Camping Cut Short

Camping in the Northwest can be iffy pretty much year round.  You might call it a box of chocolates.  You never know what you're gonna get.  Camping the first week of August, in the middle of the state however, pretty much guarantees you dry weather.  Well, not this year.  We had planned to spend two nights camping.  Instead we spent one night camping, in the rain.  Woke up to two sick family members.  Tried to have fun anyway and went bowling and played mini put-put.  Thing 3 threw a fit about 7 holes in, sat down and refused to play.  Then refused to move from the shade under the tree.  Back at the campsite a swarm of bees had made themselves at home.  Thing 2 wouldn't even go into the campsite!  So we called it.  Packed up the gear and headed home while the rain started to come down again. 

I did get to try out my birthday present!  It took a while to figure out the cooking with coals thing, but managed to make a delicious raspberry dump cobbler and used the lid for pancakes.  It definitely cooks slower but I think it just takes time to get the ratio of coals for the food and conditions.

Birthday Present

If you had told me 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago, that I would be excited about getting a dutch oven for camping as a birthday present, I would have said you were nuts! You get dirty camping. You have to sleep outside. And the bugs! Don't get me started on the bugs! What changed? I guess giving birth to boys did it to me. Or maybe it was the introduction of Scouting into our lives that did it. My brand spankin' new 12 inch deep dutch oven has been stripped and seasoned and ready for it's inaugural camping trip! Back in January I attended a Scout leadership training where they offered all sorts of classes for leaders to take. One of which was a fantastic class on dutch oven cooking. The instructor was a master dutch oven chef. I mean, this man actually competes in dutch oven cooking competitions and brings home the ribbon! I had no idea these things existed! Dutch oven masters and dutch oven competitions! Who better to learn the ins and outs of how to use a dutch oven from. Tomorrow we head out for three days, two nights of camping at a lake about 3 hours away. It's the lake I spent a week at every summer with my family growing up so it holds all sorts of memories for me. Last night hubby and I, okay, I poured thru my dutch oven cookbooks to decide what recipes I should try. This trip I will be making a raspberry cobbler, biscuits, pancakes and eggs with this bad boy. Wish me luck!!

Dry Run

Thing 1 is growing up too fast for me.  Way to fast for me.  In a few short weeks he will officially be a teenager which makes this Mama's heart race and hair turn even more grey than it already is!  The thought of raising a teenager is not something I have been looking forward to in my career as a parent.  I can handle the baby, toddler, child, tween ages, but a teenager?  I'm having my doubts as a parent in this arena.

This coming weekend he is camping with his Boy Scout troop without one of us going with him.  Camping with his troop without a parent is not something new.  He has been on many camping trips without us but has always slept in cabins. 

This is the first time tent camping without a parent so we did a dry run in the yard last night. 

He put the tent up completely on his own...

Set up the cot on his own...

Then tore it all down on his own. 

I think he's ready.  I hope!