag got soaked. Remember we are naked. Our clothes got soaked. We had not one dry thing to wear. It thundered and lightened. Next morning finally came. The other 3 went for a dip in the stream that was really a rushing river now. I was NOT going to do that, sorry, at 8 months preggers I had SOME pride.
We put on our wet clothes and packed up the camp.
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That lovely babbling brook was now a raging torrent and twice as wide as when we crossed it to the field.
We had many adventures on that trip........the engine died on our car and we spent a night hovering around waiting to get that replaced. Lucky we did easy enough. We were young and it was an adventure. You should have seen us when the engine was going. By then we were in the Lake District. We just managed to get to the top of one mountain and upon looking back we could see our trail of smoke among the hedgerows for miles back. We coasted down the other side of the mountain and into a small village where we were very lucky to find a small garage that took great care of us.
I am linking up with The Dedicated House Make it Pretty Monday

4 comments:

NanaDiana said...

Janice- What a great, great story. Oh- the things we did when we were young,huh? No fear-and life was an adventure. xo Diana

Arija said...

Ah, those were the days . . . nothing seemed to daunt us, rain storm or break down, all was an adventure. Yep, managed to travel at 8 mtgs. preggers and later with a babe in arms and a toddles across the Atlantic from NY, through Scotland, England and Wales, across the Channel, by rail across Europe and back down to Genoa and by boat to Australia and loving every minute of it.
Whatever would we have to remember if we had not done these foolish things in youth?

Magic Love Crow said...

8 months! Wow girl! You were carefree! LOL! What an adventure! So much fun!

Tiffany said...

Oh wow what an experience but lovely pictures.