Day 77 | A Moldy Campfire?

May 25, 2017

Today, I tried decontaminating first thing in the morning to see if that would help with the mood issues. I wiped my body with a damp cloth and washed my hair really well. It seemed to make a big difference. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner!

We had a pretty “normal” day, I did laundry and worked on the blog while Brett made some work-related phone calls. In the evening however, the campground started filling up and my pain level rose significantly. As more and more people lit campfires I continued to feel worse. Moldy wood maybe?

When my throat started tightening, we knew we had to leave. I started to worry, “What if campgrounds won’t work after all? What if the campgrounds fill up a lot over the summer and there are campfires every night? Oh dear!”

We left the campground as quickly as we could and found a place to park by the side of the road in Custer State Park. We figured we could wait a couple hours and then go back to our campsite once all the fires were out and see if I had another reaction.

If I didn’t react, then we’d know it was probably just the campfires. If I did, then maybe one of the new RVs that showed up was moldy. While we waited, we took showers, relaxed and read aloud together.

Thankfully, when we returned to the campground all the fires were out and I felt fine. What a relief! Although, I’m still a little worried by the incident. I hope this just means that someone was burning moldy wood and not that I have a problem with campfire smoke in general. That would be such a bummer!

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10 Comments

  • Katherine Forster

    Yikes! I hope it’s the wood, not the campfire smoke… But that’s so wonderful that you have a phone now, and you can write whenever you want!

    June 4, 2017 at 3:29 pm Reply
    • Ana Harris

      Me too Katherine! By the way, we watched you on the Bible Bee Game show yesterday and we both agreed that you were definitely the best! 😊

      June 5, 2017 at 11:03 am Reply
      • Katherine Forster

        Really? That’s awesome! So glad you got to see it, and thank you! 😊

        June 5, 2017 at 12:05 pm Reply
        • Ana Harris

          Yeah! It was really cool! We both really wanted you to win. Your delivery was amazing, beautiful and confident. Excellent job! And so impressive that you’ve memorized so much scripture!

          June 5, 2017 at 5:47 pm Reply
  • Lisa Grove

    I’ve been dealing with just this issue lately, Ana! I quick get into my van and leave all the windows closed until all the campfires are out and there’s been a breeze or enough time for the smoke to dissipate enough for me to tolerate breathing. Sometimes u can crack open the windows at 10 on, but often it’s more like 2 am. This has made for some pretty hot and sweaty evenings. Not sure what I’ll do in the long run …

    June 4, 2017 at 5:48 pm Reply
    • Ana Harris

      Oh man! I’m so sorry Lisa! So do you think it’s just the smoke? I don’t feel like I always react as strongly. I kind of feel like it depends on the wood. I don’t know. Hiding out in the car is a good idea. I hope you find a good long term solution!

      June 5, 2017 at 11:05 am Reply
  • Chris

    Ana, yes it could very well be the wood. We have a fireplace and I haven’t yet let my husband burn wood in it because its so wet in Michigan that I worry about the same thing. And with allergies, whatever is in the wood would exacerbate them. Ana, as I read all these posts, I want to point out something that might help you. I know its normal to worry about things. I worry all the time too. As humans thats what we do. And as women, well, we do it really well. I’m an expert at worrying. Ha Ha! But it seems to me that God is giving you wisdom and helping you solve problems pretty readily. He does that. If we seek Him, He will provide. And if we need wisdom, all we need to do is ask. Like with this situation, you came up with a solution quite readily. So when the temptation comes to fear, just remember that He’s there and will provide a way out. I’ve seen Him do it for you so often. So I know He will continue to do it. (Great advice huh? I need to listen to this myself!!! LOL!! Ha Ha!!)

    June 4, 2017 at 7:45 pm Reply
    • Ana Harris

      Thank you so much Chris! Amen! I agree! 💕

      June 5, 2017 at 11:07 am Reply
  • Andrea Vik

    We have had to move camp sights BC of moldy RVs…..before we found a permanent place to park on a ranch, we would have to be sure to find campsites not next to RV’s. Where are you now? Our landlady is renting out some RV spots in Campo…high desert outside of San Diego.

    June 5, 2017 at 12:30 am Reply
    • Ana Harris

      Thanks for sharing Andrea. We’re in South Dakota right now. How did you find a ranch to camp on more permanently? That’s what we want! Something more permanent. We’re so sick of moving around all the time!

      June 5, 2017 at 11:08 am Reply

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