I'm Too Old to Sleep on Rocks

Went camping this past weekend. Ended up in a beautiful secluded valley in the Hajar mountains.

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We loved the rugged beauty of the mountains. It was fun to drive our car through the dry river beds. The dogs loved being able to roam free at will. We were about 15km from a very small town that included maybe 10 buildings - and beyond that it was another 30-40km to the nearest city. We set up camp in a valley where the floor of the valley is mostly comprised of rocks and pebbles that have broked off of the stark rocks of the Hajar mountains.
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We enjoyed the quiet of the evening, the crickets coming out at dusk, a few birds in some scrub, the odd long-legged beetle scurrying by. After dark, we lit a campfire and let ourselves by hypnotized by the flames. Occassionally, we'd look for a constellation. As far out as we were, there was still a lot of light polution. First, the sky was completely clear and the moon was pretty much straight above. So, that cut down on the star gazing. Then after the moon set, there was still some light polution from Fujierah (the nearby city).
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It was a bit eerie being that isolated. I had odd dreams that included an American Indian chief (in full Disney-esque headdress) coming to invite us to the local pow-wow. I was very aware of how far away we were from anything like civilization. I definitely would have problems living on an isolated farm. I like knowing the neighbors are withing screaming distance.

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Here's Basil looking down on our campsite from a quick hike we took. We tried to see if we could get to the top of the mountain overlooking our campsite, but we didn't make it. But you can see that Basil's haircut is growing out - although I still think he looks non-Griffonish. But still cute.