8/2/09

Today began the way yesterday ended, dark and storming. I found myself envying the male’s ability to pee in a bottle because I had to go out in the dark storm to use the bathroom. I took the short-cut of a small path to the out-house and I wish now that I hadn’t because I got some poison oak on my ankles. The rain lightened up a little about 7:30 or 8. But then when we started cooking breakfast it poured again. There was only one dutch oven to cook all the biscuits, so I suggested frying them. Since it was my idea, and I was the only one who knew how, I wound up cooking them. Alex cooked the eggs, and Dwayne cooked the gravy and sausage. Everyone was full afterwards. While the scouts worked on the rest of the paperwork for the canoeing merit badge, I went back to my tent and read some more Stephen King. About 11 o’clock, the sky was blue and the rain was gone, and everyone was preparing to go out on the lake again. I debated going or staying, and decided that the reason I had gone to start with was to canoe, so I got a life jacket and made Alex go in the boat with me. When we flipped the canoe over to put it into the water, there were 2 baby catfish about 3 inches long in the boat…as well as a spider easily that big. We went all over Parksville lake. It was supposed to have been just a 5 mile trip, but I’m thinking it was more like a 5 mile trip each way! But it was fun, and Alex and I worked well together. I think we’re ready for the Nantahala. I found myself wishing we had a canoe or a duckie so we could go anytime we wanted. We got home at 5:45, I took a quick shower and went to church. Alex took his shower and got to church before the sermon began. After church, Alex went with the youth to play Ultimate Frisbee and I stayed home and caught up on some forums on the internet and Farm Town.

8/1/09

I continued reading the Grief Recovery Handbook today. I can relate to a lot of the stuff they talk about in there.

Today was another blissful day. There weren’t enough canoes during the morning session for me to go out, so I stayed at camp with Jenny, Lucinda, and the girls. We got in the water and floated around on some pool floats and inner tubes. I had several dragonflies land on me. One had pretty blue eyes and when it landed its wings were together. Another one was a less delicate one with brown eyes and wings. I also had two that seemed to be joined together land on me; but I don’t think they were truly one because one was a blue-ish purple and the other was a pea green. While floating around Jenny discovered a fresh-water jelly fish! A passing coanoer explained to us that it’s actually f fish egg sack. They’re usually attached to trees underwater, but that one had come loose. After a lunch of sandwiches and chips Alex, Cody, and Nate went to ride in Sam’s motor boat. Actually, they were going tubing. Lucinda and Amy both told me how excited Alex was about it. I was glad because I had to make him get out of a canoe to go. He had been upset with me because this was a CANOEING trip, and a motor-boat doesn’t qualify as a canoe! I need to thank Amy and Sam for giving Alex this experience. While Alex was gone I took the canoe out solo. It was harder to navigate a large canoe solo than a duckie. I went farther than Alex and I had gone yesterday. It was just as beautiful, but it wasn’t as enjoyable as sharing it with someone I love. Grant paddled his duckie along with me, and I was thankful for that company. I don’t know if I would have gone so far if I had been totally alone. After we got back the scouts played in the lake near the camp; splashing, dunking, all of the wonderful things of summer. While the boys were building the fire, a camper from the next site came over to make sure we knew about the bear that tried to get into the tent which was set up last weekend where Dwayne and Jenny’s tent was. He came over about 5-10 minutes later to show us thunderstorms coming in on the radar. While eating supper, we made the tents more secure, gathered the life-jackets and oars, disposed of refuse, flipped the canoes over so they would not fill up with water (my idea), and picked up camp. Amy was too scared to stay for the storms so the Hargroves left and Cameron went with them because his mommy wanted him home! Doesn’t she realize boys need the experiences of camping in the rain too? It was 8:45 before the rain hit. I took a Stephen King book to my tent and read a little before going to sleep. There aren’t many better things to do than reading during a thunderstorm. After I finished the short story and turned off the flashlight, I lay there all alone in the tent; no one to talk to or cuddle up with. I don’t know if I’ll ever have someone to share my tent, so I’ll just be thankful for the day and the fun.

7/31/08

Today I took off work early and went home and cooked Taco soup, then Alex and I went to pick up cody cienkus and we went to Parksville Lake to camp and canoe with the Boy Scouts. Dwayne and Jenny were already there with Josh and his little sister & her friend. I was not informed that this was a family camp-out. Oh well. The boys about got my big tent set up when we discovered that while it was at Deana’s that the things at the bottom that secure the poles were torn off. Luckily Dwayne had some troop tents along so I could sleep in one of those. Since we arrived early, Alex and I took a canoe and went exploring. It is beautiful up here, and Alex commented on that more than once. I hope he remembers that trip in years to come. I feel blessed to be able to give him an experience like this. Other people didn’t start arriving until 8:30…and they were setting up camp when I decided to call it a night at 9:15.