*From my journal March 17, 2024:

Camp filled up last night.  Neighbors on all sides.  Children.  Bicycles.  Dogs.  Sounds of life, human life.  Sometimes the campground is a real shitshow.  Try any weekend.  It will almost happen without fail.  I thought, as I settled into my tent last night that the four teenage boys swinging in hammocks a few feet away would the adversaries of my sleep.  Not the case.  My other neighbors, a couple of middle age with two dogs, blew back into camp shortly after midnight, flustered.  For whatever reason, they argued a bit, noisely, and then proceeded to break camp around 3:00am.  Without walls, we all share in the experience at campgrounds, for better or worse.

On the positive side, I’m up well before sunrise, sitting on a bench near one of the many boat ramps along Lake Jocassee at Devil’s Fork State Park.  And sunrise is a stunner.  Totally surprised.  Every rose has its thorns, I guess.

Camera:  Nikon D850
Lens:  Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8 @22mm
Tripod:  Really Right Stuff TVC-33

Date taken:  March 17, 2024
Settings:  f14, 0.5 second, iso 64