Summer Scorcher

Another weekend with triple-digit temperatures found us camping at Loyd Park, where we enjoyed a shaded site and mild mornings with cool breezes off Joe Pool Lake. Most folks have the good sense to head toward cooler climates at this time of year, but our jobs keep us tethered to the immediate Dallas-Fort Worth area,…

We’re Having a Heatwave

While most Texans seek indoor activities during an August heatwave, we chose to hitch up Cloud 9 and head to Loyd Park, where we engaged in indoor activities. We had hoped that our heavily wooded site would provide shady relief from triple-digit temperatures, but that was not to be. An expanse of open sky directly…

A Wearying Weekend

Webster’s dictionary defines “wearying” as “tiresome.” This weekend was wearying. Because Jon had a work-related event on Friday night, we arrived on Thursday evening to set up for the weekend and to stay overnight. That way, we could go back to the house on Friday morning, attend the after-work event, and return to camp late.…

A Minimal Existence

One of Jon’s colleagues asked about our weekend plans, and he told her we were headed out for another camp-out. She asked about what we would do, considering the weather forecast was for high heat and humidity. Jon said we would probably just stay inside Cloud 9 most of the weekend, enjoying its creature comforts.…

Park Place

Our favorite backyard park is a woodland area about 17 miles from our storage unit, but it may as well be a world away. Locally popular but otherwise unknown, Loyd Park provides not only an escape from work but quick, easy access to Joe Pool Lake and 220 campsites nestled under mature native Texas trees.…

That Rainy Day Feeling Again

We arrived at Loyd Park on a warm, sunny Friday afternoon amid forecasts that pop-up showers were possible on Saturday and Sunday morning. Apparently, we were camped in the right place at the right time, because the heavy rains that rolled in on Saturday evening continued through to Sunday morning. At one point, we were…

Flood Route

Heavy rains on Friday night raised an already full Joe Pool Lake to 7 feet above normal, causing water to creep beyond its banks across access roads throughout Loyd Park. That left the campers in our area only one way out–a seldom-used service road. Although we hoped the water would begin to recede on Sunday,…

Calm After the Storm

Our weekend began with stormy weather. Lots of stormy weather. Although we were able to enjoy Date Night under the pavilion, storms rolled in around 10 p.m. on Friday, driving us into the protective shelter of Cloud 9. Heavy rains, flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder lasted through the night and into Saturday morning,…

Backing Sh*t Up

We spent a gorgeous weekend at Loyd Park, where we met some fun folks who had gathered for an annual spring fling event. As we observed a guy trying to maneuver his rig into his campsite, we got into a conversation with his wife about the trials and tribulations of backing in. We shared tales…

Wet Weekender

The weekend weather forecast called for 80 percent rain chances, with the possibility of severe storms, which made our plan to have Cloud 9’s tires replaced on Saturday morning questionable at best. So we decided to get the work done on Friday afternoon, meaning we would arrive at our campsite later than usual. But we…