Weekend Update

Since Friday evening was a bit cooler, we decided to actually go on an official camping trip. Just a one-nighter - but, it counts.

So we packed up everything in the van, and Chris and the girls all headed out. Kiel and AJ both had to work - not that they would have gone anyway! I always manage to pick the campsite that is the absolute furthest from the vehicle but always an awesome campsite. We haul it all in and start setting up. We aren't there an hour when 5 Jr. high aged kids come traipsing thru the site. Mellisa asks - "Can we help you?" No response - they just keep walking to the lake. Now, our site is about 10 yards from the lake. Mellisa's tent is literally 4 feet from the edge of the lake. We weren't real sure what in the world they were doing but let it go. 15 minutes later - 20 kids or so go thru our site. I said loudly - "Seriously???" No response. This time they walked closer to where Chris was fishing with the girls - and they giggled and left. Bizarre. Another 20 minutes go by - a mom comes over. "Do you have a problem with my kids?" What??? I am sitting at my table getting dinner ready and I am being harassed by a mom now? She accused me of saying mean things to her kids and if I had a problem with her kids then I needed to tell the 16 adults at the campsite - not say anything to them. Now, I have no idea what the little liars said - and I do not handle confrontation well. I just sat there and said that she might just want to keep her kids at her campsite. She stormed off with the 20 kids or so in tow and told them that there are some people that think they are better than others and I was just uppity. Whatever... I am cooking hot dogs over a campfire and peeing in the woods - where is the 'uppity' part in that???

Time passes - it gets cooler - the wind picks up - and we notice lightning in the distance. We did decide to put the fly's on our tents just in case we get a bit of rain. I tried 2 times to make my campfire apple pie - the first one burned since I was trying to add stakes to the tent while cooking. The second one - I dropped on the ground. It was a sign that I didn't need an apple pie. I don't think much of the thunder & lightning - until Chris gets on his cell and finds out that there are severe thunderstorm warnings in our area. Fantastic. I still wasn't too worried until a park ranger came by and told us to head to the bath house if it got much worse. Now, we have hiked quite a ways to get to this site. It is now pouring rain - the van is far. And by the time we could get to the bath house - which is on the other side of the lake, we would have been toast anyway. So - we stuck it out. It was very windy. Thunder is very loud in a tent! But - the girls were fine. Mellisa was fine. Our tent leaked. At some point, Chris and I decided we were already wet - might as well sit by the lake and watch the storm. It was absolutely beautiful.

So - interesting camping experience for the first one of the season. Every time we go, we bring home the strangest memories. But, I guess that's what it's all about.