Day 7: In and Out (1/12/22)

 Even though we’re in south Texas and are looking ahead to 80-degree temps soon, it’s a bit chilly in the mornings:


The dogs happily function as a foot-warmer and lap-warmer. They’re a lot of work, but I suppose they’re worth it; at least two of the four of us give unconditional love.

If you look closely at Ernie (the white one), you will see how badly he needs a hair trim. So we made a grooming appointment for this morning in Corpus Christi, about a 40-minute drive from our campsite. Such appointments take 3-4 hours, so we brought our gym bags (YMCA!) and made out a grocery list.

I was expecting Corpus Christi, a seaside town, to be a bit like Santa Cruz, CA: a bit rundown but charming, with brightly painted cottages and a turn-of-the-century Main Street lined with restaurants and tourist shops. 

Instead, we were greeted by a massive refinery, which sprawled for what seemed miles of metal and smoke. Then our GPS took us through what must have been the underbelly of Corpus Christi (no pun intended), turning into a six-lane freeway that dove straight through several miles of mall stores (think Penneys, Staples, Target), intermixed with pawn shops, boarded-up restaurants, and weedy lots. 

I dropped Ernie off at Petco, trembling with fear as he faced his fate, then Phil off at the Y. I found a natural grocers a few miles away, filled my basket, then picked up Phil and Ernie, and we were out of there and heading back to our campground. There was nothing more we wanted to see. Just go in, then get out. Quick as you can.

After a trip like that, it’s always nice to come back to peace: 



Camping has its advantages. It gives us a place to sit, to observe, to think, listening to rustling leaves and lapping water. A place to breathe, in and out.


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