We finally returned to Loyd Park, after a nearly seven-month absence. During our time away, we redirected our weekly camping budget to a monthly visit to Jon’s mom in Illinois. Now that her condition has stabilized, we felt comfortable embarking on a weekender at our favorite backyard campground. The weather was perfect, with daytime highs in the mid-70s and overall mild conditions. The clear night skies revealed the last full moon of winter, the “Snow Moon,” a name attributed to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs in February. Although we saw plenty of snow during our visit to Jon’s mom last weekend, there was no chance of the wintry precip in Dallas. Instead, we thrilled to the howl of coyotes, a crackling fire, and gentle southerly breezes.

This weekend also saw the debut of a new custom yard sign, presented to Cliff by his colleagues to mark his 10th work anniversary at Western Governors University. Their thoughtful and heartwarming gesture will always be a tangible symbol of their appreciation, and will be a source of pride for years to come as we stake a claim to our campsites.

Speaking of stakes (as a homophone, of course), Chef Cliff prepared a delightful steak supper for Date Night on Friday. With temps dipping into the upper 40s, we opted to dine inside Cloud 9, followed by a viewing of episode 6 of “Masters of the Air,” the excellent Apple TV+ limited series produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

We appreciate the depiction of so many brave young men who took great risks to uphold their oaths to their nation and to each other, even to the point of making the ultimate sacrifice. Spielberg and Hanks went to great lengths to ensure their story was based on real-life experiences, including the intense, sustained aerial violence, with its terror, confusion, fear, agony, and grief. With each episode, we have gained a new appreciation for those who faced the horrors of war, enduring it as best they could, never giving up. And through our tears, we honored those who defended and preserved our freedom: men like Jon’s father and Cliff’s uncle, who willingly went to war to restore the liberties of those who were trapped under the grip of tyranny and murderous fascism in the mid-20th century. We owe it to them to do our part in defending our democracy and way of life.

On Saturday, we found ourselves returning to the same familiar routines that have long brought comfort: reading The New York Times, sipping Bloody Mary’s, enjoying brunch al fresco, napping, cocktailing. For supper, Chef Cliff prepared grilled pork chops, cob corn, and steamed broccoli. We ended the evening around a crackling campfire under the full moon. Bliss!

Sunday morning was picture-perfect, with mild, sunny weather making it all the more difficult to pack up and leave. So, we stayed…at least as long as we could…squeezing out every possible moment before the onslaught of workweek responsibilities.

We’ll return next weekend, filled with anticipation for yet another “early” spring fling.