Collins Country

Roughing it

Ah camping.  Rising early, you enjoy the cool air coming off the lake, the birds chirping…and the insistent honking of a mini van. 

Poppy had the key remote in his pocket and rolled over on it; the panic button apparently works.  The entire family took that as a sort of reveille and all came pouring out of their respective sleeping quarters and the day began.

Since I was up before reveille, and I was a little chilled, I searched the camp for matches to start a fire.   Not finding any, I thought “What would MacGyver do?”

I didn’t have a rubber band and a magnifying glass, so I dug around in the fire pit until I found glowing coals.  I blew on them, accidentally inhaling copious quantities of ash in the process, and eventually got a little flame. 

Excited by my success, I scooted around the camp peripheral gathering small sticks and piling them on the “hot spot”.  Then I added graduating sizes of twigs and limbs.  I blew gently on the coals and a beautiful little flame sprouted and caught; Victory over the elements!

Eventually I had a merry little fire going and pulled up a camp stool.  I was warming my hands and feeling quite pleased with myself when I heard a jet engine fire up behind me.  Leaping across the fire ring I turned to discover my b-i-l coming at me with the most ferocious blowtorch I’ve ever seen (Turns out, it was an eight-gallon propane tank with a roofer’s torch attached). 

He proceeded to drag a stump the size of a tractor tire over and manfully shoved it into the ring, completely smothering my lovely blaze.  Restarting the torch, he held it about an inch away from the monstrous tree.  Ten minutes of this resulted in a towering inferno and he cried; “Now THAT’s a fire!”

I could share many other adventures, such as the car theft (no one we knew) at 2 am (I knew it was 2:00 am because the m-i-l's talking alarm clock told me so; don’t ask), the fifty crappy (pronounced Crop-ee) floating in a bucket, the fruitless search for stars in the night sky while six lanterns blaze, or the hole in our brand new tent. 

My darling husband pats my shoulder and says “Honey, just let it go.”

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{ 07:32 , Monday, August 28, 2006 } { Posted by thatday }

I haven't camped in such a long time - when my kids were growing up my sister and I took them camping very often. And we had such a good time. Basically we did little cooking - ususally we went out for breakfast (that was out main meal). Then lunch was sandwiches and dinner was usually hotdogs cooked over the fire or sandwiches again - and, soup if it was cool enough. Afternoons we would go hiking and then play games when we returned to camp. And then in the evening we just sat around the fire and talked and sang and laughed together.
This is making me homesick for camping. My daughter and her family just got a trailer - complete with everything. That to me is just not camping. Oh, for the good old days. "sigh"

What a riot!

{ 08:42 , Monday, August 28, 2006 } { Posted by Darcy }

I just have to tell you that I have REALLY enjoyed the tale of your camping trip. I was right there with you when you were thrilling over your little fire (MacGyver would be proud) and then it was over taken by the blow torch. Then you mention the talking alarm clock and I start laughing out loud. I've been in a tired emotional droopy funk all evening and I needed some cheer. Thanks for the giggle!

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{ 07:16 , Tuesday, August 29, 2006 } { Posted by Cindeerella }

LOL!!! I can see it now!

Knitting

{ 02:45 , Tuesday, August 29, 2006 } { Posted by clairebear }

Thanks for the ideas! I'll try it!

That is too funny!

{ 03:35 , Tuesday, August 29, 2006 } { Posted by melissa }

We love to camp. We are going to be camping at the beach two weeks before I'm due to have our 4th baby. That will be a tale I will blog about. Maybe, we will have a beach baby, lol!

Oh, my!

{ 07:58 , Wednesday, August 30, 2006 } { Posted by Jonash2004 }

That is so sad about your fire. Thank you for sharing this story - you told it so vividly I could almost see your bil and his gigantic torch . . . Oh my word, I sat here and laughed and shook my head. What a trip. I'm so glad you survivied and have returned to blog-land! :) (Dh hears about you all the time, he even knows about Mavis! - so he will chuckle when I read him this one!!) :P
Ashley