First Camping Trip of the Year
On Friday, we made a spontaneous decision to meet Jose’s mum out at Beaver Mine for a camping trip. Mama Loli and her husband Ed were already out there with their RV, and called to invite us to come. We decided “Why not?” and are so glad we went.
Beaver Mine is on the way to Castle Mountain. Mama Loli and Ed had found a nice spot and pulled off to set up their RV. It was nice and private, and absolutely beautiful. I’d never camped outside a campground before, so this was a new experience for me. When we arrived, I was a little nervous as there was a drop-off to the creek below. However, we were very firm with the kids about staying away from the edge, and they were great! Same with the fire. The campfire was just always going, and Julia especially was a little afraid of it, which made her extra cautious. Not a bad thing!
The two days we spent there were nice and relaxing – just the way camping should be. And with the RV, we had all the amenities – running water, bathroom, even a TV which I was really hoping to avoid. Mama Loli snuck one movie in, but I don’t think the kids even finished it. Once they’re out in the fresh air, they can’t get enough. They were really good, and had an absolute blast. There were so many things to do, they just didn’t have time to bicker or be bored. We wandered down to the creek a few times, and the kids could have stayed there for hours throwing rocks. I brought some sports equipment like a soccer ball, scoops, velcro catch, and we spent some time with those as well. Julia set herself up at the picnic table and coloured for quite awhile. She just loves colouring. James was a big fan of poking the fire and we had to watch him closely. He got pretty good about not waving his stick around and tamping it in the dirt instead though. We spent many hours just sitting in front of the fire, mesmerized. Of course, the tent was a big draw. James and Julia spent quite awhile bouncing around in there. It goes to show that kids really don’t need any toys. The kids were perfectly capable of entertaining themselves, and did so.
Sam came with us and his behaviour was a pleasant surprise. He loved being out there. When we went down to the creek to throw rocks, Sam came too. He wandered off a couple of times following a scent (we forgot his leash), but he came back when he was called. He liked drinking out of the creek too. Back at camp, Sammy hunkered down quite close to the fire and snoozed. When he got too toasty, he’d roll over. After his excursions to the creek, he was worn out and so, nice and quiet! We brought his little tent along, and he slept quite happily in there all night. The only downside was that he pulled his not eating routine, and threw up very early in the morning. Jose rinsed his blanket in the creek, and we all went back to sleep for a few more hours.
Hopefully we’ll get to do some more of this. Mama Loli and Ed are planning to camp out at Elk Water for a week, and even if Jose can’t come, the kids and I might join them. We have a canoeing/camping trip planned for the middle of July, so there’s also that to look forward to. That will be more like “real” camping, as there won’t be any RVs to rely on. The friends we’re going with are uber-campers – the kind that hike into a remote spot with only what they can carry on their backs. Not my style. I need to be able to hit up a convenience store for whatever I’ve forgotten (like the leash and Pull-Ups this time)! It will be fun though as we’re not hiking into our camp, we’ll be “car camping” as they call it. I’m looking forward to it.
This weekend sure set the tone for the rest of the summer. I’m excited to see what the next few weeks will bring. My only worry is that it will be over before I know it. C’est la vie I suppose!
Check out the pictures from the trip at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/acidocitrico/collections/72157624310745859/.