With each passing year, it seems like summer comes earlier and stays later, thanks in no small part to climate change. This weekend was hot and humid, more like summer than spring, as days grow longer and continue lengthening in the lead-up to the summer solstice some 10 days from now. High temperatures and humidity drove the heat index well above 100 degrees. Fortunately, we had a well-shaded campsite, so we were able to maintain a comfortable cabin climate for the duration.

High lake levels forced the closure of some roads at Loyd Park, making it necessary for the one-lane, one-way loop road to become a two-way access point. Generally, that wouldn’t be much of a problem, but considering all the sites are configured for backing in from one direction, pulling out in the other direction was a challenge.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and began working remotely after getting set up. We shut down promptly at 5 p.m. so we could enjoy a proper cocktail hour, with a bright and bubbly Cassis and a traditional charcuterie board. Date Night dinner included a beautifully grilled tenderloin bathed in herb butter, asparagus, and baked potato, accompanied by a lush Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon. We ended the evening watching the first episode of “Palm Royale,” a period comedy-drama starring Kristin Wiig as an outsider trying to gain a place in the high society of Palm Beach, Florida, through the Palm Royale Country Club. We liked it well enough to commit to a second episode, but not on Friday.

Saturday found us enjoying a mild morning under the pavilion, watching “CBS Saturday Morning,” reading The New York Times, televisiting Jon’s mom, and enjoying breakfast cocktails and brunch. A luxurious two-hour afternoon nap preceded a proper cocktail hour, this time with limoncello and vodka, in addition to grilled shrimp with St. Elmo’s cocktail sauce. Moving outside, we were greeted by a friendly raccoon that boldly approached us for food. Not wanting to make a new pet, we dispatched him to the next campsite, where he was promptly confronted by the family dog.

It may seem cruel, but feeding wildlife can have a negative impact on an entire ecosystem. Campers often have the best intentions when they want to share nibbles with a critter in a park, but feeding wildlife is dangerous. Human foods aren’t healthy for wild animals. Animals that eat our snacks can fill up on the wrong foods and stop eating the healthy nutrients they need to survive. They stop hunting, foraging, or scavenging as they would naturally. They literally want to get our peanuts or die trying. Depending on humans for food is called food conditioning, which is dangerous for animals because it often leads to serious consequences, such as getting sick, starving, or even having to be put down for becoming aggressive. They end up begging, stealing, or ripping into our food sources if they can’t get what they want. These are not tame animals like our pets at home. If they feel threatened for any reason, they will bite, charge, or attack. Best to leave them to their natural diet.

For our human dinner, Chef Cliff prepared bone-in pork chops, grilled to perfection, along with steamed cob corn and ranch-style beans. We ended the evening with a campfire, a long walk under starlit skies, and that second episode of “Palm Royale.”

On Sunday, we spent the morning watching “CBS Sunday Morning,” reading The New York Times, enjoying breakfast cocktails, changing and then finalizing our August travel plans to Salt Lake City, having brunch, and napping. Although Jon did a tiny bit of work on Saturday morning, all things considered, it was a restful, restorative weekend.