As the first weekend of summer rolled into North Texas, we made our way to Loyd Park for a seasonably warm weekend. After setting up, we finished our work week before imbibing in Date Night cocktails. We toasted Cliff’s successful completion of a WGU Academy certificate course on artificial intelligence before turning to the grill, where Chef Cliff grilled a ribeye to perfection, along with a selection of veggies. A crackling campfire set the tone for a peaceful night under the stars.

It wasn’t long before Robert, a member of the DFW Devil Dogs who was drawn to our site by Cliff’s Marine Corps flag, stopped by to offer us a Mason jar of peach moonshine and an invitation to join the group for its weekend activities. Each year, the group hosts a fundraiser around the June 26 birthday of “Chesty” Puller, the most decorated Marine in American history.

Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller began his storied Marine Corps career in 1918 and quickly distinguished himself through combat deployments in Haiti and Nicaragua. His fearless leadership and tactical brilliance became widely recognized during World War II, where he commanded Marines in brutal battles across the Pacific, including Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu. Puller’s most legendary moment came during the Korean War at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, where, surrounded by enemy forces, he famously declared, “We’re surrounded. That simplifies the problem,” and led his troops to a successful breakout. Over his 37-year career, he became the most decorated Marine in U.S. history, earning five Navy Crosses among numerous other honors. He remains a symbol of Marine Corps grit, courage, and leadership.

On Saturday, we opted for something different, venturing to Brentwood restaurant in North Dallas for dinner with Cliff’s family, who were visiting from out of town. It was great to reconnect with his sisters and his nephew’s family to share some laughs. Back at Loyd Park, Cliff also managed to spend some time with the DFW Devil Dogs who, like us, were winding down after a long day.

Sunday found us enjoying our typical pursuits: watching “Sunday Today,” “CBS Sunday Morning” (with a particularly excellent report by Ted Koppel on the politization of funding the National Cancer Institute), and reading The New York Times.

An unexpected highlight of the weekend was a contact Jon made with a third cousin while working on his ancestry project, enabling him to make a few discoveries that hold the promise of more to come.

It’s so hard to believe that we’ve arrived at the end of June. The month has flown by. Next weekend, we’ll be surrounded by “amateurs,” those who only go camping on big holiday weekends, bringing with them their noisy clans to occupy their camping compounds. It will make for a short work week but also an interesting long weekend.