Saturday, July 20, 2013

Camping: What I Didn't Pack

  • pack 'n' play
  • sand toys
  • meat: hotdogs, hamburger meat of any shape or form, or raw chicken.
  • soothers, bottles, diapers, wipes.
  • stroller
  • Number 30 sunscreen
  • bags of ice
  • milk
  • dog

I did, however, pack a fridge. I had a whole arsenal of really bad memories of wieners and eggs floating in coolers full of melted ice, and just didn't have the stamina for that any more.

I found the fridge held all the really important elements of camping with big sisters.

Or middle sisters.

For our first camping meal, we ate Mary's home made bread and roasted chilli pepper hummus from Costco. There wasn't a single slice of meat to be found, and we were glad. We're carb-a-tarians.

Grand Beach was stunningly beautiful, as always. Miles and miles of clean, white, powdery sand.

Great spots for Dork Posing.

Pretty sunsets.

Trees with big bums.

Nice sisters to go exploring with. They're nice because they accept people just where they're at. I felt really boring and withdrawn, so it was a comfort to have such marvellous, easy company.

People who bring their crochet projects on a camping trip set the bar at about the right height for me to know that they won't be expecting me in 24 hour party pants with the music cranked, doing some version of the booty shake.

They were also really good at book reading and napping, which allowed for some very riveting beach time.

 

I'm lucky to have these two in my life.

I'm lucky to live close to so many beautiful lakes that are fun to explore and revisit every summer.

And we were really lucky that it never rained. We were sleeping in a tent, and I'm still in intensive therapy to get over the trauma of me and my small children trying to sleep in giant puddles many years ago when I was still dumb enough to take small kids camping in a tent. I'm so scarred that I'm not even willing to be camping with really nice adults in a giant puddle.

Next post: The Bicycles of Victoria Beach.

 

4 comments:

brenda said...

I was looking for the naughtie pics. I saw that walk in the woods and I know what happens when you turn Kathy loose in a secluded grove of trees with some silly, pre-menopausal women. It's okay, you don't have to show the world. Just keep them tucked safely in your underwear drawer where you can pull them out occasionally and have a laugh at yourself.

bygeorge! said...

lovely!
p.s. You can borrow my boler any old time!
BB

janice said...

I love your camping trip stories. I want to be your sister. Right after I am your day home child.

I would like to know which ones of those in the photos are you. Can your parents still tell you apart?

In her last year of life, my mother once told me 'That Janice sure makes herself scarce!' I asked her who I was and she got embarrassed, so I did not push it. We barely even look alike, unlike the Kehler sisters.

Mary KG said...

Joyce, I love this, and I loved camping with you.