Earth Outdoor Living Diaries

LAST DAY :'-(

We will be making our departure tomorrow morning at 6:oo am.  So today has been spent loading up every nook and cranny that I can find in the car.  Looks like I'm going to have 2 big suitcases and my sewing machine that I'm going to have to send along with someone else.  Thankfully, my sister's church is here this week, and are willing to take it back for me... and my sister will bring it along to my house the next time that she comes out... which is just a couple weeks from now.

A BEAR!!!

I've been here all summer... and FINALLY, last night, I saw a bear.

RUN ON THE BANK

One of the things my Mom does here at camp, besides running the office with all it's paperwork / registration / payments / phonecalls / etc.---she also keeps the "Bank".  All campers are encouraged to put their money in the bank, so it doesn't get lost or stolen, and then just come get it out as they need it.

JUNIOR CAMP

So this week is Junior Camp (8-12 year olds)... the little jokes and querks about this week are endless.  I'll try to share just a few for these next few days.

FIRES, FALLS, AND FIRST RESPONDERS

Today marked the end of Senior Camp.  Next week will be our one week of Junior Camp, which is a whole different ball game.

THE BOULDERS!!!

On the special occasion of my aunt, cousin + kids visiting, I decided to take them up to one of the coolest places here close to camp.  About a quarter mile up the trail by our trailer, there is a huge boulder field that is pretty much just TOTALLY awesome!!!  You can climb on top, crawl under, and explore all through them.  It was the hit of the day... and we all had a great time!

GUESTS AGAIN

Okay, I'm sure you're getting tired of reading about raspberries... so we'll sum up my morning with "nearly a gallon, and barely making a dent in the berry patch."

SHORT AND SWEET

That's what today's entry is going to be.  I'm tired, and the kids are up with me right now... way later than they should be up.

A DAY LATE

Alright, I knew it would happen.  I didn't write yesterday... but it wasn't because I forgot... I just didn't have time.

THE WEEK ENDS... THE BERRIES CONTINUE

Seems like raspberries are the theme right now.  I picked another half gallon today... and still never made it to that last good spot.  My back was killing me from all the bending (these berry bushes are really close to the ground).  I'll hit the rest tomorrow, I guess.

INDIAN PAINT BRUSH... I THINK

That's what I've been told this flower is called.  The name fits... and they sure are pretty.  What I was noticing about them today though, was that they've been blooming ALL summer... they haven't bloomed and faided like a lot of the other kinds of flowers.  They've stuck around the whole time I've been here.

BEST BERRY DAY SO FAR!

Well, the raspberries are really coming on strong now.  Today I picked about half a gallon... and I didn't even get around to picking at one of the best spots.  I'll try that place out tomorrow.

PLEASANT DAYS AND PACKING

The days have been pleasantly cooler here lately, and are making me dread the heat I know that I'll be swamped in when we return home here in two and a half weeks.  Last night some clouds blew in, and brought with them the smell of rain, and a few sprinkles of water... nothing big, but enough to cool it down and give the air that nice smell of wet pine and granite.

LOTS OF LITTLE TURKEYS!!!

So, on our way down the mountain for some yard saling over the weekend, we happened to come across a whole flock of wild turkeys, just outside the Camp gate.  Mom was good enough to get a shot of some of them with her camera as I drove by as slowly as I could.  There were three hens, and at LEAST 30 little baby turkeys... maybe close to 40.  Two of the hens, and probably 2/3 of the babies were already crossing the road as we drove by.  This picture is of the ones that couldn't get across before our car got to them.  It was definitely a treat to get to see all those little guys... the kids thought it quite amazing:)

ANOTHER WEEK ENDS

With the end of this week of camp also comes the end of Grandpa and Grandma Stone's visit.  They will be leaving in the morning.

ANOTHER GOOD CHUCKWAGON

Chuckwagon this evening was a good one.  It was overcast at first, so it wasn't too hot and the sun wasn't in everyone's eyes.  It almost looked like rain for a little while, but never did.  Just cooled down real nice.

GRANDPARENTS VISITING

Seems like every morning when I get up and start jogging down the road, I'm overwhelmed with the beauty of creation, and the goodness of God for allowing me to enjoy it.  The smells, the sights, the sounds of these mountains are all pure loveliness... especially during the dawning of a brand new day, as the sun is rising, and everything is fresh and just waking up.

BUSY AS A BEE

If you remember, I started the big project of making a million aprons here a few weeks ago (yes, I'm exaggerating... but it always seems that way when I take on a mass production of something).  One year, I made crocheted rag rugs for everyone for Christmas... one year it was quilts for everyone.  Both times I made so many that I burnt myself out on them, and haven't made any since.  It will probably be the same with these.  I've made sixteen so far... and have about seven more cut out.  It's the year of aprons, apparently... but they're pretty easy to do, and I'm pretty happy with the finished product... so we'll see.

RAIN, COOL, AND BLESSINGS

It's rained the past three days up here at camp, and with the rain has come the most wonderful cool weather!  Today has been BEAUTIFUL... mid-60s, light breeze, and big fluffy whiteclouds drifting through the sky that give us periods of both bright sunshine, and soft overcast shadows.

RECIPE FOR A GOOD WEEKEND

All the workers, my mom included, are very excited today.  The reason--on this very rare occassion, ALL the churches, with their campers, are leaving camp to head home today.  None are staying over into Saturday morning.  That means that all the cleaning can be done tonight, and everything made ready for next week now.  And all the workers that go home for the weekend will get to leave tonight, instead of in the morning.  And Mom is pretty excited about getting to sleep in past 5:15 in the morning... and maybe rest up a bit.  Hopefully everyone will get to enjoy this little luxury, and have a good relaxing weekend before the business of next week starts up again.