We’re home. I’m cold, sick, sore, sunburned, and exhausted, but very, very grateful and happy. It was a wonderful camping trip, but I can’t entirely enjoy the immediate aftermath of the excursion for how rotten I feel. I hoped I’d be able to sit down and record my recollections in true journalistic fashion, but all I can think about is my sore throat and the night time medicine I just took, and when it’s going to kick in.
We contemplated staying another night, and I think we really would have, except Prissy and Mo started to get sick, Bunny coughed all night last night, and Mo got a mystery injury on her toe that swelled to the size of a plum. She said she kicked a rock in the creek, but I think something stung her.
So, all the kids caught their first fish this weekend. Rocky reeled in 3 or 4, but he’s convinced they were all the same scrawny little brim. Of all of the kids, I think Bunny has most taken to fishing. First thing in this morning, while it was still hovering around 40 degrees, she left the fire to go freeze at the creekside and try to catch something. That girl is determined.
The girls filled their buckets half full of petrified wood. Of all the things Miner wanted to do, that was what he most looked forward to–a throwback from his pup days puttering around in the woods behind his house while all the other boys in the neighborhood rode their bikes and antagonized the other neighborhood kids.
We ate SpaghettiOs for brunch. We had all the fixin’s for a repeat of the hearty sausage-gravy-mush-mountain-thing we ate the first morning, but it was just too derned cold, and it was all we could do to open the cans and wait for the pasty-pasta mixture to heat up. Last night, dinner was pork roast, red potatoes, and carrots slow-cooked over the fire all evening. Delicious!
For lunch today, Miner cooked up boudin in foil. Never had it with the skin crispy like that. It was great.
Last night around the campfire, we played 20 Questions and Movie Sharades. Squeak fell asleep in her chair.
Wildlife: We saw a praying mantis; a fat, hairy, horned green caterpillar (which we have yet to identify, but Prissy thinks it’s a moth, because it’s furry); a king snake, a bee hive, a large turtle, and armies of Daddy Longlegs. Last night, we heard coyotes and owls.
We slept to the sound of the gurgling creek rapids. Full moon rising up through the forest lattice. Open sky and dotted stars. A hawk screeching and circling above. Morning mist on the water and God-rays spearing through the treetops.
Such silence…
Except in the cold night–violent rifle cracks–some lone and echoing, others in quick succession. Maybe that’s why a road is named “Doe Ridge.” Sad.
Our site had several, several magnolia trees growing wild among the pines, oaks, and cypress. Wish I could see them when the pods are on them, or when the blooms are full. Bet the smell is intoxicating.
Other impressions…
A fallen tree bridge. Brilliant red leaves turning at the season. “Warmth fire” and “cooking fire.” Toilet stand in plain, vulnerable view, and trips to use it, with an escort.
Beef jerky. Pringles. Cereal bars. S’mores. Apples that were supposed to be sprinkled with cinnamon, wrapped, and baked over the fire, but were eaten fresh and sour.
Photos haven’t come back from the developers just yet. We gave each kid a disposable camera with 27 shots they had to ration over three days. Naturally, the digital ran out of batteries early on the second day because someone (me) accidentally left it on, so we only got video from the first part of the trip. Thankfully, we were able to shoot each of the kid’s first fish and record their ecstatic reactions. That was worth it.
I got each member of the family a memory photo album today with just enough pockets to fit the prints of the trip. Miner and I will choose our favorites, print them out: Family’s First Camping Trip.
We’ve already decided we’re going camping again as soon as winter begins to wear off. I expect we might even go as often as once every other month. I don’t dare take the kids camping when he’s gone, but I’ve made up my mind to take advantage of the nature station here. From what I understand, they have great hiking trails, and lots of on-site resources on flora and fauna. We can leave in the morning, hike till lunch, eat in the forest park, then make our way back. A nice nature day we could easily do once a month.
This family first has really opened up doors for us. Rocky truly enjoyed himself. He worked hard, enjoyed the peace as well as the hardship, which is profoundly meaningful in a teenager’s life. I think this is going to be one of those memories that stays with us for the rest of our lives, a touchstone of family joy.
It sounds wonderful. I’m glad you had such a great time. I’ll have to look into the same for us…now that my youngest is seven I think I can handle it!