First Reader and I spent the first week of the month totally unplugged. We took our camper and our dog to the mountains to get away from it all and unwind.

I was bored out of my gourd for the first day or so while trying to figure out how to live without all my electronic gadgets. I tried sitting at the outdoor picnic table and writing or coloring, but the biting flies, midges, and mosquitoes made it impossible to enjoy the atmosphere. Then, I got my fishing license. And on July 4th, I caught my first rainbow trout in almost 20 years. It was delicious. Two days later, I caught two more, and First Reader caught one. The dog “ignored” the table after the fish were prepped for the grill.

I took the dog for several walks a day, just to give her something to look at other than our campsite. She loved seeing all the other dogs and the kids. In fact, one of her best fur pals was a few sites over, so she was all kinds of excited. It turns out that she loves the water, too. While we fished, she spent her time chasing the waves churned up by the wind. I would say that her first camping trip was a success.

Of course, as soon as we came into cell range, our phones blew up. We were back to reality—and the heat. By the time we made it back home, the temperatures had climbed back into the sweltering range and stayed that way for the next several days.

Now that we are recharged, it’s time to get our butts in gear and get moving on a house.