Lederderg - the return

We have been talking a bit about things that are well used, and possibly on the other end of their useful life. I bought my camping mug in 2006, when I was travelling in the English / Scottish border area. I somehow lost the camping mug I had been using and had to find a new one in the small town where I was staying. There was a sort of general store, and they had this mug:

I bought it because it was my only choice, but I love it. It's been with me camping in Australia, Canada, Scotland, England and America. We've gone car camping, bike camping, hiking and kayak camping. I've drunk a lot of tea from it (and some other things too). And that's were the problem starts. The enamel had started to crack and where its cracked at the lip it makes drinking from it quite unpleasant. So I decided to buy a new camping mug. I also decided Leon should upgrade his -he was using a functional plastic Katmandu one. We bought titanium mugs and they are lovely!

But I chose the uninsulated ones, because the insulated ones were kind of heavy, really expensive and just didn't appeal. In order to not burn my hands on very hot tea, I decided to make a cosy, out of some Zealana possum yarn. It feels so cosy and nice. Total overkill, I'm sure, because I don't remember ever having a problem with my old tin mug burning my hands, but look: how pretty.

both the State Park and the mug cover.

We were there for four days and, while the hiking was great, the camping was the best I've ever done. It was all free camping, and for each of the nights it was just us, no one else around. The last two nights were warm enough and private enough that we slept with the fly off the tent. So beautiful to actually sleep under the stars. There was plenty of time for knitting and reading in the sunshine.

Also, Lederderg has feral goats, and they are really pretty. If you look carefully in the photo below there are two of them, shaggy with horns.

I'd better go and put out the washing, I'll be back later in the week to show you what i actually knit on the trip.

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