June 17
We've had a few days to adjust, and it isn't really bad at all now! There isn't a lot of outdoorsy stuff here on base (some of the other campgrounds we'll be staying at will be much more "roughing it"), but it is at least getting away from the city! The only issue we have is that the hot water runs out too quickly when we're taking our showers. There is a shower-house at the campground, though, so it really isn't that big a problem. And there is a laundry room here, as well! I am going to admit that I had just figured that we'd have to make trips to the laundromat to wash our clothes from time to time. Glad I was wrong about that!
I've done a bit of actual cooking, at least! Nothing fancy, of course; and I haven't come up with any new recipes yet. But I did make chicken in the slow cooker yesterday, and the day before that we grilled up some steaks! We'll be going a bit healthier tonight and having salad (Frodo loves garbanzo beans and croutons, so we brought along plenty of those!). Then, toasted marshmallows for dessert!
Oh! And it turns out that we're going to have a couple more mouths to feed soon! Dís called Thorin this morning, and she was really rather anxious and excited all at once. Something came up with work, she said, and it means a bonus for her - but she's going to need to go out of the country for a few weeks. To Venice, in fact! And she said that normally she wouldn't mind leaving the boys at home (Fíli is, after all, seventeen now, and Kíli is nearly fifteen!), but weeks is really a rather long time for them to be on their own. So we offered to take them along with us for a while!
Truthfully, it will be nice spending time with them, since we've not gotten a chance to catch up since we adopted Frodo (a youngster does tend to occupy the time!). And since they do get out into the woods around their home a lot, they might even be able to teach us a thing or two (I still believe Thorin has forgotten what it is like to live in the country, though he denies it!). Of course, with them and Gimli coming with us, I suppose it will mean a lot less private time for me and Thorin. But it is nothing we can't handle, and I'm sure we'll be able to steal some moments - and perhaps the older boys can babysit Frodo and Gimli for us from time to time, as well!
Bofur and Bifur got hold of one of those hitches we needed (for a somewhat decent price), and they were going to drive up this way to drop it off for us yesterday; but they did a bit of research, and found that to have it professionally installed on the car would cost upwards of $300! So, what they are going to do instead is come up to the campground in a day or two with the hitch and all the tools that they need to install it themselves. Either way, I just want it put on before we leave to pick up the boys from Petersham next week!
Anyway, it really is pleasant being here, now that we've gotten used to it. Last night, after a long day of playing in the grass and dirt, Frodo had a nice shower (there was enough hot water for him to take one on the trailer, at least) and actually went to bed in his own bunk. And since the temperature was relatively cool, Thorin and I were comfortable enough to manage some alone time. It was lovely, really, holding him while the summer breeze blew through the window (though the bugs and frogs outside were a bit loud)! I'm looking forward to many more nights like that!