Blame it on the Water

It's been a minute, huh? Or more like close to two weeks!

This time I'm going to blame it on the water. If you've been here before (hi!) then you may have seen me mention a certain camping trip. We started by buying and testing out a new tent.

It tested great in the living room if you're wondering!

Since we wanted to take Moose, we decided a snazzy life jacket was a necessity.

 This picture still cracks me up. A) His fluff is ridonkulous. B) He spent a few minutes terrified to move - after he realized it wasn't locking him in one position for the rest of his life he was totally fine, but man. He was not a fan in this moment.

And SINCE he was so terribly fluffy, we went ahead and got a summer haircut. 

He doesn't want to talk about it. But look how cute he is all packed up with the rest of the supplies!

So early two Friday mornings ago Engineer Husband and I shipped out super early to go claim a campsite. We ended up being WAY early (EH was convinced they would all get taken by 10AM) but it was all worth it because we got a great spot and were able to just sit around and relax until the rest of the group arrived.

Later our friends arrived and it was all about finding the perfect hot dog sticks, s'mores and of course, adult beverages. Since our phones had no service (which was awesome), I just locked it up in the truck for the weekend.

The next day we met up with another couple and headed out for the float! If you are from here or ever find yourself in The Natural State, I highly suggest experiencing the Buffalo River. We've had so much rain that the river was moving quickly but it is still one of my absolute favorite spots on the Earth.

 

We camped one more night but unfortunately were met with a torrential downpour. Luckily the campsite had a restaurant that made for an easy dinner and by the time we made it back to camp we were (albeit after much effort) able to start another camp fire and hang out a little bit longer.

After the whirlwind of the river, we made it through another work week and got ready for another weekend on the water - this time on the lake!

 

This picture does no justice to the amount of boats that were all tied up in the cove. It got even more crowded by the end of the afternoon. Hope you like your boat neighbors!

 

 Moose's life jacket was extra beneficial when paired with another life jacket.

 

 

I think he enjoyed the raft a little more though - especially when it was in the boat. Regardless, he was a trooper during both weekends. Good boy!

 All in all, they were both fun, somewhat relaxing and sometimes crazy weekends but we all made it - probably a little more sun burnt than we'll ever admit - but happy all the same.

Hope you have had a great couple of weekends - and a Happy 4th!

High Five for Friday

It's Friday! This week sort of flew by, though I have no idea why really since for once we don't have too much going on!

1 // Since I've long given up on beating the current level of Candy Crush, I found a new game to waste all my time on - Two dots!

When in doubt, make squares!

2 // My friend and her fiance just moved into their new home which means Housewarming Party tomorrow! I think I'll hit up Full Moon in Hillcrest for the perfect gift. I'll do my best to steer clear of anything monogrammed. We'll see, they're hard to resist!

3 // Moose is getting a haircut. He's currently in the process of shedding enough fur for what I can only imagine is to create a miniature Moose.

 

Look at that hair! And the weird face! I adore him. I'm thinking either a total buzz cut or maybe a mohawk? Thoughts?

4 // Kimono time - I've been wanting one for awhile and this weekend seems like the perfect time to try and find one. Something budget friendly though - maybe like this Forever 21 find? Fringe is in, right?

5 // Last but not least - EH and I have big plans to get ready for our camping/floating trip next weekend. We've owned a pretty sweet canoe for several years but the poor thing has been hanging up in the garage, dreaming of touching the water again. That's probably a little dramatic but oh well. So weather permitting, this will be my view around this time next week!

Photo Courtesy of www.floatthebuffalo.com

 Hope you're having a happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Fried Chicken and Flying Saucers

EH and I have been trying to be good about eating at home, but we never turn down an invitation to meet a friend out for dinner.

So on Wednesday we ventured to Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken in downtown. The only other time I have been was with EH on a HOT July Friday afternoon where we sat at the bar overlooking the open kitchen and ate off styrofoam plates and watched the cooks do their thing.

This time we slid into a bench and waited for our friend to arrive. 

Gus's is really casual and offers bottled beer and individual bottles of wine - served in your own plastic wine glass! I love it though - something about the old school plastic plaid table coverings and drinking wine out of a plastic cup sort of sets the stage.

EH opted for an Acadia beer - really good! And I hope I got the name right, I'll have to do some digging.

We started out the night with a Southern staple - fried green tomatoes. Which is not only one of my favorite foods on the entire planet, but also one of my most treasured movies!

 

The tomatoes were perfection and the only thing lacking was the prepackaged ranch. If they came up with something on site it would have taken these over the top. But! Still good. We were happy.

EH and I both don't go out of our way to choose bone-in items so we opted for the chicken strips, though our friend got a plate of wings and thighs and said they were amazing.

I opted for the mac'n'cheese and baked beans - and each meal is served with plain white bread, which of course made me quote another cherished movie all during the meal - The Blues Brothers!

After dinner we strolled down to The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium which has tons of tons of great beers on tap and the UFO Club - which tracks what beers you try in order to ultimately get your name on a saucer hung on the wall. Of course we joined!

You can spot all the saucers up towards the top - the different colors indicate how many you've had. We are at a solid one but you have to start somewhere!

I opted for something light, though I can't remember the name. The choices can be overwhelming so I always ask the bartender for their recommendation. Whatever this was, it was delicious!

 

While EH went for something more dark and brooding.

I tried to snap a picture of our friend's but it was terrible as far as iphone pics go. 

If you need a new casual meal spot or fancy some great beer, I highly recommend stopping by either of these places! Might as well hit up both if you find a parking spot downtown.

Cheers!