We arrived for our weekender at Loyd Park on the hottest day of the year. With the mercury climbing to 107°, we wondered aloud “what the hell were we thinking?” Yet by Sunday morning, the temperature had dipped to 77°. The weather was actually pleasant!

When we left for the weekend, we received dire forecasts of torrential rains — up to four inches in some areas. As it turned out, we received very little precipitation. But at least the cool front dropped the temperatures and lowered the humidity. The only real threat to our contentment was a nearby beehive. A beekeeper friend assessed the hive and said there were likely more than 25,000 bees inside the tree, which was situated only three feet from the driver-side door of our truck. “Move slowly,” he advised. “Don’t swat at them, even if they sting you.”

Fortunately, the only threat we had to put down was a single honey bee that found its way inside Cloud 9. Cliff promptly dispatched it of its life, preventing it from stinging Jon, who has allergic reactions to bee stings.

As is our custom, we began Date Night with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a perfectly grilled ribeye, seasoned fingerling potatoes, charred asparagus and roasted shishito peppers.

On Saturday morning, we left Loyd Park for Cedar Hill State Park, at the opposite shore of Joe Pool Lake, to brunch with friends who were visiting from the Fort Hood area. Before departing for the east coast, Cliff started smoking a brisket for our dinner. Our visit with Lance and Laura McEwan was a delight. We first met Lance a couple of years ago through our Heart of Texas Camping (HOTC) Unit of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI). Since then, we’ve kept up mostly via Facebook, so it was great to actually have some face time and to finally meet Laura.

The brisket was exceptional: flavorful, moist and tender. Chef Cliff sided it with roasted corn, steamed broccoli and an endive salad.

Sunday morning found us surfing the web, reading The New York Times, listening to Baroque music, enjoying breakfast cocktails, and planning our next adventure. By afternoon, a cover of clouds blanketed the area. Could this be the beginning of the long-promised week-long rain event? We’ll report back at week’s end, when we return for the next leg of our August adventure.