Let the Camping Season Begin

What is the allure of pitching a tent, coaxing damp wood to life, trucking just the essentials (and ok, a few luxuries, too) out to nature, all to stay temporarily in a marginally cozy, generally less than clean situation? What's not to enjoy? We enthusiastically launched camping season by iniating our friends and our dog into the rituals. Scenes to highlight the year's first excursion:

 

A tasty dinner: teryaki chicken, grilled peppers and squash, and packets of new potatoes in butter and herbs. All cooked, served and eaten whilst still light out--a wonder!

 

The view beach-ward from our tent site.

 

It was Katie's first camp-out, which she loved (and not just because she got to wear her stylish coat).

 

This might possibly be her favorite moment of the weekend--fetch on the beach.