This afternoon I got together with some lifelong friends, at a park, with appropriate social distancing.

Two of us are past our full vaccinations, and one is between doses, so we sat together at a picnic table, but apart a bit. The one fella popped his mask on from time to time, and I found myself wanting to pop mine in, either in solidarity, or now familiar comfort. Looking around the park, we saw that nearly everyone was without mask. Clumps of people, in their together groups, with few to no masks at all. We did discuss many of our concerns and hopes with the sudden change that all is right, and that none of this is political or because of any conspiracy.

All are well. Everyone at our homes have adjusted. Everyone is excited, and tentative, about the seeming light at the end of this pandemic tunnel.

We caught up on all of the things that have happened in the last year, and other details and recollections of things in the last almost 40 years since we first met. They've known each other a little longer, but I didn't know them until junior high school. Still, with so much happening in the last year, there was a lot to get caught up on. Pandemic office closures, job shifts and wiggles, and all the new life routines.

We talked a bit of camping and trailers, as we've been considering getting one, and one of the others has a good one. We camp a few times a year. I'm getting over it. The kids like it, and we like the bulk of camping, but I'm getting past wanting to sleep in tents, on the ground, a mattress, or in a cot. We've been looking at small, sleeper trailers, not big mobile homes. My pal commented they have a "little one, just a 24-footer, and only one side pops out." Heh. That's not a little one. They had moved into that from a pop-up, which is really a tent on wheels. I've been looking at tear-drop trailers, or little spaces, like the Scamp. Something in a sub-15 foot, towable by just about any vehicle, as my Jeep has a weaker power train, and I don't want to have to get the big one or a pick-up truck. I also want something that doesn't require camping in the full services part of the camp grounds, so we can go camping with our tent friends, which is almost always adjacent to the parking lots where we drive in, and just sleep in the parking lot. We're still looking, and will probably continue to camp in tents, probably on cots.

At the end, after a couple more hours than I think we thought we'd stay, we called it as it started to get dark with the setting sun. This was only a little concerning as I realized I'd forgotten any clear-lensed glasses. Riding in the dark with shaded glasses can get sketchy, as you can't see as well, of course. It's also against the law, but eye-wear is required, and recommended, so some concern each way. We pledged to not wait as long until next time, pandemic allowing, and maybe even make a camping trip to keep from driving home in the dark. We pulled out and went our different directions. I made it home just fine.

Everyone's healthy.