Roughing it!!

  Mark and I used to be avid campers.  We had bags packed with check lists, and getting ready to go camping was a breeze.  Grab the bag, the tent, the stove, the lanterns, some food, and off to the wild blue yonder we would go.
   Once the kids got busy with sports, and every weekend was filled with his or her games, camping went on the back burner. Before we knew it, 20 years had passed.  Rusty? Nahh. We've still got the same bag packed with all the camping gear, the tent is still there, the lantern was ready, (missing a mantle or two, so it stayed home) Sleeping bags thrown in the car, cooler filled, and we were ready for a fun packed weekend with Lucy, Chris, and the kids.  Suttle Lake here we come.
   We traveled with Ty, and enjoyed his banter for the 2 hour drive.  We talked forest fires, played slug bug, and have added slug prius to the mix.  He's killing me at this game! I need more focus I guess.
    Arriving at camp, we unloaded, and as Mark and I set up the tent, Ty went about making friends with the chipmunks.  I told him when I was a little girl, they would come and eat out of my hand. He had a challenge, holding still long enough for a chipmunk to approach was the true challenge, but he did it!  He said one chipmunk was his friend, but the other ones didn't know him yet.  I was starting to get nervous that our bread supply wasn't going to last until the meal that it was intended for.







Ty decided he wanted to stay in Tutu & Boppy's tent...me oh my, it was cozy!



sweet success! He was so excited! Later we would learn that his mother is less than thrilled with chipmunks.  :-)

Poor Teak! He crawls everywhere, which isn't the best when camping.  He puts everything in his mouth, which isn't the best since dirt, rocks, and pinecones aren't really on his meal plan.



our home away from home for two nights

Chris, Lucy, & Teak arrived about 6:30.  We had our camp pretty well set up, chili was on the stove heating, and after they unloaded and started setting up their tent, we enjoyed a nice hot meal around the campfire.  I think we were all a little surprised at how cool it was at 6:30, and everyone put on an extra layer of clothes.





















The first night, there was very little sleep.  Teak was cold, woke up many times during the night, Ty kept doing a dive from his air mattress onto my head, I think I put him back on his mattress four times during the night.  We looked a little weary in the morning, but with hot coffee, and a campfire breakfast, everyone put on a happy face.  Teak saw to it that we all got up by 5am, so we had a long day to fill with fun!



The lake was so beautiful at 5:30 AM.  The fog was just above the water in certain spots, that gave it an eerie wonderful feeling.  I was instantly glad that Teak saw to it that we could take this in.  If we'd slept in, we would have missed it, and the second morning was much warmer and the lake didn't have this look on it.





The motley crew at breakfast.  Hats, blankets and warm food got us ready to start our day.

First on the list of things to do, was Ty was itching to try out the fishing pole Chris had given him for Christmas.  One quick review lesson on how to fish, and they were off for an hour of fishing.

This warms my heart.  Just Chris and Ty on the dock, Chris the teacher, Ty the student. Ty listened well, and practiced casting and reeling for over an hour.  Never a bite, but he had fun, and to my amazement, Chris never got antsy, or acted like he wanted to do something else, he was content to sit and watch Ty try his best to catch a fish.

this eagle flew by while Ty was fishing.  He perched himself up a tree and watched from up high no doubt he would try his best to catch a fish. While we were there, we saw three eagles flying.  That made me happy as well.  I never saw an eagle in the wild until I was in my 20's, and now in the last five years, I've seen more and more.  Oh happy day.

this old guy was waiting for me when I came out of the restroom.  I love the gray on his face, and the way he looked at me.

Teak & Teak taking a little stroll.  Mark couldn't wait to get Teak in a pack and relive how he used to pack our kids around. Strolling down memory lane.

This was an attempt at getting Teak moving.  Oh, he loved it. I'm sorry to say it caused his mother much grief.  She just couldn't see letting him put all those dirty things in his mouth.  The boy loves to eat, and I guess he's not too discriminating!

There was plenty of time for relaxing.  Mark in the shade with his book. Lucy working on the vitamin D with a beer.  Rule of the weekend, "we're on vacation.  Eat and drink what you want when you want it.  Except Teak, who didn't get to eat what he wanted to!

Saturday afternoon we headed to the lodge to check it out.  It's a lovely lodge, and has little cabins that are rustic.  Lucy was thinking that might have been a better fit with a baby.  Then she could put him down for a nap, close the door and sit outside.  Next time, next time.  While enjoying a cool beverage on the patio, a group of bikers came in.  I looked up, and heard my name, only with my maiden name being called.  Lucy said, "I've never heard her being called that"  Such a small world.  Someone I'd gone to high school with was on a "couples ride" and they had stopped for lunch before heading to Eagle Crest.  Just goes to show, when you look your worst, no shower, or hair combed, your clothes are dirty, you smell like a campfire with bug spray, you will run into someone you know!

We played plenty of games.  Checkers, charades, apples to apples, shut the box, and then Ty had plenty of time to play by himself with only his imagination.  That was when I was thankful for my telephoto lense.  I captured the young boy lost in his own world, having the time of his life!

Oh how I love this boy and his wild, wild imagination...I hope he remembers these days...they are so good.

Teak went from this, to....................................

We have a photo of Lucy as a baby, camping and bathing in this tub.  She had a beer can for a bath toy.  This beer can was merely a prop, as Lucy didn't want Teak to cut himself on it.  Guess our parenting styles were a little lax, but hey, she survived, and we had a lot of laughs over it.

Evening fishing at a different spot, but the results were just the same.  Tons of fun, and no fish to clean.

The best part of camping is making s'mores.  Ty starts asking the minute we hit the campground, and the first thing when he wakes up.  Ours were of a gourmet variety.  Ty and I had made marshmallows from scratch on Thursday.  They were cut into large squares ready to be roasted and put in between chocolate and a graham cracker.  Lucy had milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and dark chocolate with caramel for us to choose from.  Homemade marshmallows don't roast the same as store purchased ones.  They are lighter and more delicate.  We finally found the champion roaster, and he was put to the test, time and time again.  Here's to Marshmallow Mark! Our hero.

The vintage lunchpail with ET and the remains of Luke ATwood written on it are put away now, holding all the silverware you could ever need for camping.  The old coffee pot is sitting out, waiting for a new screw to hold the handle on.  We've graduated fromt he old days of cowboy coffee to a more sophisticated coffee press. 

The woods haven't changed in 20 years, the birds are still there, the squirrels still chatter, there are more eagles to look in wonder at.  The bones are a little older, two days of camping is a good reintroduction, and we will sleep like babies tonight, but we wouldn't have traded this weekend for anything.  Making memories with family is the best, and little boys will only be pirates for short while, and won't always want to sleep next to their Tutu.