This weekend, we camped at Loyd Park, along the western side of Joe Pool Lake. With record-breaking heat, we were concerned that it would be difficult to keep Cloud 9 at a comfortable 73 degrees, but Loyd Park’s dense tree canopy made climate control more manageable.

We arrived on Friday in time to set up, walk the dogs, and enjoy a glass of wine at the grill–all before sunset. Typically, we enjoy a steak dinner on Fridays, but on rare occasions, depending on the guest, we will postpone it to Saturday, as we did this weekend. Consequently, we enjoyed a Date Night dinner of glazed pork chops with cob corn and steamed broccoli, accompanied by grilled peppers and peaches. Afterwards, we embarked on a long walk under starlit skies along camping Loop A.

Next morning, Cliff headed back to Hampshire for his work shift, while Jon stayed at Cloud 9 to read The New York Times and investigate new discoveries on Ancestry.com. Cliff’s return resulted in Bloody Marys, a generous brunch, a long afternoon nap, and preparation for our special dinner guests. The evening found us enjoying cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and lively conversation ahead of grilled steaks, asparagus and peppers, and baked potatoes. Afterward, we experienced only a single casualty among the 16 glasses we used at dinner: a small Italian-style wine glass. Its twin will now become a flower vase.

The dogs allowed us to sleep in on Sunday–an extra 15 minutes. We took them on a long walk around the loop, and then settled into our morning routine: “CBS Sunday Morning,” The New York Times, Ancestry.com, breakfast cocktails, brunch, nap. We’re nothing if not predictable.

Next weekend, we’ll return to the same shaded site–a real benefit as spring makes a sudden transition to summer in North Texas.